Drafting complete strangers

The response on this page has been quite opposite to my experience on the roads. Most people I've encoutnered don't mind it, so most riders act as if it's not an issue. In fact, some of us even feel flattered to be drafted, no matter who happens to find their way onto our back wheels. Once, I was about to embark on hill repeats, when an eighty-something-year-old grabbed onto my wheel while I was warming up. I took pains to give him an even tempo all the way up a climb, and cheered him on upon cresting the hill. His smile was more than enough of a reward. If I feel someone is too close to my wheel, I will usually say as much. I have never gotten an ill-tempered reply to such a request.

This haphazard approach can take its toll on the painfully shy and the misanthropes, but as many have written there are many ways they can express their displeasure if simply stating it is far too arduous an undertaking. But my apologies to those who think their sub-textual recriminations are being left deliberately unheeded. I, and I'm sure the rest of us, really mean no harm.
 

How about getting over your superior attitude and chilling out a bit?  What harm is it if someone sits behind you for a few miles, it isnt preventing you from doing your own thing.  One day (yes, it will happen) you will be older/slower/both and may benefit from a wheel off a stranger.  Oh, by the way, a bit of basic grammar for you, it is "...to see a complete stranger sitting on my wheel", not sat.

I commute on a single speed bike.  It's quite routine that I'll be quick enough to draft someone and attempt an overtake, but can't then open a gap once they're behind me.  That's always embarrassing.

i don't think I've ever being drafted by a stranger but then I don't tend to ride the same time most do or simply my routes are not oft frequented by people on bikes or just going in the opposite direction. the odd occasion someone has come past (I rarely catch anyone these days) it's as a straight pass and a brief ackowledgement.

Would I like to be drafted, no i wouldn't.

Similar to above, I don't know your riding style, what your hazard perception/road reading is like nor your competency, likewise you to me. Either come past or stay back a few yards, if you've had enough energy/pace to catch me then you've enough energy to come around and pass,  don't then slow up  so I have to make adjustments to my pace/line because you've blown up catching me in the first place. I'm not in a race and nor are you so don't treat an open road casual leisure ride as such.

this should be the same process when in a motorvehicle, if you've had you foot down to catch up/generally going at a faster speed (even if that is above the limit) then have the common courtesy to stay back a safe distance and not be on my tail. When a safe overtaking point becomes apparent, do so in a positive manner using the opposite lane accelerating into the gap you left behind me and when pulling in wait until you are well past so as not to disrupt my progression/safety and continue so that I don't have to modify what I am doing to take account of your fookwittery.

That way we are both safe as is oncoming traffic and no-one is antagonised, unless you're an impatient/unsafe twat who likes to draft/tailgate people you don't know and overtake in an unsafe manner in which case you might get your lights put out at some juncture by someone more impatient/dangerous than you.

My ride on Saturday shared most of the route of the  London Revolution sportive. 

I had a group of ten riders string out behind me for about ten miles. One puncheur then thanked me, and offered to take the lead for a while. Up a steep hill. Thanks mate.

 I was also the victim of two ninja drafters. You know, the sort who sneak up behind you, unnoticed. Until, of course, you brake for whatever reason. One started swearing when I stopped to let a driver get through a pinch point. The other did what sounded like a particularly ninja-esque somersault after I slowed to grab a drink, and his wheel clipped mine.

Strangers drafting me? I'm not a fan.

As I'm approaching 70 and am delighted if I can average 15mph on my 2 hour rides I'd be highly flattered if someone drafted me.

Provided they were under 65, of course. 

Ease up, - say "Hello!" - sit beside him/her - have a chat - once you figure out you're stronger, get the half-wheel up and hammer them into the ground...  

I asked for a tow from 2 strangers that went past me yesterday as I had dropped from my group due to traffic. Considering I was on my mtb complete with knobblies they were very gracious in allowing me to tag on and catch up.

If it is me doing the chasing and assuming I can catch, then I always ask if it's OK to ride with them for a bit while I get my breath back. You meet all kinds of people on bicycles and some who look slow are doing 100 mile plus rides whilst I'm out for a paltry 2 hours.

Would seem rude to just invade someone's space without asking and some riders are nervous to be in close formation with other cyclists.

If I'm out for a solo ride, I'm out for a solo ride and that's that. I'll let anyone sit on my wheel for a bit - but after that I'll drop back, have a genuinely friendly chat, and then let them know I'm on my way again. Easy.

It really winds me up to.  A few snowy months ago I was out on a horrendously slippy ride on my gritting route when the only other person riding in Kent decides to starts drafting me.  Bad enough thinking you've got to be stupidly careful without someone you don't know right behind you.

I think it's context, if someone latches onto your small group then that's fine but you're out for a solo ride for a reason.

As for sitting on your wheel when commuting....  

I was once in the situation of bonking and then sitting on two complete strangers wheels for about four miles until the end of a sportive, whilst feeling terriblly guilty, but unable talk more than a whisper never mind to do a turn'. I like to think that they noticed the ashen look on my face and the trail of sick I'd left down my left arm, however I suspect they just think I was some sort of arse for wheelsucking and not being very friendly. That was about 2/3years ago.. I still feel the guilt. 

In a situation where this has happened as you describe on a weekend rideout, I'd have just let them sit on to catch their breath, then simply flicked my elbow and peeled off to let them through. Surely that would have been the sensible response? 

I note that you only knew they were there when they were on your back wheel, I have issue with this. To my mind you 'should' have been aware that there was a cyclist behind you well in advance of that, I'd say you're being a bit grumpy about him sitting there, (how long was he there I wonder, how long had he been trying to chase you down) I'd call you out for not being aware of his presence well before he reached your back wheel.

