Someone's on ya wheel: are you bothered?
Toks
Posts: 1,143
I must admit it doesn't bother me. Quite often it will motivate me to push down on the pedals a bit harder. If we're a good match we may start taking turns if not I pull away or someone pulls away from me. Its all good no probs. 8) At the end of 10 laps around regents park today a guy on a TT bike blasted by and I hopped on his back wheel. Immediately he swung aggressively to the far right (clearly not wanting me on his wheel). OK I got the message and let him go. It was kinda funny he kept looking back to make sure I wasn't returning :In five years of riding seriously I've never seen that sort of reaction before lol:
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You should've told him that having a rider behind you makes you faster.
Le Blaireau (1)0 -
You should have put the hammer down, and blasted passed him, burying yourself,if need be...
That's my normal response!
Turn off that road as soon as is possible, after executing the pass.
Oh, in answer to your question... No!
Like you, it usually goads me into trying a bit harder.Start with a budget, finish with a mortgage!0 -
got to admit it gets on my nerves, especially when I've been out on a hard ride and just getting back in and some guy just hops on for a free ride....although normally I just try to go faster to lose them
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Toks wrote:I must admit it doesn't bother me. Quite often it will motivate me to push down on the pedals a bit harder. If we're a good match we may start taking turns if not I pull away or someone pulls away from me. Its all good no probs. 8) At the end of 10 laps around regents park today a guy on a TT bike blasted by and I hopped on his back wheel. Immediately he swung aggressively to the far right (clearly not wanting me on his wheel). OK I got the message and let him go. It was kinda funny he kept looking back to make sure I wasn't returning :In five years of riding seriously I've never seen that sort of reaction before lol:
I had a similar experience when riding to work.
I was following a guy for about 200 meteres when he got really angry at me sitting on his wheel and started moaning at me and waving his hands about. I asked him what was wrong but he went mute at that point and just shook his head.
Incidently, what average speeds do you do around RP?
I went after work last week and did 5 laps at an average of 17.5mph. I felt I was going quite hard ( for me at least) untill some guy came past with legs that looked like they'd been force-fed steroids for the last 10 years. He just cruised past at about 25mph with his hands on the tops. I didn't even try and follow 0 -
occasionally on my way home from work I find people latching on after I have passed them and it doesnt bother me for a while. I dont bother going any quicker in this instance as its usually the case that they are only holding on for as long as they can. eventually I'll turn to find them not there any more.
its never happened to me before but if somebody actually chased me down to sit on my wheel, then I'd put the boot in abit leading to either them getting dropped or flying past me. either way I wouldnt get angry or lose any composure over it 8)Crafted in Italy apparantly0 -
I don't like towing strangers, unless it's a gale force headwind I may allow exception. Any other time I usually just accelerate away.0
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due to having a life, it doesn't bother me0
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It doesn't bother me as most of the time it's not for long- in fact, it's quite flattering to think that I'm going fast enough for someone to want to stay behind me! Last week a guy rode on my wheel and when he turned off he shouted 'thanks for your wheel', which was cool. One time a guy stayed on my wheel for 7km. I just wished he'd pass me but he just stayed behind me and it did start to irritate me (only cos I was struggling to maintain the pace that I had been going when he joined me and I really wanted to ease off but my pride wouldn't let me. )0
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Ands wrote:It doesn't bother me as most of the time it's not for long- in fact, it's quite flattering to think that I'm going fast enough for someone to want to stay behind me! Last week a guy rode on my wheel and when he turned off he shouted 'thanks for your wheel', which was cool. One time a guy stayed on my wheel for 7km. I just wished he'd pass me but he just stayed behind me and it did start to irritate me (only cos I was struggling to maintain the pace that I had been going when he joined me and I really wanted to ease off but my pride wouldn't let me. )
He must have been enjoying the view... Start with a budget, finish with a mortgage!0 -
I think it would freak me out a little bit. I'm not confident around other bikes, and usually ride by myself or with my SO.
I wouldn't be angry, just feel like i was being pressured a little - when i'm out on my bike to get away from pressure this would diminish my enjoyment a little.
rightly or wrongly a lot of the threads on here give the impression that riding around others is quite easy to mess up and that people are likely to be angry at you if you don't do it right.blog: bellevedere0 -
Some old duffer took a tow from me for 6 or 7 km last week which took his speed from around 18 to around 40. I dragged his decrepit corpse up a hill for the whole time.
