tempocyclist

The multitude of "drafting other riders" threads that inevitably pop up never do!

Koyote

tomato coupe

You blew a snot rocket on a recumbent rider that was drafting you uninvited? Okay, now this is a good thread!!!

Miele Man

I will never draft an unknown rider. I also don't like unknown riders drafting me as I might stop for some reason or even slow down to see something or for some other reason and I don't want them running into me. They're the one most likely to go down but they could do damage to my rear wheel, rear derailleur or me in the process.

Cheers

LarrySellerz

what's the hand signal to tell someone to take my wheel? Today I finally caught someone I'd been chasing and said hi and asked if I could rest on his wheel for a minute and he looked at me like I was stupid. Maybe he couldn't hear with his headphones idk. I drafted for a minute and then overtook him, and pointed at my back wheel. A couple miles later we are getting to a stop sign and I look back and he was drafting me. Did I do the correct signal? I love the impromptu pacelines that can happen on the big cycling roads.

tomato coupe

You actually invited the other rider for tea and biscuits.

mschwett 

i think a lot of people - me included - aren’t always sure at what point it goes from “riding on the same road as someone and behind them” to “drafting.”

seems like common sense (which may not govern here, i admit, i don’t know the secret handshake) would suggest you not ride behind a stranger so closely that if they stopped, you couldn’t stop before you hit them.

in the real world i’ve not actually seen this happen, on busy cycling roads, i either pass or get dropped, or slow a smidge and slide over to allow a pass.

jonathanf2

I had two similar situations happen to me yesterday...though I was the drafter! First scenario is that I rolled up on 3 cyclists at the stoplight. We nicely greeted each other and then the light turned green. I was somewhat in a hurry, but I didn't want to burn energy trying to drop them, so I stayed a few bike lengths behind them until they went a different direction. Later that day on my way back home, I was at a light that turned green and I was just starting to roll. This cyclist came up behind me probably thinking I was a slow rider so he tried passing me. The dude looked kind of hardcore, but I figure if he thought he could drop me he'd eventually do it. Yet as I was waiting to be dropped, his pace was actually quite slow and I didn't feel like slowing my pace. So I just stuck with him for a mile or so, until we hit a red. I complimented him on his bike and we chatted about where we rode for the day. Eventually we forked different directions, but there was no ill feelings.

Since I ride in Los Angeles, I don't think there's animosity amongst riders, especially since the streets here can be quite dangerous. If anything there's a bit more camaraderie amongst cyclists.

LarrySellerz

Drafting is when you can feel the benefits of the draft, which start at about 3 bike lengths. When drafting someone you always provide enough room so that if they need to do an emergency stop you can dodge it

79pmooney

This my be your opinion or what you do, but I can assure you, that isn't what everybody does. Most of the conversation here is in regard to drafters riding far closer.

mschwett 

i usually find the same thing here (bay area) - a bit of chitchat at a light or while riding on a path wide enough for side by side, then the natural split of different speeds or directions.

the BF crowd is … exceptional.

Badger6

BLUF: Don't draft a rider you don't know uninvited. It's not elitist or whatever some of you think, it is dangerous.

I think there is a fundamental misunderstanding on the part of some folks here, and it has nothing to do with elitism. If you are drafting me, you are within a half bike length or less. Don't do it unless we are part of the same group. Period. I do not want to spend my ride that started solo now worrying about someone who is using me to make their ride easier. That's a Fred move. If you're following me at three bike lengths, you aren't drafting, in fact, I have no idea what you're doing, because we aren't part of the same group and it just seems weird.

Now, if you aren't an introvert and you want to ride with me, ask first. I might say yes, and I might not. Often times I do interval training, and I don't want someone latching on because my tempo is going to go up and down depending on whether I'm on a work step or a recovery step.

Maelochs

Around here, people will run you off the road if you try to pass ... even if you pass going in the opposite direction.

They will, however, then discuss where they ride ... and sometimes, though gestures, invite one for tea and biscuits ..... not to be confused for the gesture for biscotti, by the way.

OldTryGuy

2015 I received the "You have aggressive PCa - Gleason 10" *Prostate Cancer* and need to begin ADT *Androgen Deprivation Therapy i.e.-- chemical castration* immediately. I chose a bilateral Orchiectomy instead due to not wanting the drugs screwing with my body.

moral of above -- If anyone wants to draft me -- have at it -- cause at 71yo it makes my day/month/year since I don't know how much longer I'll be able to ride.

STRAVA -- Psycho Johnny

livedarklions

That has nothing to do with ninja drafting. I'm a solo rider, and I have conversations with other riders a lot.

I don't care how friendly cyclists are in general, hugging the rear wheel of someone who doesn't know you're there is dangerous, and there's no justification for doing so unannounced.

livedarklions

I don't give a rat's behind if someone is 3-4 bike lengths behind me. I'm talking about people who tuck in a bike length or less, sometimes much less. If I don't know they are there (which can happen), I don't know I need to do something about it one way or the other. TBH, I don't want to ride with anyone close behind me like that, which is one of the reasons I don't do group rides.

70sSanO

I think most of the problems with drafting today stem from trying to maintain a 6ft/2m distance recommended by health agencies.

John

livedarklions

Lethal snot rockets!

LarrySellerz

Lions what would you do if someone told you they were on your wheel? I sometimes ask and sometimes just say hi and then tell them im on their wheel. Nobody has been like "get off" lol. most people are like "thanks for letting me know." I agree that being a silent ninja drafter is a dick move.

Frankly IMO if youre fast enough to draft I assume you are experienced and know what's going on, and if someone is confidant enough to latch onto your wheel they have the skills to save it if you emergency stop. You don't have to change how you ride or point out hazards. I get that you want to ride alone and try not to be a dick to guys like you. The group I ride with is full of cat 1s and we pass people way too closely, from talking with local cyclists we scare the crap out of them sometimes so I totally get that some people are more comfortable with riding close than others.

caloso

Tapping your hip is the universal signal for "get on my wheel." And although you didn't ask, it's also important to know that flicking your elbow is the universal signal for "pull through."

livedarklions

I already said what I've done in this situation, which so far has only arisen for me on paths--I said explicitly "I will slam my brakes for pedestrians and take no responsibility for warning you of anything." That tends to back people off. On the road, it's usually more a situation where a group manages to catch up and pass me then just flat fall off in speed to a speed far slower than what I was riding when they passed (I'm faster than I look so I think they gas themselves doing what they think should be an easy pass). In those situations, it's relatively easy to drop them at the first opportunity and confine the rude comments to the inside of my head.

Cat 1 or not, there's no excuse for close-passing people. The really good riders I know would not do this to strangers.

LarrySellerz

Dropping a group is impressive. The first time I tried the fastest bay area ride on saturday they put a lady in the hospital and blamed her for it.. that's rare though apparently normally we just take ourselves out. The ride is spectrum but people call it wrecktrum.

livedarklions

They sound like complete a-holes.

genejockey 

Okay, let me make official then - Please don't draft me. I'll be the big old bastard on one of 9 different bikes.

Trust me, Larry - this time of year, you don't want to draft me. Cool air makes my nose run like a faucet. I was leading the monthly SF Peninsula C&V ride on Saturday, and it was TORTURE not to be able blow my nose. You can only get so far wiping your nose on your glove and then your glove on your bibs.

GhostRider62

Do you remember the video Larry posted......riders blowing threw downhill left turn stop signs with traffic oncoming. Cat 1? Cat (1 + 5) is more like it.