Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Road Cycling
Reload this Page >

Road Etiquette Question: Hopping on a stranger's wheel?

Notices
Road Cycling “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.” -- Ernest Hemingway

Road Etiquette Question: Hopping on a stranger's wheel?

Old 02-15-18, 04:05 PM
  #1  
hipsterfixie
Newbie
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: San Francisco, CA
Posts: 2

Bikes: Domane SL6, Marlin, various others

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Road Etiquette Question: Hopping on a stranger's wheel?

So, you're be-bopping along solo on a well-known cycling route in your hometown, and you encounter another cyclist who's just a touch slower than you, but not so much slower that you can easily pass and leave him/her behind. Is it impolite to hook up to their wheel for any appreciable time?

It doesn't bother me personally to have someone hook up to my wheel--I just keep going and if they want to pass, fine, if they want to ride my wheel however long they want to, that's okay too. How do other cyclists feel about this? Should you hang back and keep your distance?

Thanks, guys. First post. Look forward to learning more on this forum.


Mays
San Francisco, CA
hipsterfixie is offline  
Old 02-15-18, 04:13 PM
  #2  
memebag
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 1,597

Bikes: 2017 Cannondale CAAD12 105, 2014 Giant Escape City

Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 820 Post(s)
Liked 6 Times in 6 Posts
Don't draft off of people you don't trust. If you are faster, pass them.
memebag is offline  
Likes For memebag:
Old 02-15-18, 04:18 PM
  #3  
DiabloScott
It's MY mountain
 
DiabloScott's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Mt.Diablo
Posts: 9,991

Bikes: Klein, Merckx, Trek

Mentioned: 70 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4311 Post(s)
Liked 2,954 Times in 1,601 Posts
Somebody does this to me without an agreement and I get rather liberal with my spitting and snot rockets, and I don't call out road hazards, and I miss potholes by millimeters.
DiabloScott is offline  
Likes For DiabloScott:
Old 02-15-18, 04:19 PM
  #4  
winston63 
Senior Member
 
winston63's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 706

Bikes: Specialized Diverge E5 Comp, Specialized AWOL Comp, Scott Solace 10

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 137 Post(s)
Liked 27 Times in 20 Posts
My feeling is that you should hang back or pass. I know I don't like a stranger hopping on my wheel, and when it happens (and it does occasionally) I either slow down so they'll pass or I try to drop them on a climb. If neither works, I'll pull over and stop for a bit.
winston63 is online now  
Old 02-15-18, 04:40 PM
  #5  
Maelochs
Senior Member
 
Maelochs's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 15,453

Bikes: 2015 Workswell 066, 2017 Workswell 093, 2014 Dawes Sheila, 1983 Cannondale 500, 1984 Raleigh Olympian, 2007 Cannondale Rize 4, 2017 Fuji Sportif 1 LE

Mentioned: 144 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7628 Post(s)
Liked 3,453 Times in 1,823 Posts
If you can bunny-hop well enough to get atop a 700-c wheel while traveling at a solid cruising speed you need to doing trials, or stunt-riding or something.

I just kick the wheel ... i don't even try hopping on it.
Maelochs is offline  
Likes For Maelochs:
Old 02-15-18, 04:42 PM
  #6  
HTupolev
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Seattle
Posts: 4,261
Mentioned: 41 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1971 Post(s)
Liked 1,297 Times in 629 Posts
Hopping onto someone's wheel without their approval is like driving your car 2 feet behind the next car's bumper. If you're not engaging in a group ride or something where it's implicitly okay, then you don't know if it's okay... and even if they would be okay with it, there's a good chance they'll be unnerved by someone doing it without asking.

If you're desperate for a tow, ask.
HTupolev is offline  
Old 02-15-18, 04:50 PM
  #7  
dgasmd
shedding fat
 
dgasmd's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: South Florida
Posts: 3,149

Bikes: LOOK 595 Ultra/Campy Record 10Sp, restored Guerciotti/Campy C-Record 6 Sp, TIME RXR/Campy SR 11Sp, and Colnago C-60 with Campagnolo SR 11sp.

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 9 Post(s)
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
The bigger problem here is not whether it is ok with them or etiquette, but rather the fact that you are taking a huge risk on someone unknown for no particular gain whatsoever. I have done it a times to take a little breather for a few min and then pass. I also have almost crashed doing the same when the idiotic person I was just drafting decided to slam on the brakes because he saw someone ahead. There are all kinds of idiots driving and doing crazy stuff behind the wheel. Same goes for bikes!!
__________________
Arguing with ignorant people is an exercise in futility. They will bring you down to their level and once there they will beat you with their overwhelming experience.
dgasmd is offline  
Likes For dgasmd:
Old 02-15-18, 04:53 PM
  #8  
datlas 
Should Be More Popular
 
datlas's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Malvern, PA (20 miles West of Philly)
Posts: 42,957

Bikes: 1986 Alpine (steel road bike), 2009 Ti Habenero, 2013 Specialized Roubaix

Mentioned: 560 Post(s)
Tagged: 2 Thread(s)
Quoted: 22513 Post(s)
Liked 8,843 Times in 4,113 Posts
Like everything else in this place, the correct answer is "it depends."

