"I'm Not Your Workhorse!!!"
07-15-09, 09:48 AM
#1
All Bikes All The Time
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Boise, ID
Posts: 2,343
Bikes: Giant TCR 0, Lemond Zurich, Giant NRS 1, Jamis Explorer Beater/Commuter, Peugeot converted single speed
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
"I'm Not Your Workhorse!!!"
NOTE: If the crybaby in this story is one of our forum buddies, I apologize in advance.
My buddy just emailed this to me; happened to him on his way in this morning. The speeds we are talking about were in the 25mph range for the first section and 30 mph range for the 2nd section. Even though my buddy may have been in the wrong (debatable), his run in with this whiney little pus is pretty funny!
Part of what makes this funny is that my buddy wears more traditional commuting gear and does not always look as fast as he his. Baggy shorts, big old green school type backpack...the whole works. But if you are going to to talk smack to him, you had better be able to hang at 30 mph for a while. LOL
Hey guys… I’ve got a good story…
I had a nice little experience with a cycling snob this morning. I was going down Ustic and pulled up to the light at Eagle. There were a couple riders there. They weren’t riding together they just both got stopped at the light. One guy was a commuter with flat handlebars. The other guy was all decked out with nice gear and had a nice specialized bike. The guy with all the nice stuff was talking to the other guy like a know-it-all.
Anyway the light changes and we take off, the commuter guy gets left behind so I got onto the wheel of Mr. Know-It-All. He speeds up a bit in an effort to drop me. He doesn’t drop me looks back and says “Hey! Are you trying to draft me!”
In my head I’m thinking I’m not trying to draft you I am drafting you. Then he says “I’m not your workhorse! I’ll draft you!!”
So then I preceded to change him from my workhorse into my little beeach and I dropped his sorry but.
My buddy just emailed this to me; happened to him on his way in this morning. The speeds we are talking about were in the 25mph range for the first section and 30 mph range for the 2nd section. Even though my buddy may have been in the wrong (debatable), his run in with this whiney little pus is pretty funny!
Part of what makes this funny is that my buddy wears more traditional commuting gear and does not always look as fast as he his. Baggy shorts, big old green school type backpack...the whole works. But if you are going to to talk smack to him, you had better be able to hang at 30 mph for a while. LOL
Hey guys… I’ve got a good story…
I had a nice little experience with a cycling snob this morning. I was going down Ustic and pulled up to the light at Eagle. There were a couple riders there. They weren’t riding together they just both got stopped at the light. One guy was a commuter with flat handlebars. The other guy was all decked out with nice gear and had a nice specialized bike. The guy with all the nice stuff was talking to the other guy like a know-it-all.
Anyway the light changes and we take off, the commuter guy gets left behind so I got onto the wheel of Mr. Know-It-All. He speeds up a bit in an effort to drop me. He doesn’t drop me looks back and says “Hey! Are you trying to draft me!”
In my head I’m thinking I’m not trying to draft you I am drafting you. Then he says “I’m not your workhorse! I’ll draft you!!”
So then I preceded to change him from my workhorse into my little beeach and I dropped his sorry but.
Last edited by Sawtooth; 07-15-09 at 10:03 AM.
07-15-09, 10:08 AM
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Tempe, AZ
Posts: 2,968
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
what a tool!
__________________
"Think of bicycles as rideable art that can just about save the world". ~Grant Petersen
Cyclists fare best when they recognize that there are times when acting vehicularly is not the best practice, and are flexible enough to do what is necessary as the situation warrants.--Me
"Think of bicycles as rideable art that can just about save the world". ~Grant Petersen
Cyclists fare best when they recognize that there are times when acting vehicularly is not the best practice, and are flexible enough to do what is necessary as the situation warrants.--Me
07-15-09, 10:09 AM
#3
Non-Spandex Commuter
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Olathe, KS
Posts: 1,025
Bikes: Trek Soho S
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
ouch...
