Been overtaken ...

oldwelshman

When passing I usually shout "weheyyyyy" then watch as they wobble

imposter2.0

oldwelshman wrote:

When passing I usually shout "weheyyyyy" then watch as they wobble

lightweight - I usually push them into the nearest hedge*..

* I don't actually do this

vvilko

catch them by surprise, shout "on your right", and go to the left

peat

^haha

I used to call forward, but after an experience of shouting "on your right" which surprised the guy infront, looked over his shoulder and inadvertently steered right and into me, i'm a little more circumspect. We both stayed on, only just.

Now i tend to pass really wide and give a nod/wave/"morning/afternoon" as i pass.

stannie

I don't ever remember passing anyone but if I did, I would just cheer

Mettan

Toe knee wrote:

now I was just woundering if it is common practice or not to alert the rider in front with a shout of behind or similar to alert them of your presence. And so avoiding these situations.

If you're overtaking someone, have a quick shoulder check behind yourself before moving out and passing - no particular need to alert the rider infront of your presence - the onus is on you to anticipate what the rider in front might do and how they're riding (that includes them swerving or anything else).

stephenlinden

I've been overtaken a few times recently (the wind defeats me) and both gave me about a foot, if that. Had I moved to avoid a pothole or even stuck my elbow out there would have been an accident.

No warnings at all and in the wind you can't hear anyone coming.

fatsmoker

Peat wrote:

^haha

I used to call forward, but after an experience of shouting "on your right" which surprised the guy infront, looked over his shoulder and inadvertently steered right and into me, i'm a little more circumspect. We both stayed on, only just.

Now i tend to pass really wide and give a nod/wave/"morning/afternoon" as i pass.

Exactly! Yesterday, man turns round with a 'What did you say?' while veering into the road.

blackhands

I always shout 'coming up' when 2 or 3 secs before overtaking. I did recently have a few words with a group who overtook me at intervals without a word, - there was a gusting side wind from the left and I was getting blown about - if I'd known they were there I'd have slowed down.

volociroldster

I never mind if someone comes up behind at speed and does a swift properly thought through overtake giving me plenty of space. However, i just don't get it when someone comes up silently and sits unannounced on my back wheel making no attempt to say they are there or to overtake. On a few occasions when i have slowed down and encouraged them to pass they seemingly didn't want to, or in doing so they hadn't got the power to ride clear. I often wonder if some just like to play 'peloton'. A bit dangerous if all of the riders aren't in sync, makes it kinda worse/silly when the guy on the back wheel turns out to be in full pro replica kit.

vvilko

volociroldster wrote:

I never mind if someone comes up behind at speed and does a swift properly thought through overtake giving me plenty of space. However, i just don't get it when someone comes up silently and sits unannounced on my back wheel making no attempt to say they are there or to overtake. On a few occasions when i have slowed down and encouraged them to pass they seemingly didn't want to, or in doing so they hadn't got the power to ride clear. I often wonder if some just like to play 'peloton'. A bit dangerous if all of the riders aren't in sync, makes it kinda worse/silly when the guy on the back wheel turns out to be in full pro replica kit.

Your not female are you?!?
You could of been purposely followed

roger_merriman

volociroldster wrote:

I never mind if someone comes up behind at speed and does a swift properly thought through overtake giving me plenty of space. However, i just don't get it when someone comes up silently and sits unannounced on my back wheel making no attempt to say they are there or to overtake. On a few occasions when i have slowed down and encouraged them to pass they seemingly didn't want to, or in doing so they hadn't got the power to ride clear. I often wonder if some just like to play 'peloton'. A bit dangerous if all of the riders aren't in sync, makes it kinda worse/silly when the guy on the back wheel turns out to be in full pro replica kit.

It is one of the stereotypical roadie habits, to draft unannounced or overtake very close.

Now the majority of the risk is taken by the drafter but not the whole risk, hence the annoyance.

volociroldster

Your not female are you?!?
You could have been purposely followed [/quote]

Nah, very much opposite. i am a big lad though so it can be advantageous for some to sit behind me and gain advantage going into a breeze.

Hoopdriver

Supermurph09 wrote:

I normally just say something, "just passing you on the right", normally when I'm about 1-2 bike lengths behind.

