The ultimate drafting fairy

DonDaddyD
DonDaddyD Posts: 12,689
edited May 2011 in Commuting chat
Guy, football shorts, trainers on a white Trek Hybrid.

This guy, stupidly, rides his bike in the biggest gear possible. When he isn't following someone he, annoyingly, only manages to hold 15mph. So you overtake him and then suddnly he manages to find 20-21mph and sits behind your wheel in that uncomfortable distance on your right - where if you look back he is both too close to see what's behind you/him and at the same accurately determine where he is positioned in relation to your back wheel.

It gets worse. You drop him at anything from 23mp and I tested this (repeatedly) along Clapham Rd and Kennington Park rd (A3) - he won't go faster han 21mph it seems, despite being in the highest/biggest gear on the bike. You stop at the lights (there are a many) and he'll proceed to filter around you park his bike ahead of yours. Once the lights are green he'll set off at 15mph and hold 15mph and you can see him struggling as the gear is too big. So, you overtake, find 20mph, and there he is sitting on your well in the uncomfortable distance I mentioned earlier.

And that - the second paragraph - is one of the most infuriating things I've encountered on a bike ever!

If you think you have a story to top that, please share!
Food Chain number = 4

A true scalp is not only overtaking someone but leaving them stopped at a set of lights. As you, who have clearly beaten the lights, pummels nothing but the open air ahead. ~ 'DondaddyD'. Player of the Unspoken Game

Comments

  • Sharkyssurfers
    Sharkyssurfers Posts: 767
    i also find riders that pull off in the hardest gear possible infuriating, i feel like giving them a lessin in what the shifters actually do :evil:
    Sorry its not me it's the bike ;o)

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  • iPete
    iPete Posts: 6,076
    roadies with SPD-sl are the most annoying off the lights! Even the super quick experienced looking guys dawdle away trying to get hooked in again.
  • Clever Pun
    Clever Pun Posts: 6,778
    when you overtake, do so at a distance so he cant latch on and only get back in line once there's a gap

    also pass him faster he wont have the acceleration to bridge the gap and then he's back to 15

    that or he's just fucking with you
    Purveyor of sonic doom

    Very Hairy Roadie - FCN 4
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  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,660
    Indeed.

    A Cancellara "up-and-over" is the only way forward.

    When you get near to him, you have to 'attack' past him....
    _
  • Flyingbogey
    Flyingbogey Posts: 352
    I am a bit slow from the lights and wind it up gradually. I think i'm worried about a failure of drivetrain at max effort to get up speed which comes around fairly briskly. I am a lazy downshifter though. Must try harder.
    Bianchi Nirone C2C FCN4
  • suzyb
    suzyb Posts: 3,449
    I think someday I'm going to go down to London just to cycle aroudn the place during rush hour.

    The forums would be full of posts complaining about my riding :lol:
    Whippet
  • will3
    will3 Posts: 2,173
    Seriously? someone in a big gear that can accellerate from 15mph to 20+ in time to latch onto your rear wheel? Either he'd got amazing accelleration or you're just not passing fast enough.

    given you had time to note:
    Guy, football shorts, trainers on a white Trek Hybrid.
    I suspect the latter!
  • bails87
    bails87 Posts: 12,998
    You need some James Bond style oil sprays on the back of your bike. That'll learn him.
    MTB/CX

    "As I said last time, it won't happen again."
  • will3
    will3 Posts: 2,173
    bails87 wrote:
    You need some James Bond style oil sprays on the back of your bike. That'll learn him.

    I find baked beans, cabbage and curry the night before helps.............
  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,853
    .... or plenty of London Pride.
    Kinesis Pro6
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  • iPete
    iPete Posts: 6,076
    will3 wrote:
    bails87 wrote:
    You need some James Bond style oil sprays on the back of your bike. That'll learn him.

    I find baked beans, cabbage and curry the night before helps.............

    The guy that dropped his pannier in front of me did a good job of stopping me in my tracks last week :shock:
  • will3
    will3 Posts: 2,173
    Alternatively wear some really worn-thin shorts. Makes most folk keep their distance.
  • graeme_s-2
    graeme_s-2 Posts: 3,382
    iPete wrote:
    The guy that dropped his pannier
    Is that a euphemism? :shock:
  • cjcp
    cjcp Posts: 13,345
    You need to meet that chap who rides a silver Giant along Embankment, the LRR etc. Spidey sense kicks in big time when I see him.

    And Bobble Hat Man.
    FCN 2-4.

    "What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
    "It stays down, Daddy."
    "Exactly."
  • jonny_trousers
    jonny_trousers Posts: 3,588
    iPete wrote:
    roadies with SPD-sl are the most annoying off the lights! Even the super quick experienced looking guys dawdle away trying to get hooked in again.