07-15-09, 10:22 AM
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Beaverton, OR
Posts: 14,886
Bikes: Yes
Liked 4,116 Times
in
1,527 Posts
I think being a domestique for other commuters is an underrated and under appreciated role. 
07-15-09, 10:23 AM
#6
Que CERA, CERA
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Kitchener, ON
Posts: 873
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I don't draft complete strangers I happen to meet on the road, and I don't like pulling them, either. My commute has enough stop signs and lights to make drafting more trouble than it would be worth, anyway.
Funny story, though.
Funny story, though.
07-15-09, 10:30 AM
#8
Have bike, will travel
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Lake Geneva, WI
Posts: 12,284
Bikes: Ridley Helium SLX, Canyon Endurance SL, De Rosa Professional, Eddy Merckx Corsa Extra, Schwinn Paramount (1 painted, 1 chrome), Peugeot PX10, Serotta Nova X, Simoncini Cyclocross Special, Raleigh Roker, Pedal Force CG2 and CX2
Liked 288 Times
in
158 Posts
A complete lack of manners all around.
I'm finding riders who will share the pull on almost every ride.
If the rider passes me, I'll ask if he wants to share the pull. If he says yes, I'll trade the lead with him every mile. After about 4 miles, I'll thank the guy and fall back.
If I pass a rider and he expects a pull, I'll tell hem to lead after 2 miles. If he just sits there, I'll slow and require him to lead or I'll just pull ahead. Often the wheel sucker can be trained to work as a team-mate.
The key is communication.
Michael
I'm finding riders who will share the pull on almost every ride.
If the rider passes me, I'll ask if he wants to share the pull. If he says yes, I'll trade the lead with him every mile. After about 4 miles, I'll thank the guy and fall back.
If I pass a rider and he expects a pull, I'll tell hem to lead after 2 miles. If he just sits there, I'll slow and require him to lead or I'll just pull ahead. Often the wheel sucker can be trained to work as a team-mate.
The key is communication.
Michael
__________________
When I ride my bike I feel free and happy and strong. I'm liberated from the usual nonsense of day to day life. Solid, dependable, silent, my bike is my horse, my fighter jet, my island, my friend. Together we will conquer that hill and thereafter the world.
When I ride my bike I feel free and happy and strong. I'm liberated from the usual nonsense of day to day life. Solid, dependable, silent, my bike is my horse, my fighter jet, my island, my friend. Together we will conquer that hill and thereafter the world.
07-15-09, 10:36 AM
#9
All Bikes All The Time
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Boise, ID
Posts: 2,343
Bikes: Giant TCR 0, Lemond Zurich, Giant NRS 1, Jamis Explorer Beater/Commuter, Peugeot converted single speed
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
A complete lack of manners all around.
I'm finding riders who will share the pull on almost every ride.
If the rider passes me, I'll ask if he wants to share the pull. If he says yes, I'll trade the lead with him every mile. After about 4 miles, I'll thank the guy and fall back.
If I pass a rider and he expects a pull, I'll tell hem to lead after 2 miles. If he just sits there, I'll slow and require him to lead or I'll just pull ahead. Often the wheel sucker can be trained to work as a team-mate.
The key is communication.
Michael
I'm finding riders who will share the pull on almost every ride.
If the rider passes me, I'll ask if he wants to share the pull. If he says yes, I'll trade the lead with him every mile. After about 4 miles, I'll thank the guy and fall back.
If I pass a rider and he expects a pull, I'll tell hem to lead after 2 miles. If he just sits there, I'll slow and require him to lead or I'll just pull ahead. Often the wheel sucker can be trained to work as a team-mate.
The key is communication.
