Overtaking...?

cc10

I was just wondering on the proceedure of such an event.(doesn't happen often!)

Had a bit of trouble in the park yesterday, one gentleman sat on my back wheel for ever and as I am not the most consistant of riders I got a bit worried that I might have a wobble and trip him up so eventually I sat up slowed dowed and sort of signaled him to overtake.

Then a few laps later I got overtaken by two cyclists who then proceeded to pretty much slow down right in front of me. I didn't want to then overtake them as it seemed a bit stupid but it also seemed rude for me just to sit there and be sucked along whilst my heartrate plummeted. Then as I weighed up options on what might be the correct procedure one of the guys in front (they were two abreast) spat to the side.. which meant basically on me due to the projection and wind and speed. Honestly couldn't believe a rider could be so inconsiderate, then as I brewed in disbelief he did it again!!! :oops:

So I put the brakes on (rather than be coated in someone elses ick) let them get well ahead and then continued on what had previously been a thoroughly enjoyable ride.

So what does one do with overtaking or overtakers? is it normal for people to overtake and then slow down? :?

chuckcork

Sounds like you've come across some very rude people.

I personally don't like anyone on my wheel unless its on a club ride when you can expect to do it and have it done to you in turn, out on the open roads without so much as a by your leave is taking liberties. What if you just suddenly decided to stop? They'd just pile into you. Same as tailgaiting when driving, its just not on.

The same goes for overtaking.

As for passing you, slowing down in front of you, then blowing snot all over you, you would have been in your rights I think to speed up and shove them off for such an offensive display, in my native Oz spitting on someone is considered serious assault and can get you jail time, even if he didn't "mean" to do so its still more than careless.

fnegroni

cc10 wrote:

I was just wondering on the proceedure of such an event.(doesn't happen often!)

Had a bit of trouble in the park yesterday, one gentleman sat on my back wheel for ever and as I am not the most consistant of riders I got a bit worried that I might have a wobble and trip him up so eventually I sat up slowed dowed and sort of signaled him to overtake.

<snip>

So I put the brakes on (rather than be coated in someone elses ick) let them get well ahead and then continued on what had previously been a thoroughly enjoyable ride.

You have done the right thing, in both instances.

Chip \'oyler

Best thing to do with a wheelsucker is to 'out' them. Turn round and ask them politely if they'd like to share some of the work. If their answer is in the negative then tell them to 'fook right off then'.

Regading your other dilemma - if they overtook then deliberately slowed down then just overtake them and continue at your own pace. If they do it again then they're obviously playing silly buggas and you're well within your rights to tell them where to go!

dennisn

Here in the states when another rider is going to come around you the usual thing that happens is they will call out "on your left"(we're on the wrong side of the road over here) and proceed to pass you. Key words here being "usually" or "sometimes".

Dennis Noward

ohlala!

I always try and keep my optimum pace. If someone overtook me and then slowed down in front of me I just pull out and overtake that person again. Eventually he/she will get too tired to overtake.

My advice - just enjoy your ride and control what you can control i.e. your breath. There will always be someone who doesn't know how to behave on the road anyways.

Fru T Bunn

dennisn wrote:

Here in the states when another rider is going to come around you the usual thing that happens is they will call out "on your left"...

Thats a good idea.

felgen

Hmmmm... sorry to hear about your getting snotted on. Thats very bad form on their part, and deserved a talking to over.

I reckon that an overtake should be attempted by putting in a lconcerted acceleration and then keeping the power for a few seconds on so that the person you are passing cant get a tow off you, or at least not unless they really work very hard for it. Then if you come to race it will hekp you too.

As for being passed and then having them sit in front of you.. I would just do the same back, but trying to use the method above. Psychological, innit?

cc10

ok cool, so I just needed to toughen up and pass them then... Think I was being a bit soft not wanting to upset anyone by overtaking and to be fair didn't want to seem a pillock by overtaking and then being caught on the slight inclines (not great at those). :oops:

I shall attempt to hunt down someone slower than me to practise on this weekend, and hopefully was just unlucky this week!!!

flasher

Think I would have been shouting a few expletives at the guy gobbing over me, or just sped up and done the same back :evil:

morxy

Roadies often draft each other, rotate and ride in each other's slipstreams. I see it as harmless sparring.

I've had riders cling to my back wheel before. No announcement. They just appear. Take it as an incentive to spar and improve with them. It encourages you to ride that little bit harder, helping them and you in the process. I see it as fleeting, improvised teamwork, camaraderie. Moments like these are often short lived as the other rider realizes they're too slow or fast for you, so you part company naturally and return to your normal pace. Maybe they're just checking you out.

