Etiquette question:

Went for a spin yesterday. Tried to keep 30 – 35kph over a reasonably flat 7 mile section. Anyhow I noticed someone about 150m back when I started. After a few mins I heard him right behind me. Shadow of his head was just behind bottom bracket. This rider did not say a word, just tucked in and stayed with me for about 6 miles. I could hear him freewheeling in my slipstream at times. After 6 miles he said,’ That’s me blown’ and dropped right back.

I’m thinking- cheeky git, just tucking in and staying there? Was he a bit naughty there?

Bit cheeky. I’d either say hello, drop them or slow down depending on how I feel

Snot works well.

Take it as a complement you were doing all the work and managed to pop him

Just before you dropped him it would have been great to get your phone out and pretend to make a call.

the correct etiquette is of course to catch the rider in front just before a climb, sit in his/her slipstreem untill 100m from the summit, then sprint for the top before shouting “STRAVA motherf***er” and coasting back down to the bottom.

I take it as a compliment if someone wants to sit on my rear wheel, then up the pace. If they can hold it, when I’m spent I’ll drop back and sit on them! Its good training and makes solo rides a bit more interesting.

Very considerate of them not to take a turn and thus interrupt your training schedule, HRM Zone interval or whatever. 🙂

although IIRC it does reduce the drag of the rider in front too.

I had someone sit on my wheel for the best part of 10 miles without saying a word then sprinted past me just before turning off down a side street which I think is pretty poor form.

I don’t really mind people slip streaming but if they just sit there for ages unannounced I think it’s fair game to have a bit of fun with them.

Perhaps he was scoping out the talent 😛

I consider it rude and potentially dangerous.

But I’ve faced flame-a-geddon on here before for expressing this view.

I would probably pull over and call the cops ! But yes this is quite common among roadies of the older generation and perfectly acceptable.

For future reference, if you want him to come to the front and work, you kind of flick your right elbow/wrist up and down. That’s the international language for “come through now please kind sir”.

I’ve done this and had this done to me occasionally and I don’t see it as a problem. As long as you are confident riding close to someone and back off appropriately when it gets dicey there should be no problems.

I’d defiantly expect him to announce his presence and if you didn’t want him there, that’d be when you told him. However, if someone wants to sit off my wheel and Im
Reasonably sure they aren’t going to knock me off, I don’t care at all.
Except when I’m time trialling and the cheeky bastard I’ve just caught decides hell use me to up his pace for the rest of the course 👿

If he/she was annoying me that much I’d probably just slow up gradually and let them past, but I barely even see another rider much less have one sit on my back wheel round here 😀

he was clearly checking out your rear! You dont have long hair do you? He may have become embarassed by a sudden realisation!

Mauja
I don’t really mind people slip streaming but if they just sit there for ages unannounced I think it’s fair game to have a bit of fun with them.

I personally find cracking of a huge loud fart helps clear some (not all) unwanted tailgaters.

the GF was complaining that another girl was sitting off her back wheel on the way to work.

i’ll do it occasionally if i’m on the MTB and a roadie goes past.

You should have pulled your old man out of the bottom of your shorts and had a pee as you were riding along…he’d have dropped back then!!!

alpin…that really pi%*es the road fraternity off when they go passed and can’t shake you as you coast behind on a MTB.

If this happens to me on the commute (all 5 miles of it) I have fun slowing down, speeding up, wobbling a bit etc, they never come through!

I just light a cigar.

And I’ve just made a coffee (esspresso), natch!

Did he follow you into the petrol station and “politely” discuss how you held him up?

alpin…that really pi%*es the road fraternity off when they go passed and can’t shake you as you coast behind on a MTB.

i know. why else would i put any effort in?

Anyhow I noticed someone about 150m back when I started

I got this far before realising you weren’t talking about going for a spin as in spin class… 🙄

Bit cheeky, but unless you start showing epic amounts of bumcrack, there’s not much you can do to scare them off.

alpin…that really pi%*es the road fraternity off when they go passed and can’t shake you as you coast behind on a MTB.

I hate it when bimbling on the road bike when some arse blowing mtber has their own little race thingy going on, most amusing. They normally drop off when invited to complete the remaining 80kms at the same pace, bless them.
Regards the OP, I thing it’s just rude. I’d pull alongside for a chat and a reat, if I’d done the catching up then see what happens. Some people I pass, some want to pass me and a couple of years ago the speed cranked up with one chap.

Test your brakes.

If you catch up you keep going?

Getting involved in anothers ride is a no no.

Had a guy sit on my wheel all the way to the top of a hill, riding into a block headwind. Got to the top, and I paused to wait for my friend who was a fair way back. As he rode past me, he said ‘Thanks, shame you’re a bit too small as a wind block’! Fortunately I still had enough breath left to smile sweetly and say ‘wheel-sucker’ back at him 😆

I just find it all part of the fun of road cycling … same as when you meet someone out on the same road and you both try to pretend you’re not actually racing each other as you bust a gut trying to get past …

Triahlon trick to discourage drafters, have a pee!!

pretty rude IMO. At least come and ask if you mind…
And not that smart, how do they know you’re a decent rider who will point out all the holes and gravel…

ROFL.

Some great replies there!

Did he follow you into the petrol station and “politely” discuss how you held him up?

this wasn’t in the yoghurt aisle was it?

This rider did not say a word, just tucked in and stayed with me for about 6 miles

Sums up some people really: two cyclists, 3 foot apart for twenty odd minutes don’t even deign to talk to each other,.

Sorry, but both must be so far up their own asses….

In such situations I pretend I haven’t realised they are there, wait until the foot of a climb, fire out a HUUGE snot rocket in their general direction under my right armpit, then sprint off up the climb*.

*This worked a treat when I was fit. Now I suspect it would fail miserably.

I remember trying to kill a hangover in the mid ’90s by blasting out of Aberdeen up the old railway path and the riverside singletrack into Deeside on my hand-resprayed, entry level Stump-jumper – it was electric blue with horrible metallic pink Sharkbite pedals and massive, very knobbly Tioga Psychos 😀 After a couple of hours hooning around in the woods near Peterculter, covered in mud and pretty much done in, I headed for home along the North Deeside Road.

I caught up with a couple of guys, also on MTBs and as I passed I said my usual cheery, “Alright?”. One of them mumbled something about “Effing speedmerchant eh?” and they upped their pace and spent the next 20 minutes trying to overtake me. They did pass eventually, and I tried being friendly again, saying something like, “Aye, it’s always harder up front isn’t it?”, with a big (genuine) smile.

That got me the silent treatment and glares which got my dander up somewhat – I made it my mission to piiss them off and nearly killed myself passing and staying ahead of them all the way back into Aberdeen – had to take a sneaky short cut to come out in front and smiling on Holburn Street, at which point I had the satisfaction of looking back and seeing them stop to prop each other up. I waited ’til I got round the corner before getting off and dry-retching 😀

No need to act like a twunt.

Can’t say I give a shit. It’s not like someone on my wheel makes me slower. I had some bloke follow me last night on a road down by the river. Sat on my wheel for 5 or so km then overtook me. I sat on his wheel for another 2-3km and eventually he just sat up and told me he was done and couldn’t keep the pace any more. Could have been unfit, could have been on the end of a century, could have just been tired. Saw him again later, cheery wave and a hello, everyone happy.

If you can drop them, drop them, if not, just carry on with your ride

But I’ve faced flame-a-geddon on here before for expressing this view.

Next thing you know, you’ll be banned for upsetting someone, who then will insults you, safe in the knowledge you can’t reply.