Bah Humbug

This morning nearly a dozen people tried wheelsucking without permission or acknowledgement. As soon as I noticed I dropped them all. I'm not even that fast, so this raises the question: are wheelsuckers slow because they draft instead of putting in work, or do only slow people wheelsuck because they know they need to cheat to go fast?

Discuss.

HeyPapa

I am struck by the fact so many riders turned out for a Sunday morning ride in August. If 12 in the group lined up behind you, how many actually showed up? You guys must have a well organized and managed club.

Seattle Forrest

I say it's both, in a viscous feedback loop. First you start sucking wheels because you're slow, then you get slower and slower until you can't hang on anymore, then you're at the coffee shop showing people your new ebike.

noodle soup

only slow people wheelsuck

Bah Humbug

Only two of them were together; this was over the course of three or so hours.

LAJ

They picture themselves in the peloton of the Tour. Unfortunately, they have no idea what they really look like.

LAJ

Awesomest post of the day.

Iride01 

If they caught up with you and were planning on passing when they could see a safe distance down the way then you may have just screwed their plans by speeding up.

I will agree that it is annoying too many cyclist don't let others know when they are getting close behind and when they pass.

Maybe your competitiveness gets in the way of accepting that when riders of mismatched speeds are riding the same path that at some point one will have to be behind the other for a time.

Instead of being annoyed they are on your wheel, just talk to them and find out why they are there and when they'll be gone.

Bah Humbug

If anyone's going to pass me, they're going to do it in the corners, not on the straights. Believe you me that. If that was their plan, they had a bad plan, and they could continue their workout with me well down the road.

wthensler 

Several years ago, in the tour de Madison, I got caught up by a wheelsucker. I tried dropping him, tried slowing down so he could pull, just about everything. This went on for 30 miles of so, him nipping at my heels until we hit a final decision point - a bonus loop which adds 9 miles to the route through the hills of the Blue Ridge Mtns. I took the loop, hoping he would follow. He did.

I’m a good climber, so my strategy was to drop him up the climbs.

About half way through, I could feel my back tire getting soft.....flat!

Guy stopped along side and offered me a spare tube and CO2 cartridge. We chatted, he turned out to be a really nice person.

I completely forgot to ask him “wassup? Why didn’t you pull?

guadzilla

Self-selection. You would only wheelsuck someone faster than you anyway.

WhyFi

Yes.

seedsbelize 

Maybe just resting for a spell

Bah Humbug

They can rest on their own and just go a little slower. Not like they're actually getting anywhere anyway.

bampilot06

I still consider myself a forever newb, but I wouldn’t be comfortable hopping on someone’s wheel I didn’t know. When I ride solo I want to ride solo, chances of the person going where I am going are slim to none.
Wheel sucking is for when I am in group rides.

Ive yet to have anyone try and hop on my wheel, but I also ride when most people are just waking up. If someone did try I prolly would dial it up and leave them.

Princess_Allez

Being new to cycling and it's oddities, I have sucked wheels a few times without knowing it was rude. I did it because I wasn't strong enough to overtake; I didn't want to spook them while descending quickly; or because I didn't want to ride side by side.

Joearch

yesterday I was riding solo and a group of 10 or so pulls up at a signal with me. We all move on together around same pace. I really don’t want to slow down so we continue on for a few miles. A few guys give me a look and I just continue on grinding at my own pace. I feel fine as I am minding my own business, not sucking anyones wheel. I certainly don’t want to change my route and feel like there is plenty of room for everyone. I find it kind of odd that folks feel like they own the public right of way since they believe they are stronger riders than others. Plenty of room for all from my perspective. Its not the Tour. Thx.

Sy Reene

How can they be slow if they caught up to your rear wheel? Did they teleport in behind you?

Bah Humbug

I passed them and they latched on as I went by. Good effort though.

Sy Reene

ahh ok. Though I do experience it quite a bit, cycling or driving.. the guy who passes, falls in line in front of me, and then slows their pace/speed.

Or the guy who comes up to the red light, moves all the way to the front past everyone already waiting, and then we all have to pass him again after the light turns green.

Bah Humbug

What I get a lot of is someone shooting me that famous look mid-pass and immediately attempting to maneuver over to latch on.

Sy Reene

What's the opposite of wheelsucking anyway? You know.. where you're coming up on someone, they notice you're back there, and then they go at a speed that keeps them right in front of you.

Bah Humbug

I call that Gandalfing. "You cannot pass."

It can be awfully fun to push them harder and harder until they crack.

Sy Reene

"shall not pass" i think is the correct medieval phrasing.

noodle soup