banerjek

When I had a little more than 5 miles left of my commute in today on my commuter equipped with panniers, I noticed someone about a quarter mile back hunting me down in my mirror. I'd been taking it easy this morning due to torching my leg muscles from hard riding on Friday and Saturday plus a day of skiing in terrain on Sunday.

Although this guy was was closing quickly, I decided to kick up my pace to 23 mph just in case he was riding too hard and using his stuff up. That's not my cruising speed, but even with panniers I can hold it for quite awhile, and I sometimes like to mess with people I see chasing me down.

The other rider continued to close the distance rapidly, so I knew he was definitely faster than me. I held my pace. When he caught up to me, I pulled over to let him by, but he attached to my rear wheel instead. At first, I thought he just wanted to recover for a minute before continuing on, but he stayed behind me. Crap, I didn't want to ride this fast the rest of the way in.

Right about the time I'm starting to wonder WTF he pulls alongside, and I see it's my road buddy Von who I haven't seen for months

Garfield Cat

Anyone who is bigger than me (Fat Freds?) is going to be a potential draftee, especially when I'm tired and near the end of a long ride.

cyclezen

funny you should post on this...

I went out battery shopping for my moto, yesterday afternoon on the commuter, after my road ride. On my return, I was cruisin the MUP and heard a cough behind me. Was surprised to see a guy totally decked out and in the drops, drafting me! I mean, I was prolly barely goin 19-20 (don;t got no computer on the commuder, just figurin on rpms and gear...), soz I back off just a bit, figurin he'll go by...
not a chance; he was obviously intent on hangin back there.
all proceeded in such fashion for almost 4 miles, until the MUP hits the beach path and heads onto UCSB campus.
He proceeded to make U'ie and head back the other direction, obviously to stalk some other wheel to suck...
crazy
being aged and havin chicken legs and a lumpy butt, can't imagine the view was much...
a good chuckle ...

bbattle

Most definitely.

glrnns280

I only have that problem with runners

Sean T

Cat 6 racing, ftw!

rooftest

Every so often, one will "re pass" me after I pass him. I jump on their wheel as a way of calling their bluff. (As you said; "oh ****, I can't keep up this pace.")

Bioluminescence

I hate it when I'm riding 21-23, and I'll pass someone on the MUP politely with a smile, and then after half a mile I hear a wheezing behind me to discover that the guy has shifted all the way up on his commuter, and is going 160 rpm.

Though I'll admit to drafting the occasional...erm...large person when my legs start to burn. Like drafting a brick wall.

AzTallRider

I was doing recovery on my commute in, when I realized there was someone drafting me... on the MUP... at 16mph. I finally got annoyed and rode off.

banerjek

It's more fun to tease them if you're sure your real pace is faster. Just gradually pull out to about 15' ahead. They'll kill themselves trying to stay in the draft, then they'll kill themselves to get back in if they think they have a chance.

Stickney

Can I draft myself?

StefanG

If you're fast enough.

banerjek

You want to stare at your own butt?

mollusk

Did he wave?

Reynolds 

Let them alone: they be fred drafters of the fred. And if the fred draft the fred, both shall be dropped.

Da Sherm

I hear cloning technology has come a long way...

engstrom

Or a team car in a caravan.

Reynolds 

No, but you can put your hand on your back and push yourself.

mollusk

Point well taken.

neneboricua

What really bothers me is the "silent drafter". The other day I was heading home on the MUP after a 70 mile ride. I wasn't hauling but I was riding around 20-22mph. Because of the time of day and the weather, there weren't many people on the MUP. As I'm riding along, I casually look behind me and see someone in a t-shirt and baggy shorts on an old touring style bike less than a foot away from my rear wheel

I sit up and say "Hey, I didn't even notice you back there. If I hit the brakes, we're both going down. You gotta say something when you come up on someone's wheel." He says "ok" but stays back there anyway. A minute or two later is my turn off from the MUP to go home so I leave.

I just don't understand people that draft that close to total strangers on a MUP. They have no idea if the person they're behind has any bike handling skills, and even if they do, if the person up front doesn't know someone is behind them, it's an accident waiting to happen...

2manybikes

True. If I don't know you're there it's not drafting, it's tailgating.

Because Bailey's trike is big and also slow, I get a lot of fred tailgaters that have no idea what they are doing. The trike will win in any bike collision. But, if someone hurts my dog, because I don't know they are there, they will not like 2manybikes when he is angry. I will turn green and get lots of muscles. And my shirt will rip off as my arms get too big. I will then toss then through a fake cardboard wall.

banerjek

The only thing anyone needs to understand is that they probably have no clue as to how to work with others so you'd be wise to drop them.

banerjek

People draft trikes?

snowman40

I hate getting passed by someone because I'm going down the hill faster than me, just to have them situp and go no hands for awhile....just for them to get upset that I'm passing them back because they are now slower than me.

He turned around and then shouted something (probably something ending in brah) with a finger wag. That flipped my switch much to his displeasure as I left him in the dust and gasping for breath. Good thing there wasn't any traffic coming, I would have been F'd as he couldn't ride a straight line holding onto the handlebars.

revchuck 

This Fred is 6'2" and has a relatively non-aero position, so I get drafted all the time. At least I'm good for something...