[Closed] Drafting knobheads game or what

calm down dear!
it would have been better if he'd made small talk but its hardly the end of the world.

judging how you caught him up each hill he might just be pleased to keep up with a fellow cyclist for a while.

" morning forgot my glasses this morning"

Is this code?

so is he a knob or should i just expect that sort of thing ????

i don't think anyone comes out of this too well.

Some talk to you some don't, the decent ones take a turn in front the less decent ones just use your tow. Happens when commuting or on a big day ride. I try not to let it bother me too much.

I'm not the best small talker so genuinely forgot my sunglasses it was all I could think of

So you deliberately slowed and forced him to the front, then overtook him on the next [s]banking[/s] hill?

Did I misread this, was it a track sprint?

Sounds like you beat him pretty well anyway. He was probably breathing so hard that he wasnt able to talk. Probably thought you were a **** for chatting and overtaking him.

It's ok, he was just looking at your arse. Does that disturb you?

No no slowed a bit he went off I stayed at my pace he was just shit up hill fast on a straight

I was out testing how my tt bike rode with some borrowed wheels before an event a bit back. I came up and took over a chap who promptly jumped in my wheel. I just let him take the tow and waved as I rounded the roundabout to go back.
Same thing happened at an event. I just let em and leave em be if they want to play it that way. No skin off my nose.

Let him slipstream you but wind it up and look professional, 25mph+, top half rock solid, legs like pistons and make it look effortless. If he is still there after a few miles then flick the elbow so he can do a turn. Failing that light the afterburners and unleash the beans leaving him in a ball of snot on the next hill. 8)

When I was out in France this year I had some old boy jump on my wheel climbing out of a village. We rode together for he next ten miles or so. He was an animal and we were taking our turn on the front. He didn't speak English and me no French but we both knew the crack. 😀

You know never thought about that looking at my arse makes me feel warm inside

I fire a fair few snot rockets about when im on the road bike.

So out on the road bike on my own turn on to a road with a fellow cyclist in front leave a big gap but first hill catch him over take straight away say " morning forgot my glasses this morning" keep going he just drops on my wheel for about a mile says nothing so slow down til he over takes let him go big gap but guess what next hill catch him over take straight away say alright again he just drops on my wheel for next mile says nothing come to junction he goes one way me the other not a word

Have you heard of punctuation?

I got passed grinding my new road bike up Streatley hill the other day. I can manage 6mph up there on the MTB but was barely pushing 2.5 on the mighty Triban. Anyway, I latched on for a tow for the next three miles. I wanted to talk; really I did but breathing was enough trouble as it was. When I finally recovered, I tried to do a stint on the front but accidentally launched a Cav-esque attack up one of my favourite gradual slopes and left him for dead (I know, I know, he prob wasn't playing). Anyway, when we finally did chat I came out with my best nonchalant small-talk "This is only my second ride on a road bike!" He however trumped me with "Yeah I prefer MTB too- cracked my ribs at Afan the other day so just out for a 100k spin" 🙁 😉

I don't think there is form- just don't ram into anyone I guess??

I’m not a language pedant by any stretch, but please disambiguate, structure and organise your written communications in the future.

Your post is not inviting of a reply.

I was riding in the Veneto last weekend, an Italian who I'd never met beforecame up and joined me, I sat on his wheel until the look, elbow waggle, look, off the front, then I drove for a bit at the same speed, did my turn look, elbow, look, off the front and time for the next man and back down the line. There weren't even any children killed.
Are you so massively insecure that you need reassurance that acting just the way that all new road riders do is how it's really supposed to be done?

As its Sunday abit tired few wines rant over bit thick manual job you'll just have to live with it

You just ride at your own pace, sometimes that might mean a bit of yo-yo'ing. You don't know anything about him and visa versa. Though often if the ride is long you might end up working/riding together.

Yeah I prefer MTB too- cracked my ribs at Afan the other day so just out for a 100k spin"

I think you now realise things could have been a lot worse, OP. As you could have had someone behind you staring at your arse [i]and[/i] correcting your sentence structure.

Your post is not inviting of a reply.

18 replies later....

Good edit Jamie 😀

You were wise to count them up again.

When I was out in France this year I had some old boy jump on my wheel climbing out of a village. We rode together for he next ten miles or so. He was an animal and we were taking our turn on the front. He didn't speak English and me no French but we both knew the crack.

Edukator probably 🙂

Loving the little stories within this thread 🙂

this may be of use.
www.velominati.com/the-rules/

No 1
No 5
No 19

🙂

oldgit - Member
You just ride at your own pace, sometimes that might mean a bit of yo-yo'ing. You don't know anything about him and visa versa. Though often if the ride is long you might end up working/riding together.

Yeah I prefer MTB too- cracked my ribs at Afan the other day so just out for a 100k spin"

Which is a lie because one simply doesn't mention the distance they're doing. Always always always let the other man think you're a weed, and that they're great.

