Friday Group Ride #108
Rider A leaves his home for a solo ride. He’s not training. He’s just riding. Thinking. He chooses a familiar route, popular among local cyclists and sets himself a comfortable pace.
After a few miles, Rider A comes upon Rider B and slowly overtakes him. Rider B, without a word, surges forward to sit on Rider A’s wheel. Rider A says nothing. Rider B says nothing. Rider A rides, and Rider B sits on.
This goes on for a few miles, when the pair come upon a hill. Rider B jumps off Rider A’s wheel and attacks the climb out of the saddle. Soon though, Rider B is faltering, struggling. Rider A, who has maintained his pace, approaches and passes Rider B again.
And again, Rider B jumps on Rider A’s wheel and follows to the top of the climb. At this point, Rider A is annoyed that Rider B is roosting on his wheel and when the next natural turn comes, Rider A pulls off and takes a different route to reclaim his solitude.
An etiquette question this week: What should have happened here? Is it ok to draft other cyclists without asking permission? Is it incumbent on the passing rider to declare whether or not it’s ok to draft? If you’re on a popular route do you relinquish your right to ride alone? And at what point is it too late to talk it over?
No need to swap spit, or get chummy; Rider B pulls up to draft Rider A, and declares (audibly!) ” on your wheel”. If B is too winded, or not strong enough, sit on and shut up. If B feels good, take a pull, establish parity, and only then, after a couple of pulls, B can attack.
it’s cool. it may depend a bit on the aggressiveness of the “drafting” but i see it as more of an “hey, what’s up?” rather than anything else. i’ve met some very cool people while doing this and having it done to me. we cyclists tend to get in our own heads a bit too much and get wrapped up in these “rules.” it’s good to have them shaken or challenged from time to time.
“Sitting on” implies there’s someone creating the slot. If you can find the slot, ask if you can slide in and, should the the lead rider slide left, honor it and begin the dance…for as long as the wave holds up. Enjoy it.
Riding here around DC has become a bit disheartening. Wobbly riders, and riders impeding traffic(we’re going to lose the fight for the hearts and minds if we keep pissing off the people in cars), and oscillating group rides are ubiquitous. I know we have the right to the whole lane, and I’ll take it if I need it.
And then there’s the nose blowers. I keep a good 10 meters back from anybody in a team/club jersey until I know I can make a pass stick, because if one gets anywhere near these folks it’s a shower of boogers. Trust me, buddy, I don’t want to be anywhere near you. Just let me get past before you blow your nose on me.
So, someone behind me is less of a bother than even approaching a cyclist, so I guess I don’t mind. I still like riding my bike, and I ride with people I trust, but it’s a kinda lonely road these days. Does anybody remember when oncoming cyclists would wave at each other?
Respectfully,
A. Curmudgeon
I am fine with it…except when the rider in the rear then tried to “attack”. If you want to draft, and then offer to take a pull…cool.
And yes…if you think of it…Rider A’s ride was not really obstructed by the actions of B. But there is something unbecoming of drafting and then attacking to win the so-called CAT 6 points.
If someone latches onto my wheel and doesn’t say anything, I don’t get worked up, but I also don’t point out obstacles, etc. Its up to them to figure it out.
Now, if they say ‘howdy! would you mind if I sit on your wheel for a bit?’ and I agree, then I’ll treat em just like any other person I ride with consistently and point things out, make sure that I miss things so that they’ll miss em too, etc.
AFA the ‘attack’ from the OP: Let em. Its real easy to ‘win’ a 1-horse race.
Riding up and down the coast in Sandy Eggo I used to get that all the time. Also had buddies that told me about them ‘beating this guy to the top of the hill…’ Ummm yeah. Did he know he was racing?! I know *I* was generally looking at the scenery having an easy day.
Having said all this, I don’t recall the last time someone came up on my wheel. Its usually me catching someone. I’ll make it a point to ride up next to em and say ‘hi!’ then try and strike up something of a conversation. There’s not too many people riding out where I am, so seeing ANYone is an odd occasion.
