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Wheel Suckers!
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flippinhecklerFree Member
Had an unexpected passenger on the last leg of my 88km ride today. Came up on a rider and said a cheery hi as I went past him it was a flattish stretch into a headwind, I was feeling good so decided to press on with a big effort and just before a rise in the road I checked behind me to see the cheeky bugger right on my wheel I wasn’t to bothered and chuckled to myself thinking of threads on here about these wheel suckers. Anyway after the rise there were some traffic lights and in my favour turned green as I approach so I clicked down the cog and blew him off up the next hill and kept the pressure on ha!
Didn’t see any sign of him when I turned for home, take that wheel sucker. 😆
Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middling Edition
Latest Singletrack VideosFresh Goods Friday 696: The Middlin...uponthedownsFree MemberI really don’t know what’s up with these people. If I want to take someone’s wheel I’ll let them know I’m there and ask them if its OK. I’ll also try to do some through and off with them. Apart from anything else its a safety precaution to let someone know you are there in case they brake suddenly( or decide to use the Huddersfield handkerchief).
I had one the other evening coming back from a training session. Sun was behind so I saw his shadow. After a while I stood up and tried to drop him without success so slowed right down and he came past sprinting trying to drop me (again without success) he didn’t say a word as he came past although by the size of his legs he looked pretty useful. Followed him for a bit then came past to try and set a good example of sharing some through and off. After about 500m looked behind and he had slowed right down. WTF?
ndthorntonFree Membersaid a cheery hi as I went past him
I can’t stand that!
Arrogant mofoneilsonwheelsFree MemberMe and my training buddy had an old boy sat on our wheel for around six miles. He must have been well into his 60’s if not older and we were clocking a good 23 average on flat roads. When we finally had to stop at a junction he was smiling like a ten year old.
IanWFree MemberThere was a sportive on our normal Sunday route today, had quite a few guys join us, a couple said hello and had a chat, a couple just took advantage of the tow. TBH I’m quite happy to be of service, on another day it may be me.
aracerFree MemberHow very dare they get a bit of benefit without doing you any harm.
GEDAFree MemberI thought this thread was about killing kittens again pointing out how foolish people are about wheel sizes.
globaltiFree MemberSome people have a different view of drafting; curiously, I took a South African business visitor out for a ride yesterday and despite the bloke being bigger, stronger and fitter than me (he rode the entire 36 miles in his big ring and even got half way up Jeffrey Hill in big!) he sat on my wheel the entire distance, only offering to do some work for the last long climb up from the Ribble to my home, when I was tired and going steady (i.e. slow). He’s a very nice bloke and certainly not thoughtless yet he seemed to think it was OK to save 25% of his precious energy all the way round. TBH though, it didn’t bother me and still doesn’t.
oldgitFree Membersame here globalti. I set off to ride at a certain pace and distance, if someone sits on my wheel all day that’s fine. I don’t really want the favour returned as it makes the ride easier.
uphillcursingFree MemberI am a wheelsucker. There is nothing that entertains me as sitting a couple of yards behind a “roadie”. I don’t ride on the road for fun or training, usually just to get where I am going.
I don’t seem to get the chance to say Hi or offer to take a turn. Almost without fail as soon as we set off from lights or however we happen to come together they take off like a bat out of hell. More often than not they are too quick for my lack of fitness and shonky commuter but when they are not there is no finer amusement to be had.
The effort some people will put in to escape a hairy legged, baggy short and Camelback wearing middle aged man is priceless.
I have no problem taking my turn if I was ever allowed to do so. It seems I am an affront and have to be broken.BrainflexFull MemberSimple, if you don’t like it, brake check em. If it doesn’t bother you, keep riding.
flippinhecklerFree MemberLike I said it doesn’t bother me and its good sport to see if you can drop them even when your doing a Jens Voigt shut up legs 😀
brooessFree MemberThe real problem with wheel-sucking a total stranger is you’ll end up at someone else’s house miles from your own with no idea how you got there or how to get home…
cookeaaFull MemberTBH on the rare occasions someone sits on my wheel taking a tow, I take it as a bit of a compliment.