Agree with every word of this.

Today I went for a road ride ( first for a while ) and had a pint. When riding the short distance home there was someone in front going very slowly indeed, As I passed him, I said hello, I also noticed he was singlespeeding, we had a very quick chat and he said " it's fixed" then he proceeded to really put the hammer down and left me for dead, I have no illusions as to how fast I am and he looked way fitter than me. It did get me wondering if his change of speed part was a planned training exercise, or he just did not like being passed ? It was one of the odder experiences I have had meeting a solo rider.

You see i usually ride a lone or with a mate
so like a virgin this was my first time
next time will just refer to number 5 of the rules 🙂

Oldgit- I swear its true although it might have been in two sentences rather than one that he gave me the distance. He was a New-Zealander with an Omega Pharma Quick-Step jersey on and was seeing how he felt before the Southern Sportives New Forest Sportive. He was by this point a bit lost and looking to get back to Reading which is why we chatted.
I could have rode the same way as him to get home but I needed a breather so I sent him a different way 😀 lol

Wasn't calling you a liar, anyway just jesting.

Rule 67 "do your time in the wind" he was in the wrong alwhit 🙂

Rule 26 is soooo STW

Don't forget the chap in front gets an aerodynamic benefit from the drafter.

I always end up wondering if I look like a **** when I overtake people as I'm generally on the rivet and look ruined! Last person I overtook I offered my wheel and we worked together for about 7 miles, kinda made my ride actually.

😉

This thread is another good reason why I don't ride with other roadies. If i go out on the road bike I ride at my pace & don't try to fit in with someone else's ride.
When I'm on the MTB in a group, no-one gets all huffy about who's at the front/fastest/slowest/better on techy stuff/faster on rocky descents/blahdy blahdy blah...

I must admit, I get far more pleasure from my encounters with other roadies than I do stress. Most of the time the joke is on me as I try and cling to their skinny back wheel on my Rocket Rons 😀

I had a good one earlier in the year doing a medium gear 10. I saw a bloke on a road bike coming into the roundabout I was from another road. He looked quick and very nice bike. Not unsurprising to me at the next roundabout I realised he had been sat in for the preceeding mile or so. I dig in for the last mile stretch and expected to get passed but didn't. As I was cruising after the finish wretching he sidled up and said "bloody hell I couldn't get near you on that last bit"

We chatted all the way to hq where I pulled in. Suppose I could of been narked off he drafted me earlier but starting the conversation with a compliment is always winner!

What's the policy on passing roadies when you're on your mtb? I've had that before and decided to hang backrrather than pass the old chap on his road bike. If it happened in reverse it'd take the wind right out of mysails

@esselgruntfuttock That's because there's nowhere to hide on the road, your 'skill' is your fitness. I have this argument with @Weeksy all the time and it's why the 'it's all cycling' camp are slightly wrong. You need to 'use' other roadies to enhance your fitness- at least if you blow-up, your time doesn't get plastered on a website ;):D

@Losidan I must admit when out for a training ride on MTB's with a mate, I spotted a roadie in the distance. It took me two miles to catch and pass him! It was an old boy with a Newbury Cycling Club jersey on. Anyway, I kept the hammer down and then suddenly remembered my mate 😀 Pulling in to the next lay-by, I had to do the 'pretend mechanical' thing as "I'm waiting for a mate" might not have cut the mustard 😀

What's the policy on passing roadies when you're on your mtb?

If it happened in reverse it'd take the wind right out of mysails

No no slowed a bit he went off I stayed at my pace he was just shit up hill fast on a straight

Maybe he was expecting you to take his wheel for a bit?

What's the policy on passing roadies when you're on your mtb?

Isn't one, but I can tell you it don't go down too well. I did a 65 mile sportive on my MTB complete with knobblies. Just finished a road season, just back from a week in the Pyrenees so was going pretty good. I confess I started to show off, and a few were getting peeved before being dropped. And it was resistance training for me, with cross the next month.

You were wise to count them up again.

I just wish the editing window was longer than 15 mins 🙁

p.s 39.