If you are friendly and ask permission, it could be ok to sit on someone's wheel. It could also be dooshy. All depends on the details.
__________________
Originally Posted by rjones28
Addiction is all about class.
datlas is offline  
Likes For datlas:
Old 02-15-18, 05:01 PM
  #9  
CliffordK
Senior Member
 
CliffordK's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Eugene, Oregon, USA
Posts: 27,600
Mentioned: 217 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18320 Post(s)
Liked 4,489 Times in 3,338 Posts
If road/trail traffic allows, why not pull up to the side of the person and talk to them for a few minutes. Then if you like each other, ask if you can take a breather drafting (or offer one to the person you encountered).
CliffordK is offline  
Old 02-15-18, 05:09 PM
  #10  
Dean V
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 2,853
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1067 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 259 Times in 153 Posts
Originally Posted by CliffordK
If road/trail traffic allows, why not pull up to the side of the person and talk to them for a few minutes. Then if you like each other, ask if you can take a breather drafting (or offer one to the person you encountered).
^^ This.
Dean V is offline  
Old 02-15-18, 05:23 PM
  #11  
waters60
Senior Member
 
waters60's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 562
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 203 Post(s)
Liked 107 Times in 62 Posts
Emily Post did not cover this!
waters60 is offline  
Old 02-15-18, 05:24 PM
  #12  
Erzulis Boat 
Le Crocodile
 
Erzulis Boat's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Santa Barbara Calif.
Posts: 1,873
Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 367 Post(s)
Liked 771 Times in 311 Posts
Originally Posted by DiabloScott
Somebody does this to me without an agreement and I get rather liberal with my spitting and snot rockets, and I don't call out road hazards, and I miss potholes by millimeters.
Hmmm. One of my crazy Alaska buddies (in the 90's) had some "tough guy" do this to him (snot rockets). My buddy got alongside, and the guy got violent, and hurled some homophopic/racist/sexist slurs. My buddy had no choice but to defend himself from this unwarranted violence and a potential hate crime. Thankfully my buddy came out on top, and stomped the guys rear derailleur after they guy crashed into a ditch, can you imagine this guy doing this again to somebody that was unable to defend themselves?
Erzulis Boat is offline  
Old 02-15-18, 05:40 PM
  #13  
kbarch
Senior Member
 
kbarch's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 4,286
Mentioned: 21 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1096 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Creeping up on a stranger is never polite. If you see riders ahead and are tempted to ride their wheel, pass first to say hello, and offer your own wheel for a minute. If they take yours, then they should let you take theirs.
If someone passes you and you want to ride their wheel, again, say hello as they go by. Personally, whether I grab their wheel or not depends on the nature of their response and how "pro" they are. As long as there are no aero bars involved, anyone in race-fit pro team kit is just asking for it. But if they are in club fit jersey or street clothes and aren't friendly, I let them go.
kbarch is offline  
Old 02-15-18, 06:05 PM
  #14  
Sy Reene
Advocatus Diaboli
 
Sy Reene's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Wherever I am
Posts: 8,611

Bikes: Merlin Cyrene, Nashbar steel CX

Mentioned: 14 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4717 Post(s)
Liked 1,526 Times in 997 Posts
Let's try a twist on the question.. someone passes you and then lets up on their speed once in front of you and you're stuck in the following position? Or, maybe doesn't slow down, but now you have a draft and you're easily now able to go that speed.. Happens..
Sy Reene is offline  
Old 02-15-18, 06:26 PM
  #15  
popeye
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Newport Beach, CA
Posts: 1,935

Bikes: S works Tarmac, Felt TK2 track

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 359 Post(s)
Liked 179 Times in 111 Posts
Feel free to hop on my wheel anytime. Nothing better than trading pulls with a complete stranger and never exchanging a word until the thanks at the end. It last happened two hours ago.
popeye is offline  
Likes For popeye:
Old 02-15-18, 06:39 PM
  #16  
CAT7RDR
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Hacienda Hgts
Posts: 2,083

Bikes: 1999 Schwinn Peloton Ultegra 10, Kestrel RT-1000 Ultegra, Trek Marlin 6 Deore 29'er

Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 811 Post(s)
Liked 1,946 Times in 936 Posts
If I catch a small group in front of me, I'll lag back a few bike lengths so I do not benefit from their draft. Its more of a personal pride thing. If I feel I can easily pass them and then increase my pace to put distance on them, I will opt for this. Seems rather petty to pass a group if you cannot maintain and increase your pace. I don't really care about the unwritten rules of recreational cycling. Sounds too much like baseball.
CAT7RDR is offline  
Old 02-15-18, 06:43 PM
  #17  
rubiksoval
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Music City, USA
Posts: 4,444

Bikes: bikes

Mentioned: 52 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2622 Post(s)
Liked 1,429 Times in 711 Posts
Never okay.
rubiksoval is offline  
Old 02-15-18, 06:55 PM
  #18  
Doge
Senior Member
 
Doge's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Southern California, USA
Posts: 10,474