I am more used to being the slower party, but if someone thinks its worth using me for a bit of effort saving rather than feeling the need to underline their awesomeness by stamping on another nodder then that’s quite nice…
robdobFree MemberSame here! If any ever drafted behind me I’d be chuffed to bits!
Doesn’t slow the lead rider down, what’s the harm?
SuperficialFree MemberI can see why wheelsuckers get a bad rep in racing, or even in group rides where some riders are not doing their turn in the wind, but out and about it’s funny how people get upset by this. I’ve tried, and I just can’t see the problem with it.
Theoretical question: I’m pootling home on my commuter. It’s heavy, and I’m slow, averaging say 15mph. Then a lycra’d-up roadie breezes by at 20mph. I can get into his slipstream – since now I’m drafting, I’m a bit quicker and I can keep up at 20mph. But I’d never be fast enough to maintain that 20mph on the front so I can’t return the favour and do a turn. Do I:
A) Continue drafting, knowing I’m doing home no harm at all, and I get home that much quicker/easier?
B) Leave him some space, drop back and continue at 15mph, in case I’m somehow offending the guy?I just think it’s an example of roadie snobbery. I’m faster than you, so I get to sneer at you and your puny ‘wheelsucker’ legs.
Kryton57Full MemberThere’s a bloke in his mid forties that sits behind my son on his regular Friday ride to his educational establishment.
He sits there on his single speed saving at least 10% and even natters away to him until he arrives, then he turns off and uses all that save energy to blast some strava routes.
What a utter bastid, it’s no way to treat a 5yo but I did get a a KOM on the way back home once.
Sue_WFree MemberI don’t understand what the problem is? Drafting is the norm in my club, and if there are stronger riders they do most of the riding in the front. If you go past someone, you’re likely to be a stronger rider so why not give a fellow rider a bit of support? Don’t understand the attitude of trying to blow them off – pretty petty and not particularly helpful to a fellow rider. Neither do I expect someone to announce their presence or ask permission to sit on my wheel – I generally know they’re there and will automatically point out hazards etc.
Happily helped a ‘commuter’ the other day who was running late for work – sat on the front into the headwind, wound the pace up enough for them to stay on, and got them to the office on time 🙂
crashtestmonkeyFree MemberI have no problem taking my turn if I was ever allowed to do so. It seems I am far too weak and slow and have to be broken
FTFY
Drafting is the norm in my club, and if there are stronger riders they do most of the riding in the front
we’re talking about random strangers not club mates. You have no idea of their competence in bike handling, whereas you know how much you can trust your mates.
Don’t understand the attitude of trying to blow them off – pretty petty
think the argument is theyve shown you no courtesy so why should you show them some?
I’m generally of the “its a compliment” school of thought, for all I know they could be on an epic and have blown up and be struggling to get home. Only time it has annoyed me was on a sportif where 2 guys caught me up (me riding solo), one automatically came through and we worked together without a word needing to be said and the other sat on. Not really in the spirit of the thing if he’s trying for a decent time.
thisisnotaspoonFree MemberSome people have a different view of drafting; curiously, I took a South African business visitor out for a ride yesterday and despite the bloke being bigger, stronger and fitter than me (he rode the entire 36 miles in his big ring and even got half way up Jeffrey Hill in big!) he sat on my wheel the entire distance, only offering to do some work for the last long climb up from the Ribble to my home, when I was tired and going steady (i.e. slow). He’s a very nice bloke and certainly not thoughtless yet he seemed to think it was OK to save 25% of his precious energy all the way round. TBH though, it didn’t bother me and still doesn’t.
Maybe he was 10% ‘slower’ than you, so in order to keep together he had to save 10% by following you?
