This was a first. Roadie didn’t like me drafting so slammed on brakes. A bit of a daft thing to do as he would probably have come of worse if I’d gone into the back of him

Knobs everywhere.

And it’s my birthday…

Hobnob, anyone?

Not brake-checking per se, but when following someone on my commute he eventually turned his head around and said angrily “why don’t you just overtake me?” – to which I answered that I was just chilling!

I’ve never thought of it as the bike equivalent of tailgating, but clearly some people do!

Out of curiousity, OP: do you have a loud freewheel (e.g. Hope)?

Yes you lorry drivers are a bit close sometimes.

Were you in your baggies on a 29er?

Snot rockets are my weapon of choice for wheel suckers who creep up on you and who won’t do their time at the front. 😆

Given that I don’t know any roadies who would stoop to such muppetry (and I know a lot of roadies). I would just say “brake checked by a ****.”

*insert your own expletive here.

If I’m on my roadie and a mountain biker is drafting me, my first reaction is “Fair Play”

some people are idiots, don’t let it spoil your day… Happy Birthday!!

Presumably slammed on his brakes because he knew, or suspected, that he was too slow to just drop you.

I also wonder if some people are just not confident riding in a group, therefore don’t like the idea of someone right on their wheel just in case they do something wrong or you do.

Knobs everywhere.
Is that because you had brake so hard? 😉

Hammerite +1

As somebody who purely rides mountain bikes off road there’s a lot of things people who ride on the road do that I find a bit strange, drafting strangers is one of them.

I know if I was riding along and somebody started riding inches from my back wheel I’d want to get rid of the weirdo pretty quickly, I’d probably just pull over though rather than hit the brakes 😆

I got brake checked by a car the other day! on my bloody bike!
Fat moron in a Fiesta over took me before a queue of cars, so I went pretty close, trying not to stop, we pull across the mini roundabout and suddenly he’s stopped and all the other cars have gone. What was he trying to prove? jeez, knobs everywhere.

Last Sunday I was overtaken by a couple on road bikes so I tucked in behind them as there was quite a bit of headwind. There was a bit of chat as we went along. As I pulled off to my car I said “Apologies for wheelsucking” and the reply was “Good effort on those tyres” – I’d got my semi-fats on.

OP: Had he indicated for you to come through and do your turn on the front?

I’ve had people wheelsuck me, not a problem for a short distance, if they say they are just hanging on then they aren’t going to be any use on the front. If they just sit there and then blast away then they are ****holes. Riding in a group is a first step above basic road-craft really and if someone asked to tag along then that’s fine. It doesn’t take long to figure out if they are up to it.

I’ve been in a small group hoovering up riders so that we had a decent sized group to deal with the long blast that we knew was coming up. Similarly I’ve searched groups out when I know that there’s a long section in to the wind ahead. Did this on the Ripon Revolution sportive a couple of years ago, the last twenty miles were in to the wind, first group that went past were way too quick for me, next group was more my speed but it took three miles to get on to the back of them. A mile or so rest then we took turns on the front, picked up another rider or two and managed to average about 22mph into a strong headwind.

It was in the much hallowed hunting ground of Richmond Park. Given the amount of Castelli he was wearing, the Rapha backpack and a bike sporting eTap and was doing 36km/h+ I would say he was a fairly confident cyclist. It’s pretty difficult not to end up in a drafting situation in the Park as there are so many cyclists.

Generally I thank people I draft and take my turn at the front.

Brake checking was just a particularly stupid reaction in my opinion – ie dangerous

And no he had not indicated for me to come through. I was only behind him for about 15s and the sun was in such a position that he could see my shadow. He looked behind and then slammed on the brakes.

I’ve never thought of it as the bike equivalent of tailgating, but clearly some people do!

+1

Plenty of things don’t do any material harm, but are still really annoying.

Would you go and stand 6″ behind a stranger on the street?

Would you tailgate someone in a car?

Some* people just don’t want strangers invading their personal space.

What’s weird is how many people don’t pull along side and say hello. By all means bust a gut to catch someone, but at least say hi, where you heading, want to work together for a bit?

*most

@howarthp sounds like a t**t then!

Maybe you need to move somewhere civilised? 😆

Clearly I am a t**t. It’s normally takes less than 18 posts to find that out though…

That is a twatish thing to do, but I dislike having randomers draft me without announcing it/doing any work. You can’t trust them, and it’s just annoying. I’ve had two ride into me at traffic lights, presumably as they’ve not been watching anything other than my back wheel.

If it really bothers me though I’ll just speed up and drop them or slow right down.

Few weeks ago on a road section of the strawberry line I had two roadies pass me inches from my bars on a clear stretch of road. if that had been a car pass anywhere near that closely I am sure they would be fuming but it seems they don’t feel that they need to give other cyclists space.

