John Wilke

Me too.

If you pass me, I'm on. Obviously if you've caught me, then you're either stronger than me, or less tired than me and that will push me to elevate my ride.

Want me to pull? Sure, no prob. Don't want me to pull, no prob., I'll sit back here. Don't like me back here? then drop me. Prove that you're 'better than me' after I've been riding 3+ hours. Don't worry, after 40+ years of riding, I'm not gonna knock you over!

Dunno, must be the ex-racer in me ... after 12 years of racing, it's hard to drop that mentality.

jw

SDRider

That's really stupid and dangerous. Risking damage to your own bike and possible injury to both of you. I hope you are just kidding.

John Wilke

???

How is it rude?

If I'm drafting, am I slowing you down? Inhibiting your ride? (or vice versa if you're drafting off me?)

Maybe you're just learning how to ride and draft, if you want to tag on my back wheel ... I've got no problem with that, you won't knock me over. If you over lap your front wheel over my back wheel, then you're going down, not me.

I don't get it, must be a new generation thing.

jw

Rich_W

thats just plain dumb.

John Wilke

Are you guys getting this from watching the Tour on TV? That drafting in the break and not pulling is rude? That's different, that's racing and tactics.

jw

EventServices

It's rude because it's unsafe.
And the guy is using YOUR effort to make his easier.

I just pull aside and look at them plainly. No attitude. Just look at them as if to say, "Do I know you?"
That usually begins a conversation that I'm never ready to have.

Another tactic is to slow down VERY SLOWLY. Like, almost imperceptively over the course of a mile. Take it down to a near crawl and see if they stay back there. You'll be surprised at how often they'll sit back there without realizing what's going on.

And as for "Rabbit Hunting", do the people that you're chasing KNOW that they're being chased?
And if not, then are you really chasing them?
And if you catch them, then what did you prove?

SDRider

Most of the time when I get into a drafting situation with other riders it takes more effort for me to keep up with them and pull if they want me to than I was putting into the ride without them. I passed a guy a couple weeks ago on the bike path here and he hopped on my wheel for a few miles. I knew he was back there and I was happily pedaling along at about 20-21mph when he came up along side and offered to pull for a few miles. We ended up riding together for about 8 more miles until we went our seperate ways.

I really don't know why some people get so bent out of shape by this. People do it to me all the time and I really couldn't care less. I usually end up talking with and meeting some cool people this way.

John Wilke

Having someone on your back wheel is unsafe? How? If he overlaps your back wheel, then he is going down, not you. You just listen to the scraping metal behind you. Even if he gets his bars into your spokes, you will grind to a halt, but you won't go down. (seen it happen).

Using YOUR effort to make his easier? So what? Maybe I've just ridden 99 miles, ate my last bit of food 2 hours ago and just want to get home? That's rude?

I still don't get it.

jw

baj32161

If you rode as slowly as I do you wouldn't have to worry about passing anybody...and you wouldn't give a s**t if someone passed you, actually you'd kind of expect it .

Cheers,

Brian

SDRider

I'm with you John, you can hop on my wheel anytime.

Old Dirt Hill

I wish there were enough riders around here for this to be a problem for me.

user0ne

what about staying 8-10 feet off someones wheel, but keeping pace, is that considered rude ?

thats exactly what I did when a guy came up next to me at a intersection of the trail I ride daily. He had a nice madone and sprinted off when the light changed, so I sprinted to see if I could keep his pace, after a few looks and 3 trys he could not drop me, so he decided to spit to his left.

I was far enough behind him not to get hit by it, but he looked right at me, and im pretty shure it was a "leave me alone" thing so I turned around to go back to where we started from. I did see him on the way back, and maybe this is childish, but I waited untill he looked at me- then spit right in front of his direction on the trail- and the look on his face was priceless ...

I never got within 8-10 feet at LEAST of his rear tire, so im not shure what it was all about, but screw people trying to spit on me- thats a fight waiting to happen.

and should I get upset when this same guy I always pass with TT bars trys to grab my wheel ?
I just go all out untill hes gone (1-2 mins) but he does it everytime I pass him, and if it wasnt for the TT bars I could care less about him trying to draft me, should I say something ?

