I was riding along yesterday in zone 2 with a nice tailwind at about 20 mph. I look down for a second and saw an extra shadow ! Apparently someone was drafting me and I didn't even know he was back there. I just continued to ride for a bit then slowed a little and he finally pulled out and rode on without saying anything. This particular section of the path is prone to random deer and kamikaze squirrels. Am I wrong for being kinda upset that he didn't announce? I have no idea how long he was back there before I noticed him and had he let me know I would have had no problem pulling him along. What would you have done ?

when I notice someone is right behind me I will start signaling potholes and things blocking the way and enjoy the reduced drag it gives me.

If you really don't want someone behind you, you can always warn them that you suffer from a runny nose and they might have to duck for a snot rocket every now and then...

Use a mirror so they can't sneak up on you. That's what I do.

I don't get why people draft in such circumstances.

You sound like a good person to ride with.

why give them the courtesy of a warning? They didn't give you one.

If someone grabs my wheel unannounced I just drop them. If they are too strong to drop, they are likely experienced enough to ride with safely, so I'll signal them to take a pull when needed. If they don't take their turn, I'll slow enough to make them pass. No free rides.

I find it really creepy when a guy sneaks up behind me and drafts me when I'm cycling. It's just as creepy as when a guy walks right directly behind me, almost stepping on my heels.

1) I am a woman
2) I'm one of the slower riders you'll find ... so why draft me?


I tend to slow down even more to see if he'll go around. I have also suddenly turned an intersection or pulled off into a service station or something.

I hate it when someone starts to draft without announcing themselves. As the OP said, there are things like potholes and critters out there. I might swerve without thinking if I don't know someone is back there. Of course I'll probably take them out and be OK myself.

Just last week someone latched onto my wheel and I only noticed because I saw their shadow. Kind of scared me. I always announce myself when approaching another rider if passing or hoping to catch a draft.

Sometimes I find myself stuck behind another rider for stretch where there isn't an opportunity to pass. But I sure as hell don't latch on to their wheel close enough to draft - I hang back out of courtesy and for safety. And when I do pass, I allow ample room, announce, and say good morning as I go by. Since I get passed more than I pass others, I figure it's wise to pay forward some good karma. I don't get the jackasses that blow by you close enough to rub jerseys when there is ample sapce and time to make the pass. Lots of TDF delusions out there, I guess.

No. Bad form.

If I find an unannounced rider on my wheel I sit up and slow right down. If they don't know better than to announce themselves I don't want them on my wheel or anywhere near me as they are clearly an unpredictable rider.

If I sit up (literally) and they roll up beside me and say hello I will engage in a quick chat and go from there. You never know. They could have buried themselves chasing you down and just hadn't recovered enough to announce themselves yet.

If they just sit back there I will just keep soft pedaling until I am crawling. If they don't get the hint they are truly a dumbass.

If they jump past me without a word I used to chase them but never close the last 5m, pushing and pushing them until they cracked. If they didn't crack then I had fun and made my point anyway.

+1

There's really only one acceptable response in this situation. Give them "the look", dial it up to 400 Watts, and drope the hammer.

it's drope the hamer. Get it right.

I agree that it's bad form to just grab someones wheel and take a free ride but bdop made a good point here.

I have said it in the "on your left" threads many times. I have a very deep voice.

This past Sunday I was out for a ride and on my return route got myself into a pretty good head wind. I pushed as hard as I could as I saw it as a training oppurtunity. When I turned off that street I ended up behind another cyclist. He was not going terribly fast (maybe 17-18 mph) so I approached but by that time I was cooked. I thought I would try to get on his wheel to recover then continue on. When I spoke up to announce myself this guy was so startled I almost caused him to crash.

I apologized in the most polite way I could and was happy to see that he laughed it off but it could have been bad. He told me that the bass in my voice sound like a roar or like a really big dog was jumping him. I get this ALL THE TIME. I'm not buying a bell so I'm not so sure how to announce myself and not give people a near heart attack.

I don't know, I've never really minded if people draft me unannounced. I tend not to do it myself, because I know some people are unnerved by it. If I come up behind someone who is travelling at almost my speed I'll go past them, but not accelerate. If they choose to hop on the back, they're welcome. From time to time this turns into a mini-break, with us each taking pulls in turn for as long as we're together. On these occasions it's rare for any words to be exchanged other than a "thanks" as we go out separate ways.

He doesn't have the guads to get it right.

I've never noticed reduced drag from someone drafting behind me - something to do with reducing the turbulence in your wake?

See number 1.

OP - If you're riding in Zone 2 and were intending to keep your HR or FTP in this zone, it can be very annoying when someone latches onto your wheel. I have a tendency to ramp it up to have a little fun and give them the challenge to see if they can hang on. Then this blows your original plan to stay within the zone and now you're doing their ride instead of the ride you intended. I'm getting better at ignoring this situation and just sitting up and let them pass to get back to riding what was planned. If it happens to be an LT ride, then let the fun begin.

Riding unannounced behind someone is a dumb thing to do, but unfortunately it does happen. I usually either hear them or sense they are back there, so I don't get surprised too often. If someone can approach you from behind, that means they can match your speed, but might be doing a recovery to catch their breath after pushing to catch you. Or maybe they're much stronger and are sizing you up. More often, when you pass someone at a slightly higher pace they'll often try to latch on. I don't mind this situation since you know they're there and it often turns into a fun ride with a shared effort. If I notice they have poor riding skills, I'll either ride them off my wheel or just sit up if I can't.

I was wondering the same thing.

My first instinct was to turn it on and see what he had to offer but it would have blown my training ride. I guess I really just wanted to be aware he was back there so I didn't do anything to cause him to crash himself or me.Thanks for all the input.

I don't grab a wheel unannounced, but I don't get my chamois in a twist is someone grabs mine. Like Mr Pedro, once I notice him, I point out obstacles and if we're going at a good clip after a while I'll poke an elbow out and let him take a pull. Life's too short to let a trivial thing like an unannounced wheel sucker to upset you.

Often times when I get passed or catch up to a rider/group I will sit ~5ft or so back. When we catch a light I will try to spark up a quick convo. Normally after a quick chat we end up riding together until someone gets dropped or turns off.

I'm curious as to how you all "announce yourselves" from behind someone. I would imagine it would be tough to hear, especially with a head wind.

Yes but on the hoods or in the dropes?

"Hey there! Mind if I sit on for a bit?"