Unwanted wheel sucker

[betagirl]

Yeah I could have stopped, but I think part of me was more pissed than anything so that competitive streak in me wanted to drop him. It would have been nice if it were mile 20 instead though.

[bikerchick68]

Susie... if you find those shorts let me know! those are great...

betagirl... yeah it's rude... I wonder if he was still new enough not to know he's supposed to ask... when I was new I learned to draft but no one told me the etiquette that goes with it until I started riding with a group... the ex taught me to draft but that was it!

Like Corsair I probably would've stopped... or if I was in good form I would've called him on it and asked if he knows he should let me know so I don't stop and make him crash...

I agree that it's weird to look back and realize someone is there... especially a man you don't know who hasn't said a word...eek...

<note to self... never, ever draft maillotpois >

[allabouteva]

<note to self... never, ever draft maillotpois >

BC68, you're safe on the right hand side of her!

M, where you ever worried about your safety with that guy drafting you? If you were, then I think I read somewhere that if you're worried about your safety, you should stay on your bike. So what Nanci recommended I think would work v. well.

Or you could have asked him flat out, can I draft you for a while? and proceed to do the same.

I hate it when in the moment you can't think of the right thing to do or say, and then 3 hours later, after you've thought about it, you know exactly what you should have done!!!

[Grog]

It is rude and dangerous. If you don't know you have someone behind you you can make sudden manoeuvers that can endanger that person and eventually yourself.

It happened to me once, I slowed down and the guy slowed down, I motioned him to pass me and he said he didn't want to. I'm about 5'4", the guy was almost a foot taller than me and a good 50 pounds heavier, he would have been great to draft from. I really wasn't impressed. I eventually stopped at the side and he stopped too, I told him to pass me because it was really rude and no I didn't want to ride with him and draft him. He acted as if he had no idea why I said it was rude, it seemed to be something he did all the time. Maybe indeed he didn't know. Anyway, he took off, I ate a bar to calm myself down, and took off again, riding slowly to avoid seeing him again...

I think it's important to voice your opposition, otherwise how can people learn?

[Quillfred]

"I think it's important to voice your opposition, otherwise how can people learn?[/QUOTE] Grog

That brings up a really good point. I am still pretty green and with the increased trail traffic I have found myself in both places recently. I wasn't sure about the proper etiquette. Now I know to ask permission. I notice that people look over their shoulders when they are (I assume) uncomfortable with my drafting. Sometimes I will slow gradually when I am being drafted because I assume someone wants to pass but they don't.

Thanks for the education. Maybe you saved me from getting slimed by a rocket

[KnottedYet]

Dumb question: how do you know you are drafting someone, or vice versa? Like, I had some dude ON MY BUTT for a couple miles once when I was riding the 'bent. Was he drafting off me?

What does it mean? Is it easier? Are they just cutting the wind for you?

[Grog]

WARNING: LONG POST, I am procrastinating and not writing my paper right now.

Dumb question: how do you know you are drafting someone, or vice versa? Like, I had some dude ON MY BUTT for a couple miles once when I was riding the 'bent. Was he drafting off me?

What does it mean? Is it easier? Are they just cutting the wind for you?

Yes, it is definitely easier when you ride less than a bike's length behind someone else. It can be as close as 5-10 cm for maximum effect. Very useful, especially in a head wind. Doesn't make a huge difference on climbs, except perhaps when very windy. If the wind comes from the side there are different techniques (you move a bit to the side, being careful never to have your wheel overlap with the front rider's - if the wheels touch, the person in the back, and many others behind her if there's a whole paceline, goes down! ).

The person in the back is very close to the person in the front which makes it about 20-30% easier to propel herself forward. Over the long run, if two or more people do that together (like exchanging pulls every 5 minutes or 1 km or even 30 seconds depending on your strategy) they save a lot of energy. That's the reason why cyclists race as a team. Think about Lance: he does not do all the work, his teammates actually "pull" him for a fair amount of the time (although Lance specifically was known for taking more than his share of wind-time). When the time to attack comes, he's fresh. Triathletes are often unfamiliar with drafting because they are not allowed to in their races. [Speaking of triathlon: using your aerobars while drafting is a big, big no-no, and will get you rightfully kicked out of a paceline.]

