Wheel Suckers

dee4life2005

Commuting home on friday evening, full ride in the dark. It was hard going into a headwind 15-20mph headwind, so I was going about 4 mph slower than normal so didn't feel safe sticking to a stretch of main road and took to a cycle path instead. After about quarter mile there is a 90 degree bend in the path so I did a quick check over my shoulder before moving out (second nature now) ... and was almost blinded by some fecker sitting about 1 foot off my back wheel (they were on a road bike, me on my boardman hybrid). Hadn't heard them approach and with the brightness of my front lights hadn't seem the beam from theirs until I looked back ...

Around the bend I kept well over the to the left thinking they were coming through, but they didn't ... I tried slowing down a little ... they still didn't come through. I was feeling a bit nervous having a stranger riding so close in the dark, and with a number of bends it was making me especially nervous slowing down for the corners. I gestured for them to come through, and asked them to take a turn on the front, which was completely ignored. So once we got past all bends and were on to the sections covered by street lights I put the hammer down (trainer road sessions being put to good use here). They didn't stay with me for long

This is my first "wheel sucker" experience ... one that I hope isn't repeated to often. How do you lot cope with the wheel suckers ?

nweststeyn

Just feel good about the fact that you're getting all the training benefit...

zx6man

Never had one myself, but I would slow down to a stop, then set off when they pass, or pull your pants down, that may work....

Neale1978

Ive never had anyone on my tail either but i'd most likely turn it into a top gun situation, such as moving and dabbing the brakes so the target would pass by and then you move in behind him, switch to guns, eliminate them and return to base for tea and crumpets

jonomc4

why worry? Nothing wrong with wheel suckers or wheel sucking - get over yourself.

chrisaonabike

dee4life2005 wrote:

sitting about 1 foot off my back wheel

Would "can you not sit so close please mate, it's making me nervous" work?

Not that I've experienced anyone that close, but most people are reasonable I'd have thought?

Mdins

Ha "top gun situatuion", brilliant. Yeah I experienced it into a horrible head wind from a much older rider who obviously saw me coming, beasting into the wind like Nigella at a sunday dinner and jumped on my wheel, must've carried him for 2 miles before I realised. I was quite proud he was happy with my pace and impressed at how much he done me over. Experience wins every time. Didn't worry me that he was so close as i'm getting used to club runs where this the norm. Take it as a compliment he felt safe on your wheel...but make sure you drop him...

dee4life2005

jonomc4 wrote:

why worry? Nothing wrong with wheel suckers or wheel sucking - get over yourself.

I wouldn't have bothered in the slightest if it had been daylight or if it had been on the road ... but this particular path isn't the greatest with a couple of pot-holes / drain covers that you have to avoid and there are quite a few 90 degree bends - and it's largely unlit, so the corners can sometimes sneak up on you. I wasn't sure of their riding experience / familiarity with this path hence why I was nervous having them so close - didn't want them ploughing into me when I was slowing for a corner.

I did request that they come through, but this was ignored.

seanorawe

No one sucks my wheel. Everyone else is too busy over taking me

DavidJB

Who cares? If someone wants to sit behind me and take it easy they can...I don't care...as long as they don't feel they have to 'take a turn' and start messing with my effort levels and making my HR drop. Ride at your own pace and don't care what anyone else does.

smidsy

Happened to me for the first time on Saturday. Head wind and towards the end of my 25 miles for the day.

Just heard the tell tale gear shifting sound and looked round to see this guy with a Pinnarello and all the Assos gear sat there - no acknowledgement. He stayed there for about 3 miles until we went different ways at a roundabout - I clocked him again as he went round and still no acknowledgement. :?

I initially got a bit narked by it but later realised that it is was probably the first time I was putting in enough pace for someone to actually consider it fast enough to want to sit on my wheel. :P Either that or the first time someone slower than me actually exists. :roll:

amaferanga

If there are any nasty, deep potholes then swerve around them at the last minute and let him bump through. Then he might realise how f*cking stupid it is to draft someone you don't know. If anyone tries drafting me I tell them straight that I'm not having it and I would never even think about drafting some random stranger myself.

shmo

Three options, to be performed in order of failure: ignore them; drop them; move into gutter, slow down and wait till they go past.

beams87

If you do wheel suck, then return the favour by sitting out in front , then both riders are surely benefiting . You then get where you want to go quicker!

What really gets my goat is when someone sits on your wheel, then slingshots past you at such a pace where you cannot bridge the gap to take advantage of his slip stream...

asprilla

jonomc4 wrote:

why worry? Nothing wrong with wheel suckers or wheel sucking - get over yourself.

Apart from being dumb and dangerous?

I've had folks go into the back of me because they didn't expect me to slow for a ped crossing.

It's fine for club riding with people you know, communicating with each other and everyone knowing the issues they are likely to face. On the commute with folks you don't know and without telling them you are doing it? That's poor form.

fast as fupp

just let loose a trouser cough

or several :evil:

EdgarAllenPoe

I find farting as loudly and odiferously as possible can solve this problem.

