[Closed] Do you tailgate?

tailgate = car driver
draught = bike rider

Tailgating should solely be used for saving fuel on the motorway.

On a bike you should be getting past that rider.

So he was wheel sucking up a hill? Either drop him, let him drop you or accept it.

Edit - or if he's a mate, have him take a turn on the front 😉

Won't do it nor will I allow others to do it.

Isn't it part and parcel of being a cyclist? Not really a problem unless you're an erratic, dangerous and out of control rider. 😛

[i]I personally don't like it.[/i]

Then ride faster 🙂
Personally I don't give a monkeys if someone's right on my back wheel, though I'm fairly used to wheels rubbing when riding with people I know, so don't find it that disconcerting.
However I tend to keep a respectful distance with people I don't know who don't look competent though.

He was probably bonding with you Scholar. It's a complement that he wants to suck your wheel 😀

[i]Tailgating should solely be used for saving fuel on the motorway.[/i]

Or stopping people from squeezing into the gap.

tj how do you "not allow it"?

Heading up hill or on the flat - drafting (draughting?) and perfectly acceptable, although depending on fitness etc. you should of course take your turn on the front.

Going downhill - dangerous.

cruz slow down / swear at them / stop /ride them into a tree - whatever is appropriate. Only had it happen commuting tho never at a trail centre.

I will not allow anyone to follow close to me bike, motorbike or car. Its my safety

I only ever tailgate when im playing the old 'getting the mud off my front tyre using your rear tyre' game with friends.
Then they seem to gang up on me to do the same before it all gets out of hand with bikes/ bodies strewn everywhere 😆

Tailgating in cars is a crime and the offenders should be shot.....

Heading up hill or on the flat - drafting (draughting?) and perfectly acceptable

And that. Thats perfectly fine 😆

rossi46 - Member

I only ever tailgate when im playing the old 'getting the mud off my front tyre using your rear tyre' game with friends.
Then they seem go gang up on me to do the same before it all gets out of hand with bikes/ bodies strewn everywhere

simple answer is to ride faster if it pisses you off, maybe they are not tailgating, maybe you are riding to slow and dangerously so they cannot get past?

No - plenty of room for them to get passed - anyway thats no excuse for riding on your wheel.

cruz slow down / swear at them / stop [b]/ride them into a tree[/b] - whatever is appropriate. Only had it happen commuting tho never at a trail centre.

draughting = ****y roadie behaviour..

edit: so folk nudging your rear wheel is fine but nudging them into a tree in return is worthy of ridicule..?

it gets harder to take you seriously every day DS.. 😀

tj - if you have anoob riding downhill infront of you wobbling and weaving all over the show then wtf are you menat to do, same up hill. I REALLY want you to come down and ride with us in teh Peak to test your ability (and brake pads) just to see also if you are really a ****er or just a WUM

Whats that wooshing noise Don - the point flying over your head as usual?
🙄

And you're happy to injure another human being?

Watch out TeeJ - it's a trap.

If he wore a helmet he probably wouldn't be so anxious at the possibility of a crash.

Whats that wooshing noise Don - the point flying over your head as usual?

it gets harder to take you seriously every day DS..

Cruz - hang on - I was talking about if folk did it [b]to me[/b] - I aint a newb tho I ain't that fast. I always ride politely and allow faster folk to overtake

If its a newb then stop or ride a decent distance behind them if you cannot overtake safely

Riding close to someone you don't know is at best impolite and at worst dangerous.

Cruz - I'll give you a shout next time I am down that way 🙂

Just shout "Squirrel!" and then slam your brakes on full. They'll give you plenty of space after that.

Personally doesn't bother me at all on the bike, so long as they take a turn in front if it's windy. Rarely do it myself, only if it's windy and I know the rider is ok with it. People who tailgate in cars, under any circumstances whatsoever, should be shot in front of their families.

But intentionally trying to have them injure themselves seems a little harsh, no?

Yesterday I wasn't able to ride faster as there was someone in front of me. All he really needed to do was say 'on yer right' and come past when he was able to and not tailgate/draught/wheel suck/be an idiot.

I'm inclined to agree with TJ, I also think it's bad manners.

Did you wave him through at all?

Perhaps he thought you had rearward facing GoPro and wanted to get into the edit ?

But intentionally trying to have them injure themselves seems a little harsh, no?

Er yes, I was kidding. I don't think anyone is seriously advocating that sort of thing are they?

I'm deadly serious about tailgating car drivers though.

draughting = ****y roadie behaviour..

