Road etiquette?

Is it OK to draft other unknown roadies?

  • yes

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • no

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    0

firedfromthecircus

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When out on the road alone, if a faster cyclist or group passes you is it OK to take their wheel until your routes diverge or you can no longer keep up? Or would that be considered rude and you should just watch that wind cheating advantage pull off into the distance?
 
Hell yes!

Thats like saying is it ok to drive xx distance behind this car.

Of course! As long as you dont disturb them or whatever, who cares.
 
If someone overtakes me then everyone knows thats the gauntlet so i normally try to keep up (not overtake, only have one gear). Sometimes pays off depending on who passes me wink.
 
I have an ongoing argument with a couple of friends who believe that the rider in front should take responsibility for the rider(s) behind as he/she can see upcoming hazards better then the rider(s) behind. I believe however that each rider should take responsibility for themselves and each has a responsibility not to crash into other riders. I also believe that the rider in front can't crash into any riders behind as he/she is always riding away from them. In truth drafting is tailgating, which is considered dangerous driving in a motor vehicle and so ilegal. So, if your riding behind another rider and you aren't keeping a safe distance (which of course you won't be) it will be your fault if there is an accident, even if it's caused by the rider in front braking or swerving without notice.

After all that I still voted yes though :LOL:
 
Depends on the group I suppose. Around here the only groups that would be large enough to pass you at any significant speed would be of the toothpaste tube variety, and would most likely be offended that your clothing clashes with their team kits and you personally don't mesh with the image they are working so hard to project, so I'd say no.


Bonus points if you do decide to grab a wheel then sit up, light up a smoke, or pull out your phone and call your financial planner.
 
If i tailgate someone, i pop out and check often, fore and aft.
I dont ride on the roads though so this would be cycle path's for me.
 
I let them go and hope that none of them recognises me and starts up a conversation about the sort of thing they should come into the shop and ask about instead. :cool:
 
I don't give a monkey's if someone passes me on the road - the road's only the boring (but occasionally necessary) journey to some proper riding anyway. As I'm often on a singlespeed, I'm just spinning along at 12-14mph - let them go.

Off-road I'll usually (ok, always) try and catch someone that I spot ahead of me, I can't remember the last time anyone caught me up though.
This probably just shows that 90% of people are even more pitifully slow than I am........and that I can ride for a whole day and be lucky to see another bike.
 
i would say no personally, you are making things slightly more dangerous for someone you don't know. If your out as a group (if you are the kind of roadie that everyone who pays road tax rightfully hates with a passion & wants to see upside down in a ditch choking on your own lycra) then drafting off each other is fair enough. to do it on a stranger isn't imho & yes, i have been known to just brake for the sake of it to stop them.

you wouldn't walk down the high street 6 inches behind the person in front of you, making every turn they do without being reported as a potential mugger / rapist / escaped loony so why do it on a bike?
 

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