Drafting comes with responsibilities. The person in the back has an easier time, but is at greater risk than the person in the front. One second of inattention can have great consequences, because as I pointed out earlier if wheels touch the person in the back goes down. Major pile-ups happen this way, and other sorts of accidents too. The person in the back's field of vision is also obstructed by... well, the person in the front's butt. So you don't see obstacles/potholes/incoming pedestrians/parked cars as well if you're in the back. So the person in the front HAS to know that there is someone in the back, so she will signal the obstacles, and make appropriate signals to indicate turns, stops, railway tracks, potholes, etc. When she decides to stand on the pedals (or to sit back down), she announces it because it causes the bike to jerk back by about 5 cm, enough to scare the person in the back if she's following closely.

Important: when drafting, you're supposed to look through the person in the front's hips, not directly at her wheel. Looking at her wheel will make you micro-correct your trajectory all the time, and in the end you'll be zigzaging all over the place (also very bad - you want to be predictable). Use your peripheral vision.

So obviously you want to draft behind someone who knows that you are there, and who knows what they are doing, and who are conscious of their responsibility.

I ALWAYS look over my shoulder every other minute, just a quick glance, to make sure I am alone. If I found someone drafting behind me, which happens at high traffic hours with lots of commuters, or when riding at popular roadie spots, I just start making the appropriate signals accordingly. If for some reason I don't feel good about that person drafting me, I will signal that I am slowing down and motion the person to pass me. It is also good manners to alternate at the front if the two riders are of similar strength, and even if they aren't (then the weaker person just takes shorter pulls).

The fine art of drafting and pacelines could take a whole book to discuss, with topics like "how to find a suitable speed" and "practicing the wheel" etc. But I have to go back to my paper. *sigh*

As a final note: Some people do not draft. Ever. They can't stand the idea of sharing responsibility for their safety with other riders. You can totally opt out of drafting if you like. Personally I think it's great to draft with people I know and trust, which includes most members of my bike club, and to teach the others how to do it properly. I find that we can go further together, and I like that. But it's a tradeoff, and I have to be conscious of the risks.

[bluerider]

Thanks for sharing your story! And thanks for everyone’s suggestions.

I experienced the same thing a little while ago and didn’t know how to handle the situation. It was an older guy who was riding a fancy smancy carbon bike that trailed me for 15km. I was startled initially to see him and kind of acknowledged him when I first noticed him but he didn’t smile or say hello. So I decided to put the metal to the pedal and really hammer it hoping to drop him. Of course he kept up…for 15 FREAKING KMs!!! And then on a downhill, he passed without a word except a look at me. HUH!?!?!?!?

Okay, great bud, you have a good 60 pounds on me so way to go for passing me!!! I intentionally sat up and slowed down but idiot would not pass me.

I’m glad to hear that I’m not the only who thinks it’s completely not cool!

[Quillfred]

Knotted have you ever driven close enough to a semi truck on the freeway (under 2 car lengths or so) and you almost can feel yourself getting "sucked" in towards the vehicle? I think it is called slip streaming. (Note: don't try it if not as it is illegal.)

It works the same with the aerodynamics of cycling. That is why it can be dangerous if both riders aren't careful. It allows the draftee to coast.

[Lise]

Hey, beta, sorry to hear that, on top of that wind, you had a wheelsucker (sounds like something on the hull of the Starship Enterprise... ).

A couple of weeks ago, I passed this couple. I didn't think anything of it, figured they were well behind me, and all of a sudden, maybe 2 miles later, they pull off from right behind me, and the guy says, "Nice riding with you!" Kind of startled me. I had no idea what he was talking about, I thought maybe he was being sarcastic, but I didn't know what about! Now it makes me think maybe he/they were drafting off me. I just don't know anything about drafting, so it kind of cracks me up to think that I might have been "pulling" them. I didn't even know they were there, and didn't know enough to be annoyed. When I'm less worn out, I'll have to learn more about the drafting thing.

beat--how're the legs and knees today?

[Dianyla]

Well, I tend to get a little bit gassy on rides so... DRAFTERS BEWARE!!!