To the humourless road cyclist on Spaanschemat river road this morning

[porqui]

What is it with everybody and wheelsucking - such emotions.

You can't do this and you must do that.

 

If someone is on my wheel that's fine makes me feel good.

If I'm sucking your wheel that's what I'm doing don't go and be a ****.

And if I'm not contributing by pulling too that's tough I'm too stuffed to do so I'm just barely hanging in there on your wheel.

 

What I find amazing is that there are so few riders who are good front riders that hold a good line and keep an even pace.

 

**** = box

[dewaldsss]

Rule # 1.....

[Eldron]

There is a learning opportunity here (and in almost every confrontation)... A little acknowledgement/nod/eye contact/greeting will set a good tone and pre defuse any disagreement.

 

It's the angry/stressed/pissed off start to any situation that generally leads to swearing, mirror smashing and cyclists being pushed off the road in Singapore.

[Thor Buttox]

Sorry bud.

Can't believe you couldn't drop a mountain bike?

[Vetplant]

There is a learning opportunity here (and in almost every confrontation)... A little acknowledgement/nod/eye contact/greeting will set a good tone and pre defuse any disagreement.

 

It's the angry/stressed/pissed off start to any situation that generally leads to swearing, mirror smashing and cyclists being pushed off the road in Singapore.

{Delete that post immediately, I am not sure we have reached the point where we want to resolve this. Such balanced and sensible posts are not welcome here. It is an election year you know, we need to ride the Us vs Them wave till May}

 

PS, Sarcasm brackets added, my mobile browser can't do Comic Sans font.

 

Be Lekker

[Pure Savage]

Can't believe you couldn't drop a mountain bike?

 

I had a puncture...

[Shebeen]

Go find him on strava and have a chat

[Grease_Monkey]

I really don't know what your problem was. But to throw the F-bomb at me by telling me that I should either 'go ahead of you or F-off' when I 'dared' to keep on your wheel for a brief period of time on Spaanschemat river road is not cool.

 

I'ts not like I was endangering you physically (although it's arguable I may have damaged your ego by keeping up with you...)

 

Perhaps you feel it's not cool for a mountain biker to latch onto your wheel while you're on the road. Perhaps you even feel that mountain bikers don't belong on the road. To be honest I'm a road biker as well as a mountain biker so perhaps it's only you and I shouldn't be judging road bikers based on your ridiculous behaviour.

 

Just relax - we all share the road. And just remember the only words I said to you in response - 'LIGHTEN UP'

So why not say this to the oke when he threw the F bomb at you instead of posting it here where he probably won't see it?

[Thor Buttox]

I had a puncture...

A deflated ego can ruin any ride...

[PingPong]

What is it with everybody and wheelsucking - such emotions.

You can't do this and you must do that.

 

If someone is on my wheel that's fine makes me feel good.

If I'm sucking your wheel that's what I'm doing don't go and be a ****.

And if I'm not contributing by pulling too that's tough I'm too stuffed to do so I'm just barely hanging in there on your wheel.

 

What I find amazing is that there are so few riders who are good front riders that hold a good line and keep an even pace.

 

**** = box

I'm with porqui on this one. Unless your name is Sagan, Macaskill or Minnaar lighten up on the road or trails. There will always be someone faster or stronger so deal with it. But I suppose for some training for LeTour or Epic or Iron Man is serious stuff caus of that elusive podium

[lechatnoir]

anyone who sits on my wheel does flatter me, but I feel so bleak for them that they think they need to be sitting on MY wheel.

[Mamil]

It really does hurt when someone on a mountain bike keeps up with me on my road bike. 

 

Must be 20 years younger than me I say to myself after the first attempt to shake them loose. Then when I glimpse a beard as grey as mine  --- Oh well, one of those 5 foot 5 thin as a piece of barbed wire, tough as a string of kudo biltong I comfort myself after the second attempt fails.

 

Could it be an e-bike? I gasp to myself as I get out of the saddle and still they're behind me ...

 

Doesn't happen often but it always hurts when it does ....

 

There was a guy called Francois on a dual suss in Group F who finished ahead of me at the Stellenbosch tour .... he casually remarked that he wanted to average 32 and he had. Beast. 20kg and 20 years on that occasion so I could make peace with it .... sort of.

[Skubarra]

Honestly can't be bothered if someone wheelsuck me, usually just glad I can be of assistance to a fellow rider out there suffering more than me. (Though if you are on a mtb expect that I will gradually & subtly increase my speed as we go along)

 

If there is something that annoys me is those okes putting in a massive effort to catch me & race past me only to slow down drastically once they are ahead, forcing me to pass them again - that yo-yo game is annoying.

[lechatnoir]

If there is something that annoys me is those okes putting in a massive effort to catch me & race past me only to slow down drastically once they are ahead, forcing me to pass them again - that yo-yo game is annoying.

 

^^^This.... is super-annoying

[sluiper]

Jeez, I'm actually kind of stunned by some of the comments here re hating people that suck wheel. I've always been slightly chuffed if someone decides to draft me and I actually try to keep an even pace so that they can hang on for as long as they're able. I thought it was a kind of unspoken favour to others and wasn't even aware there was some sort of greeting/turn taking decorum. 

 

One of the nicest things about cycling (to me, in any case) is that there's a camaraderie amongst cyclists. I've lost count of the amount of times another cyclist has offered to help when I'm next to the road fixing a flat. I've donated dozens of tubes and bombs to others in return. 90% of the time when I pass someone they'll nod their head or even sometimes give a wave.

 

Maybe it's just me but drafting is such a natural, friendly way of cycling that I can't imagine feeling irritated by someone sitting on my wheel or vice versa. On the other hand, it seems there might be a market for small signs on the back of your saddle saying "No wheel sucking".

[MDJ]

So why not say this to the oke when he threw the F bomb at you instead of posting it here where he probably won't see it?

 

Now where's the fun in that! At least this way its provided for an entertaining thread - interesting to see the views .