Did I do someting wrong?
 

Ok, so I posted this as a reply to somebody else but felt I needed my own response to this recent occurrence.

2 weeks ago I went on our local regular open group ride that is put together by our LBS. I've been riding a relatively short time but I put a lot of work into it and have been improving fairly quickly in the past few weeks. (me and my friend have a set goal to get our miles down to or below 3 minutes and we want to do a century by the end of summer) I'm a typical fred, I have a decent bike IMO 09 Orca all dura-ace but I'm not clipless...yet. I'm waiting for the right shoe to go on sale on Bonktown...I know its cheap but the deals are too good to pass up. annnyways. In this group ride EVERYBODY rides the first mile together, men, women, children, freds, elitest...doesn't matter...after this first mile your regulars usually zoom off in a sprint to show off and take the lead. the first couple of times I simply rode to finish until I felt comfortable enough to try and keep up one day....I was dropped because I was on my own and had nobody to draft off. 3 weeks ago I went with my friend but i was fairly hung over and managed to keep up for a bit and we eventually got dropped because I was ready to spew chunks....I rode a 40 mile loop the following friday and rested until our tuesday group ride, where I was determined to keep up with the hammerheads of the group.

After the first mile we all took off, I was feeling really solid for some reason so I decided to kick it up and sprint up with the faster guys, and it wasn't seeming that hard. I was alone on this day so I decided to pull with some of the guys that usually get dropped with me. Problem was I was pulling to fast so I dropped them, moving on to the next group I got behind them and started drafting with them which didn't seem to be a problem. we all swapped positions and took the lead. They tired out pretty quickly so I dropped them as well....feeling really strong I came up on the 2 lead guys who were pulling off of each other. I got behind this dude completely decked out in his bibb, arm thingys blah blah "im trying to hard to look like a pro at this group ride look" on his TT cervello. so I'm on these guys and I noticed 2 others from the previous group pumped it out to keep up with me...so they bite on as well.
I hear the guy on the cervello shout out to his friend "we got some guy back here blah blah blah" I didn't think it was an issue..just assumed he was giving him a heads up so he knew there were others behind him. OUT OF FREAKING NOWHERE!!! DUDE ON THE CERVELLO LOCKS BRAKES IN FRONT OF ME!!! I swerve left and brake to avoid him and luckily nobody behind me ran into me either...collision averted. Nothing said, no "my bad" or debris in the road...total douch3bag move!

My question is...did I really do something that wrong to deserve that? It's a group ride I've been attending for awhile now. Theres a few of the riders who are a tight group but they seem relatively nice...they are also friends with said guy on the Cervello...when we made it to the turn about on the top of the hill I had a few choice words and exclaimed how I would make sure my front tire would be spoke deep in his rectum if he ever pulled that stunt again. He didn't respond, just smirked at his friend and rode off...

I also ended up finishing the ride ahead of them, and I'm pretty positive these guys are just pissed they aren't the top dogs of our slow group. I plan on going out this coming tuesday and doing the same, but I'd definitely would like to know if there was or is some form of etiquette to drafting on somebody without them getting pissed. Im totally open to let people draft off of me. I love the sport and enjoy other riders and their rides...It's like a car show to me every time I go to an event.

sorry this is written so poorly...I am severely hung over today from a going away bash for a good friend. all responses welcome...

Oh let me post the technicals so i dont have to respond.
the route is 22 miles, I average 20mph on it on a fast day and 18.5 on an average day. that day was super fast..theres a long stretch we were pulling 23-24 most of the way until dillhole locked up on me.

ITT: Dick-head intentionally braked in front of me during a group ride and I eventually beat him. Is he a dick?

Intentionally locking your brakes with riders behind you is wrong. Did he give any explanation for it ?

none...I wasn't as concerned about him doing it to me...especially if I somehow broke some unspoken rule...but it was the 2 behind me because they were apparently just following my lead. Again, this is supposed to be a fairly casual group ride and it always turns in to a hammerfest at about the 4th mile (the path opens to a practically never driven open road) it's very windy on this road because its next to open field so drafting is a must if you want to get decent speed without killing yourself.

"on his TT cervello"

I think this explains most of it. Obvious triathlete riding a TT bike in a group ride. Some triathletes are so snobby about any type of drafting that they do not even consider ITU racing a real sport.

but he was definitely pulling off of his buddy...which made me think it was ok. usually I see guys on there TT doing this route often and always by themselves. Generally speaking about some of these guys with TTs in the groups tend to be guys who got a "deal" on craigs on it or thought it looked cool because its t3h carbon fiberz and aero...(I almost made the same mistake but luckily my friends were nice enough to educate me on what I was getting into, plus I tend to go overboard with my hobbies and sports so I read up as much as possible) etiquette just seems to be one of those things that varies from group to group person to person or city to city...very complicated. I'm 100% guilty of being the friendly fredly person...everyone is my friend on the road, I nod and wave(barely lift my hand but its a wave) and I will always want to talk bikes at a stop or shop. That's probably my first mistake...seems like I should just HTFU and become a prick...that and pedals is all i need to be a true roadie...