I do the same thing. And then give them plenty of room anyway

markhewitt1978

volociroldster wrote:

I never mind if someone comes up behind at speed and does a swift properly thought through overtake giving me plenty of space. However, i just don't get it when someone comes up silently and sits unannounced on my back wheel making no attempt to say they are there or to overtake. On a few occasions when i have slowed down and encouraged them to pass they seemingly didn't want to, or in doing so they hadn't got the power to ride clear. I often wonder if some just like to play 'peloton'. A bit dangerous if all of the riders aren't in sync, makes it kinda worse/silly when the guy on the back wheel turns out to be in full pro replica kit.

If you are just out cycling then yes, it's bad form. But if you are doing a sportive / other bike ride, then it's to be expected.

thehungryegg

Mostly riding to and from work I'd have to say I like to be pretty defensive. Coming in and out of Cambridge the congestion of cars/bikes/pedestrians/buses doing odd things is reasonably bad. I might be being overly cautious but I always look ahead and will quite happily follow someone slower for a few minutes if there's a massive line of cars going past.

I'd rather make it home in one piece and be slightly later for my cuppa than be spread out on the side of a car pulling out and not looking.

lotus49

markhewitt1978 wrote:

If you are just out cycling then yes, it's bad form. But if you are doing a sportive / other bike ride, then it's to be expected.

I have always understood this to be the case so despite having fancied a bit of shelter from the wind a few times, I have always refrained from doing so.

I do wonder why this is bad etiquette though as drafting gives an advantage to both riders. Is it just a matter of privacy? I suppose I wouldn't walk around just behind someone I didn't know in the rain and wind just to get a bit of shelter.

roger_merriman

lotus49 wrote:

markhewitt1978 wrote:

If you are just out cycling then yes, it's bad form. But if you are doing a sportive / other bike ride, then it's to be expected.

I have always understood this to be the case so despite having fancied a bit of shelter from the wind a few times, I have always refrained from doing so.

I do wonder why this is bad etiquette though as drafting gives an advantage to both riders. Is it just a matter of privacy? I suppose I wouldn't walk around just behind someone I didn't know in the rain and wind just to get a bit of shelter.

think less as walking more like driving, by drafting your tailgating. at even quite moderate speeds the thinking distance is remarkably long.

And if they touch wheels the drafter is likely to hit the deck, the drafted could take damage to the derailleur etc.

peat

lotus49 wrote:

markhewitt1978 wrote:

......drafting gives an advantage to both riders.

Only if the wheel-sucking-bandit takes his turn on the front. Sadly, there are too many people just seeking a free ride.

TheSmithers

I say nothing other than "Good Morning" or "Good Afternoon" when I overtake another rider. That's the limit of my etiquette. End of story.

I'll sometimes hang back about 50 ft or so whilst I reclaim some of my energy before actually overtaking them. There's nothing worse than overtaking another rider and not having the energy to pull away afterwards!

Ringo 68

TheSmithers wrote:

I say nothing other than "Good Morning" or "Good Afternoon" when I overtake another rider. That's the limit of my etiquette. End of story.

I'll sometimes hang back about 50 ft or so whilst I reclaim some of my energy before actually overtaking them. There's nothing worse than overtaking another rider and not having the energy to pull away afterwards!

I do exactly the same. I always make sure I can 'make it stick' when overtaking somebody.

The other day I was on my way home and there is a lovely section about a mile long which is slightly downhill (average -1% over the mile) just as I entered the section I passed a old guy on a hybrid who was just getting going after being stopped at the side of the road.

I probably averaged 22mph along that section and near the end of it I heard the sound of gears changing and lo and behold, the guy on the hybrid passes me peddling furiously. He got about 50 yards ahead and then I saw his head drop and as I went past him I could hear him gasping for breath

zoetrope

I did my first sportive/event at the weekend and the stupidity of other 'more experienced' cyclists astounded me to be honest. It's a mix of all kinds of different abilities on these rides, they are not top level sunday club outings. I really did not appreciate randoms drafting me unannounced, less than a foot from touching my wheel, giving me no indication whatsoever that they were present.

