Riding etiquette

Skippa

It's not a race, it's a a bike ride, yet a guy that comes out cycling with me always sits on my back wheel and NEVER takes a turn at the front.

Is it bad to sit on someone's back wheel for a WHOLE RIDE, only to try and kick clear on the hills? I get somewhat annoyed every time I cycle into a head wind, putting in bags of effort, only to look over my shoulder to see someone slipstreaming me the whole way. Personally I think this is pretty bad cycling etiquette. Any one agree or am I being hyper sensitive?

Anyone else got other experiences of bad cycling etiquette from fellow riders?

fastandfurry

Skippa wrote:

It's not a race, it's a a bike ride, yet a guy that comes out cycling with me always sits on my back wheel and NEVER takes a turn at the front.

Is it bad to sit on someone's back wheel for a WHOLE RIDE, only to try and kick clear on the hills? I get somewhat annoyed every time I cycle into a head wind, putting in bags of effort, only to look over my shoulder to see someone slipstreaming me the whole way. Personally I think this is pretty bad cycling etiquette. Any one agree or am I being hyper sensitive?

Anyone else got other experiences of bad cycling etiquette from fellow riders?

You might think it bad form - but maybe this rider doesn't think they'll be able to keep up on the hills. If it bothers you, just do the same as you'd do in a race - wave people through or sit up and force them to come through. No point getting annoyed!

nweststeyn

If I'm out with a 'group' and we are taking turns, then I'll do my turn.

If I'm in a group and end up sitting on someones wheel, it's because they're riding stronger than I can ride that day and I am struggling to keep up. However, it sounds like this may not be the case, so just sit up and see what they do. I assume you know him personally, isn't it more fun to chat now and then anyway rather than sit in someones wheel all the time?

Herbsman

If he comes riding with you why don't you just talk to him instead of moaning about him on the internet?

I physically couldn't come through and take a turn in front of a guy I used to go riding with. Nowadays I can, and do, but I think he prefers to be on the front anyway. Sometimes he is difficult to keep up with, but I climb much faster than him, so end up going past him on climbs and leaving him 200m behind. Perhaps your mate has the same 'problem'? Just talk it through with him and sort it out like grown ups.

jibberjim

So if he's a stranger, he's rude full stop. If he's your friend, WTF are you moaning about it on a forum, talk to the guy about your expectations. If it's a club run, then your club rules and conventions will dictate what happens. Personally I would never join a club that required people to do "turns on the front" to enable them to go their own pace up hills etc.

inseine

Firstly, I know i'm old fashioned, but someone can sit on my wheel all day if they want but it's the riding away on the hills or attacking from behind that gets my goat. People don't seem to have learnt what used to be the basic group riding manners back in the day. Pointing out obstacles is another. This sort of talk usually gets you panned these days

ShutUpLegs

Skippa wrote:

am I being hyper sensitive?

Yes

nunowoolmez

Don't reckon you're being overly sensitive, if he was sucking my wheel & then attacking on hills & stuff then this would p#@s me off too. Just talk to him & sort it out, i assume you are friends. Whats the worst that can happen!

shockedsoshocked

Sounds boring for you.

Tell him to get alongside and chat.

Cleat Eastwood

look on the bright side - he may think you have a sexy ass

inkyfingers

Last summer I had a stranger sit on my wheel into a block headwind for about 5 miles, as I got more and more annoyed I rode harder and harder to try and get rid of him but couldn't do it. We then got to a junction where we had to slow down and he pulled up next to me, I was ready to have a polite go at him but before I could say anything he thanked me for giving him such a hard workout, and I realised that actually we'd both gained!

mamba80

Just have a chat, its not a race is it? talk to him and tell him/her what you want to do, he isnt telepathic and may assume that you want to ride hard/at the front and he doesnt want to spoil your work out or he may have no idea what to do, so you can educate him/her?

Personally, i found people who crash alongside you in a race far more annoying

The-beast

personally i always opt to ride on the front... i get the better work out and better improvments

dave25

What does it matter if someone is on your wheel and speeds off? Its not a race, so who cares, if they dont want to do any pacemaking, so what? You werent planning having someone there to slipsteam from in the first place, so whats the point getting worked up about it?

Tom Butcher

Yes it's poor etiquette but as others have said why not just have a word with them - a bit of good natured ribbing about wheel sucking should do it - better still just pull out and ride side by side if the roads allow it - much more sociable.

inseine

personally i always opt to ride on the front... i get the better work out and better improvments

You might find that you get a better work out and better improvements riding properly in a group, as long as everyone is sensible and you're not completely mismatched in terms of fitness.

Velonutter

I've been riding with my club for three years now, we are all mates at the end of the day, we all want something different out of cycling.

There are days when I am weak and days when I can push it, I'm slow on the hills but very fast on the flat and downhills, so between us we work it out, normally by one of us taking the pish and saying something friendly but sarky!

The important thing is enjoy it through the pain, talk and exchange your thoughts at the cafe stops and if you don't have cafe stops then you are missing out!

nferrar

It's not really an issue - you get the most training effect anyway. It's a bit crap to sit on someone's wheel and only go to front on hills but even then if he's an 8 stone whippet he'll find the hills a lot easier than trundling along the flat into a headwind. If you're doing a proper through-and-off chaingang though then you should be doing a turn unless they're all a lot fitter and you're barely surviving and in that case you shouldn't be sprinting up climbs.

jibberjim

nferrar wrote:

If you're doing a proper through-and-off chaingang though then you should be doing a turn unless they're all a lot fitter and you're barely surviving and in that case you shouldn't be sprinting up climbs.

Unless you want to, why would you ride with people who force you to do a turn? Or indeed why would you force someone to do something they don't want to do?

rolf_f

Just take the positive karma (and concentrate on trying to drop him next time).

It is mildly irritating if they use the energy they've saved to break though. I towed a bloke up a long drag in Leeds last week. I was in commuting kit on my tourer, he was in full roadie getup (including a goatee irrc!) - at the top of the hill he just blasted past me and the gearing of the Dawes didn't give me a chance to catch up (though I did keep the gap constant). I thought that was pretty rude but if he'd been as hard as I am, he'd have helped out on the climb. He probably just felt a bit of a girl getting a tow off a 20 year old heavy touring bike!

Tom Dean

Rolf F wrote:

He probably just felt a bit of a girl getting a tow off a 20 year old heavy touring bike!

Not like you eh Rolf? You are much more masculine. Thanks for the story.

mattshrops

When he attacks on the hill and goes off in front- turn left. Oh sorry did you get lost?