M
Or you could have what happened to me today on my solo ride through southern Lancaster county PA. Caught an open horse and buggy on the downhill but could only sit in behind on the next climb due to wind blowing off the fields. I asked the young courting couple (the male didn’t have a beard which is a sign of being married) if I could sit on until the top of the hill. We had pleasant conversation over the next mile about cycling. I could have passed them but I knew into the wind I wouldn’t open a gap. At the top we said goodbye and sped off into the valley below.
At the very start of my ride I caught a visibly new rider on the 2 mile climb that starts every ride for me (I live in a valley so the only way out is up). Since I was still warming up a kept his pace and we chatted about some good rides for him to do in the area. For only riding two months and being on an old steel bike he was actually pretty good. At the top of the hill he went left and I right. Hopefully the few minutes we spent climbing together helps him keep riding and to not think all roadies are elitist.
I’m glad you brought this up. This almost never happens on my routes around Cambridge (UK), but recently rode along the A1A in Florida and it happened to me on every ride. It kept annoying me that people would latch on to my wheel and remain utterly silent despite the fact that I could easily see their shadow. Then I had a guy come up from behind and politely ask if I wanted to ride together for a few miles so we swapped pulls and had a good conversation. So my vote is no, don’t suck someone’s wheel unless you have the decency to say “hello”, or “mind if I hold your wheel?”
Great topic.
If you’re going to try to sit on, you need to announce yourself, and for goodness’ sake, be friendly. It’s poor etiquette to sit on someone without greeting them and asking for permission. And if you sit on without taking a pull, then “attack” me, we’re done; I’m going to point out that if you aren’t strong enough to take a pull, you shouldn’t be sitting on.
That said, I’ll sometimes sit on a Cat 6 who just chased me down by running all the red lights I stopped for, but that’s just karma.
When someone sits on, I turn around and ask where they are headed. If we are going in the same direction, I go over the signals: slowing, debris in the road, move left, move right and…pull through. Yes, a percentage of riders do not pull through at the same tempo, but kick it up, blow up, go off the back. Others say they can’t and I am okay with that. I’m depending on someone I don’t know from hitting a pot hole, a brick, glass, a car, and changing direction. If I find their awareness lacking, I simply say ‘thanks’ and back off.
Sit on my wheel w/o asking and I’ll tap the brakes enough to either scare you or make you frustrated (you guess which one, we’ll make it a surprise).
I agree with most of the sentiments here. I find myself being Rider A from time to time during hard intervals at my local training loop in Houston. I would never want to knowingly do something that caused Rider B to crash, and I would also appreciate not having that responsibility hanging around my neck while the world is closing in around me and I’m riding myself out of my skin.
The argument of Rider B could be that it’s their choice and they are taking a calculated risk riding a stranger’s wheel, but I’d like to think we’re all above that kind of pecking order when we’re supposed to be out enjoying a bike ride.
Bruce, there are people out there who don’t know they are supposed to ask. These people, when brake checked, will over react, possibly swerve into traffic, or go off the road. If that is shown to be caused by your actions, liability will follow you and that will certainly be both scary and frustrating. Education would be more effective than intimidation.
What a lot of poorly socialised arseholes are coming out to comment.
Seriously, guys like Bruce especially, you’re a road hazard just by the way you think. I hope you don’t drive.
I think there is a safety issue here. If you pull up behind someone without letting them know, and they swerve for a pothole or suddenly stop because they saw a quarter on the road it could have bad consequences for one or both riders. Also, tuned-out newbs can be catastrophically startled when they turn around and notice another rider two inches off their back wheel. It is both sensible and good etiquette to say you’re on another’s wheel.
In the end we’re out there to have fun and get/stay healthy. It doesn’t make sense to endanger ourselves or others by being idiots.
Cheers.
Seriously, the fact anyone assumed I would actually hit the brakes says something about their judgment. As an experienced cyclist, I know enough about drafting to not to pull in behind someone and make assumptions about their drafting skills. Sometimes people (like me) just want to be out on a ride by themselves and not think about someone behind or beside them. Frankly, it’s the only ‘me’ time I get as a busy executive. So if you please, stay off my wheel, unless invited or pre-arranged, or I will indeed gradually slow down until you are so frustrated that you go around me.