DrPete 

I think the problem is that if the guy is a stranger, you don't know anything about their riding ability or whether they really should be 6 inches off your wheel. Maybe the guy's been riding for 20 years, maybe the guy just watched the Tour on OLN and thought drafting looked cool. And anyone who thinks you can't take down a guy in front of you by doing something stupid hasn't watched or ridden in enough Cat 5 races.

I'm with ES on this one--there's nothing wrong with drafting, but when you're dealing with a road that has cars/holes/other hazards there's nothing wrong with wanting to know who, exactly, is in your personal space, and to feel out how comfortable you are having them back there.

stonecrd

Too many rules for you guys. As far as I am concerned anyone on a bike is a potential friend unless proven otherwise. I chase people for fun and if I pass I have no problem if they stay on my wheel. Its great if they take a pull but not required. There are many weekend groups where I live and none of them have problems with you showing up and riding in. If I am solo and a group catches me, you can bet I'm going to hang with the group, why should I work at doing 20mph when I can relax at 20mph and get some 27mph runs with the group? I have never had anyone say get lost, quit riding my wheel, everyone is very friendly around here.

EventServices

Never had a rider run into your rear derailleur?

midgetcycler

So I am a newbie. Tell me if you think this was rude.

I was out riding by myself the other day and I saw a couple of guys riding way ahead. I decided to challenge myself by catching up to them. When I finally did, I was quite winded. I drafted behind them for about 2 minutes. I was going to offer to pull for a minute after I caught my breath, but realized they were traveling way too slow for the pace I was going that day. (Besides, I am a 5'0" female and they were both 6'+ males, and they probably would have busted out laughing if I had offered!) So after I caught my breath, I just went around them and said hi as I passed.

Should I have handled this differently?

Ramjm_2000

My response was mainly meant to be funny...mostly. However, different strokes for different folks. I personally can't stand riders who come up draft, don't even say hello or ask if they can ride with...that's just being courtious. NOT doing that is just plain dumb and unsafe. That said, your probably just alot nicer and more tolerant than I am

chipcom 

Maybe that's what the feller I pass every day on my commute home is doing? I am usually doing an easy 18-20mph, and he's usually at 16-17 or so when I pass, but then he hangs about 20ft back. If he's waiting for me to blow up, he's gotta long wait coming, something he ain't seemed to figure out yet.

wildjim

I've had cyclists zoom past me only to run out of gas a half mile down the road or on the next hill. I then pass them at my normal pace and sometimes a race begins

Rich_W

try picking it up about to 27-28

'nother

What cracks me up though is that many people say "it's okay (to let someone draft) if they ask permission", as if asking permission is some kind of secret code that magically endows them with great riding abilities. Nonsense. If they're a stranger, they're a stranger...you're going to have to observe them for a while to see if their riding abilities are up to par. Their asking does not excuse you from that nor does it necessarily indicate a rider more likely to have good skills (they could have been just reading on BF that they should ask permission!)

Look, if you don't like people following you, move over and slow way down or even stop. That's the simplest fix, works every time. You're not in a race; what's it going to cost you, 20, 30 seconds? Your precious little workout is not going to suffer for that.

If you are annoyed because you can't manage pass someone, maybe you should just let them go (maybe you're annoying them by following them!). It's not "your" road any more than it is theirs and if you don't want to share it or don't like how they're riding, then back off and give them room, just like you would (well, should) in a car.

euroford

If i'm booking along at a solid pace and i get passed, 90% of the time they put on just enough of a burst to get past me but not pull away. as far as i'm conserned thats an invitation for a draft. if somebody passes me and maintains a faster pace i seldomly try to catch up.

This sunday on the south lakeshore trail a guy passed me, i drafted for a couple of miles, passed him, he drafted, we went back and forth like this for 18 miles without saying a word. i kept 3mph over my average speed and had a dang good time.

kingofchimps

maybe he was using you as motivation to get to the top

why does it bother you?

big john

No, that was not rude, especially since you said Hi. You might be surprised to find many men can't stand to be dropped by a woman, though.

kingofchimps

Ever manage to step down from that pedestal?