Why would you draft a stranger?
08-28-17, 11:43 AM
#101
Senior Member
...OK, you asked for this, 
A couple of months ago here in the Big Tomato, I was happily tooling along on the return leg of a loop I do down the American river, through Old Sac, and then back to my 'hood through town. I was on N street, south of the State Capitol, a one way street with three lanes clearly marked as traffic lanes, no bike path, parking along most of the right hand side and much of the left hand side of the street.
Another bicyclist (who might very well be the OP for all I know) was tooling along on a beach cruiser in front of me in the right hand lane. I pull out into the center lane (remember these are standard automotive traffic lanes) to pass. This seems to me to provide a reasonable safe passing distance. Guy points up at the sky, veers over into the center lane in front of me. I brake sharply, drop back over into the right hand lane, grateful there are no cars present to further complicate matters.
He continues pointing at the sky, looks over his shoulder straight at me, and then pulls over in front of me in the right hand lane now. OK now I'm a little bit miffed, so when I again pull over into the center lane and blow past him (dialed it up to 400 watts), I shout over at him, "What the **** are you doing, man ?!!
Here comes the good part. Wait for it.........wait for it.
He gets a very hurt look on his face for a second, like he's been betrayed by a fellow bicyclist, thinks for a moment (I could see the mental gears grinding), and shouts back at me, "I'm riding a BIKE !!!"
As god is my witness, every damn word of that story is true, swear on a stack of bibles.
A couple of months ago here in the Big Tomato, I was happily tooling along on the return leg of a loop I do down the American river, through Old Sac, and then back to my 'hood through town. I was on N street, south of the State Capitol, a one way street with three lanes clearly marked as traffic lanes, no bike path, parking along most of the right hand side and much of the left hand side of the street.
Another bicyclist (who might very well be the OP for all I know) was tooling along on a beach cruiser in front of me in the right hand lane. I pull out into the center lane (remember these are standard automotive traffic lanes) to pass. This seems to me to provide a reasonable safe passing distance. Guy points up at the sky, veers over into the center lane in front of me. I brake sharply, drop back over into the right hand lane, grateful there are no cars present to further complicate matters.
He continues pointing at the sky, looks over his shoulder straight at me, and then pulls over in front of me in the right hand lane now. OK now I'm a little bit miffed, so when I again pull over into the center lane and blow past him (dialed it up to 400 watts), I shout over at him, "What the **** are you doing, man ?!!
Here comes the good part. Wait for it.........wait for it.
He gets a very hurt look on his face for a second, like he's been betrayed by a fellow bicyclist, thinks for a moment (I could see the mental gears grinding), and shouts back at me, "I'm riding a BIKE !!!"
As god is my witness, every damn word of that story is true, swear on a stack of bibles.
08-28-17, 11:51 AM
#102
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08-28-17, 11:55 AM
#103
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I just saw this thread and had so much to say. But after 100 posts, I'll likely repeat someone and I'm not going to read it all first.
08-28-17, 12:00 PM
#104
Senior Member
Also...we haven't gotten very far lol.
08-28-17, 12:05 PM
#105
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08-28-17, 12:07 PM
#106
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08-28-17, 12:15 PM
#107
If you brake you dont win
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I would like to give it a ride all the way to Chino, any links or info?
TIA
08-28-17, 12:49 PM
#108
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man there are some serious bags in this thread.
08-28-17, 01:15 PM
#110
well hello there
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I am. I absolutely am convinced that numbnutz here got all hot under the collar, then intentionally slowed abruptly and (possibly unintentionally in his emotionally unhinged state) swerved, taking down another rider (who was possibly following too close), then has the raw nerve to wonder why he ended up on the ground.
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Two wheels good. Four wheels bad.
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Two wheels good. Four wheels bad.
08-28-17, 01:37 PM
#111
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...well I, for one, am grateful this came along so I had the opportunity to vent.
...well I, for one, am grateful this came along so I had the opportunity to vent.
08-28-17, 01:43 PM
#112
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08-28-17, 01:44 PM
#113
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08-28-17, 01:56 PM
#114
Senior Member
So you want us to dream up, with no first hand knowledge of what happened, the reason why this was 100% the other guys fault.
OK so here's a scenario. You're driving on the highway and some numbnutz is following you too close.
So you slam on the brakes, and when he swerves to avoid drilling you in the asz, you then slice across in front him him and hit him.
I'm having hard time seeing your point of view.
There are many SAFE ways to get rid of a tailgater, both in a car, and on a bike. You did not choose to behave like a responsible grown up, and SAFELY address what was bothering you. Instead you got all sanctimonious and "showed him".
Guess what... the accident is MORE your fault than his. Suck it up sunshine. Grow up (emotionally) and learn to deal with situations you don't like RESPONSIBLY.
OK so here's a scenario. You're driving on the highway and some numbnutz is following you too close.
So you slam on the brakes, and when he swerves to avoid drilling you in the asz, you then slice across in front him him and hit him.
I'm having hard time seeing your point of view.
There are many SAFE ways to get rid of a tailgater, both in a car, and on a bike. You did not choose to behave like a responsible grown up, and SAFELY address what was bothering you. Instead you got all sanctimonious and "showed him".
Guess what... the accident is MORE your fault than his. Suck it up sunshine. Grow up (emotionally) and learn to deal with situations you don't like RESPONSIBLY.
08-28-17, 01:56 PM
#115
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I don't understand why anyone would care if someone is drafting you. If the weather is nice and I am out on a long ride, I will without a doubt encounter multiple different people that draft me throughout the ride at one point or another. The only time this bothers me is when the person decides it is their turn to take a pull and cuts in front of me causing me to need to back off my power. I have no problem with people drafting me, but please don't try to get me to draft you.
