What is it with people and tailing

mr bricolage
mr bricolage Posts: 15
edited September 2012 in Road general
Coming back from a training run last night of about 24 miles. Start heading up Stokes Croft in Bristol and pass a chap on matt black hybrid in casual clothes and he's casually doing about 10-15 mph. I pass him doing about 22-24 mph. Next thing I know I can hear him behind me. I maintain the speed I'm doing and the cadence I want. We stop at several sets of lights and he is right on my wheel every time. He's so close I can hear the gear changes he having to make to keep up with me on the gradients. I stop at the Arches for the lights and he piles through the red lights and carries on. I don't mind people being on my tail but would be nice if at the lights they said something like "Hello, mind if I take your wheel?". As it happened I turned off shortly afterwards but I was catching him again.
What was he expecting? A race? I didn't really catch what bike it was but looked like a high end hybrid similar to the £1000 Boardman hybrids.

Comments

  • alihisgreat
    alihisgreat Posts: 3,872
    you should've gestured for him to take a turn and watched him struggle to keep the pace on the front.
  • NewTTer
    NewTTer Posts: 463
    Wow you have moved on since you posted this on 21/08/12

    "I'm hoping to go on one of the local club runs this coming Sunday which will be a pleasant challenge for me as they are usually 16mph avg and 40-50 miles"

    Now you are a 22 - 24 mph cruiser, and blating Hybrid riders into the ground.
  • Rushmore
    Rushmore Posts: 674
    22-24mph?

    shoot that must have been lance armstrong on the hybrid to keep up...
    Always remember.... Wherever you go, there you are.

    Ghost AMR 7500 2012
    De Rosa R838
  • CubeMark
    CubeMark Posts: 26
    If someone said to me "mind if i take your wheel" I'd assume he was a thief.
  • declan1
    declan1 Posts: 2,470
    CubeMark wrote:
    If someone said to me "mind if i take your wheel" I'd assume he was a thief.

    Same :lol:

    Road - Dolan Preffisio
    MTB - On-One Inbred

    I have no idea what's going on here.
  • alistaird
    alistaird Posts: 290
    declan1 wrote:
    CubeMark wrote:
    If someone said to me "mind if i take your wheel" I'd assume he was a thief.

    Same :lol:

    Especially in Brizul :mrgreen::lol::D

    A
    Alistair


    Best Weather Bike - Time ZXRS
    Summer Road Bike - Pinarello FPX Dogma
    Winter Road Bike- Colnago E1
    Being Dismantled - Sintesi Blade
    Mountain Bike - Sold them all....
  • Emphursis
    Emphursis Posts: 124
    Rushmore wrote:
    22-24mph?

    shoot that must have been lance armstrong on the hybrid to keep up...

    I've hit 25mph or so on the flat on my hardtail. Could only keep it up for about half a mile though. Nearly killed me.
  • Bozman
    Bozman Posts: 2,518
    Fair play to the man. If i was commuting(not that i do) and a lycra clad "roadie" passed me, i'd up the tempo just to make me chuckle as the rider in front thought "what the!".
  • Kingy 123
    Kingy 123 Posts: 41
    The worst place to pick up unwanted leeches [i dont mean those little black things that live in swamps] is on the local cycle path to derby.

    Im so used to it now it just makes me laugh when you speed up and they are still there red faced and gasping for breath trying to keep up.

    In general most people i meet are really friendly and end up riding with them which makes the ride more enjoyable .
  • mr bricolage
    mr bricolage Posts: 15
    NewTTer wrote:
    Wow you have moved on since you posted this on 21/08/12

    "I'm hoping to go on one of the local club runs this coming Sunday which will be a pleasant challenge for me as they are usually 16mph avg and 40-50 miles"

    Now you are a 22 - 24 mph cruiser, and blating Hybrid riders into the ground.

    I haven't moved on.I stated I passed him doing that speed (you've made a number of assumptions to suit your puposes). As it happens I took part in the club run and we averaged 16mph. Go look it up if you dont understand what average speed is.

    As for what "blating" a hybrid rider. I assume you meant:

    Travelling in a reckless and eratic manner, often at excessive speeds with little care for your own health or safety, due to extreme levels of eccentricity and genius.

    How did you come to that conclusion? Maybe the hybrid rider was doing that but not me :?
  • Slack
    Slack Posts: 326
    It happens a lot, you're just going to have to get used to it.

    I find occasional non serious cyclists tend to wheel suck, as they see it as a challenge to prove they can keep up with you.....little do they realise that they couldn't sustain the pace on the front, over county crossing distances. I once even had a chap on a road bike wheel sucking me, after I overtook him on an MTB - I thought he was quite lame that he had to draught (or is it draft?)a MTB.

    Anyway if you don't like it, you'll either have to ride him off, or engage them in conversation to encourage them to take their turn on the front.
    Plymouthsteve for councillor!!

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