    In the process of ditching my Look Deltas on the road bike for this very reason. Embarrassing as hell to be overtaken by people on Boris bikes because I can't always get the flip and click thing spot on. Just bought a second-hand pair of Speedplay Zeros that I have high hopes for.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,660
    iPete wrote:
    roadies with SPD-sl are the most annoying off the lights! Even the super quick experienced looking guys dawdle away trying to get hooked in again.

    That'll be me.
    _
  • dhope
    dhope Posts: 6,699
    Jonny_Trousers wrote:
    iPete wrote:
    roadies with SPD-sl are the most annoying off the lights! Even the super quick experienced looking guys dawdle away trying to get hooked in again.

    In the process of ditching my Look Deltas on the road bike for this very reason. Embarrassing as hell to be overtaken by people on Boris bikes because I can't always get the flip and click thing spot on. Just bought a second-hand pair of Speedplay Zeros that I have high hopes for.
    Can you not do what I do when I try to clip (SPD, not SL) in the wrong side and just leave it half a rotation and try again? Granted, I'm on a fixed gear so I keep pedalling but wouldn't the same thing work geared on SPD-SL?
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  • jonny_trousers
    jonny_trousers Posts: 3,588
    dhope wrote:
    Jonny_Trousers wrote:
    iPete wrote:
    roadies with SPD-sl are the most annoying off the lights! Even the super quick experienced looking guys dawdle away trying to get hooked in again.

    In the process of ditching my Look Deltas on the road bike for this very reason. Embarrassing as hell to be overtaken by people on Boris bikes because I can't always get the flip and click thing spot on. Just bought a second-hand pair of Speedplay Zeros that I have high hopes for.
    Can you not do what I do when I try to clip (SPD, not SL) in the wrong side and just leave it half a rotation and try again? Granted, I'm on a fixed gear so I keep pedalling but wouldn't the same thing work geared on SPD-SL?

    Not really, but that's as much to do with the shoes as it is the pedals. With the SPDs (M520s) on my single speed I can easily pedal a rotation or two without successfully clipping in because of the grip on my shoes and the way the pedals lie. Road shoes, however, are rather slippery on the sole together with the fact that there is almost nothing to get a grip of on my Looks (same for SPD SLs and other brands) other than the actual cleat against clip mechanism. If you miss that then chances are you will slip off before managing a full rotation.
  • EKE_38BPM
    EKE_38BPM Posts: 5,821
    dhope wrote:
    Jonny_Trousers wrote:
    iPete wrote:
    roadies with SPD-sl are the most annoying off the lights! Even the super quick experienced looking guys dawdle away trying to get hooked in again.

    In the process of ditching my Look Deltas on the road bike for this very reason. Embarrassing as hell to be overtaken by people on Boris bikes because I can't always get the flip and click thing spot on. Just bought a second-hand pair of Speedplay Zeros that I have high hopes for.
    Can you not do what I do when I try to clip (SPD, not SL) in the wrong side and just leave it half a rotation and try again? Granted, I'm on a fixed gear so I keep pedalling but wouldn't the same thing work geared on SPD-SL?

    I know with my carbon soled SPD-SLs that the sole is far too slippery to attempt to pedal on the wrong side. Its clip in or nothing.

    Also, if you are starting off in too high a gear, you may not have enough awesome to pedal that half rotation without dawdling.
    FCN 3: Raleigh Record Ace fixie-to be resurrected sometime in the future
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  • SimonAH
    SimonAH Posts: 3,730
    That would be the time to practice the trackstand then?
    FCN 5 belt driven fixie for city bits
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    Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast.
  • itboffin
    itboffin Posts: 20,072
    Jonny_Trousers wrote:
    iPete wrote:
    roadies with SPD-sl are the most annoying off the lights! Even the super quick experienced looking guys dawdle away trying to get hooked in again.

    In the process of ditching my Look Deltas on the road bike for this very reason. Embarrassing as hell to be overtaken by people on Boris bikes because I can't always get the flip and click thing spot on. Just bought a second-hand pair of Speedplay Zeros that I have high hopes for.

    keep us posted on your progress with the speedplays I'm just about done with look, downright dangerous they are.
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  • jonny_trousers
    jonny_trousers Posts: 3,588
    itboffin wrote:
    Jonny_Trousers wrote:
    iPete wrote:
    roadies with SPD-sl are the most annoying off the lights! Even the super quick experienced looking guys dawdle away trying to get hooked in again.

    In the process of ditching my Look Deltas on the road bike for this very reason. Embarrassing as hell to be overtaken by people on Boris bikes because I can't always get the flip and click thing spot on. Just bought a second-hand pair of Speedplay Zeros that I have high hopes for.

    keep us posted on your progress with the speedplays I'm just about done with look, downright dangerous they are.

    Will do!

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