What a to$$er

Jacomus-rides-Gen

This isn't a post whining about people drafting me, if someone wants to use me for a touch of extra speed thats fine with me. I would rather be in front of them with a clear view ahead.

This morning a guy got hold of my slipstream as I was riding down Grosvenor Rd, I was hovering around 39km/h (24mph). I approached the traffic lights in the left hand lane, riding almost on the centreline getting ready to move into a gap in the right hand lane to avoid the parked cars after the lights. I was waiting for a truck alongside me to pass me, so that I could slot in behind that.

The lights turned yellow and I held my hand up to tell him I was going to stop, he shouted "go go go!" and when I started to squeeze on the brakes he pulled out and passed me so close that he touched my elbow with his! He then sprinted through the lights as they turned red and disappeared down the road.

RLJers annoy me mostly because their behaviour reflects badly on me as a good cyclist, meaning that because I cycle and especially because I look like a "lycra-lout" I get lumped into that catagory by drivers. So he wasn't in my goodbooks for that, but to first try and urge me through the lights, and then mis-time his pass so that we touched is just plain dangerous and irresponsible.

lateralus

For that sort of reason, I'm not keen on people drafting me. You just don't know what they are going to do. You were clearly doing the right thing - evaluated the situation, planning well ahead, while aside from the RLJ, he was obviouly not looking further ahead than his own handlebars.

Was the thread title what you yelled at him as he passed? :twisted:

Jacomus-rides-Gen

Actually I was too shocked to yell anything other than a classic "Woooooahh!" as I wobbled to a much less smooth stop than I had planned.

Hairy Jock

What a complete pillock, people like that deserve to get run over...

BentMikey

He's a knob jockey innit.

mazcp

I'm forever saying GO GO GO to the driver queing up ahead of me when the lights have just turned green...I don't want to lose my momentum as I catch up with him as he s-l-o-w-l-y starts to accelerate off.

homercles

Be interesting to know where people stand on the issue of 'public drafting'.

I'm the first to admit I've done it a couple of times in the quest for a fastest time home but to be honest it unnerves me quite a bit as you really haven't got a lot of scope for error. I guess when you're on an organised club run etc it's different as people are operating largely with this in mind but on a commute when there's traffic and the like, there's a lot to consider without someone on your a*se.

So, to draft or not to draft?

ddraver

I do and have been...i dont some of them for ages though!!!

and i have nt been able to find someone as quick as me for a while (f'narr f'narr)

andrewc3142

Generally, I dislike wheelsuckers and dislike people doing it to me.

A couple of months ago when really tired I did take a tow off a guy for a couple of miles, but I thanked him for it.

bigease

I too can't stand RLJers, as you say they reflect badly on those of us who observe the laws of the road. I live in Cambridge and the amount of idiots on bikes in the town is outragious.

I have on occasion drafted on my commute, but I will always try and speak to the other rider to make sure they are OK with it, and if it continues for a while I will take my turn up front. I take the point that as a public drafter you don't know each other at all, but as long as you are both being courteous that I think it is OK.

smiorgan

BentMikey wrote:

He's a knob jockey innit.

If commuter drafting is a metaphor for buggery, then he's a top, not a bottom.

Just say "If you want to get that close to my @rse, buy me dinner first".

BentMikey

Nothing to do with the drafting, sunbeam.

Drfabulous0

Why would you want to draft another cyclist when there are so many vehicles around that will give you a much better tow. Busses pulling away from the stops are my favorite.

homercles

On my commute it's the cyclists who are usually going fastest

Jacomus-rides-Gen

I tend to avoid drafting cars because of their ability to stop quicker than I can from a draft position. Buses and trucks are fair game though - most mornings I can surf behing a truck along embankment, usually westminister to blackfriars.

leoccp

I once got drafted down a hill in Finchley, but it took me ages to work out what was going on, every time I looked back the guy must have moved left or something!
So because he had one of those really noisy Campag freehubs I kept thinking there was something wrong with my bike! I was looking over my shoulder to make sure I was okay to stop and investigate and I finally saw him and worked out what was happening

Mikey Mouse

RLJers annoy me mostly because their behaviour reflects badly on me as a good cyclist, meaning that because I cycle and especially because I look like a "lycra-lout" I get lumped into that catagory by drivers. So he wasn't in my goodbooks for that, but to first try and urge me through the lights, and then mis-time his pass so that we touched is just plain dangerous and irresponsible.