Michael
07-15-09, 10:41 AM
#10
All Bikes All The Time
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Boise, ID
Posts: 2,343
Bikes: Giant TCR 0, Lemond Zurich, Giant NRS 1, Jamis Explorer Beater/Commuter, Peugeot converted single speed
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I have never understood why people have a problem pulling strangers. It is actually pretty hard to take out someone's rear wheel with your front. Usually the guy drafting goes down and the one up front just gets a startling experience. And even that is in the rare chance of an adverse event.
In fact, I often make a "follow me" sign when I pass guys I think are capable of benefitting from my draft". No skin off my back.
Last edited by Sawtooth; 07-15-09 at 10:47 AM.
07-15-09, 10:58 AM
#12
All Bikes All The Time
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Boise, ID
Posts: 2,343
Bikes: Giant TCR 0, Lemond Zurich, Giant NRS 1, Jamis Explorer Beater/Commuter, Peugeot converted single speed
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
07-15-09, 11:02 AM
#13
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 164
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Who gives a flying flip at a rolling donut if someone drafts them on a commute anyway?
I make the assumption that you're out to have a good ride and maybe get some exercise in. Does anyone really care if the guy behind you is doing less work? There's no danged finish line, no prize for getting to work sooner than the other dude (who's likely not going the same place). Team tactics don't apply on any normal commute.
That said, I don't suck wheel on my commutes, simply because I'm a raging fattie and need the extra 30% of work one puts in when not in a draft.
I make the assumption that you're out to have a good ride and maybe get some exercise in. Does anyone really care if the guy behind you is doing less work? There's no danged finish line, no prize for getting to work sooner than the other dude (who's likely not going the same place). Team tactics don't apply on any normal commute.
That said, I don't suck wheel on my commutes, simply because I'm a raging fattie and need the extra 30% of work one puts in when not in a draft.
07-15-09, 11:07 AM
#14
OnTheRoad or AtTheBeach
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Weston, FL
Posts: 2,170
Bikes: Ridley Noah RS, Scott CR1 Pro
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
If your friend can hang at 30mph and he is not going down hill then he should be racing not commuting.
__________________
The problem with the gene pool is that there is no lifeguard and the shallow end is much too large
2013 Noah RS
The problem with the gene pool is that there is no lifeguard and the shallow end is much too large
2013 Noah RS
07-15-09, 11:08 AM
#15
Pug lover! Dogs and bikes
LOL... Hilarious and I agree bad manners and lack of courtesy all around.
It's not like the guy drafting is hurting the puller... HOWEVER, if I didn't feel comfortable with the guy behind me for safety reasons I would ask him to back off. How do I know this guy knows what he is doing and isn't going to run into me if I slow down or need to stop or touch my wheel?
Touching the wheel I probably wouldn't fall, but he would... And I would probably stop my commute to help. It's all troublesome.
It's not like the guy drafting is hurting the puller... HOWEVER, if I didn't feel comfortable with the guy behind me for safety reasons I would ask him to back off. How do I know this guy knows what he is doing and isn't going to run into me if I slow down or need to stop or touch my wheel?
Touching the wheel I probably wouldn't fall, but he would... And I would probably stop my commute to help. It's all troublesome.
07-15-09, 11:18 AM
#16
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 164
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
07-15-09, 11:20 AM
#17
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: PNW - Victoria, BC
Posts: 1,486
Bikes: 2002 Litespeed Vortex - 2007 Trek Madone 5.9 - 2004 Redline Conquest Pro - Specialized S-Works Festina Team Model - 93 Cannondale M 800 Beast of the East
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Drafting seems to be a touchy subject with a lot of people, personally I don't care although in most cases, a quick "may I" is always appreciated.
If someone is particularly obnoxious however, generally I'll slow enough to let them pass and as soon as they are 40-50 feet up the road, I'll match their speed. Invariably they try to speed up until they drop you. If they do; good on them. If they don't; most people will blow themselves up trying, at which point you drop the hammer and smile. I always manage my 40-50 foot buffer since as many people have said, you really don't know anything about one's riding ability or how much brain they use while riding. I prefer to not get sucked into someone else's bad judgement. A buffer zone allows you to make your own decisions, and lets the other person know that you don't need a draft to keep up the pace.
