etiquette for following a stranger on the path?
What's the etiquette for riding near a stranger without drafting? Suppose I'm riding along the lakefront path in Chicago when I come across another cyclist heading the same way at about the same speed. I'm not trying to suck wheel or trade pulls; I'm rubbish in a paceline and for all I know he might be worse. I just expect to ride near him for a while and want to be polite about it. Should I pull up alongside and introduce myself? Just hang several lengths off his wheel?
Or, in a slightly different situation, sometimes I see a much faster rider in the distance or get passed by one. I know I can't keep up, but it's fun to try to chase anyway. Is there any polite way to do that without making some kind of pissing contest of it?