Or an intelligent way of minimising energy use while climbing or riding on the flat. Assuming we talking about fireroad type climbs, or road sections of course - if there's any real risk of the person in front falling off you'd be an idiot to draught.

some people are waaay uptight on their rides

an intelligent way of minimising energy use while climbing or riding on the flat

Why type all that when "lazy" would suffice?

😉

Just give them the flick to come through.

It's always a bit odd to have someone you don't know (and know their level of riding skill) sit on. If you are hassled by it just slow down and let them come through.

Cruz - the point is I do not want someone compromising my safety therefore I will not accept someone riding on my wheel.

Why type all that when "lazy" would suffice?

🙂

Not quite the same though is it? If there're 3 of you, and you take turns you can save a fair amount of energy. And if one of you has bonked, it's a pretty good way of helping him/her home.

Not to mention it's fun on a road bike.

Cruz - the point is I do not want someone compromising my safety therefore I will not accept someone riding on my wheel.

If you don't know them it could be compromising your safety, but on a road bike ride with mates / in a club, it's not really dangerous...

Wouldn't do it to, nor expect it from, a total stranger, but if I'm riding with friends we'll ride close together on a climb. If I'm behind I like pacing myself with a similar rider in front and if I'm in front it gives me a little challenge to see if they can keep on my tail.

Would never do it on a descent though.

Let him pass and then jab his rear brake as he draws level.

Note: Please don't actually do this on a public highway.

Here in Switzerland it is quite normal to tail gate – they call it the ‘wind-shadow’. The do it in cities and out on the trail, roads etc. Even the lazy lumps on the electric bikes do it.

I find it rude and dangerous as others have said especially when being followed at high speed by a big electric bike. I have had to break for kids and been narrowly avoided been mowed down by the following bike.

I dr[b]aft[/b] quite a bit. Only on the road, and only people who look like they're proper roadies and have overtaken me. I get drafted quite often too. I'd usually say something if I have the breath though, and assuming I'm not behind some ridiculously fast club type, I'd always take turns on the front. I wouldn't draft as close as I would someone I know though. I figure if I overtake someone and they manage to hang onto my wheel, then fair enough, it's not like it does me any harm.

It is really nice when you're at the end of a hard week and some proper fast roadie gives you a tow for a few miles.

On the other hand, most of my riding is in the country on A roads - I have points on my rides where the next set of traffic lights / major junction is five or six miles away, which means you aren't going to have to brake for a whole long time. I think it is maybe different in cities, because you have to stop and start a lot more. I used to find red light jumping idiots were a problem in cities, because if you had one of them behind you and you slowed down for the lights, they'd often be assuming you'd keep going, and have to skid to a halt behind you.

It's way more hazardous being the person following but if they're a stranger then yeah I wouldn't want them following me closely on a fast section (off-road). Uphill I wouldn't care much though.

Yep. Absolutely no problem doing it or having it done to me. It'd only ever be experienced roadies anyway.

Waggle your elbow, pull out, drop in behind them. Sorted.

Ha well there's a chap in my roadie club who is becoming a bit of a liability as he has crashed into others a number of times recently. A couple of weeks ago we were climbing quite a steep hill when he crashed into the guy in front of him taking them both to the ground. There was a bit of a queue of traffic behind them who fortunately were keeping their distance. So make sure the guy on your wheel is competent.

I don't. Really narks me off when other people do it too! I think its pretty clear from my baggy shorts/walking trousers and pannier that i'm not roadie thats used to this sort of thing. I think its a big assumption to make that people are happy with it, or know how to do it safely.

Sometimes i go biking to get away from people and lose myself in my thoughts, not to have some looney cycling behind me with his head 6" from my @rse.

If you're all roadies then go ahead, do what you want to do, but don't do it to commuters. Personally I find it very uncomfortable to know there's someone trailing me that closely. It doesn't help that I've had a drafter ride into the back of me because he wanted to run an amber light that I decided to stop for.

If someone did it on a mountain bike, out on the trails, I would assume that they wanted to get past so I'd pull over.
I don't like it when roadies do it as I'm probably on a training ride or commuting to work, going at my own speed, and if you start hanging out the back of me, I'm going to change my pace because I want to drop you (unlikely), let you past, or aim for a pothole and bunnyhop it at the last minute. Ha!

Waggle your elbow, pull out, drop in behind them. Sorted.

or aim for a pothole and bunnyhop it at the last minute. Ha!

An excellent idea! I will try this next opportunity i get 😈

I remember being 18 and having just got a road bike I'd be out for 8-9hours.the wind would change half way,so I'd get a headwind both ways.
coming back home was miserable.I'd draft old ladies on shopping bikes,old old roadies,anything.
no problem with strangers drafting.it's nice when we get a bit of a train going,pick up other lone riders.it's nice to drop.it's nice to get dropped.both happen.