The one time that I really had a problem with a random person drafting was in the middle of a triathlon. In the middle of a 2,000 person race, some Sunday rider NOT racing decided he was going to draft one of the racers. That is all fine and dandy except it was a non-draft legal race and having some yahoo in there drafting really messes with the non-draft dynamics.
The one time that I really had a problem with a random person drafting was in the middle of a triathlon. In the middle of a 2,000 person race, some Sunday rider NOT racing decided he was going to draft one of the racers. That is all fine and dandy except it was a non-draft legal race and having some yahoo in there drafting really messes with the non-draft dynamics.
08-28-17, 02:02 PM
#116
Senior Member
I don't understand why anyone would care if someone is drafting you. If the weather is nice and I am out on a long ride, I will without a doubt encounter multiple different people that draft me throughout the ride at one point or another. The only time this bothers me is when the person decides it is their turn to take a pull and cuts in front of me causing me to need to back off my power. I have no problem with people drafting me, but please don't try to get me to draft you.
The one time that I really had a problem with a random person drafting was in the middle of a triathlon. In the middle of a 2,000 person race, some Sunday rider NOT racing decided he was going to draft one of the racers. That is all fine and dandy except it was a non-draft legal race and having some yahoo in there drafting really messes with the non-draft dynamics.
The one time that I really had a problem with a random person drafting was in the middle of a triathlon. In the middle of a 2,000 person race, some Sunday rider NOT racing decided he was going to draft one of the racers. That is all fine and dandy except it was a non-draft legal race and having some yahoo in there drafting really messes with the non-draft dynamics.
08-28-17, 02:02 PM
#117
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08-28-17, 02:05 PM
#118
Senior Member
I have never been in a bike race in my life. Today I was on my Sunday ride, just riding along between 16 and 17 mph when a fully kitted out racer wannabe on a $12k cannondale evo jumped on my rear wheel. #1 When I asked him what he was doing, he didn't respond, when I #2 told him to get the $%#@ off my wheel he made contact and dumped me on the shoulder. As I sat there with my separated shoulder, he tried to blame me for both of us going down.
My question is, why would any apparently accomplished rider jump on the wheel of a stranger who is just riding along? I can't figure out why anyone would do this....
My question is, why would any apparently accomplished rider jump on the wheel of a stranger who is just riding along? I can't figure out why anyone would do this....
08-28-17, 02:08 PM
#119
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I take that as asking him what he was doing (not asking him to stop) and then flying into a rage and telling him to stop when he got no response. But what do I know? I only work with language for a living.
You are interpreting "I asked him what he was doing" as "I asked him to stop" because it fits your agenda, but the two are not the same. And clearly telling someone to stop while employing profanity is not asking them to stop.
BTW...Successful troll is successful.
You are interpreting "I asked him what he was doing" as "I asked him to stop" because it fits your agenda, but the two are not the same. And clearly telling someone to stop while employing profanity is not asking them to stop.
BTW...Successful troll is successful.
08-28-17, 02:10 PM
#120
Senior Member
Regardless of the OPs language, crisis management, or anger management skills....any reasonable person would interpret the words as "get the **** back, this is not ok," and adjust position accordingly.
08-28-17, 02:15 PM
#121
Senior Member
I don't understand why anyone would care if someone is drafting you. If the weather is nice and I am out on a long ride, I will without a doubt encounter multiple different people that draft me throughout the ride at one point or another. The only time this bothers me is when the person decides it is their turn to take a pull and cuts in front of me causing me to need to back off my power. I have no problem with people drafting me, but please don't try to get me to draft you.
The one time that I really had a problem with a random person drafting was in the middle of a triathlon. In the middle of a 2,000 person race, some Sunday rider NOT racing decided he was going to draft one of the racers. That is all fine and dandy except it was a non-draft legal race and having some yahoo in there drafting really messes with the non-draft dynamics.
The one time that I really had a problem with a random person drafting was in the middle of a triathlon. In the middle of a 2,000 person race, some Sunday rider NOT racing decided he was going to draft one of the racers. That is all fine and dandy except it was a non-draft legal race and having some yahoo in there drafting really messes with the non-draft dynamics.
08-28-17, 02:18 PM
#122
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Again, that is a command/directive, not a request. But thanks for playing. We have some lovely parting gifts waiting for you back stage.
08-28-17, 02:22 PM
#123
Senior Member
In essence he did, maybe not in the most constructive way but there's no doubt as to what he wanted to have happen.
08-28-17, 02:33 PM
#125
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Because explain how ELSE the contact happened. Are you claiming the guy in back accelerated like a bat outta hell and smashed into him out of nowhere?
Give it, oh I dunno, 30 seconds thought and it's pretty obvious.
While one could argue that the contact was indirectly caused by the person following too close, one cannot reasonably deny that contact was directly caused by the person in front slowing and maneuvering unpredictably.
And in this case, the OP has quite clearly shown that he didn't slow suddenly because a squirrel ran out in front of him. Oh no, he quite proudly stated he was yelling at the guy, which would take as meaning animatedly, including turning around in order to be heard... and most people slowing down and/or swerve when twisting around abruptly on their bikes and stop paying attenton to where they are going.
This is the rather obvious part that people are so working so hard to stay ignorant about.
If the OP simply put a hand out and coasted for 10 seconds, the guy would have passed without incident.
And yes, I am being a tool. Sorry for pointing out that being upset does not give someone the right to cause an accident during an emotional outburst.