A group ride is usually riding as a group and not dropping the slower riders. The racing can be for after the ride and with people that you would want to hang with or get to know better, for me it used to be pizza and beer after. Well I think the thing to have done is to say drafting when you catch someone to let them know you are there. Some riders prefer you not draft and most would tell you so there isn't a problem like over lapping wheels or getting to close because most people don't know how to draft properly going at those kind of speeds. I won't let people draft I don't know for this reason. As for This other rider I would show up early and clear the air. I would also let him know that had you been any closer that both of you would have been taken out and maybe even hit by other riders behind you and if you didn't want us drafting to let people know but not to slam on the brakes as most riders probably would have crashed you out. orry just wanted to know whats up not to have a fight as to who's the faster rider or whatever.

uh, um, chill...

It happened one time. If it happens again then you should make something of it. Perhaps the guy is a prick no matter what kind of bike he happens to ride but you can't tell from just one incident. He might have overlapped wheels with his buddy.

i agree...totally...my girlfriend usually rides with me on the group rides so I just stick back..when i go on my own i tend to try to stay with the faster group simply because it's boring in the back. we all eat together and have beer afterwards.


donuts...the dude never said a thing even after I said something to him, just smirked like a jerk. After when we were having beers and I was telling the other riders about it they definitely thought it was uncalled for, on his part. I'm totally chill about it now, my main reason for posting was to get insight to make sure I didn't do anything wrong to warrant it, I would hate for that to happen again. If it is a problem then it's good info to know and pass along to other friends.

Maybe he wasn't part of the group ride? Some riders get real angry when other riders jump on their wheel without permission.

he definitely was, he left with us and went to the bar with us...he's out there every week. they even waited for the re-group at the top of the hill (midpoint)

Group ride = OK to draft. Everyone that shows up for a group ride should understand that. It's a good idea to announce yourself when you do latch on, though.

Sure is a lot of drinking going on....

I usually do, I learned that a long time ago when I did without saying something and they were switching and they didn't know what to do with me in the back...totally embarrassing but they understood (older riders) so they informed me and still let me ride with them. I think what really had me stewing was exactly that! it was a group ride and I go to meet other riders and get comfortable riding in large groups. I guess I should chalk it up as a lesson learned and it's good to know I can avoid something like that without crashing...knock on wood.

You did nothing wrong. You don't need anyone's permission to grab a wheel, ever. Braking when you know you're being drafted is just plain wrong, someone could be seriously hurt. That dude is a total ******.

thats good to know. I enjoy people grabbing on to me, It makes me ride harder with purpose

You could ask him in front of the group so he can explain what you did wrong (learning experience) or he can justify being a tool.

Indeed. The whole idea of drafting is to take turns. Something most of us learned by age 5. Then you can introduce yourself when dropping back after your pull. There really isn't any excuse for his behavior, at worst they should have just dropped you ;-)

^^ That's what he... nevermind.

Does this seem trolly to anyone else? 09 Dura Ace Orca with flats or cages, pulling at 24mph?

Cervelo only has one "L"

I'd confront him in front of the group and ask them if they feel comfortable with antics like that. That's how we got rid of a rider that did stuff like that more than once on our group rides.

In order to answer, I need to know MSRP on both bikes involved.

Me. Not to mention his username, join date, and lack of grammar. Plus his sig scares me a little.

Could just be a coincidence, but I'm not ruling it out.

Cycling is supposed to be fun. That's why I only cycle with friends I know well.

When it becomes competitive with people you hardly know then the fun goes out the door because everyone is just trying to out do the other. May as well go racing! If that's what you like to do then more power to you. I've found that half the roadies I encounter have a holier-than-though attitude that I just can't stand.

Are you his wife's boss? Are you sure he wasn't riding a tandem and it was a sprint at the finish you were having words with him about?

So maybe, just maybe, you shouldn't "grab a wheel" of someone you don't know, outside of a group ride. You have no idea what they will do. If you cannot safely stop before plowing into the rider in front of you because you are following too closely, who may or may not know you are there, in any situation that happens it is 100% your responsibility. That's a risk people agree to take in a group ride. Don't assume random strangers want to take it too. It just makes you an ass.

Now in a group ride there is no excuse for an unannounced sudden stop, short of an emergency. If you don't want someone behind you, don't go on group rides.