No mudguards for me... and if you get sprayed, good!

cougie wrote:

Get some mudguards on.  Your washing machine will thank you for it as will your bike. 

I like my friends guard. He removed it from his daughters cheap childs bike, modified to fit and wolla. Everyone's happy. Weighs not much more than a coin and she doesn't ride on wet days.

Yeah.. I love Australian friendliness, if your gonna sit behind and suck may as well give the leader a kiss and a you beaut smile when leaders turning look of WTF is.
I had a car bump me with a strong kiss once. That Shook me. Daft not draft, I was stationary.

mattsccm wrote:

Cugel has it.

To ay otherwise is daft. What about all those riders coming up behind to pass you? Oh of course the OP is to fast for that.  Equally too selfish to consider that giving a minor tow may be sociable.  Of course he is in a very important race so the rest don't matter. Pillock to spout off like that. Ah well, not everyone is out of their teenage years yet

To say otherwise is daft eh? Frankly you and others saying that are the ones who are ignorant/daft!

No he doesn't have anything, I used to ride without mudguards, until about 2001, I put some on to keep my feet dryer more than anthing else, however that's entirely up to me if I choose to use a set of mudguards if riding solo. If I was riding in a group, sure, but BITD it really wasn't that big a deal at all to ride without, certainly not in the groups I rode with, nowadays things have changed to a degree but not all road group rides will have guards on wet days.

The OP isn't riding in a group, it's up to the other person behind to firstly consider safety, if you're getting sprayed then you're too close, end of story, and if you don't like getting sprayed then it's ENTIRELY up to you as the person behind to do something about that. Ride wider, ride further back, get in front, or even if possible ride alongside and ask if that's ok, I don't always want someone right next to me for similar reasons I don't want you right behind me getting my spray if I don't happen to have guards on that bike, I don't know you, I don't know your standards/understanding towards safety nor your abilities, most of the time I don't want to know you if it's piddlin' it down with rain, I want to crack on and focus on my surroundings and being safe to others and avoiding hazards, I don't want you too close, that means buzz off unless I invite you into MY space!

The OP is getting flak for absolutely no reason whatsoever, utterly ridiculous!

Yellow Peril wrote:

If someone sits on my wheel, so what? We're all brothers and sisters on the road. I've also been mightily grateful for someone else's wheel at times.

Depends on the road, traffic, volumes, pedestrians and other hazards.
No way do I want someone on my wheel on the way to work. I may have to brake suddenly, then what will the rider behind do?
Had a go at someone before for doing this with out even asking. They still did it later in the month and never attempted to take a turn.

Prosper0 wrote:

I don't really understand the fuss some people have with wheelsuckers.

It makes no difference to your cycling/performance etc why do you care? 

yes it does, you have no idea on road safety do you!

Prosper0 wrote:

I don't really understand the fuss some people have with wheelsuckers.

It makes no difference to your cycling/performance etc why do you care? 

It makes a large difference to my cycling performance if they crash into the back of me or the threat of it takes my attention away from other things which also endanger me. 

HLaB wrote:

Prosper0 wrote:

I don't really understand the fuss some people have with wheelsuckers.

It makes no difference to your cycling/performance etc why do you care? 

It makes a large difference to my cycling performance if they crash into the back of me or the threat of it takes my attention away from other things which also endanger me. 

Indeed I’ve had to rescue my wife as someone had smashed into her bike when she braked.

I’m a club rider riding in a group is fine, you take the risk for the benefit/social aspect but having some random bloke on my rear wheel on the commute no thanks. I generally shake them off.

Cugel wrote:

"Wheel sucking" is some sort of foolish Yank terminology denoting a "freeloader" (another foolish Yank term) that is "stealing" your effort by using you to push air out of the way. The terminology reflects the ridiculously over-competative winner-loser schtick of that benighted country.

In Britain it's called "sitting on a wheel" and is a recognised method of cycling eficiently that costs the fellow in front nothing. And, being the co-operative fellows we proper cyclists are, the usual arrangement for fellows of more or less equal ability is to take turns on the front, as relative fitness or current condition dictates.

