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Drafting complete strangers

  • This topic has 55 replies, 42 voices, and was last updated 9 years ago by Simontuck.
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  • May 15, 2017 at 9:06 am #27114
    LastBoyScout

    Out for a solo ride yesterday, minding my own business, when I look behind to see a complete stranger sat on my back wheel.

    When asked what he was doing, I get the reply “Getting a tow – I’ve been chasing you for ages”

    When asked to stop and either pass me or back off, he got really shirty and then disappeared.

    Happens nearly every time I go out and pisses me off no end – I’m out for my enjoyment, not theirs and, having had a complete stranger crash into the back of me before, it makes me pretty nervous.

    Chase me down as a challenge, by all means – I do the same to other riders – but he doesn’t know me and has no idea where I’m going, so why would you then sit 3″ from someone elses wheel – especially without at least the courtesy of announcing your presence and asking if I mind?

    Seriously considering getting a “no drafting” sign for the back of my saddle!

    </Rant>

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  • May 15, 2017 at 11:21 am #893123
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    davel

    I don’t mind it for a couple

    I don’t mind it for a couple of miles, but have called people out on it, with a cheery ‘alright mate, do your turn’ and a wave to the front. A few have reciprocated and been friendly enough, a couple have pretended not to have heard and then disappeared, a couple have also done the ‘ah I’m turning just up here’ – and maybe they were.

    I can’t remember anyone getting shirty, but there was one fella I was aware had been wheelsucking for a few miles on a miserable winter commute in on a Thursday or something. I had a couple of turn-rounds and ‘come on, get to the front’s after the initial invitation… All fell on deaf ears. Completely blanked me. I was spinning along at about 18mph on an easy flat course. Reckoned a jump to 20mph would put a gap between us… after about a mile of that…. no: I can still see his light on the road under my bike. Another 2mph…. still there. Another jump… FFS. Still there. So now I’ve dug myself a hole and am obviously going about a third quicker than when he started following… bit awkward. But I’m in the hole so I keep digging, even though my own engine only likely has one more gear.

    I get pretty much into time trial mode and I’m blowing out my arse for about 3 more miles before I realise he’s not there anymore. Didn’t need that unscheduled zone 1 session with all my gear on my back, so if I have anymore of those I think I’ll do the ‘slow down’ rather than ‘speed up’ tactic 🙂 

    I did get a load of strava PBs though, as I’d never put it in on that route before!

    On the flip-side, on solo rides, or if I’m out with a buddy, I often offer my wheel to people that are about my pace as I’m overtaking them, with a ‘hop on the wheel if you like, mate’. No impact to me, at all, either way, unless they rear-end me, and as surly says, chance of reciprocation at some point. It’s just being a bit nice, isn’t it… 

    May 15, 2017 at 11:18 am #893121
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    Jackson

    If someone catches you under

    If someone catches you under no circumstances can you acknowledge them. Your only two choices are to ride them off your wheel while pretending you aren’t trying (you win), or pretend you’re turning off somewhere and let them get up the road a bit before setting off again (they win).

    May 15, 2017 at 11:17 am #893119
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    multimodal

    I’ve never really had a

    I’ve never really had a problem with people drafting me but I know it annoys others so I avoid doing it. I think the least people should do is announce their presence.

    If you’re skipping along and happy with your rhythm, I’d say ignore them and carry on as you are. There’s no point getting into macho or passive aggressive tactics to drop other people.

    It sounds like the thing that annoyed you the most was the other person’s reaction. Some people are just chippy. Can’t do anything about that.

    May 15, 2017 at 11:12 am #893117
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    Stef Marazzi

    Haa! I get this all the time

    Haa! I get this all the time – my top tips.

    I quite enjoy being drafted – to me it doesnt matter if someone is there or not. They are supposedly giving you a five percent boost from their bow wave anyway. I do the following depending on how I feel at the time.