This was your comment Bruce:
“Sit on my wheel w/o asking and I’ll tap the brakes enough to either scare you or make you frustrated (you guess which one, we’ll make it a surprise)”
Hit or tap the brakes, it is the same thing: intentional, unpredictable riding.
How about just waving them through? I see the Cat 2 and 3 guys do it all the time so they can indeed ride by themselves and not think about draftees. They don’t get all aggro about it, go into slo-mo, or dedicate themselves to frustrating others. They are actually enjoying themselves instead of working at getting annoyed.
Bruce, could you be just a little more passive-aggressive? I don’t think everyone’s been completely appalled yet.
You wouldn’t want to marry him would you
I prefer others ask before they draft – I think of it as more a safety issue than anything else. If someone latches on for an extended time, I’ll wave them next to me and ask them to please go ahead. As for the case study presented, as Rider A I would be a little annoyed and would just ramp up my pace a bit to drop Rider B then settle into whatever I was doing before.
“…… I want a culture that is less cynical and snobby, less serious about the wrong things. I want cycling culture to be more open and fun.”
–Ritte
I couldn’t have said it better myself.
I’m vehemently opposed to unannounced drafting. I’m on the bike trail, not in a bike race. There are tons of variables outside of my control while traversing intersections and passing walkers, runners, kids etc. It’s a safety issue at the root. Furthermore, I’m out there to enjoy a ride, and someone sitting on my wheel is a negative distraction. Cash, draft, or a$$, nobody rides for free.
@henrietta – Let’s call this your one mulligan. You are allowed to express your opinions here, but you are NOT allowed to call people names. Next time, your comment just gets deleted. Again, we encourage opinions, but we require civility. Thanks.
I also prefer that you announce yourself, but I’m not going to get fussed about it if you don’t. There is a safety issue to consider, particularly if the person hanging on your wheel is really struggling to stay there, has music in his/her ear, etc. But it’s also a great way to meet people. I was in Nice a few weeks ago and met a fellow American expat who asked to hang on my wheel for a bit. We had a nice conversation and I got some good routes for the next couple days’ worth of riding. The other day I was doing my “all business” laps of Regent’s Park (London) and was suffering because my lawyer job is not conducive to sleep and fitness. I asked a guy in front of me if I could work in with him for a bit, and he answered by saying “help yourself.” I still don’t know what he meant…
My only comment is that if B is strong enough to attack, the they are strong enough to take a turn on the front!
I don’t like folks, especially those I don’t know, sitting on my wheel unannounced. With the variety of riders where I live, and the differences in bike handling abilities, it makes me feel quite unsafe to have an unknown and unannounced rider on my wheel. I like my body AND my bike in good working order, don’t need any crashes.
I’d never sit on someone’s wheels without letting them know. I tend to pull alongside, if we are at about the same pace, say hello and try to assess things. If they want a riding partner it’s usually easy to figure out.
Reading back through the comments – it makes me sad that the only thing I share with some other cyclists is the fact that we ride, not any sort of communal feelings of happiness, health, well-being. I think wheel sucking unannounced ain’t cool. But, tapping your brakes or something along those lines? Flick your elbow or sit up…or turn and say hello. Remember that not everyone has ridden as much as you & might be completely foreign to etiquette.
I’m more of a transpo rider. Maybe I just don’t imagine each ride as a race. (I’m in Los Angeles by the way.)
There’s a small areodynamic benefit from another bike behind you. I’d take the areo help as a little less wind to ride into, and more visability for car traffic.
I do like to know where other traffic is and that includes bikes. In the example above both rider knew where the other was, so “annoucing” didn’t seem nescessary. Would have been nicer to chat for a sec. I’m fine as long as I know where the other bike is, and that it’s within my comfortable riding zone. Two inches for me is probably too close for LA potholed roads, and I would hesitate to tell them if I want more space.
So, another rider might like to climb fast or desend faster than I do. So what? I’m just riding my bike – you can ride yours.