What makes you think you are a good cyclist?

Jacomus-rides-Gen

Mikey Mouse wrote:

RLJers annoy me mostly because their behaviour reflects badly on me as a good cyclist, meaning that because I cycle and especially because I look like a "lycra-lout" I get lumped into that catagory by drivers. So he wasn't in my goodbooks for that, but to first try and urge me through the lights, and then mis-time his pass so that we touched is just plain dangerous and irresponsible.

What makes you think you are a good cyclist?

Come out from behind your troll profile and ask me again as your real username, if you even have one. I resfuse to answer to someone who has such excellent contributions as these blatantly troll posts

ddraver

You ve not had a good day have you Jack.....

and cycling behind buses is the best, although i can't usually keep up once the road opens up....

Mikey Mouse

I bet everyone in England thinks they are good cyclists but I bet and have seen the case that very few are.

BentMikey

Mikey Mouse wrote:

I bet everyone in England thinks they are good cyclists but I bet and have seen the case that very few are.

Are you a good cyclist? Let's see some ride video of yours then.

Anyone remember how a certain RLJ debater back on C+ refused to be filmed, thus taking the wind out of his debate entirely.

Mikey Mouse

Im not as good as you eh?

BentMikey

I've no idea sunbeam, but I'd love to see your riding, if you've got the courage to put some of your footage online.

smiorgan

Mikey Mouse wrote:

I bet everyone in England thinks they are good cyclists but I bet and have seen the case that very few are.

And you're one of them? Heh

Think you took the "good cyclist" bit out of context

Mikey Mouse

No I never said I was did I?

A lot of you seem to think you are though and some of the standard of cycling out there is very poor.

smiorgan

BentMikey wrote:

Nothing to do with the drafting, sunbeam.

You don't say. So you equate jumping red lights with homosexuality?

Maybe a generation gap there, but I don't get it.

Mikey Mouse

Well the name does worry me. :?

Random Vince

'bentmikey's name refers to his bike choice 'bent' refers to a recumbent bike.

i dont have problems with people drafting me, guess i cant keep a straight line long enough :P

have problems overtaking on the motorway in the car or mini bus, people get too close and spoil the aerodynamics of the vehicle and i dont have enough power to get through the wind spill off the truck (i studdied aerodynamics at one bit for uni incase you were wondering) if they got closer or dropped back i'd not have a problem

once had someone follow me at a distance of 2foot when driving the car, decided we ought to have the speed for the stopping distance on the grounds that if he wants to be a div he can do it somewhere else.

e999sam

If someone comes past me I always try to get on their wheel and if I can I'll do my share of the work. If you are sitting on someones wheel it's always a good idea to let them know or you might get shower of somrthing nasty when they blow thier nose.

2wheelzgood

I sometimes sit on the wheel but only for a few hundred metres up the final drag of the main road.. there's not much of a run really.

I do feel guilty but not worth taking iit in turns or (call me rude or shy) worth it to make conversation between gasps!

If the other bike is just slower or slows up a little as it goes up a bit more next to Homebase, I sometimes go past slowly and give them the chance to catch my wheel but they never have bothered.

TBH, from talking to people elsewhere, the number of cyclists commuting in Leeds is next to none. Car driver's are not used to it and you can tell.. would prefer to be in a city with a fair number of commuters, TBH

kev

Bonno

While in Mallorca this year ,riding along the coast road out of Alcudia, had a guy sit on my wheel for 12 miles, :shock: he didn't say a word or come through once !!