caloso

Some good yelling on the River Ride yesterday. Guy sitting in 25th down the line yelling at a guy 10 positions up for allowing a gap to form. Good times.

Johnny Rad

A Different Kind of Group Ride | Above Category Cycling

I have no association with the author or their company, but their point about "learning / teaching the ropes" rings true for me.

I've been riding for ~10 years now, but committed to a weekly group ride earlier this year and it's been great. All the the listening, talking and sharing has made me a better rider and I'm grateful.

dim

it's because of this, aswell as the great chance of some noob crashing into me and damaging my carbon bike that I only ride solo

I get highly pi**ed off when I'm riding, overtake someone then they try to ride right behind me and slipstream me, 2 inches away from my back wheel

nycphotography

I'm assuming of course that you have "ANTISOCIAL - STAY AWAY" printed on the back of your jersey? Right?

I mean how else are they supposed to know that you personally reject the common courtesies and conventions one normally expects when cycling?

caloso

Where I come from, we call this "taking a pull." It's the foundation of all group rides. If this pisses you off, I guess it's better for all involved that you ride by yourself.

Dan333SP

Maybe I'm wrong, but I think he's saying strangers are doing that to him when he passes them while riding solo.

If so, I tend to agree that it's annoying and dangerous. If they say something so that I know they're drafting me, I'm fine with it and I'll point out road hazards and signal before I slow abruptly.

If they just silently sit on my wheel, I may not know they are there and they could easily run into me.

PepeM

You're supposed to ATTACK.

caloso

Ah, good point. I guess I thought it was an odd comment in the context of the thread.

velociraptor

Why are you riding with the noobs?

All the groups I ride with, any noobs end up waaaaaaaaay off the back. Just sayin'.

Don't cry just because you can't lay down enough watts to drop a stranger, lol.

dim

LOL .... I see them in the yonder.... but when I pass them, they try to suck up to my back wheel ....

I cycle on a new dedicated cycle path, runs adjacent to a guided bus route, and that has lots of cyclists .... one can cycle at great speed for far distances...

I ride solo and hate it when I pass someone and they ride inches away from my back wheel.... I just don't get it .... why try and slipstream someone (who you don't even know) and who has passed you? .... I veer to the left.... they veer to the left .... I veer to the right .... they veer to the right .... millimeters away from my back wheel ... not good

need to buy some pepper spray

bonz50

UmneyDurak

Dial it to 400 Watts?

bonz50

ftfy

woodcraft

Or eat more beans...

goenrdoug

snot rocket time?

Corbin

It's cycling bro, we're all in it together. Or there's no I in team. Just flick the elbow and break off to take a draft and enjoy the companionship.

velociraptor

exactly

kbarch

I agree, that's the way it ought to be, and it's silly to think that being drafted is "creepy" or unsafe for the one doing the work, but I realize that if a person does not feel comfortable getting the advantage the draft and won't do it themselves, then we should not use them, because it's unfair and kind of mean. Now, as long as they don't have aerobars, anyone riding a road bike in team or replica kit ought to be drafted, but we should probably try to gauge the receptiveness of others before expecting them to participate.

OldTryGuy

Dan333SP

Disclaimer: This is actually a true story, despite the thread.

I was riding the other day, obeying all traffic laws per usual and stopping at lights. Some guy on a hybrid with a cycling cap and earbuds but no helmet was riding on the sidewalk.

I passed him on the road (marked with sharrows), and then waited at a light a couple blocks away. He approached the intersection on the sidewalk, looked briefly around, and then rolled through the intersection with a car having to brake sharply to avoid him.

I continued riding after the light cycle and caught/passed him before the next light, where the same thing happened again, except this time the opposite direction had a turn arrow so when he rolled through without stopping a car had to jink around him to avoid hitting him.

The 3rd time I passed him, I slowed down and loudly (yelled?) told him that he shouldn't run traffic lights because it puts the rest of us in danger.

He flicked me off.

Should I have yelled more? I'm thinking he didn't hear me with his earbuds in.

PepeM

So, if I get this right, someone on a hybrid droped you three times? You deserved to be yelled at.

chip1

Similar thing happened to me the other day. I passed a rider with earbuds while riding at a coasting pace then he got all egotistical and passed me back immediately. As we approached an intersection where intersecting cars clearly have the right of way, this guy cornered aggressively without stopping and looking for an oncoming car and almost caused an accident, then proceeded to get in a verbal fight with the driver. When I yelled at him saying he was at fault he yelled back accusing me of not siding with a fellow cyclist. Sometimes you just can't win.

nycphotography

^ i dunno. you didn't get hit and didn't get in a fight with a driver. Sounds like you won.

wphamilton

Depends. Did he yell "Clear!" before entering the intersection?

Dan333SP

I did, to trick him. I guess it almost worked.