If someone is particularly obnoxious however, generally I'll slow enough to let them pass and as soon as they are 40-50 feet up the road, I'll match their speed. Invariably they try to speed up until they drop you. If they do; good on them. If they don't; most people will blow themselves up trying, at which point you drop the hammer and smile. I always manage my 40-50 foot buffer since as many people have said, you really don't know anything about one's riding ability or how much brain they use while riding. I prefer to not get sucked into someone else's bad judgement. A buffer zone allows you to make your own decisions, and lets the other person know that you don't need a draft to keep up the pace.
07-15-09, 11:22 AM
#18
Senior Member
Since drafting etiquette isn't universal outside of roadie culture it's rude in my opinion to assume that it's OK to draft random people without asking. That you yourself wouldn't mind being drafted is beside the point.
It's probably not that smart either. I know somebody who got her self severely messed up by running into the rear tire of another cyclist. All it takes for trouble is for an inexperienced draftee to hit the brakes hard without warning or signaling.
I do the occasional group ride with a low key cycling club. The leader always encourages new people to try drafting but he also stresses that in order for the group to draft successfully and safely it's important for everyone to ride as smoothly as possible. No quick stops. Hold your line in turns. etc.
Also if you're following right behind somebody, your visibility is limited. In a group ride signals are used to compensate for this. So even if somebody is OK being drafted and is experienced in those situations it is a good idea to let them know you are there so they can warn you of upcoming road hazards or changes in pace.
It's probably not that smart either. I know somebody who got her self severely messed up by running into the rear tire of another cyclist. All it takes for trouble is for an inexperienced draftee to hit the brakes hard without warning or signaling.
I do the occasional group ride with a low key cycling club. The leader always encourages new people to try drafting but he also stresses that in order for the group to draft successfully and safely it's important for everyone to ride as smoothly as possible. No quick stops. Hold your line in turns. etc.
Also if you're following right behind somebody, your visibility is limited. In a group ride signals are used to compensate for this. So even if somebody is OK being drafted and is experienced in those situations it is a good idea to let them know you are there so they can warn you of upcoming road hazards or changes in pace.
07-15-09, 11:26 AM
#19
All Bikes All The Time
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Boise, ID
Posts: 2,343
Bikes: Giant TCR 0, Lemond Zurich, Giant NRS 1, Jamis Explorer Beater/Commuter, Peugeot converted single speed
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Nope..but he probably could. He regularly hands it to me at speeds near or at 30. The real question is not how fast someone can ride, but how logn they can ride at that speed.
07-15-09, 11:28 AM
#20
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 519
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I ride a bike that pretty much guarantees that anyone who would want to draft off of me wouldn't.
Of course, seeing a roadie drafting behind a 60lb xtracycle would be a sight to behold. Now I just gotta figure out how to get this thing to go fast enough so roadies would want to draft off of me.
Of course, seeing a roadie drafting behind a 60lb xtracycle would be a sight to behold. Now I just gotta figure out how to get this thing to go fast enough so roadies would want to draft off of me.
07-15-09, 11:34 AM
#21
BF's Level 12 Wizard
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Secret mobile lair
Posts: 1,425
Bikes: Diamondback Sorrento turned Xtracycle commuter
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Awesome...just awesome.
Skinnier tires and a lot of dedication. I had this happen just the other day!
I ride a bike that pretty much guarantees that anyone who would want to draft off of me wouldn't.
Of course, seeing a roadie drafting behind a 60lb xtracycle would be a sight to behold. Now I just gotta figure out how to get this thing to go fast enough so roadies would want to draft off of me.
Of course, seeing a roadie drafting behind a 60lb xtracycle would be a sight to behold. Now I just gotta figure out how to get this thing to go fast enough so roadies would want to draft off of me.