So, you won't be surprised to hear, OP, that I find your post rather silly, not to say infantile, especially if you cut orf your nose to spite your face by clarting up your own bike such that you have to perform the tedious business of hosing it down all the time.

My advice is, stop sucking up Yank kulturekrap. 

Cugel

I think his point is they don't take a turn and as such, I got no real problem with it.

On busy routes where you can't help bunching up a bit (or overtake easy, thinking of cycle paths or superhighways) then it's a different matter entirely. As is overtaking someone then slowing down, thus spraying them with crap - not cool.

Cugel wrote:

"Wheel sucking" is some sort of foolish Yank terminology denoting a "freeloader" (another foolish Yank term) that is "stealing" your effort by using you to push air out of the way. The terminology reflects the ridiculously over-competative winner-loser schtick of that benighted country.

In Britain it's called "sitting on a wheel" and is a recognised method of cycling eficiently that costs the fellow in front nothing. And, being the co-operative fellows we proper cyclists are, the usual arrangement for fellows of more or less equal ability is to take turns on the front, as relative fitness or current condition dictates.

So, you won't be surprised to hear, OP, that I find your post rather silly, not to say infantile, especially if you cut orf your nose to spite your face by clarting up your own bike such that you have to perform the tedious business of hosing it down all the time.

My advice is, stop sucking up Yank kulturekrap. 

Cugel

Idiotic patronising statements from Cugel not representative of the UK. There is no indication that the OP is American. 

I have been 'drafted' as I call it by another rider who force me to run a red light which was turning amber in front of me. My choice was go through as it turned or brake rapidly and have him crash into me. After the light I gave the slow pedal until I was almost stopped before he over took. When I called him out on his behaviour he seemed to think it was justified because I was dressed 'like a pro' so I must think I can handle it. Now that is stupid. The guy was wearing a gold skater helmet if you want to read a book by it's cover.

[/quote]

I have been 'drafted' as I call it by another rider who force me to run a red light which was turning amber in front of me. My choice was go through as it turned or brake rapidly and have him crash into me.

[/quote]
I love the way you assume that your riding skills are better than the other rider and justify your action in riding through a red light on some random stranger

Welsh boy wrote:

 

I have been 'drafted' as I call it by another rider who force me to run a red light which was turning amber in front of me. My choice was go through as it turned or brake rapidly and have him crash into me.

[/quote]
I love the way you assume that your riding skills are better than the other rider and justify your action in riding through a red light on some random stranger

[/quote]

I hope your riding skills are better than your reading skills.

Cugel wrote:

"Wheel sucking" is some sort of foolish Yank terminology denoting a "freeloader" (another foolish Yank term) that is "stealing" your effort by using you to push air out of the way. The terminology reflects the ridiculously over-competative winner-loser schtick of that benighted country.

In Britain it's called "sitting on a wheel" and is a recognised method of cycling eficiently that costs the fellow in front nothing. And, being the co-operative fellows we proper cyclists are, the usual arrangement for fellows of more or less equal ability is to take turns on the front, as relative fitness or current condition dictates.

So, you won't be surprised to hear, OP, that I find your post rather silly, not to say infantile, especially if you cut orf your nose to spite your face by clarting up your own bike such that you have to perform the tedious business of hosing it down all the time.

My advice is, stop sucking up Yank kulturekrap. 

Cugel

Your anti American tirade makes you look a complete twat. Canadians and Americans call it drafting. In German the expression is "am Hinterrad lutschen" which translates as sucking on your rear wheel.

Cugel wrote:

"Wheel sucking" is some sort of foolish Yank terminology denoting a "freeloader" (another foolish Yank term) that is "stealing" your effort by using you to push air out of the way. The terminology reflects the ridiculously over-competative winner-loser schtick of that benighted country.

In Britain it's called "sitting on a wheel" and is a recognised method of cycling eficiently that costs the fellow in front nothing. And, being the co-operative fellows we proper cyclists are, the usual arrangement for fellows of more or less equal ability is to take turns on the front, as relative fitness or current condition dictates.

