guadzilla

I wouldnt draft too close to a rider unless I *KNOW* they arent squirrels.

upthywazzoo 

I have been going extra wide around people lately because of this. I've tried wearing a few different kinds of masks but after they get wet I've found it to be really uncomfortable. So now I just try to ride as early in the morning as possible and if I pass someone I give them a large berth.

phrantic09

I gave him plenty of room when passing. I feel a little bad about accidentally spitting on him, but it was his fault- not mine

big chainring 

OP here. The Sheridan road "scene" at times is an ongoing open race. People are hopping from wheel to wheel. Large groups form at times. If its an organized club ride, everyone in club jerseys, I',ll just linger at the back. Pretty friendly people for the most part, and the vast majority up in years like me. Grey beards everywhere. If I get in with a group my goal is to smooth the paceline as best I can. Keep off the brakes, take smooth lines thru turns, even out the yo-yo effect as best I can. But at times I find myself trying to get max effect from drafting really tight, more out of habit I guess. Gotta get myself to back off and keep it safe.

big chainring 

I was in a race many moons ago. They used to combine Junior and Women catagory quite often. So I was on the wheel of one of cutest most accomplished women riders. She blew a snot rocket, landed on my leg. She apologized. But I considered it a sort of flirting. We actually rode a team race together years later. Mixed pairs Madison which I thought should be a regular event.

genejockey 

Here on the SF Peninsula, we're specifically forbidden to spit while riding/running during COVID. This weighs heavily on me, because I'm one of those riders whose snot glands go into overdrive when I ride. But I've been good! No spitting, no snot rockets. I suppose I've slightly decreased my rate of dehydration, so there's that.

Back on topic, right now, unless you've recovered from a COVID infection (and maybe even then), I would not get within a couple bike lengths of a stranger on the road, except to pass, and then at a significant distance. I definitely wouldn't draft anyone I wasn't living with.

rubiksoval

That's awesome.

noimagination

(shrug) Not that this happens to me very often (maybe 3-4 times in 25+ years), but I don't see why it's an issue. If we touch wheels, it's the guy in back going down, not me. Sure, its possible that something bad could happen, but it's pretty rare, it's not enough of a risk to cause me any worry. I've offered my wheel a couple of times to people who seemed to be in trouble, once the guy accepted and I got him home after about half an hour (it wasn't out of my way).

If you're not invited and don't announce, just don't expect me to point out hazards or take care to ride smoothly, and you have no gripe if something goes wrong and you go down. I will ride smoothly etc. once I notice you back there, because that's just caring for the safety of the other guy, but it shouldn't be expected.

I personally don't jump on passing wheels, I prefer solo rides. I'm too slow to keep up with most who are interested in drafting anyway.

(edit - this is in the pre-COVID world, even now, though, it's the guy in back getting exposed)

WhyFi

Your comprehension is sorely lacking. Literally the entire OP, with the exception of the second to last sentence, is about safety and avoiding an accident.

rubiksoval

This is the antithesis of awesome.

genejockey 

Yeah, I don't think I'd interpret it as flirtation....

kingston 

A few weeks ago a guy passed me going just a tiny bit faster than me. He must have forgotten I was there after a while because he blew a snot rocket when he was only 20-30 feet in front of me so I got the full spray of his blast. I caught up to him a bit later at a stop light and said "What, no apology?" He replied "F*** You!" I couldn't believe it. It's now the thing I worry the most about when I'm behind other riders whether passing or being passed.

upthywazzoo 

So before we go further, let's talk about bike etiquette and bike safety. I keep bringing Rubik up here but he was the most vocal about this in the last thread so I think his viewpoint is appropriate. A form of bike etiquette is asking before you draft someone. From Rubik, in response to something I said:
There are two steps to this whole thing. 1) Getting permission to draft, and 2) Drafting. In my first post in this thread, I said that if 1) was not fulfilled, then people would be upset, and rightfully so. My full quote, which you conveniently cut short said that drafting does not matter if you don't get permission. If you don't get permission, if you don't let the person in front know you're drafting--that is not only poor etiquette but unsafe. Now, assuming that OP has gotten permission to draft, SHOULD he draft? This is a different question that has gotten answers from everyone here, and where 2) comes into play. Bike safety includes things like predictable riding, riding in a straight line, signaling, etc etc. If the person in front is not a safe rider (and/or infected with COVID), then OP himself probably should not draft.

OP's last sentence makes it clear that to him, the aero benefits of a close draft are desirable, and that a half-wheel distance might even be too far for an optimum draft. He wants to be as close as possible without getting taken out. Am I really the one with poor reading comprehension? Come on.

big chainring 

OP again. Now that I have thought it out...
I have always ridden close to the wheel I am following. And its been years of experience that has gotten me to this level. So with an abundance of confidence on the bike and experience to match I am going to continue with my current riding style. Changing now would be counterintuitive. But I'll be more aware of the other guys riding around me and make adjustments and judgements as to safety.

eduskator

1-2ft, depending on who's in front. If it's a stranger, I don't do it.

I get insulted when someone I don't know starts drafting behind be & stays there for a while, especially in the current situation where I try to keep my distance with others as much as I can (yes, some cyclist continue doing it...).

rubiksoval

No kidding. Everyone that knows anything about cycling does.

The point multiple people are making is that you shouldn't be following people you don't know.

To do so ever is a pure clown move. To do so in the midst of a pandemic is pure ass-hattery.

kingston 

Sure it was an accident, but it was your fault for spitting on someone else, not their fault for being in the way of your spit. Next time take the milisecond to look over your shoulder.

phrantic09

whatever you say buck-o

Bah Humbug

In your story, how long is “a while”? Because you can’t possibly believe people should be aware of you tailing then and modify their behavior accordingly and you’re not an ******* for doing it.

kingston 

Couple of minutes. If I had to guess I would say three but it could have been five. it's irrelevant anyway. It's not like I was right on his wheel. I believe People should always look over their shoulder before spitting or launching a snot rocket. Especially on Sheridan road where there are hundreds of riders out on a weekend morning. That has nothing to do with modifying behavior because of me. It's just common courtesy.

Bah Humbug

Simple solution is to not hang out in the snot zone. This is the same as not tailgating while driving. It’s on you, really.

kingston 

Never riding within 30 feet of anyone else certainly is one solution, but it's not really practical on Sheridan Road. I went out for a 30 mile ride this morning and passed a few dozen riders. That's on a Monday morning at 5 AM. Apparently a quick head-check before launch is too much to ask from other civilized humans.

WhyFi

Yes.

People are responding to the context of the OP, not whatever spin you think you're putting on it.

phrantic09

Well if this were a normally busy road with lots of cyclists I certainly would have been looking over my shoulder before spitting. But when it’s 6 in the morning on a back road, I don’t believe I have a duty to check 2-3 minutes later to see if the guy I passed decided to grab my wheel uninvited

upthywazzoo 

I'm growing increasingly convinced that you aren't merely trying to be obtuse, and in fact are. If the above cannot convince you of OP's mindset and the intent of his original question that you yourself quoted "what is a safe draft distance", then so be it--I'm not into hopeless cases.