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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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Viewing 15 replies - 31 through 45 (of 70 total)
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  • February 6, 2018 at 4:58 pm #911839
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    maryka

    shay cycles wrote:

    shay cycles wrote:
    Being all big and strong and putting down the power to drop jump on the wheel of someone you’ve never met and are not actually racing against always seems a bit childish.

    FTFY.

    February 6, 2018 at 4:15 pm #911837
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    surly_by_name

    We’ve done this before.

    We’ve done this before. Leaving aside the oh-so-macho “I crush them with my enormous power when I ride them off my wheel” reponses provided by visiting pro cyclists, in the real world JUST SLOW DOWN. 

    February 6, 2018 at 3:32 pm #911835
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    Grahamd
    Kempston wrote:
    Thanks for the tips and comments, everyone. I hadn’t heard of the ‘elbow’ signal …

    Not to be confused with Sagan’s use of the elbow…

     

    February 6, 2018 at 3:13 pm #911833
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    Kempston

    Thanks for the tips and

    Thanks for the tips and comments, everyone. I hadn’t heard of the ‘elbow’ signal so will bear that in mind.

    For the record, I didn’t have headphones on but it was rather windy which may have lessened my chances of hearing the chap behind me. And just to reiterate: I didn’t mind the guy being on my rear wheel; it was just that he didn’t make me aware of his presence that I thought was a bit dangerous. I would have been up for a chat if I’d known he was there.

    February 6, 2018 at 3:10 pm #911831
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    shay cycles

    If someone rides behind me I

    If someone rides behind me I won’t take offence, I won’t mind at all.

    If they don’t let me know they are there I won’t be bothered because I’ll know they are there anyway because i’m responsible for knowing what’s going on around me.

    If they chat that’s fine, if they don’t that’s also fine.

    If they take a turn that’s fine, if they don’t that’s also fine.

    Its a bit like whether other cyclists nod or wave – its nice when they do but it in no way hurts if they don’t. 

    I’m not going to worry about the whether some other cyclist might happen to bump into the back of me – there are much bigger and heavier things out there to worry about if you are the worrying kind.

    Being all big and strong and putting down the power to drop someone you’ve never met and are not actually racing against always seems a bit childish.

    February 6, 2018 at 2:52 pm #911829
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    Boatsie

    DaSy wrote:

    DaSy wrote:

    I think a lot of people are missing the point here. The OP said he didn’t know the wheelsucker was there, just a feeling, confirmed when he pulled off and the bloke managed to say something (shame he hadn’t managed to announce his joining rather than his leaving the draft!).

    Show a bit of class and announce yourself and join in the effort, or piss off as far as I’m concerned.

    I’m with you, well put.

    February 6, 2018 at 2:36 pm #911827
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    Canyon48

    I don’t mind people sitting

    I don’t mind people sitting behind for a while, as long as they announce themselves – usually leads to having a chat and meeting someone new! And if they are going to hang around for a little while, then I appreciate them taking a turn on front.

    I do occasionally get people who wheelsuck without annoucning themselves, which I find mildly annoying. My response is to ease off a little, to the point that I can tell they are thinking about overtaking before, very calmly, surging to zone 5 and holding that for a couple mins. I then repeat this until one of us gives up.

    It’s basically a little bit of motivation for some interval training – quite fun on my commute home.

    February 6, 2018 at 2:29 pm #911825
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    patto583

    The way I see it the main
    The way I see it the main problem is that he didn’t let you know he was there. If you don’t know anyone’s behind you then you aren’t going to let them know about road obstacles, changes of speed or direction, which could lead to a crash. There is also the fact that you don’t know if he’s used to riding with others or not, and could make a bit of a mess of it, bringing you down too.

    February 6, 2018 at 1:50 pm #911823
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    OldRidgeback
    Jimmy Ray Will wrote:
    Leviathan wrote:
    This is not so bad, though he could have taken a turn if he was able to overtake you (though he might not have had the extra puff to do so.) Meanwhile I was going along a canal towpath recently and overtook another chap going much slower than me, after about thirty seconds I too got that sense and looked around to see he had sped up and was now drafting me. I shouted at him ‘Why have you sped up… Why are you drafting me, it’s not a race…’  and he mysteriously went back to his previous speed. There were pedestrians with dogs down there and I might have to slow or brake, I didn’t want him right up my arse. I don’t know why some people think being overtaken is an invitation to a race, just make your own pace.

    I don’t think they are trying to race you, I think they are simply looking for an easier ride home.

    I remember once having a chap go absolutely off on me after I slipped into his slipstream… it wasn’t until this thread that I realised that some people take such genuine offence to it. 

     

    Won’t stop me though… mwah ha ha ha. 

     

    Unless they ask me not to…. obvs. 

     

    Well it might have been me who went off on one. It’s not just rude to hang in there unannounced, it’s dangerous too. I used to get mightily pissed on my commute to my old job when my kids were little and I’d have the child seat on the back. Some riders would see this as an invitation to wheel suck, given the massive air dispalcement I was causing. 

    I explained, using some Saxon words, that simple physics says this is a bad thing to do on a busy road and especially if there’s a kid on the back. It’s fine to do out with your mates on a club ride, but absolutely unacceptable unannounced on a  busy commuter route. Try it with me and you’ll get an earful.

    February 6, 2018 at 1:49 pm #911821
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    Jimnm

    As long as they don’t throw a

    As long as they don’t throw a lasso around your waste, it’s fine by me. 

    February 6, 2018 at 1:32 pm #911819
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    Jimmy Ray Will
    Leviathan wrote:
    This is not so bad, though he could have taken a turn if he was able to overtake you (though he might not have had the extra puff to do so.) Meanwhile I was going along a canal towpath recently and overtook another chap going much slower than me, after about thirty seconds I too got that sense and looked around to see he had sped up and was now drafting me. I shouted at him ‘Why have you sped up… Why are you drafting me, it’s not a race…’  and he mysteriously went back to his previous speed. There were pedestrians with dogs down there and I might have to slow or brake, I didn’t want him right up my arse. I don’t know why some people think being overtaken is an invitation to a race, just make your own pace.

    I don’t think they are trying to race you, I think they are simply looking for an easier ride home.

    I remember once having a chap go absolutely off on me after I slipped into his slipstream… it wasn’t until this thread that I realised that some people take such genuine offence to it. 

     

    Won’t stop me though… mwah ha ha ha. 

     

    Unless they ask me not to…. obvs. 

    February 6, 2018 at 1:28 pm #911817
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    Legin

    Really who gives a ff? As
    Really who gives a ff? As long as they don’t get on the front and have you all off what does it matter?

    February 6, 2018 at 1:13 pm #911815
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    SingleSpeed

    It all depends on the

    It all depends on the situation and where you are in your own ride as to the method of giving the nodder the message.

    One of my favourite is to gradually almost imperceptibly slow down to the point they are now riding at an embarrassingly slow speed but still reluctant to over take.

    February 6, 2018 at 1:01 pm #911813
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    jmaccelari

    I find out this is a great

    I find out this is a great way to meet people. Chat to them when you stop… I don’t own that part of the road, so I prefer not to be a plonker.

    February 6, 2018 at 1:00 pm #911811
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    LarryDavidJr

    Personally, this is why I

    Personally, this is why I make sure to eat a fairly high fibre diet.

    You see how much they really need the draft then.

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