Quick question: is it ok to slipstream off someone you don't know? Eg, on a MUP or maybe even a road.

Steve

If you do it is usually nice to acknowledge them and say "Hi". When I go out as a group if someone goes on for a little while I don't mind. However if they were to latch on for an hour or some lengthy amount of time w/ out introducing themselves I might be kinda irked.

It's called "drafting" and you should probably ask first. Especially if you're inches from the person's wheel. If you touch your front wheel to theirs, 90% of the time you;re the one going down, not them, but still, they should know that you;re bac there.

On a related note a lot of us (myself included) could stand to check out what;s going on behind us more often than we do.

It's tailgating, and IMO only OK if both parties agree to it.

As long as you take a pull as often as the other person than it can be wicked fast. If you just suck wheel than you, well, suck.

Important whenever you're drafting, even more so in a paceline: NO BRAKES! Soft pedal, sit up and catch some wind or pause your pedaling for a sec to slow down. Using the brakes is super dangerous in a tight paceline.

Quick answer: No.

When you go to a restaurant, do you sit down at a table where someone is already eating?

I wouldn't.

If somebody I didn't know jumped on my wheel, I would just gradually go progressively slower until they passed. Just like I do when I'm being tailgated in the car.

No, I take that last back. On the bike I might drop the hammer if I thought I could drop them.

are you always that passive aggressive?

A sudden stranger leech would probably have me stopping and chatting

When driving my truck, I don't like to see someone 6 feet from my rear bumper.

Unless we started out together or I knew them, that would be sort of an invasion of personal space, and kind of odd to boot (and not odd in a good way).

Really? What is the proper response to a tailgater? I can think of three possibilities---

1) Continue the current action, allowing someone else to take my safety into his hands.

2) Speed up and possibly drive faster than is safe for road conditions.

3) Slow down and force the tailgating jerk to pass.

I usually slow down but there's nothing funnier than a brake check. Watching some tailgating nutcase crap his pants gives me a chuckle.

Of course, the fact that I was rearended at 50mph by a kid in a sports car who wasn't paying attention may color my actions....

I continue to drive at my current rate. If they want to pass, let them. Dicking around with brake checks and other little games is an invitation to escalate the situation.

we're not discussing tailgaters, we're discussing wheelsuckers. duh.

simple pleasures for simple minds.

Probably not real safe on a MUP if you don't ask. For one thing, people on MUPs are prone to sudden stops, turns, and other stupidity. Sitting on somebody's wheel without warning is a bad idea. Even if the guy's fairly fast, he may not be used to riding in groups, and may not be comfortable with somebody on his wheel.

Of course, as mentioned, nothing wrong with asking first.

I don't draft strangers, other people consistently have better braking systems than me. I'd feel like an a-hole if I rear ended some person out on a bike path. Motorpacing on the other hand... is the funnest thing ever.

Apparently it was okay enough for a couple roadies to do it to me the other day...they passed once they found out that they were behind a lazy commuter who was just chillin' on the way home from work.

If I've managed to catch your wheel, it usually means that I was going faster than you in the first place. I'm either just going to pass you, or if I need to wait for traffic to clear or need a little rest, I'll let you know that I am there. If I am taking a rest on your wheel I'll usually be a nice guy and keep a speed similar to yours when I pull through/pass, so that you can take a rest for a bit too, but at some point I am going to wind back up to my original pace...if you can hold my wheel, cool, we can help each other for as long as we are on the same route, if not, catch ya later.

I've been drafted and didn't even know it until said drafter finally pulled out in front. There are so few riders, commuters or recreational road riders here that this is almost a once in a lifetime experience.

Definitely. You get to know more people this way.

Passive-aggressive how? If they've caught up to me, they obviously want to go faster than I do. There's no reason for me to match their speed if I feel that the speed they want to travel is faster than I want to go. If I slow, they can pass quicker and it gets them away from me.

Are you always judgmental and jump to conclusions?

And what if they are a terrible rider thatslams on the brakes at strange times.

When I rode a recumbent, I was being drafted down a nice hill by another commuter. I didn't mind, I understand the dynamics. After all, it's not a race.

Geese fly in a "V" for the same reason.

When he finally passed, he told me, "nice bike."

I don't see a big commuting advantage drafting, unless it's a bus or a truck, where you can get major speed going for big flat stretches. But it can be dangerous, too, so be advised on that.

I usually only hang behind another cyclist when passing doesn't seem beneficial.

Since you are asking the question it means you do not have the skills to paceline. I draft all the time off roadies and Tris when I am commuting. But, I know who can ride and who can't. They are always cool about it. If you are drafting off some Fred or Yehuda then chances are neither one of you know have to ride in a paceline. I look for Joe.

You know not everyone wants to take pulls or participate in a pace line with random stranger who latches on the wheel....