I'm with the OP, it does my head in!
A) it always seems to go on when I'm just riding home, processing the day.
B) They never bother to intro or ask, just sit there never doing a pull.
C) if they eventually do a turn, they're always flobbing and you get spittle spray. Rank.
D) IT'S JUST FKN WEIRD! gives me the creeps.
Leave me alone!

(But then I am a miserable sod)

I don't mind it for a couple of miles, but have called people out on it, with a cheery 'alright mate, do your turn' and a wave to the front. A few have reciprocated and been friendly enough, a couple have pretended not to have heard and then disappeared, a couple have also done the 'ah I'm turning just up here' - and maybe they were.

I can't remember anyone getting shirty, but there was one fella I was aware had been wheelsucking for a few miles on a miserable winter commute in on a Thursday or something. I had a couple of turn-rounds and 'come on, get to the front's after the initial invitation... All fell on deaf ears. Completely blanked me. I was spinning along at about 18mph on an easy flat course. Reckoned a jump to 20mph would put a gap between us... after about a mile of that.... no: I can still see his light on the road under my bike. Another 2mph.... still there. Another jump... FFS. Still there. So now I've dug myself a hole and am obviously going about a third quicker than when he started following... bit awkward. But I'm in the hole so I keep digging, even though my own engine only likely has one more gear.

I get pretty much into time trial mode and I'm blowing out my arse for about 3 more miles before I realise he's not there anymore. Didn't need that unscheduled zone 1 session with all my gear on my back, so if I have anymore of those I think I'll do the 'slow down' rather than 'speed up' tactic  

I did get a load of strava PBs though, as I'd never put it in on that route before!

On the flip-side, on solo rides, or if I'm out with a buddy, I often offer my wheel to people that are about my pace as I'm overtaking them, with a 'hop on the wheel if you like, mate'. No impact to me, at all, either way, unless they rear-end me, and as surly says, chance of reciprocation at some point. It's just being a bit nice, isn't it... 

If someone catches you under no circumstances can you acknowledge them. Your only two choices are to ride them off your wheel while pretending you aren't trying (you win), or pretend you're turning off somewhere and let them get up the road a bit before setting off again (they win).

I've never really had a problem with people drafting me but I know it annoys others so I avoid doing it. I think the least people should do is announce their presence.

If you're skipping along and happy with your rhythm, I'd say ignore them and carry on as you are. There's no point getting into macho or passive aggressive tactics to drop other people.

It sounds like the thing that annoyed you the most was the other person's reaction. Some people are just chippy. Can't do anything about that.

Haa! I get this all the time - my top tips.

I quite enjoy being drafted - to me it doesnt matter if someone is there or not. They are supposedly giving you a five percent boost from their bow wave anyway. I do the following depending on how I feel at the time.

1) If you are feeling competitive , set yourself a challenge - can you stay ahead of them, until the end of your journey? Or even better, can you competely drop them and ride them off your back wheel. (Look up www.itsnotarace.org and learn about Silly Commuter Racing for more of this)

2) If you want them to share the work and you fancy teaming up- just look back and say "Can we share the work? We will both get to work, home, school, etc quicker then?" You never know, you might make a new cycling friend for life! I've met loads of cycling buddies this way.

3) If you want them to just get ahead of you and stop drafting - just slow down, look back and say "sorry mate, dont let me hold you up, please go ahead"

4) If you feeling a bit cheeky, and want to turn the tables on them, and jump on their back wheel instead, just do the "sneaky bottle drink", and pretend you are drinking from your bottle. I've slowed down to about 8mph, before one cheeky wheel sucker went past. Then I drafted him until he blew up. It was great fun!

It's a bit like driving a car though? Guy infront is doing 50. You can quite happily do 55. Not quite worth overtaking for but if you do overtake they'll think WTF if you crawled past with a 5mph difference. Can you hang back? yeah but it's just that little bit annoying and grinds on you.

People do get competitive though. You can overtake someone in car, on bike, even on foot and they take it as a personal insult sometimes, a bit like those people that get overtaken in the car and then find an extra 10-15mph and flash their lights at you. Go faster in the first place then.

Flatulence could be useful?

Drafting is a tricky one. Sometimes you've got a 'bit' more than the guy in front but not enough to really make a break on them or you just don't want to but will catch them up eventually. You've also got the problem of unless you really hammer past, you then get drafted yourself and overextend yourself.

I've never really understood why people get so wound up about other people (strangers) drafting. Unless drafter has tethered him/herself to you with a rope, they aren't slowing you down (I believe there's an argument that they may even help you out with their "bow wave"). Sure, mystery drafter might T bone you from behind but suggest very unlikly if you signal your intentions. (Also drafter is way more at risk than draftee, especially if drafteee is feeling uncharitable and fails to point out commonplace road issues, like potholes.) It would of course be nice if mystery drafter was polite and said hi and took turns. Unicorns would be wonderful as well.

There are two very simple ways of making it stop. The hard method: ride them off your wheel. The easy method: softpedal. The latter works really well. When mystery drafter gets bored of going slowly and goes past you, you can either latch on (with suitably encouraging words about working together from this point forward) or let drafter go and return to enjoying solitude. Or take it to an extreme and just stop and let drafter go, take another route.

Mostly I'd suggest just riding at your own pace and not letting it get to you. If people are a real problem, remember, no one can draft you on the turbo. (Unless you are on Zwift.)

Just go faster until you seem him struggling then sprint away.  That always feels good.

How about getting a sign for your saddle that says " Say Hi and work together". A much more positive message and an ethos that would promote harmony on the road.

We have enough issues dealing with cars, lorries, motorbikes etc....... please try not to take issue with fellow cyclists.

They guy should have announced himself, but if he had been chasing for a while he may well have been 'composing himself' before saying hi and getting in to a conversation.