I ride on the trail alot by myself, since my schedule never seems to match up with the group I used to ride with. Therefore, I always run into 'creepy guys'.

Usually, though, I can tell that they're not really creepy, that it's just my overactive imagination putting me in faux dangerous situations.

Sometimes I may really have a cause for worry. The homeless-looking people that stumble along the trail scare me, sometimes, because I don't know what they may do. So do the groups of kids that hang around and play basketball by the trail. Last year I heard of a cyclist who got mugged by a group of high school kids.

Sometimes people are just weird, and I know I'm being defensive by getting creeped out or angry at them, but I am very sensitive to personal space.

The other day I was on the trail and I came up on a guy riding a pleasure bike. He was not going very fast, so I passed him. He cocked his head as I approached, though, and I think he must have heard me about to pass him, and suddenly he sped up. That sucker was going fast! I had to really gun it to get around him, thinking that he wouldn't be able to hang long at that speed, but when I got in front of him he sucked onto my back tire.

It got me angry. 1) Because I had no idea who he was, and how well he knew how to handle a bike while he was inches from my tire and 2) I didn't know if he was doing it for some other reason. I slowed down, and he tried to talk to me, but I didn't say a word. He was in my space. I slowed down alot and let him get away from me, but when I continued my ride I ended up coming up on him again. The same thing happened this time! Finally I stopped riding all together, got off my bike, and watched him teeter off into the distance.

The thing is, I wouldn't have passed him if I thought he would speed up. I usually only pass people who i know I will drop quickly, because I hate to play leapfrog. I am perfectly fine with slowing down so that someone has more personal space, because I know how I appreciate mine.

But it was like this guy had no clue. Plus, I think his sudden bursts of speed were really just meant to impress me or something, although i could have cared less and instead ended up wanting to punch him in the face.

Anyway, the point of the rambling is, yes I have been in your situation before, and yes it upsets me. i don't like anyone on my tail unless I know them or they have asked to be there. My boyfriend doesn't feel at all the same, we've talked about it before, but I won't give in (neither will he). He doesn't care if a stranger drafts, but I hate the idea of anyone I don't know that close to me.

It could very well be gender-related, but it's probably more of a personality thing.