Drafting Etiquite

[AndyPeace]

It tends to be newbies and competative commuters who use the term "scalp".

and it's shocking to find people in a beginners thread making such references

 

[triangles]

I would be interested to know where the term "scalp" came from in reference to passing another person on a bike. I'll take a guess that it is London or some other city. My thoughts are that whoever I pass, or am passed by, then I always say hello if I am doing the passing and I expect the same if I am being overtaken.

I don't intentionally 'scalp' people (although I do regularly overtake...) - however I also don't greet fellow cyclists and can't remember ever having been greeted while commuting. This has been in London and Bristol - where are people cycling that it seems the norm to say hi to one another?

 

[Sittingduck]

You have a point, triangles

I think the waving and 'cheery hello' phenomenon is usually the norm, in the rural commuting scene.

 

[Pedrosanchezo]

I don't intentionally 'scalp' people (although I do regularly overtake...) - however I also don't greet fellow cyclists and can't remember ever having been greeted while commuting. This has been in London and Bristol - where are people cycling that it seems the norm to say hi to one another?

In the sticks people are mostly nice when on bikes. I think we see less of each other out on the open roads than city commuters. If i am out for 60-90 minutes at night i will likely see 3 or 4 cyclists at most. A longer weekend ride of 4 hours+ will see less than 10 cyclists. City cyclists probably see 10 cyclists per street.

 

[on the road]

I never "scalp" anyone, I pass other cyclists but I don't "scalp" them. And when I pass them I don't say hello, but there's a reason for that, I'm sure they must think I'm grumpy

 

[Andrew_Culture]

In the sticks people are mostly nice when on bikes. I think we see less of each other out on the open roads than city commuters. If i am out for 60-90 minutes at night i will likely see 3 or 4 cyclists at most. A longer weekend ride of 4 hours+ will see less than 10 cyclists. City cyclists probably see 10 cyclists per street.

Ditto! On some early morning rides I'm really pleased to see another cyclist!

 

[Hacienda71]

I find people are friendlier up in the hills both when passing each other going in the same direction, or when passing going in the opposite direction. Don't know why I just seem to get more pleasant response from people in the hills to a "Hello", a wave or a nod. You tend not to be drafted on hilly rides as there is not much benefit when slogging up a lung buster, so hanging on someones wheel doesn't tend to happen.

 

[User6179]

I only draft tractors and buses and once a combine harvester and only on strava segments

 

[dandare]

'Once in a while' I get passed by other cyclists. Its always tempting to pursue them and hang off their back wheel and most of the time I do. Is it bad form to overtake them. There were several oppurtunities tonight when I could have passed this guy, but I chose not to, his legs looked more peppy than mine and I'd just done a 10 and half hour shift at work. Still even if he took me or the pass failed and I had to pull back, it seems a good challenge. Would you be narked if someone tryed to overtake but failed or got ahead and could not keep speed? Not talking about constantly repeating this, just doing it the once. If the guy gets ahead I would simply up my game before trying to pass him again.

Why not just enter a race, put a race number on your back then you can pass all you like.

 

[AndyPeace]

I don't intentionally 'scalp' people (although I do regularly overtake...) - however I also don't greet fellow cyclists and can't remember ever having been greeted while commuting. This has been in London and Bristol - where are people cycling that it seems the norm to say hi to one another?

Most of us round here greet each other when passing, though that said I'd put these people in their 40's+ which may also factor in this behaviour. What is the difference between overtaking and scalping? I've only used the term on this thread and assumed they ment the same thing.

Why not just enter a race, put a race number on your back then you can pass all you like.

Because I'm not that competative? I cycle to commute to work places, it proberly would be worth me joining some social rides- just not convinced I have either the fittness or a suitable bike for this as my OP said I expect the guy in question would soon pass me again... it's why I posted the question as to wether you'd be offended if someone you overtook (and greeted), then overtook you (and greeted you back), for you to have to pass them again (with a cheery hello again!"). I may have misread but the general concensus seems to be this is the better thing to do if I am keeping up with them, rather than sit near their wheel. If they were bothered by this they could always drop me

 

[Longshot]

This drafting lark is all new to me. Once on the long way home from work, I turned around to see a roadie right behind me grabbing a tow. I didn't know what he was doing !

He dismissively told me to keep going . I thought it was rather rude, and having someone so close behind made me nervous. I don't get too close to other riders on the commute.

I'd have stopped before he drafted another inch off me.

 

[triangles]

Most of us round here greet each other when passing, though that said I'd put these people in their 40's+ which may also factor in this behaviour.

Yeah that could also be a part of it as I'm in my twenties, although I never hear anyone else greeted

What is the difference between overtaking and scalping? I've only used the term on this thread and assumed they ment the same thing.

There's no difference, I just mean that I don't treat each time I overtake someone as some kind of victory (maybe because I'm in my twenties and still fairly fit? )

 

[AndyPeace]

There's no difference, I just mean that I don't treat each time I overtake someone as some kind of victory (maybe because I'm in my twenties and still fairly fit? )

I had started to think 'scalping' is where you pass someone really closely- scraping elbows so to speak, whereas overtaking you pass them giving fair distance... under that definition I only overtake. I'm currently chuffed if I can overtake someone as its early days for me riding at speed, its not so much that I defeated them but rather that I didn't know I had it in me.

 

[Pedrosanchezo]

I had started to think 'scalping' is where you pass someone really closely- scraping elbows so to speak, whereas overtaking you pass them giving fair distance... under that definition I only overtake. I'm currently chuffed if I can overtake someone as its early days for me riding at speed, its not so much that I defeated them but rather that I didn't know I had it in me.

No no no, scalping is going past someone so fast that their helmet falls off. If done with a tail wind you can even "proper scalp" someone by removing said helmet + their hair. True story.

 

[Risex4]

I tried drafting on my commute once. However I kept dropping them unitentionally, and then when I swung out to let them take the pull, my shouts of "Pace Up" were met with just a blank look over the shoulder.

I concluded that a) I suck at this drafting lark and b) if the little old lady had had anything in her handlebar basket, I probably would have had a face full of it.

Still, I'm not totally convinced that there was much gain to be had at 6mph anyway...