Clearly I am a t**t. It’s normally takes less than 18 posts to find that out though…

I did mean the other guy 🙄 but if you are admitting to it, then …

what njee said ….

If you don’t like being drafted you have two options. One, drop the sucker. Two, turn round and politely explain you’d rather not be drafted.

Brake checking isn’t one of those two options.

the oft used useless fact that most cyclists also drive cars is possibly applicable 😀

Bit rude to tailgate a stranger, but not a great response on his part.

I once was cut off by mate while crossing the road and had to choose between potentially hitting the car or going into the ditch. Went for the latter, followed by the OTB and landed upside down, scraping my face.

It wasn’t uncommon for him to forget that he’s riding with others, but that was a bit stupid. We should have let the cars pass, but I was a teen and a bit competitive…

I learnt that you got to make others aware that you might be drafting behind them, he just didn’t think I was that close to him.

If you don’t like being drafted you have two options. One, drop the sucker. Two, turn round and politely explain you’d rather not be drafted.

Presumably there is an option 3 – pull out to the right, slow down, drop in behind.

It’s pretty difficult not to end up in a drafting situation in the Park as there are so many cyclists.

That’s my experience – naturally end up drafting or being drafted there. There are lots of knobbers though – Katie always has trouble with men who don’t like being overtaken by a girl

I quite often draft strangers on a 5min bit of road near my house if I’m tired, exposed road into the prevailing wind, always ask if it’s ok though… Sidling up behind someone without asking is kind of freaky though, like the perverts who have a surreptitious grope on the tube!

Just don’t draft people you don’t know.

Keep your racer wannabe dreams for the club run, when you can pretend your a pro with other people who like fantasy roleplay.
😈

I would argue that if you were close enough to need to brake hard then you were too close. You would say that if it was a car behind you.
As the follower you don’t know what’s going to happen, eg hard braking and it would be your fault if you then hit him.
As the one being followed, its not good. You don’t know if they are going to stop in time if you have to brake hard. At the back you don’t see what’s on/in the road as well as the person in front and your reaction is delayed. Chuck in the fact that if you are drafting then its very easy to clip the wheel in front unless you know what’s going on.
So, if you were close enough to need to emergency brake then you were to close. If it was no emergency then you have nothing to worry about.
Riding as a bunch when its all known about is different.

I’ve never thought of it as the bike equivalent of tailgating, but clearly some people do!

+1

Roadie was a nob breaking hard without reason thou..

But tbh if your tucked in tight behind someone if they aren’t doing the sneaky under arm look and were looking over shoulder he may not have seen you.

Only happened to me a few times, but it does make me jump if I look around and there’s someone unexpectedly 6 inches from my back wheel! It would just be common politeness to say hello. The strangest one was commuting home along a woodland bridle way in the pitch black. Suddenly aware of someone behind me – looked round & he had no lights (so understandable why he was trying to use mine!) weird though as he said nothing and I’d had no idea when he joined me or how long he’d been riding along in total darkness!

Having said that I found I latched onto a lot of peoples’ wheels during Ride London who were probably unaware, but only for a few minutes at a time & to be fair there are so many riders it’s hard not to be on someone’s wheel most of the time!

I don’t like by drafted by randoms on the road bike unless they ask. There’s no excuse for brake checking you but I can understand why he wasn’t happy. If I go riding with mates or in a group drafting is part of that and it’s cool. When I’m commuting or on my own I don’t want to have to think about some numpty behind.

I consider it to be the equivalent of tail gating unless you announce yourself. It’s just rude and in plenty of circumstances dangerous.

I also wonder if some people are just not confident riding in a group, therefore don’t like the idea of someone right on their wheel just in case they do something wrong or you do.

No issue with people doing it under the right circumstance – racing, chaingangs, club run, after saying “hi, mind if I get a tow” but just sneaking on unannounced can be dangerous. The obvious example being standing up. In a tight bunch you are very careful when you stand up as the bike moves backwards (relatively). I’m less careful/smooth on my own.

On my roadie I don’t tend to get it much and If I do I drop them on the first hill if I want to – normally I give them a flick of the elbow and make them do a turn but if I’m training I don’t want to draft. On my commuter I don’t understand it. Can’t go that fast on my single speed and coast down most of the hills. I have turned round and had words on a few occasions but brake checking would likely injure me so bit daft.

How do I become a “roadie” and am
I still one when I’m riding a mtb?

Guy was a tool for braking like that, dangerous for both of you.
But the golden rule is “never jump on anyone’s wheel without announcing yourself”

Happy Birthday, don’t ket it spoil your day.

Maybe next time you should take a turn at the front, nithingbis goingbto p.ss him off than a guy on any mtb with knobboy tyres leading him out

So, if you were close enough to need to emergency brake then you were to close.

Surely that’s the whole point , you have to be really close or you don’t get any benefit .

I didn’t realise it was considered to be such a crime , I’ve had people sit on my wheel for miles without me even realising they were there .