Sometimes you're both of an even pace and you can gel for a mile or more. Hopefully the other rider overtakes and lets you ride in their slipstream, though. You gotta share duties. If not, forget them. You're no longer riding as a unit. Pretend they're not there and carry on riding as you were.

Also, try and see it as a mark of recognition or respect (?) that another rider chooses to ride with you. They do it because they recognize you as someone worth tailing or rotating with.

In your situation, I would definitely have overtaken those 2 who overtook you and I think it's likely they expected you to. The snot in the face is unfortunate and I'm sure they never intended it! I've been snotted on before, accidentally. Often I'm so knackered and covered in my own snot that a little more snot, even if someone else's, is the least of my concerns!

deal

chuckcork wrote:

I personally don't like anyone on my wheel unless its on a club ride when you can expect to do it and have it done to you in turn, out on the open roads without so much as a by your leave is taking liberties. What if you just suddenly decided to stop? They'd just pile into you. Same as tailgaiting when driving, its just not on.

Totally agree with this, in a group ride/race in the event of a crash you have accepted a risk but a risk you find acceptable. This isn't the case when some guy you don't know jumps onto your wheel, it brings up nasty issues if an accident were to occur.

fuzzynavel

morxy wrote:

Also, try and see it as a mark of recognition or respect (?) that another rider chooses to ride with you. They do it because they recognize you as someone worth tailing or rotating with.

I like the way you think.....I have quite often seen someone ahead of me and pushed a little harder so that I catch up faster before they have a chance to turn off.....We then have a chat for a while and then I speed up again to my normal pace. I can't remember the last time that I got caught by someone else apart from on a club run in a group that was way above my level and I destroyed myself keeping up to the point that I bonked and got caught by the slower group!

trickeyja

Generally if the cyclist is going say 3mph slower than me I overtake. If they are going at roughly my pace I will probably go out to the side and say hi and perhaps ride with them for a couple of miles. If someone overtook me then slowed down I would just overtake them back and make sure they had no chance of catching up!

roger_merriman

deal wrote:

chuckcork wrote:

I personally don't like anyone on my wheel unless its on a club ride when you can expect to do it and have it done to you in turn, out on the open roads without so much as a by your leave is taking liberties. What if you just suddenly decided to stop? They'd just pile into you. Same as tailgaiting when driving, its just not on.

Totally agree with this, in a group ride/race in the event of a crash you have accepted a risk but a risk you find acceptable. This isn't the case when some guy you don't know jumps onto your wheel, it brings up nasty issues if an accident were to occur.

indeed get a lot of that in richmound park, who pass very closely far too closely, not just the dynamic lot.

gareth2134

I thinks its good you slowed down and waited for him to move on before you got back in to it but at the same time its a pain that you should ruin your rythem because lance armstrong wants to show off.

he may of just been trying to pull in front then slow down ready for you both to share the front and he didn't realise he slowed to much could of been a beginner i suppose.

Ive only just moved on to the road biking myself and go with my friend and we have not yet come across anything or anyone like that and hopefully we dont either because my friend can be quite the opposite to me and if someone did spit at us he best like walking.

I'm still showing my friend the way of being less bothered by mindless acts hopefully before we come across a spitter haha.

Animal100

This all reminds me of something that happened a long time ago. I was travelling from Bexleyheath to Welling to see my girlfriend. Minding my own business on my Raleigh 5 speed from Halfords. I passed a couple of guys and thought nothing of it. They then come along side and said I suppose you think you are clever coming past. I said I dont know what you are talking about, Im just going to see my girlfriend. With that they both came past. I wasn't going to do anything but the second one flicked his backwheel so close to my front wheel that it very nearly touched. Now being used to commuting 30 miles a day Monday to Friday and pacing variuous riders I met on my commute I thought I was pretty quick. I picked up speed immediatley and passed them again, said nothing when I overtook them and clearly blew them into the weeds, I never saw them anymore. It left me thinking what the hell was that all about? Now I know - they were all togged up in their racing clobber and they didn't like being passed by a teenager in jeans!

OOtzen-Booty

Talking of overtaking I ride a MTB on the road and usually get overtaked by a few roadies,but today while comming towards the end of 40m ride up a set of decent hills a Roadie over took me going up 1st hill. So i just carried on my pace reguardless hit the second hill after a small falt section and i find myself right on the wheel of this roadie,I could of overtaken him but thought better of it as my ride for today was nearing a finnish.

Which brings to my point,Obviously roadies will piss all over a MTB all day long but this has happened a coulple of times.

ITS ALL Roadie Ego....................They ride a good game but 2 miles up the road there knackered and settling into a pace no different from MTB.

