Sounds like you whooped up on him, Corsair !! Also sounds like this guy is not at your ability, since you were able to pull faster than him !!

As for crowding his space, that's the whole idea. DH tells me to ride one inch off his wheel, and I do. I do it because I know he's a solid rider who rides a clean line and pedals smoothly. I do it because that is where you will actually catch a draft. Get more than a very few inches behind and wind resistance goes up exponentially. You can feel it when you lose the sweet spot.

But you are taking your orthopedic health in your hands if you closely draft someone who wiggles all over the place and doesn't spin, that is to say, they don't pedal continuously (and I mean CONTINUOUSLY). The second they back off pedalling, their speed drops ever so slightly, and there you are, climbing up their tail-pipe.

I have been totally spoiled by drafting my husband and the club I've been riding with here. Very solid wheels (and they're all bigger than me ). I've been on some other rides here with, shall we say, less solid wheels. On the last ride, a 50-miler, I followed the ride leaders, triathlete women who were clearly stronger than me (oh, they actually train, maybe that's it). I could have kept up if I could have drafted, but their technique and etiquette were not up to my high standards . This was my ride to really experience what it's like when the person(s) in front of you don't spin smoothly. Scary!!!They were unfamiliar with what to do when you're done pulling and want the next rider to take a pull (peel left, let the paceline pass, jump on the back). One of them was strong, but bobbed and weaved all over the place, I stayed away from her rear wheel.

So, your guy finally realized he was out of his league and sat back in! If he hadn't, and you were frustrated with the pace (slower than you were going on your own!), then I think it would be appropriate to pull around left and get ahead of him. Of course, I do not have the Emily Post Cycling Edition in front of me, so this is IMHO.

Sounds like you're ready for club rides!!!!