So, you won't be surprised to hear, OP, that I find your post rather silly, not to say infantile, especially if you cut orf your nose to spite your face by clarting up your own bike such that you have to perform the tedious business of hosing it down all the time.

My advice is, stop sucking up Yank kulturekrap. 

Cugel

We all know what wheelsucking means, it doesn't matter what term is used,  only typical stick in the muds bring up the fact that different countries call it something else and make a big deal as you have!

Bother to grasp the situation that the OP describes, this isn't about riding effeciently, it's about another impinging on their safety through cycling too close, as a consequence these wheelsuckers are getting sprayed, that's their problem not the OPs, he/she is not riding in a group, they are riding on their own, there's no  'etiquette' here with regards to mudgaurds, also "proper cyclists", what does that mean exactly?

Your post is infantile and ignorant, too busy having a pop at the OP to even grasp the rudmentaries of the problem and making a helpful comment!

Cugel wrote:

"Wheel sucking" is some sort of foolish Yank terminology denoting a "freeloader" (another foolish Yank term) that is "stealing" your effort by using you to push air out of the way. The terminology reflects the ridiculously over-competative winner-loser schtick of that benighted country.

In Britain it's called "sitting on a wheel" and is a recognised method of cycling eficiently that costs the fellow in front nothing. And, being the co-operative fellows we proper cyclists are, the usual arrangement for fellows of more or less equal ability is to take turns on the front, as relative fitness or current condition dictates.

So, you won't be surprised to hear, OP, that I find your post rather silly, not to say infantile, especially if you cut orf your nose to spite your face by clarting up your own bike such that you have to perform the tedious business of hosing it down all the time.

My advice is, stop sucking up Yank kulturekrap. 

Cugel

Wow. Jacob Rees-Mogg had joined road.cc.

triq-D wrote:

Cugel wrote:

"Wheel sucking" is some sort of foolish Yank terminology denoting a "freeloader" (another foolish Yank term) that is "stealing" your effort by using you to push air out of the way. The terminology reflects the ridiculously over-competative winner-loser schtick of that benighted country.

In Britain it's called "sitting on a wheel" and is a recognised method of cycling eficiently that costs the fellow in front nothing. And, being the co-operative fellows we proper cyclists are, the usual arrangement for fellows of more or less equal ability is to take turns on the front, as relative fitness or current condition dictates.

So, you won't be surprised to hear, OP, that I find your post rather silly, not to say infantile, especially if you cut orf your nose to spite your face by clarting up your own bike such that you have to perform the tedious business of hosing it down all the time.

My advice is, stop sucking up Yank kulturekrap. 

Cugel

 

Wow. Jacob Rees-Mogg had joined road.cc.

Can't be him - he didn't go on about 'common sense'...

brooksby wrote:

triq-D wrote:

Cugel wrote:

"Wheel sucking" is some sort of foolish Yank terminology denoting a "freeloader" (another foolish Yank term) that is "stealing" your effort by using you to push air out of the way. The terminology reflects the ridiculously over-competative winner-loser schtick of that benighted country.

In Britain it's called "sitting on a wheel" and is a recognised method of cycling eficiently that costs the fellow in front nothing. And, being the co-operative fellows we proper cyclists are, the usual arrangement for fellows of more or less equal ability is to take turns on the front, as relative fitness or current condition dictates.

So, you won't be surprised to hear, OP, that I find your post rather silly, not to say infantile, especially if you cut orf your nose to spite your face by clarting up your own bike such that you have to perform the tedious business of hosing it down all the time.

My advice is, stop sucking up Yank kulturekrap. 

Cugel

 

Wow. Jacob Rees-Mogg had joined road.cc.

Can't be him - he didn't go on about 'common sense'...

I think it's ironic that Cugel is complaining about Yank terminology whilst using the name "Cugel" which AFAIK is a creation of American author Jack Vance (Dying Earth series).