Originally Posted by
joewein
Excuse the short digression from the subject of the thread, but I have never understood what problem people have with others drafting them. OK, I get the part that you don't want some guy to crash into the back of your bike when you suddenly slow down or stop because they're too close and careless, but "wheelsucker" makes it sounds like they're making you work harder to make their ride easier, which is not true. It's NOT a zero sum game: Their gain is not your loss, you both gain from drafting.
Anyone drafting you at a reasonably close distance reduces your air resistance because their frontal air pressure buildup counteracts the low pressure area behind you that tries to suck you back when no one is following you. So whether you appreciate it or not, they are in effect pushing you, even though that it effect is smaller than the benefit they gain from drafting behind you. Having a "wheelsucker" behind you makes it easier to maintain your given speed, not more difficult.
Being on the front of a draft is a position of responsibility. Particularly if I'm tired on a long brevet, I don't necessarily want the additional burden of riding like I should when someone's on my wheel, communicating my intentions, making decisions based on space needed for two bikes rather than one. If I choose to ignore the unwanted drafter, we're creating a road hazard for everyone around.
If it's dark, the shadow from the wheelsucker's light could play havoc with my vision. If there's traffic from behind, they may be blocking my vision of the road.
On a long enough brevet, I won't even draft with friends unless there's a strong headwind; it just isn't worth the additional stress over the long period of time. On fleche teams I've been on, everyone seems to come to an agreement after enough hours that we're going to space 20+ feet apart, particularly through the depths of the night.