This happens pretty rarely to me. 90% of the time the person will ask if it's cool to latch on. Almost 90% of the time I'll say yes. The remaining 10% being instances when I'm going to be doing intervals, and then I'll let the person know I'm going to be speeding up and slowing down a lot, and I'd prefer not to have to worry about someone behind me.




I'd open with something more congenial before escalating to full snide sarcasm that invites male hackles-raising. "Hey there, I'm riding solo today, and would prefer not to work with someone. Do you mind going ahead or dropping back?"

And I think the usual cause is wannabe alpha male-ness. My favorite was at the Wildflower triathlon when my wife (not a triathlete) was hiking up the hill from the lake to the campground. She happened to pass a triathlete dude also on his way up. He sped up and then re-passed her. I was chuckling from further down the hill.

I blame the sarcasm on being out of nutrition and 90% done with the "meat and potatoes" of that ride. If it were earlier I probably would have gone the nice way.

Also, I feel people assume just because you're moving X mph faster than them that you're "getting after it" when a person very well may be doing that pace nonstop for hours and not "getting after it" at all.

This is interesting. So when this happens to you, 100% of the time it turns into a negative experience. What is the common element in all these instances?

As a side note, if this happens to you regularly then you must be in the fat part of the bell curve. Maybe get more fit?

: )

A lot of people like racing. Heck, we're on a triathlon racing forum.

Very normal for people training for races, to get passed and not be on some structured workout that dictates their pace/effort, and they think "hey what the heck - here's a guy passing me - it's free motivation for me to get a higher quality workout by trying to keep pace or drafting at his higher speed, and it's more fun too than riding by my lonesome all the time."

They don't introduce themselves because they correctly figure that you'll either drop them soon or make a turn sooner rather than later that deviates from the course they're set to take. By the time you say hi, it'll be time to say bye.

I get tons of aspiring draftees, here in Norcal, where I ride a popular beautiful not-too-hilly loop that gets tons of weekend cyclists year-round, and I'm one of the faster ones helped by me training with aero goodies that def give me an unfair advantage. In summer, I always get several people drafting me at times and just this weekend I passed an entire group pack which chased me for around 2 miles (I knew they were chasing, as I came up from behind at a much faster pace, and then once I passed they stayed near for awhile despite me not spiking my power. Finally left them on a short climb where I did pump the power up. It was fun!)

No offense OP, but I think it's more your sensitivity to 'being raced.' I do have plenty of days where I've been dog-tired due to my training plan, and it calls for "z1 recovery ride - NO MORE than z1!" and when I get drafters on those days, I'll slow and wave them through, and give 'em a good job and thumbs up when they go around. That's also fun!

I actually think being raced is more common in the pool than on the road, as if you swim in a busy pool, and someone in the next lane is sort of near the same speed, I find more often than not they try and race or pace against me at some point. (I'm actually not as guilty of such - I have enough swim training plan structure that I'd totally blow up my planned set of like 10 x 200 hard if I race someone in the middle of it)

Nah, it's only negative when I say something. Majority of the time I swing a u-turn and inconvenience myself instead. Minority of the time I say something.

Imagine you get indigestion 100% of the time you get McD's for lunch, but you only swing by McD's for lunch once or twice a year. Easy solution to not eat McD's, but possibly annoyingly inconvenient sometimes if it's the only thing around.

Two words:

Snot Rockets

A few of those normally takes care of the creepy people that follow too close.

There are a few people that may just happen to be going your way, at your speed or there may be people that feel good to hang with someone that they feel is better, those people aren't normally creepy and normally will ask if they can hand on.

It's simple, if freds are holding onto your wheel then you're not going fast enough.

half joking

You could let them go past you, rather ran well race them

That reads like a bf member response!

If I’m in z2 it isn’t a race. It’s me doing z2 and a fred busting it. Hence swinging a uturn so I can keep doing z2 without a tagalong.

Not sure what your flex was supposed to be in that post.

Still...if 100% of the time when YOU speak, it pisses them off...that's a YOU problem. Find a better way to handle it----stop being a dick.

30+ years of riding in multiple states, I've never needed to be a dick to someone "sucking my wheel", because I wanted to ride solo. I've never had someone refuse to drop back or ride through when addressed politely. Typically, just engaging as one human being to another, exchanging pleasantries, etc....then, saying "well, I'm riding easy today....so, I'm dropping back. Have a good one!" or whatever...has always resulted in what I want to happen and a friendly exchange with a fellow wannabe.

If it smells like sh*t everywhere you go check the bottom of your boots

I’ve actually said exactly that before, that I would rather just go easy alone but thanks. No filler, just plainly. Still, reaction is like a sigh and saying you’re pretending to be special or something.