Would't have bothered me but he didn't say a word, absolutely downright rude. I could have lamped him one.God made the Earth. The Dutch made The Netherlands
FCN 11/12 - Ocasional beardy0 -
I've never been slow enough for someone else to catch up with me in the first place.
Either that or the rural areas I ride just don't have enough other riders in them for this to be an issue!0 -
Ands wrote:it's quite flattering to think that I'm going fast enough for someone to want to stay behind me!
Same... Regents Park is my regular turf, and i've bumped into quite a few guys of a similar speed to me, never had issue with someone grabbing my wheel, and never had any agro from anyone when i grab theirs.0 -
Ands wrote:
He must have been enjoying the view...
Thank you Hopper - I suppose I should be pleased you said what you did rather than what you probably thought (that he must have found good shelter from the headwind) 0 -
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Generally I don't mind but if I'm doing something specific, like short interval sets and it's obvious what I'm doing then I'm not so keen. In fact I think it's f*ckin' rude.-- Dirk Hofman Motorhomes --0
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It kinda depends where you're riding and how trusting you are. Riding on someone else's wheel is inherently unsafe and if I'm out on a shitty road with poor visibility then I want to know that I can swerve or slam on the brakes at a moment's notice. This is not the case if there's some clown overlapping my back wheel.0
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Don't care but I'd be pissed off if it was someone on a hybrid when I'm wearing full team kit on a racing bike.
But I'd be pissed at myself, not the other person. That's where the fault lies - not being fast enough to effortlessly glide away.
I don't understand taking it out on the other person, for what is a personal failure.The British Empire never died, it just moved to the Velodrome0 -
This does actually bother me. Mostly because I don't want some plonker ploughing into the back of me or taking my rear wheel out. If someone comes alongside and says hello, and asks if he/she can tag along, then fine, it gives me a chance to see who they are and make a snap assessment about their riding ability. (I actually enjoy meeting new riders on the road, I've had some quite interesting chats!) Otherwise no thank you! I'll either put the hammer down if I can, or back right off and let them take the road. For me, it's not a pride thing or anything, I just like to ride without any safety issues.0
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Wow lots of interesting comments.
Phil, I hear you on the 'intervals' one and perhaps he was doing intervals. When I hit the intervals and someone jumps on I just remain focused and when they offer their wheel I decline and stay outside them
Bronzie, he was a seriously fast Dynamo chap on a TT bike - no hard feelings I've just never seen that sort of reaction before. I don't think I could've kept up unless I was on a TT bike too
Ives, at this time of the year I average about 20mph for steadish efforts. Its usually 19/20mph up the drag and 22/23 on the flat. 17.5 and you're a newbie? that's not bad. Keep training that average will creep up. Also the wind will have a bearing on your average speed
LittleBob, it's a good point. I hadn't considered that maybe some people find it a bit unnerving0 -
I love it!
Why, cause I'm a chick 8)0 -
It depends a bit on the road conditions etc and then how close they are, if they're absolutely on my wheel, then I do get a little uncomfortable, since then that obligates me to do full call out of all potholes etc. Which is a bit of a pain when I'm just trying to work.
In Richmond Park, I generally don't mind, the only problem is when you're on a 3LC and they then try and come around to do a turn and you have to hammer straight back past them and grunt something that you hope they understand as a request to let me stay solo.Jibbering Sports Stuff: http://jibbering.com/sports/0 -
It's not as annoying as when someone goes past you, trying to be the big "I am", only to tie up 200yds further up the road. Going back past them after that is just embarassing for everyone.0
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I have only ridden around Richmond Park once and I reckon you would be a bit soft to get upset at someone sitting on your wheel around there. There are so many cyclists that its bound to happen and because of the cyclist numbers the normal friendly hello rules go out the window.
Riding round the Peak District or the Cheshire lanes is a bit different though, i'd think someone who sat on my wheel and didn't come alongside and say hello was being a bit rude. Much better to come alongside and have a chat as you make your merry way.0 -
On a sportive some guy done this only due to me relaxing so my colleague could catch up. After a while he realised I was easing up and went by, so I thought it would be rude not to return the favour and stuck to his back wheel for say a mile. He seemed to get aggitated and waved me to have a turn which I had no problem in doing.
The only thing that bothered me was he didn't get that I was cantering for ages and when it was his turn to soak up the wind it was not a long period before he gave up and flapped.0
