The chances of someone taking you down with them when they touch your back wheel is pretty small, I've been there lots of times and not hit the ground when they have.
The other option is just to not let it happen. With decent stretches between lights you can slowly up the pace until you see them dropping off, slow down a little and do the same again. They'll soon suffer. Hills help obviously. Makes for a good interval session too.
Hmm.
Maybe riding in london's different. But I my book to deliberately brake check someone drafting is really poor form. I'd certainly repsond with a body check if anyone did that too me. Lead them into pot-holes, parked cars by all means, but brake checking is a different matter.
scardey- what an exciting life you must lead! 😮
Riding round a big place like London is pretty terrifying, tbh. That's why everyone's on edge so much. Confrontation is almost inevitable. I've even seen meek-looking middle aged women banging their fists on someone's car! And in the stressful atmosphere of heavy traffic, tempers get frayed. Everyone's trying to get to work/home, their journey is far more important than yours, etc etc. The number of incidents that I was either involved in, or witnessed, as a courier, was frightening. But I learned that a certain amount of controlled aggression/assertiveness is needed, if you want to survive. Quite often, if someone's doing something that may put you at risk, a quick blast of good old Anglo-Saxon will soon (literally) stop them in their tracks. A 'polite word' just seems to fall on deaf ears....
A 'polite word' just seems to fall on deaf ears....
I feel bad now
If only I'd told him to **** off instead, his kids would still have a dad
and I'd still have a brother 😥
What an entertaining thread, you chaps have made my lunchbreak.
(sorry nothing constructive to say)
Actually, trying to think what I'd do if someone braked on me. If I was able to grab their shoulder, surely I'd be able to push the smartarse little pillock off his bike?
i love the way so many people see roadie hand signals as universal - they are not.
drafting a mate (a roadie) and kinda struggling tbh, all of a sudden i see his hand appear behind his saddle in what i thought was a "your turn up front" signal...... i was just considering this when he swerved out into the road to avoid a parked car. Ok so i know for next time, but i wasnt born with this knowledge.
was he riding a red rock lobster with blue sparkly hair poking out his helmet?
Sounds like a ****. Brake checking is fair enough, what happens if a pedestrian had stepped out at you. If he grabbed you I'm surprised you didn't push him off.
I can't believe I played rugby for 23 years to get my aggression fixes. What I should have done is became a London bike commuter. They all seem like much worthier adversaries capable of decking allcomers with ninja style skillz. I wish it was like that round here, a couple of cars actually pulled in to let me past the other day on one of my rare road encounters.
Nutt; you calling me fat, now?
I'm friendly and pleasant. 🙂
I have ridden in London and can fully understand why PK-R was p!ssed off having to re-overtake time and again, then be tail-gated.
IMHO the brake check was fully justified, as would a swift decking the moment he grabbed his shoulder. It's self defence.
I would say it sounds like it is you who doesn't know how to ride a bike and was rude and aggressive. Following someone's wheel is a pretty standard practice, if you don't want this, then put in a sprint and lose him, or fall back, it's simple. It is a standard practice for the person in front to be indicating any dangers ahead, such as potholes, parked cars etc.
Locking your wheels is an absolute no-no and a really stupid thing to have done. There is no reason for you to have done that, other than to have been aggressive towards the guy, and it just sounds like you then didn't if when he gave you stick back. Considering you could have really hurt the guy by your actions, a bit of abuse shouted back seems like a minor thing in comparison.
If you are going to ride a bike on the road then you really should learn to. It is you who are a "menace" going on the description of events you gave.
Traildog, is that a troll, or are you just pleased to see us? 😯
Following someone's wheel is a pretty standard practice
In the Tour de ****ing France, maybe; not on busy urban roads with heavy traffic. Someone riding right up close behind you is dangerous. If you have to stop suddenly (which anyone who rides in London will tell you, you do), the person behind, who may not have seen the danger, could plough straight into the back of you, and actually push you into the danger you were trying to avoid. That's why brake-testing has to be done, to idiots.
Tell me, what's the rule for driving a motor vehicle? Get right up someone's arse?
I would say it sounds like it is you who doesn't know how to ride a bike and was rude and aggressive
I don't even know where to start, with that...
Brake testing has to be done? Some of you people really do have issues with other people don't you?
Like traildog (and I've said) if you don't like someone riding behind you then either let them go first or drop them.
If you're confident and ride properly in traffic the need to stop suddenly is not that common, I think I've had two or three incidents of having to really anchor up in three years of London commuting. I'd be quiet happy to be behind a cyclist at a foot, I'd like to think that I'd not actually be copncentrating on the wheel but looking ahead to see what was happening.
Brake test entirely childish why would you do it, if his riding was that much of a nightmare drop him properly between light or just let him go in front. yes I know it's hard on that bit of road but if he was as fat as you say a bit of effort would have seen him off the back. I know I've been dropped off the back on the way home from a hard Richmond park ride.
