I don't mind having the company if the rider's competent. Problem is, they're usually not (in my experience).

The ones that I really don't like are the guys who feel compelled to race but don't know how to ride safely. I had a guy last year who was determined to pass me but couldn't keep pace when he wasn't sucking my wheel. His solution? Crank hard on a downhill and cut over hard before he'd fully cleared me. If I hadn't dodged, he'd have clipped my front wheel and probably wrecked me out.

It doesn't even vaguely bother me if someone wants to draft me, even if they don't announce themselves. I'm a bicyclist, I damned well better be aware of what is around me, especially if someone is inches behind my rear wheel.

I've pulled for miles at a time, and I've sat on someone else's wheel for miles. I just don't see what the big deal is.

If you're used to people drafting you it's not a big deal. If you're not, it can be unnerving. As far as I'm concerned outside of a club ride, race, or similar situation, drafting a random cyclist without asking is presumptuous.

Club ride and race ethics apply to club rides and races.

Cough, blow a nice "farmer's hanky" back over your shoulder and loudly state, " Ugh, I just can't seem to get over this tuberculosis thing."

There are some REALLY RUDE people in this thread. Sheesh.

If someone didn't treat me like another human being by using the methods stated in this thread (snot rockets, flatulence, farmer's hanky, intentionally slamming on their brakes, whatever) just because they imagined (or not) that I was wheelsucking, I'd have no bones in "going old testament" on their ass and sticking a tire pump in their spokes.

Get over it or learn to drop them--playing the two-year old adult on a bike isn't going to cut it.

Okay... tailgating in a car. Annoying? Yes? Of course. Why would doing the same on a bike (without permission) be any different?

OP here.

Not sure what I expected when posting but my response to some of the people's comments.

I am NOT a holyer than thou person, and am always curtious to rider. If I want to ride someone's wheel, I ride up to them and ask, "Can I sit on your wheel for a bit?" They always say OK when I have asked. The reason you ask is so they know you are there and so I DON'T crash them if they decide to stop on the side of the trail and don't know I am there.

The MUP I ride on has 2 intersections over 13 miles. The rest is uninterruped bike trail. And when I ride, not on the weekends, I pass a whopping 10-15 riders (going the same direction) over that same 13 miles. So all you folks who think I am being rude and riding dangerously in heavy traffic can feel appeased. I also slow WAY down for kids and other non-lycra clad riders as to not buzz them.

For the record, every wheel-sucker I have picked up I have seen a 1/4-1/2 mile ahead and slowly pass them.... thus, they are not going the same speed as me. Normally I would guess they are going 1-2 mph slower than me.

The reason I get annoyed is that people 6" off my rear wheel is dangerous to ME, and if they crash I would also feel a little bad. I will not resort to snot-rocketing them or braking in their path to pull them off. I also see no reason why I should alter my speed down to pull them off. I also don't pull off to the side to "end my pull" because I am keeping my own pace. If they ask to sit in, I would be fine with it and pull for the whole time.

Lastly, on the few occasions they get really close, I do drop them. Bumping it up to 24 for a few miles has a way of getting rid of the really dangerous ones.

Hope that clears things up, and even though I wear lycra, I am NOT by default a pr1ck.... I just don't like it when people sponge off me.

Bingo. This was my assumption too, I guess there are quite a few people (as indicated by some of the posts) who feel its fine to sit in. I guess its just a learning exp for me.

I'm so damn gassy that drafting me is a recipe for burnt nose hairs.

I am soooo attracted to you when you start going all Billy Graham. :D

Make sure you bring the platinum wig to Lancaster... honey. :twitchy:

I might even let you suck my...



wheel :bike2:

Wheel licker.

You're a dirty old man...:twitchy:

and I break a lot of wind. :D

:roflmao2::lol:

:roflmao2:

How about turning around and politely but firmly saying "could you please not draft me? It's dangerous and I don't know you."

That should get rid of most people, if they persist - congratulations! You've got a stalker.

One could just gradually slow down.

A group of racers I used to train with did a flat century where we'd hammer full out in a pace line for 50 miles turn around and hammer home. A new rider joined us- a collegiate runner who had successfully competed at the national level so he had exceptional fitness but he was pretty new to cycling so he sat in the whole time but he was toast when we left him alone to ride the mile or two home.

On the road home he spotted a little boy riding his 20" BMX and in his exhaustion decided to "sit in" on the kid's wheel just to get home. The kid began to speed up and the rider/runner struggled to keep pace but hung in there in the hopes he'd make it home with some free help. Evidently they were tearing up the road when the kid turned into his driveway where his father was washing his car and burst into tears screaming, "Daddy that man is following me." Our friend said he had to dig deep into reserves he had no idea existed to sprint away from the outraged dad.

All I'm sayin' is be careful who you draft. There's a time and a place for everything.;)

Great, great story! Thank you. :thumb:

I guess I just don't see the problem here. You clearly have the skills/strength to blow away these idiots that annoy you so much. Why not just do it?

Heck, it'll even give your HR a boost in a positive manner. Beats keeping pace and just getting more and more ticked off.

Why would someone draft at only 21MPH? I'snt that kind of weak?

There are cyclists with varying degrees of ability, you know. They're out there.

Shoot. I was not aware of a speed requirement for drafting. I really must inform the rest of my club.

If I had someone riding my tail close enough to matter, I think they'd suddenly find that I can be very erratic in my speed.
It's not that I'd care that they're there; anyone trying to draft me must be really slow. The problem is, I've never been involved with drafting, and it'd be dangerous for someone to be that close to me.

I think anyone who tries to draft someone that they do not know is being dangerous. There's no way they could tell what that person would do.

Depending on the headwind it might not be a bad idea to draft at 5.

On every century or metric, or other, ride that I've done (where drafting is allowed), I've joined pacelines made up of unknown riders. Not only do they always let me in, they, in fact, invite it, waving me in or saying something. Among the club riders, I'll allow them to do their rotations, while sitting in the back, and ask if/when they'd like me to take a turn up front. Among less skilled riders, I assume that we'll all be taking turns at the front. I make an assessment as to their skill/fitness to determine if I'll fit in. Contrary to all the crying here, everyone is gracious, helpful, and we have that much more fun for it. I'm not that uncomfortable zipping along in the mid 20's, with mere inches separting riders and wheels, for miles-among riders I've only just met. That, to me, seems much riskier than the occassional commuter who approaches and may or may not "sit" on my wheel on my 9 mile commute.

Ride 'em off your wheel or quit whining. Plain and simple.

At that point, the aerodynamic drag might be of less concern to me than the fact I'm riding my bike in a hurricane. ;)

Or as Ron White says, "It's not *that* the wind is blowing. It's *what* the wind is blowing."