__________________
Shameless plugs:
Work
Photography
Vanity
Shameless plugs:
Work
Photography
Vanity
Originally Posted by Bklyn
Obviously, the guy's like a 12th level white wizard or something. His mere presence is a danger to mortals.
07-15-09, 11:50 AM
#22
Non-Spandex Commuter
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Olathe, KS
Posts: 1,025
Bikes: Trek Soho S
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I ride a bike that pretty much guarantees that anyone who would want to draft off of me wouldn't.
Of course, seeing a roadie drafting behind a 60lb xtracycle would be a sight to behold. Now I just gotta figure out how to get this thing to go fast enough so roadies would want to draft off of me.
Of course, seeing a roadie drafting behind a 60lb xtracycle would be a sight to behold. Now I just gotta figure out how to get this thing to go fast enough so roadies would want to draft off of me.
07-15-09, 12:12 PM
#23
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2007
Location: SW Idaho
Posts: 643
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Since drafting etiquette isn't universal outside of roadie culture it's rude in my opinion to assume that it's OK to draft random people without asking. That you yourself wouldn't mind being drafted is beside the point.
It's probably not that smart either. I know somebody who got her self severely messed up by running into the rear tire of another cyclist. All it takes for trouble is for an inexperienced draftee to hit the brakes hard without warning or signaling.
I do the occasional group ride with a low key cycling club. The leader always encourages new people to try drafting but he also stresses that in order for the group to draft successfully and safely it's important for everyone to ride as smoothly as possible. No quick stops. Hold your line in turns. etc.
Also if you're following right behind somebody, your visibility is limited. In a group ride signals are used to compensate for this. So even if somebody is OK being drafted and is experienced in those situations it is a good idea to let them know you are there so they can warn you of upcoming road hazards or changes in pace.
It's probably not that smart either. I know somebody who got her self severely messed up by running into the rear tire of another cyclist. All it takes for trouble is for an inexperienced draftee to hit the brakes hard without warning or signaling.
I do the occasional group ride with a low key cycling club. The leader always encourages new people to try drafting but he also stresses that in order for the group to draft successfully and safely it's important for everyone to ride as smoothly as possible. No quick stops. Hold your line in turns. etc.
Also if you're following right behind somebody, your visibility is limited. In a group ride signals are used to compensate for this. So even if somebody is OK being drafted and is experienced in those situations it is a good idea to let them know you are there so they can warn you of upcoming road hazards or changes in pace.
In our current situation, Sawtooth's buddy was a bit put-off by Mr. Roadie's air of superiority and wanted to do a little passive/aggressive chain-pulling. It worked to the point that he could e-mail mail his friends and gloat about it.
Yes, he gave in to the dark side... And I doubt that Mr. R actually was humbled by getting dropped (those guys rarely are). In the end we have no winners here. But the discussion of road etiquette was worth the tale.
07-15-09, 12:13 PM
#24
Carpe Diem
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: MABRA
Posts: 13,149
Bikes: 2007 CAAD9; 2014 CAADX; PedalForce CG1
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
The one time I let someone draft off me, he nearly crashed me out when he overlapped my rear wheel then decided it was a good time to change directions.
never again.
never again.
__________________
"When you are chewing the bars at the business end of a 90 mile road race you really dont care what gear you have hanging from your bike so long as it works."
ΛΧΑ ΔΞ179 - 15% off your first Hammer Nutrition order!
"When you are chewing the bars at the business end of a 90 mile road race you really dont care what gear you have hanging from your bike so long as it works."
ΛΧΑ ΔΞ179 - 15% off your first Hammer Nutrition order!
07-15-09, 12:20 PM
#25
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Sacramento, California, USA
Posts: 40,865
Bikes: Specialized Tarmac, Canyon Exceed, Specialized Transition, Ellsworth Roots, Ridley Excalibur
Liked 3,110 Times
in
1,418 Posts
Mutual jackassery.