    1) If you are feeling competitive , set yourself a challenge – can you stay ahead of them, until the end of your journey? Or even better, can you competely drop them and ride them off your back wheel. (Look up http://www.itsnotarace.org and learn about Silly Commuter Racing for more of this)

    2) If you want them to share the work and you fancy teaming up- just look back and say “Can we share the work? We will both get to work, home, school, etc quicker then?” You never know, you might make a new cycling friend for life! I’ve met loads of cycling buddies this way.

    3) If you want them to just get ahead of you and stop drafting – just slow down, look back and say “sorry mate, dont let me hold you up, please go ahead”

    4) If you feeling a bit cheeky, and want to turn the tables on them, and jump on their back wheel instead, just do the “sneaky bottle drink”, and pretend you are drinking from your bottle. I’ve slowed down to about 8mph, before one cheeky wheel sucker went past. Then I drafted him until he blew up. It was great fun!

    May 15, 2017 at 11:11 am #893115
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    Anonymous

    It’s a bit like driving a car

    It’s a bit like driving a car though? Guy infront is doing 50. You can quite happily do 55. Not quite worth overtaking for but if you do overtake they’ll think WTF if you crawled past with a 5mph difference. Can you hang back? yeah but it’s just that little bit annoying and grinds on you.

    People do get competitive though. You can overtake someone in car, on bike, even on foot and they take it as a personal insult sometimes, a bit like those people that get overtaken in the car and then find an extra 10-15mph and flash their lights at you. Go faster in the first place then.

     

     

    May 15, 2017 at 10:52 am #893113
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    surly_by_name
    Yorkshire wallet wrote:
    Sometimes you’ve got a ‘bit’ more than the guy in front but not enough to really make a break on them or you just don’t want to but will catch them up eventually. You’ve also got the problem of unless you really hammer past, you then get drafted yourself and overextend yourself.

    All valid points. If you are racing. Seriously … “make a brake on them”, “overextend yourself”? I believe we are discussing what can essentially be described as “just riding around”, not the tour de france. 

    May 15, 2017 at 10:00 am #893111
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    Anonymous

    Flatulence could be useful?

    Flatulence could be useful?

    Drafting is a tricky one. Sometimes you’ve got a ‘bit’ more than the guy in front but not enough to really make a break on them or you just don’t want to but will catch them up eventually. You’ve also got the problem of unless you really hammer past, you then get drafted yourself and overextend yourself.

    May 15, 2017 at 9:53 am #893109
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    surly_by_name

    I’ve never really understood

    I’ve never really understood why people get so wound up about other people (strangers) drafting. Unless drafter has tethered him/herself to you with a rope, they aren’t slowing you down (I believe there’s an argument that they may even help you out with their “bow wave”). Sure, mystery drafter might T bone you from behind but suggest very unlikly if you signal your intentions. (Also drafter is way more at risk than draftee, especially if drafteee is feeling uncharitable and fails to point out commonplace road issues, like potholes.) It would of course be nice if mystery drafter was polite and said hi and took turns. Unicorns would be wonderful as well.

    There are two very simple ways of making it stop. The hard method: ride them off your wheel. The easy method: softpedal. The latter works really well. When mystery drafter gets bored of going slowly and goes past you, you can either latch on (with suitably encouraging words about working together from this point forward) or let drafter go and return to enjoying solitude. Or take it to an extreme and just stop and let drafter go, take another route.

    Mostly I’d suggest just riding at your own pace and not letting it get to you. If people are a real problem, remember, no one can draft you on the turbo. (Unless you are on Zwift.)

    May 15, 2017 at 9:45 am #893107
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    Forzamark

    Just go faster until you seem

    Just go faster until you seem him struggling then sprint away.  That always feels good.

    May 15, 2017 at 9:33 am #893105
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    Martyn_K

    How about getting a sign for

    How about getting a sign for your saddle that says ” Say Hi and work together”. A much more positive message and an ethos that would promote harmony on the road.

    We have enough issues dealing with cars, lorries, motorbikes etc……. please try not to take issue with fellow cyclists.

    They guy should have announced himself, but if he had been chasing for a while he may well have been ‘composing himself’ before saying hi and getting in to a conversation.

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