They have no idea if I have any experience in riding in a group yet (I don't, I only started riding in november and I've been injured for most of it) so they don't know if I'll make sudden movements, choose to stop etc. Going at speed on routes not closed to traffic, it was pretty dangerous in my opinion.

I was stopping to allow the rest of my group to catch up after a roundabout, signalled that I was pulling over and it turns out their were three riders right on my wheel, treating it like a breakaway or something. They didn't see the signal of course and said something about "getting run over at this pace" as they past. Pretty disappointing really.

Ride itself was great though.

Pituophis

I hate passing people :oops:
I passed an old guy while reasonably new to the game, seemingly struggling up a long hill. I passed him just before the crest after sitting behind him for a few minutes wondering what the etiquet was.
Turned out that he was only getting some "standing climbing" practice in, and he was then hot on my heels down the next mile long straight. Being a newbie, my pride wouldn't let him pass me, and I think he only turned off behind me to save me the embarrasment of dropping stone dead off my bike :shock:
I'm a hell of a lot quicker now, but the experience has mentally scarred me, and I still dither whilst weighing up the potential shame factor any overtaking may involve :roll:

volociroldster

Some really good exchange. Shows the strong culture of common sense and courtesy amongst the vast majority of us. :idea:

Frank Wilson

I think any rider should always give a cursory glance over their shoulder before completing a one finger one nostril emptying manouver.

TheSmithers

Pituophis wrote:

I hate passing people :oops:
I passed an old guy while reasonably new to the game, seemingly struggling up a long hill. I passed him just before the crest after sitting behind him for a few minutes wondering what the etiquet was.
Turned out that he was only getting some "standing climbing" practice in, and he was then hot on my heels down the next mile long straight. Being a newbie, my pride wouldn't let him pass me, and I think he only turned off behind me to save me the embarrasment of dropping stone dead off my bike :shock:
I'm a hell of a lot quicker now, but the experience has mentally scarred me, and I still dither whilst weighing up the potential shame factor any overtaking may involve :roll:

This

Wirral_paul

I had to laugh after catching a guy last week who was doing maybe 15 - 16mph. I caught him pretty quickly after spotting him from about 300 yards back, went straight past him and carried on at the 21 - 22mph i was already doing. 400 yards later he comes past me - absolutely hammering himself to do so and then pulls in front by about 5 yards before slowing down again!! He didnt seem a very strong or experienced cyclist at all - and made me laugh at him really. Why do people see the need to do this?? One thing that baffles me is people who pass and then immediately slow down like that - i'd prefer that they say hi and then draught me!

Anyway - i just upped the pace to around 25mph and laughed even more as he tried to jump on my wheel and keep up. He didnt last long so i just kept the pace steady and distanced him really easily.

t4tomo

I ride faster than some people, some people ride faster than me, I normally say good morning as we pass.

Why is it such a big deal to some people?

jgsi

zoetrope wrote:

I did my first sportive/event at the weekend and the stupidity of other 'more experienced' cyclists astounded me to be honest. It's a mix of all kinds of different abilities on these rides, they are not top level sunday club outings. I really did not appreciate randoms drafting me unannounced, less than a foot from touching my wheel, giving me no indication whatsoever that they were present.

They have no idea if I have any experience in riding in a group yet (I don't, I only started riding in november and I've been injured for most of it) so they don't know if I'll make sudden movements, choose to stop etc. Going at speed on routes not closed to traffic, it was pretty dangerous in my opinion.

I was stopping to allow the rest of my group to catch up after a roundabout, signalled that I was pulling over and it turns out their were three riders right on my wheel, treating it like a breakaway or something. They didn't see the signal of course and said something about "getting run over at this pace" as they past. Pretty disappointing really.

Ride itself was great though.

I actually doubt that they were 'more experienced' so don't despair so soon.
Just my opinion, but if you want to play at drafting, then, pay a race entry fee, stick the number on the back of your jersey and try it on.
It gets fun when the speed is over 20 + and then suddenly ramps up to near on 30 in what seems like a split second.
It is unfair even in sportives to assume that everyone riding wants some random unknown quantity at the back of them.
You may think you are good, but ride on close to me without me knowing who you are, and you will get short shrift.