Missed connection

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Originally Posted by culimerc

I always leave enough room for evasive maneuvers.

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I have drafted people I don't know on a couple occasions, but I always ask if it's OK with them to be on their wheel before doing some good ol' wheel suck.

If they don't know what it means when I ask "can I draft you?", then it's safer for you and for them if you don't do it.

Just my 2-cents.

I think I should start a new thread entitled: "I hate how much I hate being passed". Even today, when I mounted my Nokian Extreme on the front (which basically means I go 3 to 5 MPH slower than with my slicks); when someone with slicks passed me on the trail, it irked me to no end.

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Originally Posted by acl

*generic "you", not ShawnoftheDread you. as far as i know, ShawnoftheDread you is not guilty of this

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I might be. I've stayed about a bike length back of people on occasion when either waiting for a passing opportunity or trying to keep up with someone. I guess I'll back it up a bit from now on.

A bike's length is enough space in my opinion. Half that feels sketchy. Half that and just to my left and it looks like someone trying to pass when I look over my shoulder.

I don't purposely draft...follow yes, but never with the intention of decreasing my own effort. I usually shoot for 2-3 bike lengths, but sometimes I find myself pretty close to others' wheels. Usually this happens if they are keeping a decent pace on the flats but slow way down on hills, but I back off once the terrain levels out and they speed up. I don't really mean to tailgate on hills, but sometimes going really slow can actually be difficult if it means breaking out of my natural rhythm/cadence. It's kinda like when you're walking behind someone who is really slow, it actually takes more effort to break your natural gait and slow to their pace.

I usually try to overtake everyone. :D Mostly because I prefer not drafting behind someone because I can't see ahead (although I don't mind it if someone drafts me).

Occasionally there'll be a faster guy I can only just keep up with, then stuff like this happens!

This topic was the subject of my second post to this forum.

At this point, I don't really care if someone drafts me or follows closely (I don't get too hung up on the distinction), but I would appreciate an announcement first (though I've never had that happen), and maybe tell me how far you are going. The other night I thought my shadow had left the trail or dropped back, so I didn't signal or call a warning when I had to abruptly stop just as I started to cross an intersection, due to debris in the road. I heard him say "oh!" It's good to know what is right behind you for safety sake.

Liz

Drafting, following, whatever you want to call it, it's all unwarranted and dangerous on the trails around here. It's not like we are on a closed race course without runners, inexperienced cyclists, headphone users, dogs, strollers, huge cracks in the pavement, at-grade crossing with signals, at-grade crossings with insufficient signals, changes in trail composition, blind corners, wet leaves, snow, manhole covers, inch-deep layers of road salt, did I miss anything? The only metric I care about is "if I fall down on a pile of crap in the middle of the trail, are you going to run me over?" Nine times out of ten the answer is yes. And as a result, on more than one occasion I have turned into Angrypants McCursey. But honestly if you are following 2 feet behind me with one earbud in not making a peep about it, then that's already an "f you" in my book and I am just returning the favor verbally.

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Originally Posted by vvill

I usually try to overtake everyone.

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This, key word is try.
Unless when 1/8 catches me from behind.

Seems to me drafting is like tailgating. I don't ever get drafted because I'm just too damn fast for anyone to keep up, of course, but if I were and I didn't like it, I guess I'd do what I do when someone's tailgating me in my car - slow down until they pass me instead. Which would be hard for me, because I'm so damn fast and not used to being passed either.

No one can draft off of me. I'm that slow. If I am drafting off of you, you are probably a runner.