StorckSpeed

I used to meet a guy fairly regularly in the mornings. I would zip up behind and zoom past, then he would kill himself to get on my wheel and just sit there for the next 3 miles. It bothered me at first and I did my best to lose him but after a while I became too complacent to bother. One day we were stopped at some traffic lights and I introduced myself. From then on we always did some cheery hellos, a bit of banter at the traffic lights. It fairly cheered up the morning commute, this went on for around 2 years, he was a fireman and he transferred to another station.
It also happened recently. I only noticed as I turned to look behind me before indicating right. It was really windy and pissing with rain but I just gave a cheery good-morning and said what a lovely day for a ride......

Try not to let it bother you too much. Treat it as a compliment that he thought you were going too fast to pass. (He probably knackered himself to catch you anyway). Next time try a cheery hello and see what happens.....

zx6man

Dont think it really bothers anyone...unless they have to brake hard.

thegreatdivide

Asprilla wrote:

jonomc4 wrote:

why worry? Nothing wrong with wheel suckers or wheel sucking - get over yourself.

Apart from being dumb and dangerous?

I've had folks go into the back of me because they didn't expect me to slow for a ped crossing.

It's fine for club riding with people you know, communicating with each other and everyone knowing the issues they are likely to face. On the commute with folks you don't know and without telling them you are doing it? That's poor form.

Agreed.

slowondefy2

Liberally spread spit and snot.

TakeTurns

LegendLust

Wheel suckers are alright if they acknowledge you, or at least say Hi - but most of the fookers just sit there and say nowt.

If they're gonna get a free ride at least say thanks!

fevmeister

thegreatdivide wrote:

Asprilla wrote:

jonomc4 wrote:

why worry? Nothing wrong with wheel suckers or wheel sucking - get over yourself.

Apart from being dumb and dangerous?

I've had folks go into the back of me because they didn't expect me to slow for a ped crossing.

It's fine for club riding with people you know, communicating with each other and everyone knowing the issues they are likely to face. On the commute with folks you don't know and without telling them you are doing it? That's poor form.

Agreed.

+1

Joeblack

Asprilla wrote:

jonomc4 wrote:

why worry? Nothing wrong with wheel suckers or wheel sucking - get over yourself.

Apart from being dumb and dangerous?

I've had folks go into the back of me because they didn't expect me to slow for a ped crossing.

It's fine for club riding with people you know, communicating with each other and everyone knowing the issues they are likely to face. On the commute with folks you don't know and without telling them you are doing it? That's poor form.

This...

At the end of the day would you let someone drive that close to you? Or would you think it ok to drive that close in behind someone you don't know, why? Because its dangerous and the benefits are negligible at slower speeds

I don't want some wiggo wannabe totalling my bike because he wanted to get out of the wind for a few miles.

I'd just pull up and let them past

snickwell

All sounds a bit weird to me... 'wheel sucking', 'taking a turn on the front'? You're commuting, not training. If its really bothering you, indicate that you're slowing down/coming to a stop and wait for him to go. I mean really, were you really expecting to be taking turns on a commute home? Plus, you're on a cycle path, lord knows how wide it was and whether he/she wanted to risk overtaking.

Grill

snickwell wrote:

All sounds a bit weird to me... 'wheel sucking', 'taking a turn on the front'? You're commuting, not training. If its really bothering you, indicate that you're slowing down/coming to a stop and wait for him to go. I mean really, were you really expecting to be taking turns on a commute home? Plus, you're on a cycle path, lord knows how wide it was and whether he/she wanted to risk overtaking.

This.

1 foot off the back is plenty considering chain-gangs see less at much greater speed in much larger groups.

Joeblack

Grill wrote:

snickwell wrote:

All sounds a bit weird to me... 'wheel sucking', 'taking a turn on the front'? You're commuting, not training. If its really bothering you, indicate that you're slowing down/coming to a stop and wait for him to go. I mean really, were you really expecting to be taking turns on a commute home? Plus, you're on a cycle path, lord knows how wide it was and whether he/she wanted to risk overtaking.

This.

1 foot off the back is plenty considering chain-gangs see less at much greater speed in much larger groups.

Agreed on the fact it's a commute but regardless of what chain gangs or pelatons do I wouldn't want some randomer on my wheel, or I on his tbh :roll:

snickwell

Also, can we just clarify that on a commute, the amount of benefit that someone behind you is getting is absolutely minimal. Some people are talking about giving 'wheelsuckers' an easy ride for mile after mile. Well, unless you're pounding along your commute at 20+mph, the amount of resistance you're punching the guy or gal behind is tiny.

Be honest, you don't really feel much of a tow even if you're doing two and through until you're hitting 18mph...

blackpoolkev

Spitting,farting and p*ssing in the direction of someone that has dared to position their bike behind yours-I really do despair at the attitudes of some folk.

gloomyandy

snickwell wrote:

Also, can we just clarify that on a commute, the amount of benefit that someone behind you is getting is absolutely minimal. Some people are talking about giving 'wheelsuckers' an easy ride for mile after mile. Well, unless you're pounding along your commute at 20+mph, the amount of resistance you're punching the guy or gal behind is tiny.

Be honest, you don't really feel much of a tow even if you're doing two and through until you're hitting 18mph...

Not really true if there is a headwind though (which the OP said there was). On the way back from our clubs cafe run on Saturday, we had a monster headwind. Riding as a group of four the two sitting in behind had a much easier time of it, free-wheeling some of the time while the two up front were working hard...