Sorry yall, I’m not someone’s play toy. I feel seeing random blokes in public as entertainment opportunities is more of a fault than occasionally getting cross about it in return. So in that case, fine….I have a crap reaction to people acting a bit….crap. Taking higher road and all that, sure. I just didn’t grow up being taught to taunt strangers.

Why would you think everyone sees you as their personal play toy? People are social, lots of people see these as opportunities to be friendly, meet someone new, maybe engage with someone of a like mindset (versus everyone else in their life). Seems a bit crap to assume everyone wants to "test themselves" against the infamous Mr. Sheep.

I didn't grow up assuming that everyone was out to taunt me.

I assume everyone is just being friendly, looking for a little camaraderie out on the open road....and treat them as such. Low and behold, I have ZERO negative experiences. I'm sure that's just blind luck...I've only been doing it since 1990 or so. Maybe riding in Colorado, Kansas, or Texas is just filled with nicer people than wherever you ride?

Look, I'm 77 years old and under strict Doctors orders not to pull.

Even worse when you are riding along with a BFF or SO and having a personal/private convo and realize someone is all up in your space. And I’m talking Z1/2 chitchat pace.

WRL in Dallas is terrible for this. Folks jumping on to “draft” when you’re rolling 15-16mph on a commuter with loaded panniers… look back and it looks like a TdF TTT behind you.

Wife and I were doing a long easy ride on a bike path in CO this year, easily catch/pass a woman with a mini boombox on her bars. Puddle coming up, so I drop back onto wifey’s wheel… fully realizing from the tunes that Fredette has sped up ~2mph to quasi-draft 2 bike lengths back…

Offended that I “cut her off”, she states: “well if you’re going to be like that I am not going to ride with you!”

I had to suppress my immediate response, which was “no one asked you to!” And “good riddance!”

So, yeah , people are weird and just decide to draft un—announced. Usually a little surge will shed the uninvited, and 20” at Z3/4 ain’t gonna kill your ride plan, but seriously, WTH are these people thinking?

Yeah, yeah, 1st world problems, but to me it’s an unwritten social norm - dudes leave 1 urinal between if it’s not crowded, split the space on an elevator and face the door, don’t touch your neighbor during yoga, ask to split the lane, etc.

.
.
Yep,it is the unannounced thing that I just do not understand. Why the hell would a person ride up behind somebody they don't know and start drafting them without saying a word? I am not "a cyclist" so I just don't get that kind of mentality but to me it is just as weird as if somebody jumped in my lane at the pool and started following my workout,drafting me or if somebody started running right behind me. At least ride up beside me and say "Hi" and figure out if I want to ride with you first.
Cyclists are weird.

Take it as compliment and a safety shield from cars from behind. When you get tired of if, drop them.

On the flats here is the 3 step process to (Dr Evil laughs) drop people sucking wheel (easier if you are on a TT and they are not). It´s game time:

1. Pump of the speed to some 42-44 kmh, they´d think you are trying to drop them (but you KNOW this is just your Sweetspot pace - can hold forever). Hold this until you can hear they are redlining, breathing and suffering like a swine. Hold at least 5-6 mins.
2. Then slow down just Z1 or easy Z2 - now they think "Ah, I made it - he couldnt really drop me" - hold for 12-15 secs, not enough for them to actually recover.
3. Then slam it. Warp-speed Engage! This is the shocker - swiftly hammer up to high Z5 and you might be doing 48-50 kmh. They wont be able to hold your wheel at all, even trying is just going to embarras them even more! Not today Baywatch! Ride away in awe - feel the victory - brag to your wife.

Remember Kienle´s Rule No. 1: "If it is hurting me - it´s killing them"

For running: consult the various ways to address other runners by the mighty Yuri Gallegos!
Your sister wants her shorts back!

 
If I’m in z2 it isn’t a race. It’s me doing z2 and a fred busting it.

Feels like a flex

A boyfriend style topic?

This is a wierd thread and is outside my area of expertise.

With all the road in the world, if riding and someone ramps it up and races you, change route back off or give zero FU&*ks

THIS. And the fact that the OP uses the term "Fred" tells me that he thinks he's better than these other people.

This happens to my wife not infrequently.
The most memorable time I witnessed: A guy gets on her wheel while I'm riding to her left. He was hairy, and wiggled a lot on his bike.
I said we were doing a two-person group ride.
He responded that if we did not like it, we could try to ride him off our wheels.

So I dropped back, onto her wheel, dislodging him.
He got angry and vocal.
So then I dopped back some more and slightly to my left at which point a car parked on the right served as the perfect pick when I "closed the door"
This was effective and less work than launching a 1000w+ attack.

---

no sponsors | no races | nothing to see here