[i]@esselgruntfuttock That's because there's nowhere to hide on the road, your 'skill' is your fitness. I have this argument with @Weeksy all the time and it's why the 'it's all cycling' camp are slightly wrong. You need to 'use' other roadies to enhance your fitness- at least if you blow-up, your time doesn't get plastered on a website ;):D[/i]

I get where your'e coming from but I really couldn't care less about 'fitness' & 'blowing up'. As long as I'm happy with my fitness & ability...great. (just my opinion!)
My mate on the other hand, is a different matter, so competitive he puts me to shame but we've had some fantastic days out! (on the bikes, before the divvies on here read it the wrong way!) 😛

I had a lad overtake me on Saturday. Me on road bike, him on mtb with fag hanging out of his mouth! Red rag to a bull, I took him near the top of the next hill and promptly skidded, both wheels locked, into the back of a car that had stopped to let oncoming traffic pass a row of parked cars (luckily stopping as I made contact, driver didn't even notice). He meanwhile dropped off laughing along a pedestrianised street to re-appear well in front of me a few minutes later 8)

I (ahem) rode slightly more swiftly than I might have otherwise on my commute home Friday evening after I spotted a roadie on a MTB with slicks and aerobars. Well I [s]hunted him down[/s] caught him, took a tow then did some work on the front. He laughed and said I was making him look bad. I was on my fixed wheel, wearing jeans, a shirt and trainers rather than the usual attire. And the bike is geared for 20-25 mph, not the usual 16. 😈

Personally, I don't mind people on my wheel. And I will always do a turn.

Guess i just don't get it i would never drop on some ones wheel ether keep back or over take if my pace is better, if i don't know them.

Guess i just don't get it i would never drop on some ones wheel ether keep back or over take if my pace is better, if i don't know them.

Why? I don't really get it. If I'm in a group ride or a race and it's a chain gang thing then fine. If I'm out on my own it's usually a training session and I don't really want to be following anyone else anyway. Don't really care if anyone wants to tag along. It'd be nice if they exchanged pleasantries but appreciate that's not always possible!

tl; dr but whats all this talk of towing etc? 😆

I don't think I've ever had anyone hold my wheel for more than a hundred yards or so - and that includes pro riders

perhaps I'll start teaching "dropping other riders like a stone" on some of my more advanced courses

/scaredymtbguru

Where do I sign up 🙂

Greg Lemond had a surefire way of dropping slipstreamers.

He had gastric flu in one of the TDF's but followed rule 5 and raced anyway.

The rest of peleton wouldn't ride behind him.
"his sickness seeped out through his shorts and onto the back wheel, and sprayed a portion of the peleton"

Bit grim but would work 🙂

A good portion of [url= http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/comfart-foods-whats-yours ]bean feast[/url] the day before a ride would do the job 🙂

Be nicer than gastric flu 🙂

I put a thread on that about BeanFeast!
Ohh yes, fartystinkypants!

What's the policy on passing roadies when you're on your mtb? I've had that before and decided to hang backrrather than pass the old chap on his road bike. If it happened in reverse it'd take the wind right out of mysails

Dunno, I think its fair game, and they'll either let you go, or try to hang on, some people are simply faster, eventually you get passed by someone, just be polite and give a nod and a smile when you do.

I had a fella come past me on my commute the other day, me on my fixed road bike, 10 miles into my 14 mile commute, him on shiny MTB (unstickered scandal 29er I think), and pretty fresh As he'd just pulled on to the road in the village I'd just gone through, Anyway he drafts me for a couple of miles, then passes me, I give him a cheery smile and a "morning" and he just blanks me, I'm expecting him to now just obliterate me, as being so rude must be accompanied by total awesomeness surely.

I think He thought he was going to stamp me out as well, but instead he just sits there at about the same pace I was already doing, flicking his rear mech up and down one sprocket every 15 seconds for no apparent reason so I pull his trick and draft him for the next mile and a half, have to hang back when he decided to just ignore the cars and blast through a roundabout, but I catch him back up pretty quickly after that, then a quarter of a mile from work, I pull past him, and wring it out a bit till I turn off, I hear some muttering as I pull off, but bollocks to him, didn't have the manners to just give a nod, and clearly hadn't quite figured out that sitting in front (especially on an MTB) is more work than sitting on my wheel.

I don't normally get drawn into commuter racing, especially on the fixie as neither it nor I am built for such things, but this fella just annoyed me with his lack of manners I'm sure I,ll encounter him again...

Reminds me of 2 incidents:

1) A colleague was going to ride with me on our commutes on the way home, both set off from work at the same time, I shot off down one of the hills and waited for him to catch up, unfortunately he'd taken the shared use, and then mistook someone else for me. Got a response text messaged to "Where are you?" that read "Mistook someone else for you, caught his wheel and he put the power down, never gone so fast before, was at the bridge before I realised he wasn't you"

2) Passed someone "taking it easy" through Tayport on an extended ride home, I was surprised to suddenly feel the push you get when someone's on your wheel. I sped up, still there, faster, still there, Kirkton Barns rise, he takes the front, OHSHAF**** Fixie, he's hammering it up the hill, now it's me hanging on. Get to the top and I take over, haul him along the first of the flat bits, he takes the wee rise before the last straight, I start hoping he's going down the Tentsmuir road, sadly he isn't and I drop off into the junction.

I wish all the locals rode like that.

As for overtaking on different bikes, it's the man not the machine, you just get extra food chain number points if you're playing the game.