Bikes: 1979 Raleigh Team 753

Mentioned: 153 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3374 Post(s)
Liked 371 Times in 253 Posts
From the perspective of you doing it, don't, it is not polite.
From the perspective of it being done to you, they likely don't know, be polite and say hello.

that being said, I've been in pretty serious discussions and had the hanger-on jump in. I was not so kind and let them know it was rude.
Doge is offline  
Likes For Doge:
Old 02-15-18, 06:57 PM
  #19  
Doctor Morbius
Interocitor Command
 
Doctor Morbius's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: The adult video section
Posts: 3,375

Bikes: 3 Road Bikes, 2 Hybrids

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 596 Post(s)
Liked 64 Times in 40 Posts
If some stranger were trying to suck my wheel I would feel extremely uncomfortable. I'd probably tell him if he wants a date with me he's going to have to hang out at the rest stop just like everyone else.
Doctor Morbius is offline  
Old 02-15-18, 07:03 PM
  #20  
caloso
Senior Member
 
caloso's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Sacramento, California, USA
Posts: 40,865

Bikes: Specialized Tarmac, Canyon Exceed, Specialized Transition, Ellsworth Roots, Ridley Excalibur

Mentioned: 68 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2952 Post(s)
Liked 3,106 Times in 1,417 Posts
Don't sit on another rider's wheel without permission.
caloso is offline  
Old 02-15-18, 07:15 PM
  #21  
Doge
Senior Member
 
Doge's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Southern California, USA
Posts: 10,474

Bikes: 1979 Raleigh Team 753

Mentioned: 153 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3374 Post(s)
Liked 371 Times in 253 Posts
Exception would be if it is clearly a group ride of the open / public type (40+ riders)...ride up to someone in the rear and say "what is this ride?". It is likely a ride you are welcome to jump on to. And also the type of ride that they will try to drop and blow the group up, because that is how many group rides are.
Doge is offline  
Old 02-15-18, 07:25 PM
  #22  
atwl77
Kamen Rider
 
atwl77's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: KL, MY
Posts: 1,071

Bikes: Fuji Transonic Elite, Marechal Soul Ultimate, Dahon Dash Altena

Mentioned: 11 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 351 Post(s)
Liked 277 Times in 164 Posts
My rear hub is relatively loud. If I'm trying to hang back he'll hear me coasting on and off behind and hopefully gets the message to either slow down and let me pass, or speed up and drop me.

And if he doesn't get it, I could just lay down 400w and pass him while looking casual...
atwl77 is offline  
Old 02-15-18, 07:41 PM
  #23  
Machka 
In Real Life
 
Machka's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Down under down under
Posts: 52,152

Bikes: Lots

Mentioned: 141 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3203 Post(s)
Liked 595 Times in 329 Posts
It depends ...

I have no problem with another rider on my wheel if it is a temporary situation. For example, if they come up behind me and they're planning to make a turn within a couple hundred metres, there's probably no point to passing me and then making the turn ... unless they're really fast, of course. Or if there's lots of traffic or something and it is dangerous to pass, then I have no problem with them being back there.

But if a rider attaches him/herself to my wheel for longer periods of time ... that's just creepy and potentially dangerous.

Creepy because really, how many of us want someone in our space for long periods of time. Think how you'd feel if you were walking alone on a path and all of a sudden someone started walking right directly behind you. Maybe it wouldn't bother guys, but as a woman, I'd be completely freaked out by that.

Potentially dangerous because I forget to point out things to people behind me at the best of times! I may also suddenly stop to take a photo because I've seen something right there I want to capture on camera. At times, I spot side roads I want to explore and have been known to slow suddenly and turn. And if I'm climbing, all bets are off. There's a really good chance that if that hill gets a bit too steep for me, I'm off my bicycle and walking ... and there will be no warning. If you leave a gap of several metres between me and you, you'll be fine ... but if you're right there behind me, it's you who will be going down if you hit my rear wheel.
Machka is offline  
Old 02-15-18, 07:42 PM
  #24  
mackgoo
Senior Member
 
mackgoo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: San Clemente
Posts: 668

Bikes: 87 Bianchi X4, 95 Bianchi Ti Mega Tube, 06 Alan Carbon Cross X33, Gold plated Columbus AIR Guerciotti, 74 Galmozzi Super Competizione, 52 Bianchi Paris Roubaix.

Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 259 Post(s)
Liked 532 Times in 165 Posts
Yes, until you pass.
mackgoo is offline  
Old 02-15-18, 08:24 PM
  #25  
DrIsotope
Non omnino gravis
 
DrIsotope's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: SoCal, USA!
Posts: 8,553

Bikes: Nekobasu, Pandicorn, Lakitu

Mentioned: 119 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4905 Post(s)
Liked 1,731 Times in 958 Posts
I'm big, I ride almost exclusively solo, so I can get a decent draft effect from about 4-5 bike lengths back. I never get closer to a stranger than that. Even at stoplights. I've no desire to exchange more than a head nod. Any rider I've "borrowed" a draft off of has been moving a good bit slower than I usually would, so I'm just taking the opportunity to rest until the guy in front of me tires out from trying to stay in front.
__________________
DrIsotope is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.