Sound like the usual keyboard warrior in here getting steamed up about nothing really...
aP and Raouligan; PK has said he wanted the bloke to either overtake or drop back. The bloke did neither. If you've given someone several chances to leave your back wheel, and they ignore it, thus continuing to place you in danger, then they need a wake-up call.
If I don't know someone, I don't want them inches from my back wheel. I don't know what their riding skills are like, the state of their brakes, or the speed of their reactions. I don't get right up behind other riders, because it's potentially dangerous. Therefore, I don't want someone doing it to me.
As for aggression, well, if you've tried to get someone to **** off, and they're still there, then you might get a bit wound up.
The bloke that I had the run-in with, I spose he could have come off his bike, and impaled his face on a metal spike sticking out of the ground that the Council had failed to remove.
Ah well.
I don't like people hanging off my back wheel either. The biggest reason against it is that it blocks your view of whats behind, especially if they are a fatso.
I also hate this idea that if your a 'good rider/driver' you can somehow anticpate absolutely every event that could occur on the roads.
you can't.
I am always stunned at some cyclists assumption that tail gating or 'drafting' is anyway acceptable when not amongst friends.
When I get 'drafted' I give the stupid cyclist a good piece of my mind.
If someone in a Ferrari tail gated you driving in dense traffic would that be acceptable?
Rudeboy, what an apt name.
Things are much more relaxed up in Leeds. You southerners need to take a communal sauna together and sort out your pent up aggression with some towel whipping and a baby oil rubdown.
Seriously here are the rules:
1. If he's fat then you should be able to drop him.
2. If he's inconsistent in speed then slow down let him past and then overtake at the next long clear stretch.
3. If the lights are really so close together that you can't make any distance on him, then relax as you are all going to arrive at your destination at the same time.
Locking your back wheel is a stupid thing to do.
And before you say "Things are different in London", yes I agree. It appears many of you are testosterone laden t0$$ers, Captain Flash excepted who appears to be a fine gentleman.
still running? blimey
I'm in then:
Someone's following me - too close for my liking. I'd either speed up or slow down, I think. If they hung behind me I'd slow more or speed up. If they did it repeatedly I'd be a bit narked so I'd have a word, maybe at the next lights. I'd try & be nice, though, since they may have no idea why I'm complaining.
If it continued beyond that then I might get arsey or take some action, but I'd be aware that I might get a similar response. I wouldn't feel all aggrieved & surpised if I did. If they asked me to stop and sort it out? I reckon I would.
If somebody obviously brake-tested me in heavy traffic without any prior comment when as far as I know I'm cycling safely & normally? Reckon I'd get a bit physical/arsey with him. Wouldn't you ?
If I did, and the person rode away without saying anything I'd probably get madder. Might even chase them down...
Why do [i]some[/i] northern folk play the North/South 'card' when it's irrelevant.
Ha, handbags whilst riding. Reminds me of the time a lad jumped redlight. I stopped, caught him (this is me we are talking about) and dropped him. Next red light. I stop, he sails straight through- after the third one I caught and as I passed him said 'redlights are for stopping' and he said 'you ****ing what mate' (he was dressed more of a cyclist than me) so I stopped suddenly (as did he). What transpired was a handbag fight with him basically saying mind your business. In a way true, thats what stopped me from belting him off the side of his bike- I was focusing on nitty gritty of others and that made me feel abit petty.
PK, let this lad pass in future, just sit on his rear- he probably wont even understand that hes pulling you along. Dont say a word then turn off on your normal route dude.
The north/south card gets played (more London/Rest of country) because the stereotype of a Londoner is someone aggressive, unpleasant and self centred. Threads like this do little to dispel this myth.
The original poster took action to deliberately hurt someone because he didn't agree with his actions and this is somehow being justified. Think what you like of drafting, but you could easily have just let him go on his way. Personally I think the original post must be a troll anyway.
Traildog...spot on.
If someone drafted me I would not be too pleased.(how good are the brakes on your bike in comparison to some of the cheap bikes you see being used as commuters). If I had to stop sharply I certainly would not welcome some **** running into the back of me.
you then either let them go first or drop them.
He was short, fat and slow, yet proceeded to ride slowly off every set of lights, then catch up at the next set, weave to the front of the queue, and repeat
Raouligan (hello m8) wrote
If you're confident and ride properly in traffic the need to stop suddenly is not that common
Isn't that PK's point - very difficult to drop someone on that bit of road, the guy was wobbly, totally inconsiderate and dangerous so if PK had to stop suddenly he was probably going to have a bike parked up his @rse ?
3. If the lights are really so close together that you can't make any distance on him, then relax as you are all going to arrive at your destination at the same time.
*nods*