Is it rude to...
- Thread starter duke
- Start date
Well how about this one then.gruppo said:
You see somebody "X" distance in front of you. You raise your pace to catch them. By the time you do, your heart rate is up, and your starting to suck a little wind. I will generally hang behind for a while then take a turn at the front. Most people don't get mad at me hanging out behind them while I recover.....
If you want to chase someone down for sport
be polite and sociable and ask to stay a while, spread some goodwill when you catch them. This way you instantly give yourself immunity to being a wheelsucker.There is nothing worse than having someone rocket up to you, flex their muscles as they fly past, only to spend the next hour riding 40 metres in front of you. POINTLESS AND HILARIOUS.
My experience is that there are far too many people with poor social skills. Even a nod or a wave is a major chore for some. Psuedo amateur wannabe pros who can't be sociable ingratiate our noble sport. I reckon even Lance Armstrong would wave to me and say G'day cos he loves to ride. Duke, you were right to ask tho and i commend you for asking about etiquette. recover when you catch someone, then be sociable, its not difficult.
be polite and sociable and ask to stay a while, spread some goodwill when you catch them. This way you instantly give yourself immunity to being a wheelsucker.There is nothing worse than having someone rocket up to you, flex their muscles as they fly past, only to spend the next hour riding 40 metres in front of you. POINTLESS AND HILARIOUS. My experience is that there are far too many people with poor social skills. Even a nod or a wave is a major chore for some. Psuedo amateur wannabe pros who can't be sociable ingratiate our noble sport. I reckon even Lance Armstrong would wave to me and say G'day cos he loves to ride. Duke, you were right to ask tho and i commend you for asking about etiquette. recover when you catch someone, then be sociable, its not difficult.
But what if another cyclist rides past you, and waves...sometimes that can be taken as his way of saying, "I passed you, slowpoke!"
A few weeks ago I was out riding, and this hotshot on a Cannondale rode past me and made a snide comment about my bike....I got ****** off and raced past him. He sped up to pass me and made a "Hmph" sound, as if to say he was amazed my bike could pass him. I ended up beating him, because he never passed me again after that.
I might not have a hotshot racing bike, but nobody disses my bike with immunity.
A few weeks ago I was out riding, and this hotshot on a Cannondale rode past me and made a snide comment about my bike....I got ****** off and raced past him. He sped up to pass me and made a "Hmph" sound, as if to say he was amazed my bike could pass him. I ended up beating him, because he never passed me again after that.
I might not have a hotshot racing bike, but nobody disses my bike with immunity.
I was on the other end of this situation this week. I was climbing a pretty good hill at my own easy pace, about 30 miles into my ride when a younger rider wearing his local racing club gear passed me without saying a word (not even a "HI"). I used the opportunity to grab his wheel up the remainder of the hill. Near the crest of the climb he shifts to a harder gear and stands up to sprint away. I simply sat on his wheel and let him do the work. At the top he went left and I went right, I didn't get the chance to thank him for the pull. Was it rude of me to grab his wheel? Or was it rude of him not to say "hi"? Either way I'm too competative to let someone pass up a hill without trying to stay with them.
When I pass a slower rider on a hill I'll pull in front and ask them to grab my wheel. Its the polite thing to do. If they can't hang on then at least I said "hi".
When I pass a slower rider on a hill I'll pull in front and ask them to grab my wheel. Its the polite thing to do. If they can't hang on then at least I said "hi".
Interesting topic.I'm fairly new to cycling,but yesterday while on a long ride,I had a woman grab my wheel and I pulled her for about 10km.Then she just turned off.She never said a word to me.It was kind of unnerving to have someone that close to me.I found myself changing the way I ride,so as not to make her hit me.
I did'nt really think twice about it until now.Is this somewhat common practice,or was she just hitching a free ride at my expense.
I did'nt really think twice about it until now.Is this somewhat common practice,or was she just hitching a free ride at my expense.
I've had a guy coming towards me from the opposite direction stop, wait in a driveway until I passed, then turn around and follow me. It kinda weirded me out so I took off at some ridiculous speed until he gave up.
The only time I've ever come up behind someone was when they were going way slower than me and I would have to pass. Don't really seem to find other cyclists out here except the leisurely type (and I've been riding for a couple months now).
The only time I've ever come up behind someone was when they were going way slower than me and I would have to pass. Don't really seem to find other cyclists out here except the leisurely type (and I've been riding for a couple months now).
Sometimes you have to really force people to be polite. If they are still so up themselves to not be able to acknowledge you then as Trekdedicated put it "if its a race then all bets are off" especially if they aren't really that much better than you. Make them realise they are just a psuedo amatuer wannabe pro with a bad attitude who is really nothing in the greater scheme of things.
Another situation I was in a few weeks ago... I saw another rider a little bit up the road. I chased him hard for about two miles. Finally when I caught him, I took my pull at the front, uphill no less. We ended up talking for about 4 or 5 miles. He was a younger rider getting in shape for his first local charity, Marylands Lung Association ride for kids with ashma. I have done this ride the past three years and this will be my fourth. We exchanged names and hopefully I'll see him there so we can ride the meteric century together, if hurricane Ivan doesn't blow us out this weekend. (Ivan might be over Maryland on Saturday - we'll see).KGnagey said:
Bottom line - be kind to fellow riders no matter how fast or slow they are. At least they are riding.
I thought drafting also helped the leader as well? I read somewhere that a drafter reduces the turbulence behind the leader and improves his speed about 2-3 mph. Of course, it helps the drafter a lot more.
In any case, not saying "hi" isn't a big deal. New Yorkers would be a little creeped out if random people said Hi to them or tried to strike up a conversation out of nowhere.
In any case, not saying "hi" isn't a big deal. New Yorkers would be a little creeped out if random people said Hi to them or tried to strike up a conversation out of nowhere.
