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Slipstream etiquette?

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  • February 5, 2018 at 3:04 pm #28110
    Kempston

    I’m quite new to cycling so I thought I’d put this out there, as it seemed rather odd to me at the time.

    While out on a solo ride yesterday, on a rather windy day, I suddenly realised there was another cyclist right behind me. I wasn’t sure at first, as I only noticed a shape in the corner of my eye while checking for traffic.

    After a few moments I looked again and was sure there was someone there. I had a left turn coming up, signaled, and sure enough a chap who had been hugging my rear wheel said “Cheers mate” and carried on.

    I’m used to riding tight together on club rides, especially in the wind, but never had a complete stranger steal my slipstream like this, without saying a word. We’d been on the road for probably a couple of miles before I noticed.

    I didn’t mind the slipstreaming (even though I was doing all the work); it just would have been nice if he’d told me he was there. If I needed to swerve suddenly to avoid a pothole, we’d both be in the gutter.

    Anyone else encountered this? What’s the best thing to say to an unannounced visitor on your rear?

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  • July 23, 2018 at 5:56 am #911899
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    don simon fbpe
    Jessica-bike-chic wrote:
    This happened to me today. I caught up to a couple guys that were riding together on a local riding trail, I decided to sit behind them for a little bit just to catch my breath then I backed off to about 5 bike lengths. The guy I was behind turned around and saw me then he told his friend and they sprinted away. I wasn’t impressed by them at all, and I’m not sure what I had done wrong. All I can figure is they were either intimidated that a woman rider was behind them, or they were just “A holes”. After they got far ahead of me one of them turned around to look at me, I just laughed and went on. Oh well. 

    I’d go with them being A-holes, I usually give a little shout to let them know I’m there, just so they don’t fire any snot rockets). Catch my breath and head off again. The proper A-holes will then accelerate and try to hold my wheel without saying anything. The looking back gave it away  for them being A-holes, who really gives a monkey what other riders do? Unless they are proper getting into your space.

    Yes, I’d say they were clearly intimidated by a female rider.  Have a read around here to see how many inadequate male riders there are.

    July 22, 2018 at 9:23 pm #911897
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    vonhelmet

    The other day I overtook a

    The other day I overtook a guy going up one side of a hill. The other side has a long straight at 15% – it’s easy to hit 40mph going down there – that ends with a fairly sharp left hander. I was heading down there and I braked to slow for the turn and all of a sudden he flew round the outside of me, barely making it past the car that was coming the other way. That was pretty unnerving. I guess he wanted to beat me down after I beat him up, but I’m not sure it would have been worth going over a car bonnet for.

    July 22, 2018 at 9:13 pm #911895
    0
    Jessica-bike-chic

    This happened to me today. I

    This happened to me today. I caught up to a couple guys that were riding together on a local riding trail, I decided to sit behind them for a little bit just to catch my breath then I backed off to about 5 bike lengths. The guy I was behind turned around and saw me then he told his friend and they sprinted away. I wasn’t impressed by them at all, and I’m not sure what I had done wrong. All I can figure is they were either intimidated that a woman rider was behind them, or they were just “A holes”. After they got far ahead of me one of them turned around to look at me, I just laughed and went on. Oh well. 

    February 15, 2018 at 9:35 pm #911893
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    zzk

    Always a pleasure to give

    Always a pleasure to give someone a tow. Hopefully they’ll acknowledge the help and return the favour sometime. Naturally its only polite to ensure they get a good workout if they’re not coming through 🙂

    February 15, 2018 at 8:26 pm #911891
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    Fish_n_Chips

    I had one ask me for a tow as

    I had one ask me for a tow as he was exhausted and had a headwind – I obliged and made sure I signalled before moving out.

     

    After an 80 miler and feeling shattered I found one guy tucking in on my back whee.

    My cool down turned into a sprint for 6 miles – I couldn’t shake him and he looked fresh.

    I asked him to take his turn lol.  He was training before a hill ride and we chatted about bikes for the ride back from Bath to Bristol.

    Just ask and some people don’t mind.  Steal your wind? Lol.  More about avoiding crashing than egos.

    February 9, 2018 at 9:18 am #911889
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    Anonymous
    fukawitribe wrote:
    DaSy wrote:
    My ride yesterday in the snow and gale force winds certainly showed me that I would not hear a bike approaching from behind, as I was only just making out lorries. 

    I am known as someone who happily pulls on the front all day, as I like the hard work, so I have no issues with people drafting me. My issue is with people doing it unannounced, as this impacts my safety.

    So let me get this straight – your hearing is signficantly impaired but you’re absolutely sure he at no point announced his presence ? Not saying he did but would it be fair to say that you can’t be sure, especially if he’d made the effort to get up to you for some assistance ?

     

    I’m not sure if you are actually aiming this comment at me, but I am claiming nothing as this isn’t my thread! I just questioned others ability to hear cyclists approaching from the rear, as I have very impaired hearing when riding in wind etc.

    But to the point of – could he have announced himself but the rider didn’t hear – then possibly yes, if he siddled up behind and latched on, rather than ride up alongside and visually as well as audibly announce himself (he was moving quicker than the OP, so it shouldn’t be too much effort!).

    Your last point of “especially if he’d made the effort to get up to you for some assistance” is quite odd, I’ve never thought to make some supreme effort to catch a rider ahead because I was too tired to ride at my own pace.

    February 7, 2018 at 3:57 pm #911887
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    alansmurphy
    fukawitribe wrote:
    alansmurphy wrote:
    … number 2 in line flat refused to come through as he was “dying” so I got fed up and summoned up all my power to just sod off on a slight uphill. 