Animal100

Not so long ago I was also at an end to one one my MTB rides 35 miles I think it was. A roadie came past me just after a climb and actually passed a compliment, he said 'not bad for a moutain biker'. I just said cheers mate. He ever so slowly pulled ahead. I was spent and not far to go so kept at my own pace.

OOtzen-Booty

Animal100 wrote:

Not so long ago I was also at an end to one one my MTB rides 35 miles I think it was. A roadie came past me just after a climb and actually passed a compliment, he said 'not bad for a moutain biker'. I just said cheers mate. He ever so slowly pulled ahead. I was spent and not far to go so kept at my own pace.

Fair play to to the Roadie,A decent bloke

OOtzen-Booty

Animal100 wrote:

Not so long ago I was also at an end to one one my MTB rides 35 miles I think it was. A roadie came past me just after a climb and actually passed a compliment, he said 'not bad for a moutain biker'. I just said cheers mate. He ever so slowly pulled ahead. I was spent and not far to go so kept at my own pace.

Fair play to to the Roadie,A decent bloke

OOtzen-Booty

Animal100 wrote:

Not so long ago I was also at an end to one one my MTB rides 35 miles I think it was. A roadie came past me just after a climb and actually passed a compliment, he said 'not bad for a moutain biker'. I just said cheers mate. He ever so slowly pulled ahead. I was spent and not far to go so kept at my own pace.

Fair play to to the Roadie,A decent bloke...........manners cost u nout

OOtzen-Booty

Animal100 wrote:

Not so long ago I was also at an end to one one my MTB rides 35 miles I think it was. A roadie came past me just after a climb and actually passed a compliment, he said 'not bad for a moutain biker'. I just said cheers mate. He ever so slowly pulled ahead. I was spent and not far to go so kept at my own pace.

Fair play to to the Roadie,A decent bloke...........manners cost u nout

Stumpy Ade

I'm not sure I get the whole drafting thing. When I go out, I usually do it for training purposes, so I wouldn't want to make life easier by drafting off of anyone else, as it defeats the object.

Although I'm not sure I'd be delighted if someone sat on my wheel for any length of time.

Why would you want to do it ? what's the benefit ?

Tino4444

cc10 wrote:

I was just wondering on the proceedure of such an event.(doesn't happen often!)

Had a bit of trouble in the park yesterday, one gentleman sat on my back wheel for ever and as I am not the most consistant of riders I got a bit worried that I might have a wobble and trip him up so eventually I sat up slowed dowed and sort of signaled him to overtake.

Then a few laps later I got overtaken by two cyclists who then proceeded to pretty much slow down right in front of me. I didn't want to then overtake them as it seemed a bit stupid but it also seemed rude for me just to sit there and be sucked along whilst my heartrate plummeted. Then as I weighed up options on what might be the correct procedure one of the guys in front (they were two abreast) spat to the side.. which meant basically on me due to the projection and wind and speed. Honestly couldn't believe a rider could be so inconsiderate, then as I brewed in disbelief he did it again!!! :oops:

So I put the brakes on (rather than be coated in someone elses ick) let them get well ahead and then continued on what had previously been a thoroughly enjoyable ride.

So what does one do with overtaking or overtakers? is it normal for people to overtake and then slow down? :?

Thats just rude and absolutely disgusting!!!

You should have pulled along side him and give him a piece of your mind. Some people are so dumb that they have no idea of what is around them and whether or not they have actually upset anyone!!

If they overtake you and then slow you down just overtake them.

I met up with a group of riders the other week from a club (which I shall not name) but I caught up with them on a weekend ride. I too did not want to overtake them as I was concerned that it may look like I was showing off, so I joined the back of their group and simply yelled ''morning lads''. One of the riders at the back turned and looked at me as if to say who the hell do you think you are joining our ride and nobody else even acknowleged me!!

So this riled me that they could be so ignorant so I pulled out into the middle of the road and sped past them not even saying a word!!

I then looked over my shoulder 30 seconds later and the front 2 had broken away from the group to try and catch me. No way was I gonna allow that to happen and give them the satisfaction......I lost them (ass h*les).

Sorry...rant over!!

Tino.

pneumatic

Here's a suggestion. Why not engage them in conversation? Start with a "hello" and then perhaps "nice day for a ride", "going far?" . "nice bike" usually works, too! If they don't respond to such pleasantries, then you know they are just not worth bothering with.

all this sultry second guessing of other riders' motives and grim surly silences is just asking for a misunderstanding leading to road rage.

Of course, you need to have enough breath to ride and talk simultaneously and you need to remember that some people use interpersonal aggression in place of energy gels to give them a boost.

Frank the tank

I've said it before, cyclists are a funny lot.

I like the idea of the approach pneumatic would employ, it's the sort of thing I would do,Tino4444's experience doesn't suprise me though.