Drafting complete strangers

I can understand people getting arsey about this, but therein nestles the hypocrisy too. I found myself with a zonal marker the other day, and my first thought was "you f*****g grabber of other peoples energy". I soon realised it was an overreaction, and questioned the fact about why this annoyed me so much.

Probably because I was completely oblivious to them being there for about 20 minutes (my estimation), and not a peep of acknowledgement out of them. Still, there's no law against it I suppose.

I'll be the first to say I'll look for a tow as and when the spirits are flagging, but I never outstay my welcome, so I guess you have to allow for the swings and roundabouts.

Next time it happens oh dear readers, I will embrace it. Look at it as a compliment, and try to imagine they're lonely people who just want to get a closer look at my arse...!

That's very philosophical and where I'm aiming for...

I suppose the thing that gets me is, if there's no shout out, it's socially weird... A decision has been made to wheelsuck and be quiet about it. That's weirdo behaviour.

No problem with the unknown handling skills: I've been out on plenty of club runs with people I'm not intimately familiar with, and my own skills are hardly Saganesque. You're already on the road in the hope that some numpty in a car won't drive into you.

No problem with the actual freeloading bit and I readily offer my wheel. It's the secrecy of people who sneak up, and lack of acknowledgement or even a shout to let me know they're there, that I don't get. Makes it seem a bit parasitic. Get off my wheel and go and be weird in the pissy corner of the bus station with the others.

Get over yourselves,

Sometimes I might catch you at my natural pace then your pace alters and I end up behind you, I may not have/ be prepared to expend to more energy to get by, but if you want to slow a bit I will pass, Im not drafting, Im just behind you.

On the other hand, as long as youre not going to rub wheels or prevent me moving in and out, feel free to sit behind me.

Going to work today you may have thought I and a stranger were taking turns, we werent, I was faster on the flat and he was faster on the slopes due to weight and gearing, so we just naturally overtook one another after an initial acknowledgement.

......unless youve a BC race ticket and youre in a race.....

there's no such thing as a complete stranger on a bike, just a domestique you haven't met yet!

In my experience, any cyclist going slower than you is to be derided for lack of fitness/lycra/carbon fibre and any cyclist going quicker is either a professional racer or just trying too hard and taking it all far too seriously. Those cyclists going the same speed are just annoying.

I've always been a big fan of drafting people who skip lights or deliberately block me in at an ASL. It's not like they can keep up, but if they are going to constantly catch up by 'cheating' then I may as well save some energy so I can then leave them behind at a suitable moment.

One such bloke skipped to the front of a line of traffic and positioned his bike right in front of mine so I couldn't go until he had. I could hear his brakes rubbing on his wheel but he was actually going at a half decent pace, so I tagged on until he slowed down halfway up a hill then as I passed him I did let him know he should get his brakes adjusted.

Do you like fish sticks?

Doesn't really work in English, to be fair.

I hate it -feels like free loading Or

Feels like a stranger drinking out of your pint. 

had a tool on a fixie in full aero helmet and wrap around visor draft me on my hybrid on my commute to work in Toulouse. Slowed right down, he stuck to me. Sped up, stuck to me. I lost my rag so jammed on the brakes and he clattered my back end and ended up on the floor. Shouted at him in French 'thats the reason you don't draft strangers' 

I'd like to have used my matés line

"Do you like fish?"

"yeah why"

"There's a place/plaice up here for ya"

doesn't work in french tho

I was out for a ride last year and heard this sound, and there's a whole cycle club, about 8 of them, strung out behind me. So I got in the drops and put down the hammer and we had a great run of a couple of miles before they started overtaking me (I'm 60!). So I started chatting as they went past and dropped on the back of their group. I had a great chat with a bunch of friendly young blokes and got a 28km/h pull up one of my problem hills. Did wonders for my strava segment!

Sadly they were turning off after a few miles heading somewhere so we waved goodbye and wished each other a good ride.

Treat it as a social event, it can be fun. Most people are eventually going some other way so you're not stuck to them for ever.

Not a fan of unannounced drafters

Ive punched one in the face! (accidently) i had a bit of a stretch of my right arm due to my stage 3 ac seperation making my muscle ache and didnt know he was there, just caught him on the nose

Luckily he didnt crash, he wasnt happy but i said its his own fault for following too closely without warning me he was there

Also have seen someone being drafted and a rabbit run out in front of him, he hit the brakes, the guy behind ploughed into him sending the first guy onto the floor in a heap with the drafter on top of him causing damage to their bikes and kit, the guy in front was understandably not a happy bunny!!!!

I can sympathise with the 'fast enough to catch, not fast enough to pass' conundrum.

I get it on my commute sometimes, will work hard chasing someone but don't quite have it in me to pass them*, but don't want to do that annoying thing where you sit off their back wheel slightly and a metre off to the side, sort of showing that you aren't drafting, just sitting immediately behind them at the same pace 

*also I'm on a bright pink singlespeed, I fear passing serious looking riders in case it's like a red rag to a bull!

It has never happened to me at all.
I'm pretty sure my speed and size offers zero positive drafting experience for anyone.
I've had a few lads offer me to jump on the back as they have passed when they probably assumed I was in need...but generally I decline as I wouldn't want to hold them up.
I guess I'd be pissed off if someone stealthily tried to get a tow.

Ok what's Strava? 

My Garmin died, so no sharing of my slow bumbling for now

If I'm in London, I have a crutch strapped to my backpack. Have had a few guys draft me then ask about the crutch afterwards...

The other day, was on the way to a club ride and realised someone was on my tail. Turned out to be a clubmate. Which was ok apart from two reasons: the only time he went on the front he slowed me down, and he's a shit bike handler and I'm not sure if he's more dangerous behind me or in front.

What a lot of nonsense.

If anyone sees me out and I'm moving quick enough for you to draught behind me then please feel free.

If you want to cruise by, feel free.

If you want to say hi and share pacemaking, feel free.

Come on people life isn't a race so just get on doing what you were doing and stop worrying about what anyone else is doing.

I blame Strava

Blooming heck get a life people! 

It's normal and shows respect for your superior ability to have a rider sit behind. 

The rare occasions I've gone fast enough for someone to want a draft I've had a good chat with them. One chap many years ago became a great clubmate - he's gone to the dark side now and goes running yeuk!!!  You know who you are MM!!!!

(curiously in our club we had three people with  MM initials is it common?)

I just dont like being made to feel that Im being followed, if someone was to ask/chat maybe ok, but when you are out on your own, and suddenly theres some random guy tucked in on your rear wheel, erm sorry just not comfortable with people following me like that.

Yeah, bit rude/weird to tailgate someone and not even say hello. Especially if you don't know their skill level, could easily rear end you with a disk brake?

It's never happened to me but I think I've only ever been overtaken once (I was work clothes with big rucksack etc), I added him after checking the flyby on Strava and it turns out he's rather good.
If I'm not sure the person I've caught is slower than me I'll sit a few metres (maybe 5?) back to assess the situation for a few seconds... no point going for an overtake if it's marginal and you can't make it stick, they just end up on your wheel, or worse, you blow up and then they end up in front again anyway.

This has served me well, I've never overtaken someone who could keep up, pretty sure I've never not overtaken someone either though... I only really do short rides.

I was coming home from the pub one night and ended up following a guy up the hill past Reading Hospital, realised halfway up that he was out of the saddle because it was a singlespeed, chatted a bit and then pushed on up the next hill, he really appreciated the tow but I rather regretted the extra effort while wearing my cheap waterproof jacket, my lungs don't seem to work after beer.

All that said, I'll happily sit behind a bus or van all the way up a hill