Uncalled for on his part, but it's also partially your fault. Look more than 24 inches in front of your front tire and you won't ever have to suddenly jerk to the left to swerve around a pothole ever again.

Mac

This has happened to me, too... just riding along solo a few months ago, pull up to a red light, and some random rider who was apparently behind me grunts something about "calling out my stops" as he swerves around me and runs the light. Riiiight.

I've seen him around the city, since then, and as far as I can tell he's a total moron. Pays to keep an eye out, I guess. But I certainly don't think you did anything wrong.

In that case you should have put your pump in his spokes. Did he call out 'hole!' for the phantom guy that might be behind him?

True. I don't draft strangers but if I were tired and chose to do so out of desperation I'd keep my eyes in front of his bike so to speak. I would not expect a stranger to ride "correctly" especially if I'm drafting him w/o his knowledge.

I thought you were at fault until I reread and noticed that the guy behind you wasn't associated with your ride in any way.

If you WERE on a group ride, I'd say you would have been at fault. I just did a line ride a few weeks ago, and our 5-man group was doing well, but passed by a fast trio. They unfortunately passed us right when a section of road hazard cone markers was lined up, and our front guy had obstructed view, so he couldn't signal to us, and had to swerve. I was on his wheel, and the moment he swerved out of the way at 21mph, I was running right into a cone. I barely made it, but the two guys behind me hit the next cones and went down hard. It's REALLY important for the leader of a line ride to signal and not swerve, because the guy behind you has no chance at survival if he's riding tightly on your wheel.

In your situation, I think the guy behind you was behind a rude dork. You never indicated that you knew he was there, and it's irresponsible to automatically latch onto solo riders and expect them to give you all the cues as if it suddenly became a group ride. If you're going to draft a solo rider that doesn't expect you there, it's fully in your responsibility that you have adequate visibility and response distance in case they swerve.

The only defense for the other guy is that he's probably used to riding mostly in groups, where doing the group signaling is natural and automatic. If you've been doing that awhile, you're sort of shocked when people don't do it automatically. This happens a bunch when I alternate riding between an advanced road bike racing group, then sometimes go on easy slow rides with a slow beginner-early intermediate tri group - I know most of the tri rookies don't know how to do the group signal thing, but it's still unnerving for the first 5 minutes with them.

If I suspect a ninja drafter behind me, I'll gladly spit flagrantly, blow snot rockets, and/or avoid obstacles at the very last moment.

More folks wreck from swerving than actually hitting stuff I think. HTFU and hit the hole.

Bunny hop big potholes would be my bet. Nobody's freeloading my draft, and I mean nobody, unless I know them.

true, the bunnyhop puts the freeloader in the hole.

If I'm on my rain bike I just sit up and give a quick jab to the brakes.

I read that and thought, "Ah, what a d-bag move.". But then I remembered that's what I basically do as well. Guess I'm a d-bag, but I'm OK w/ it.

might as well just turn around and punch the guy in his face, no?

Nope. Zero percent the OPs fault.

Forget blowing snot rockets, swerve, bunny hop, etc.

Crank up the wattage, and let them earn the right to draft on you. ESPECIALLY on the inclines!

I probably would have said sorry, let him pass, then jumped on his wheel and yelled at him to ride faster.

Great d-bags think alike.

I found this is to be a necessary skill on the River Ride. Some of the biggest craters I've seen out on that levee.

+1 (or 4?) to bunny hops. Can't say you didn't hold your line.

+1

And I hope the OP was just kidding about the - "I don't do no wussy group rides."

The guy was an @$$hole for not anouncing his presence, but it is a little foolish to change lines or lanes without checking your shoulder. You never know if someone could be passing you, and even if they call their pass, it's not always heard.


It's made of carbon fiber, not crystal.

Are you sure it was a caad 9? i heard those are great no nonsense racing machines. can't member where tho

Sounds about right.

Nope. Draft of strangers unnanounced at your own risk.

woohoo... another path/mup flame war :

and yes, never draft strangers.
it's tailgating and you can't see what the hell is up ahead.

He's freeloading a draft without asking and not doing any pulls and yells at you?

F him.

I don't like to draft on people when I can't see what's in front of them. It's one thing in a race, but if you are on a group ride with non-racers, sitting-in blind is an incredibly bad idea. I was on a long ride a while back and I kept warning the guys in front of me of hazards. I wouldn't normally do such a thing, but the first 17 swerves made me realize they weren't exactly thinking ahead. We were all pretty wiped out by that point