Bike Drafting Etiquette - Training Ride (Page 2)

I have been reading this thread (and the others like it from time to time here) and maybe it's because it's never really happened to me, but I don't get the issue with an "unwelcome" drafter. This quoted post above sort of cuts right to the heart of my "What's the BFD?" question; you didn't even know he was there. How does that bother you? Is it like sitting with your back to the door in a restaraunt? Now I HATE that!

It's a safety thing.  I don't know the riding ability of the drafter, and that person doesn't know my riding habits.  If I don't realize they're back there, I may decide to slow down all of a sudden or make a last second turn, causing a collision.  A simple request to stick to my wheel solves those problems. 

Something like this happened to me on Saturday.  I was on a solo ride at race effort.  I hit a red light where a group of about 12 was waiting.  I knew there was about 1 mile before I would make a right turn, so I had 2 options.  Ride behind this group (not drafting them as I was in aero) or I pass the whole group in one shot and go on my merry way.

So as the light turns green, I realize the group is going about 2-3 mph slower than I would like...and being that I wanted to ride at race effort, I dropped the hammer and passed the whole group as quickly as I could to create a gap...so that when I made my right turn in a couple minutes, I could easily slow down without slowing their pace line down in the process.

Well...I suppose when I passed the group, a couple of the guys in the group took it as some form of challenge.  I created about a 200 yard gap between myself and the rest of their group, but 2 of these guys decided to jump on my wheel without letting me know.  So obviously as I approach my right turn, I'm ready to slow down and hit my brakes...also slightly veering to the left to give me a wider turning angle.  But before I did this...I decided to signal "just in case".  Lucky I did...as the two guys were right on my wheel and  blew by me on my left.  If I didn't signal and just hit my brakes, it could have ended up in a crash.

Exactly.  If someone doesn't announce themselves when they jump on your wheel what happens when you decide to make a sudden move, most likely a stop?  I don't expect someone there when riding solo.  And I don't want some inexperienced person back there who does something dumb like cross tires cause they don't actually know how to draft.  I get the right to decide how safe I want to be that day and not have someone take it out of my control.

Only exception I can think of for not announcing your presence on approaching another unknown rider's rear wheel might be while riding in a designated bike lane while surrounded by car traffic.  If your natural speed is higher than another rider you must wait (at a safe trailing distance) for traffic to clear to pass just like in a car on a 2-lane road.

Tom-

Thanks for the perspective on the culture of European cycling. 

But might not a right vs left elbow flick be confusing to unknown riders of diff nationalities?  Even among English-speaking riders we do not all drive cars on the same side of the road

There is a difference between being behind someone and drafting (as you point out) and your right, no need to announce yourself in that situation.  I don't mind someone behind me, I mind someone on my back wheel. 

Now that being said, if I passed someone and they asked to draft cause they were dying and far out from their destination, I'd sacrifice my ride and slow down and pull them.  But they don't have to be right on your wheel for that.

I gave my mirror to the lolrus.

Safety.  I didnt know he was there.  How would I know to put my closed fist on my back to warn a drafter that I was planning on slowing if I didnt know he was back there?  In my case I was about to hit the brakes hard and come to a stop.  I just happened to notice the helmet shadow at the right time... 

Or what if I swerved to avoid a divot in the trail or a rock or something?  If I didnt know to point out the hazard or call it, he would hit it.  Besides, reports from the rest of the group said he was riding in aero behind me.  Which means he had no brakes and little ability to maneuver out of the way of a dangerous situation...

That has not happened to me yet, but i would consider it extremely rude!!! If i notice someone like that drafting behind me, i have no idea what their intentions are. They could be packing heat or seek to do some harm. i always think the worst when someone approaches me. So i would just drop the hammer on him and lose him. I ride with a couple other guys and their tt bikes, one buddy of mine, a native american will have no problem slowing down and kicking you off your bike. I have seen him do this, and it was not pretty for the other guy. Not something i would do, but thats him.

I would love to be the point where this is a problem for me.

Until then, I will just have to complain about getting passed like I was in reverse.

BUT, if it ever did happen, I think that I could introduce them to just how lactose intolerant I am.

I agree it is rude and unsafe to just draft off someone you don't know on a solo ride.

I also think it is expected on a group ride, the only way I can hang with the 'A' riders in my bike club is with some creative drafting. I think they should feel that my drafting is an admission that they are faster and stronger than me. On slower group rides I will intentionally avoid drafting to get a better workout. And if I end up pulling people on a group ride I just feel like a hero

Central Park this happens ALL the time.  Now that I am bike racing I kind of don't care - gives me some practice on the whole pack thing....if I am out there on a solo training ride I expect to be doing all the work.

I will try to catch someone wheel momentarily but that is just to then slingshot off of them...

I DO mind if my teammates and I are pacelining and someone tries to come in as we are working on our skills together.

And I really hate when rollerbladers draft off me.

how weird is that? I just figured it was a couple of folks from BT playing a joke on me.

Picking up unannounced drafters happens to me sometimes.  I find it a little weird, and it is somewhat of a safety issue, though I think not a huge one, at least not for me.  It's much more of an issue for the person who is drafting.  One thing I can say for certain is that when someone I don't know drafts me unannounced I definitely put the hammer down.  So the result is going to be either that I drop that person, or that I blow up.  Either way, we're not likely to be together for very long.

Drafters who request are fine in my book, though again my testosterone is high enough that I will make them work for it.

Must be nice to be fast enough that someone wants to draft off you...

Every cyclist I encounter on solo rides (which isn't many) is either going the other way or blows past me going up a hill.  My average speed is creeping up and may soon be over 16mph, but it seems like all the roadies around here can do 20+. (I'd probably be WAY over 20 myself if I lived somewhere flat.)

I agree with the safety concerns for sure, but sometimes I wouldn't mind some company.  I did 62 miles on a nice day this weekend and only saw ONE other biker.  Seems like everybody around here sticks to the city even though the country roads have a lot less traffic.

I think I'd be flattered to get a drafter. Probably pointless though.  Good luck holding my wheel on a decline, and don't bother on a climb...

I sometimes wonder exactly how this ends up happening. If the person comes up from behind you, are they just taking a break when they get to you, because you're obviously going slower than they are.  If this is the case...that's pretty creepy.

It happens to me all the time on my road bike.  I will pass someone, call out "on your left" and they jump right on my wheel.  If they are able to hold my pace, I ease up after a few minutes and more often than not, they will take a turn at the front. 

If I am on my TT bike, I usually wait until no cars are coming and swing wide and hammer it passed the person, it gives them no time to get on your wheel.  If they somehow get on there, I try my best to teach them a lesson.  I actually had a guy roll up next to me at the next light and say, "man you are KILLING me".  I was pretty proud.

As long as I know the person is there, it doesn't bother me at all.  I'm a people person and I support all other athletic types.