     

    …After they’d done all this work it was bad that a later hill I struggled to ride slow enough for them

    to get a tow

     

    Interesting group riding attitude… and when you say you ‘struggled to ride slow enough’, could you elaborate ? Balance ? 

     

    alansmurphy wrote:
     but then it’s not much advantage uphill anyway is it? 

    Depends on the slope and speed, there’s going to be some but it might be very small – then again it might be noticeable…

    Cycling science: Is it worth drafting uphill?

     

    The one on Sunday was mostly banter, we are a particularly mixed group and sometimes it’s hard to keep everyone getting what they want out of the ride. On Sunday it was only a 40 miler so I wanted to pick up the pace more than anyone else particularly, as said it was more the shock that they were all still there. I was just being unsubtle in sodding off 😉

     

    The Anglesey example was more embarassment on my part because my pal was more than capable of sharing the work but didn’t – we didn’t know the other riders. As for the slowness uphills, it was more pacing. They were clearly flat power riders whereas I like a hill. Speaking of etiquette I probably should have been kinder – on the other hand I half hoped they’d sneak round us on the next flat and we wouldn’t try and stick with them 🙂

     

     

    February 7, 2018 at 3:47 pm #911885
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    fukawitribe
    alansmurphy wrote:
    … number 2 in line flat refused to come through as he was “dying” so I got fed up and summoned up all my power to just sod off on a slight uphill. 

     

    …After they’d done all this work it was bad that a later hill I struggled to ride slow enough for them

    to get a tow

     

    Interesting group riding attitude… and when you say you ‘struggled to ride slow enough’, could you elaborate ? Balance ? 

     

    alansmurphy wrote:
     but then it’s not much advantage uphill anyway is it? 

    Depends on the slope and speed, there’s going to be some but it might be very small – then again it might be noticeable…

    Cycling science: Is it worth drafting uphill?

    February 7, 2018 at 3:23 pm #911883
    0
    fukawitribe

    DaSy wrote:

    DaSy wrote:
    My ride yesterday in the snow and gale force winds certainly showed me that I would not hear a bike approaching from behind, as I was only just making out lorries. 

    I am known as someone who happily pulls on the front all day, as I like the hard work, so I have no issues with people drafting me. My issue is with people doing it unannounced, as this impacts my safety.

    So let me get this straight – your hearing is signficantly impaired but you’re absolutely sure he at no point announced his presence ? Not saying he did but would it be fair to say that you can’t be sure, especially if he’d made the effort to get up to you for some assistance ?

    February 7, 2018 at 2:26 pm #911881
    0
    Canyon48

    Probably worth pointing out

    Probably worth pointing out that, if you have a rider using your slipstream (but isn’t strong enough to take over at the front), they are actually giving you a slight aero benefit – somewhere around 5 watts.

    February 7, 2018 at 2:08 pm #911879
    0
    alansmurphy

    I had to teach one of my gang

    I had to teach one of my gang the art of ‘soft pedalling’ recently as he’d often work relatively tirelessly then wouldn’t be able to hold the wheel when someone came around.

     

    It’s hard to tell someone that you’re making the same motion, looking like you’re working as hard, but not really doing much…

    February 7, 2018 at 1:48 pm #911877
    0
    MoutonDeMontagne
    alansmurphy wrote:
    Also, have any of you ever come around to deliberately slow someone trying to split the group. Again we occassionally have the odd rider who will look to split it when some on the back need a bit of support.

    I do occasionally appear on the front, selflessly pacing the group up a climb, when in fact its because I get to ride my pace, rather than falling off the back at someone elses! 

    February 7, 2018 at 1:14 pm #911875
    0
    alansmurphy

    We had a relatively strong

    We had a relatively strong (numbers wise) outing on Sunday so I thought I’d lead a train out on a nice flattish 2.5 mile country road, the group usually splits and reconvenes. Given that I’ve been a bit more mental in my early year riding than many after a mile and a half I looked round expecting a couple to be playing, full peleton in one straight line though with a couple of grimaces. The elbow turned into full on chicken impression, number 2 in line flat refused to come through as he was “dying” so I got fed up and summoned up all my power to just sod off on a slight uphill. I’m not claiming heroic powers, we were near the coffee shop, but i felt a point needed to be made.

     

    Also, have any of you ever come around to deliberately slow someone trying to split the group. Again we occassionally have the odd rider who will look to split it when some on the back need a bit of support.

     

    Finally, did the Anglesey 100 a couple of years back and my more powerful riding partner who loves a bit of flat latched onto a couple of fellas blasting out 22-25mph on the flattish for nearly an hour. My mate was in his comfort zone in 3rd wheel having a whistle, I was hanging on the back in trouble. I tried to get around a couple of times but every time my nose was in the wind I was going backwards, I’d shout apologetically that they thought was pretty funny. After they’d done all this work it was bad that a later hill I struggled to ride slow enough for them to get a tow – but then it’s not much advantage uphill anyway is it? 

    February 7, 2018 at 1:05 pm #911873
    0
    rjfrussell

    So, to summarise, if someone

    So, to summarise, if someone acts in a mildly inconsiderate manner, latching onto your wheel without announcing themselves, there are broadly two responses:

    (1)  Act like a total c*nt.

     

    OR

     

    (2) Don’t.

    February 7, 2018 at 11:31 am #911871
    0
    tarquin_foxglove

    DaSy wrote:

    DaSy wrote:
    just a feeling, confirmed when he pulled off and the bloke managed to say something

    Action liable to dislodge even the most persistent drafter…

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