Same as on any club run, some days you’ll feel good and sit on the front all day long, other days you’re sat on the back wishing the cafe would come sooner.
traildogFree MemberSimple, if you don’t like it, brake check em
No, slow and let them past. Don’t ever brake check anyone.
I just see it as part of riding and I don’t get why people get so upset about it. When it’s windy on my commute there often forms a big long train of riders with a few sharing the work and the rest just holding on. I personally find it fun and helps get there quicker.
beamendsFree Memberonly a ‘true’ roadie could get upset by someone riding behind them.
ffs man get a grip
damitamitFree MemberYou went past him and you’re complaining he’s sitting on your wheel?
Only a true mtber who doesnt understand road/group riding would get upset about this :p Take it as a compliment. He thought you had a smooth steady riding technique and saw you as a good draft.
aracerFree MemberIf they’re incompetent enough to touch your rear wheel with their front wheel, it’s them going down, not you.
think the argument is theyve shown you no courtesy so why should you show them some?
Do you expect them to doff their cap and say “please sir”? You’ll deliberately be rude to them because you perceive they’ve been rude to you by not doing something (whatever that might be)?
Only time it has annoyed me was on a sportif where 2 guys caught me up (me riding solo), one automatically came through and we worked together without a word needing to be said and the other sat on. Not really in the spirit of the thing if he’s trying for a decent time.
Maybe he was just knackered and couldn’t come through. Should he have dropped off in order not to be rude?
toby1Full MemberI found someone with the perfect defense to this last week – the smell coming off his jersey made me want to vomit, I had to ride ahead just to stay up wind of it!
And for reference when commuting wheelsucking is all part of the game, especially as a chubby hair bloke on a singlespeed. If I can take you down I will.
smiththemainmanFree MemberDon
t let it worry you because 9 times out of 10 a wheel sucker you
ve passed and picked up will be blown out of the back on the first incline!! it`s the ones that catch you that you worry about!!chakapingFree MemberYou can set your watch by these threads eh?
Doesn’t bother me at all, and I’ll try to slow just a tad after overtaking others to give them the opportunity to tuck in.
But I honestly think plenty of riders just don’t even realise they’re getting an aero benefit riding behind others – let alone that they might be offending some delicate flower by doing it.
brooessFree MemberIt is a bit weird though. Like sitting on your own on the train, someone else gets on, and rather than sit somewhere else in the carriage, they come and sit right next to you.
To me it’s about respecting someone’s personal space. If you go out on a ride on your own, maybe you don’t want company. To turn up and sit behind someone without saying anything is a bit inconsiderate and invasive
GribsFull MemberI’m interested to know what would be the correct etiquette in this situation. I caught a pair of roadies going downhill but they were going at about the right pace for me on the flat. As they’re riding side by side is it acceptable to say hello and tuck in behind? Or should I just work a bit harder, overtake and leave them behind?
dazhFull MemberSimple, if you don’t like it, brake check em.
Well that’s the most idiotic thing I’ve read on here in a while. 😯
mrblobbyFree MemberIs it that time again?
same here globalti. I set off to ride at a certain pace and distance, if someone sits on my wheel all day that’s fine. I don’t really want the favour returned as it makes the ride easier.
If it’s a training ride, who cares. I want to be riding at my pace and not be sat on someone’s wheel. Don’t care if someone wants to sit on mine all the way around, as long as they know what they are doing.
As they’re riding side by side is it acceptable to say hello and tuck in behind? Or should I just work a bit harder, overtake and leave them behind?
Have a chat, ask them.
Simple, if you don’t like it, brake check em.
🙄
uphillcursingFree Member@IanW Which part is in my imagination? Just so I know next time.
mogrimFull MemberAs they’re riding side by side is it acceptable to say hello and tuck in behind?
That’s about it. Apart from politeness, if you don’t let them know you’re drafting there’s a lot less chance they’ll warn you about upcoming hazards. They could also brake harder than they would otherwise.
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