Etiquette??

[Wolvesandy]

I was on my way home after a 50 mile ride the weekend and was pretty knackered, then coming up to a junction i looked behind and was quite shocked to see id got a couple of riders on my wheel, I didn't know how long they had been there as they never spoke, is this the norm with people or should they have let me know they were there?
Ive had enough people whizzing past me over the past few months who have always spoke but never anyone stuck on my wheel especially as i was only going about 15mph

 

[asterix]

I was on my way home after a 50 mile ride the weekend and was pretty knackered, then coming up to a junction i looked behind and was quite shocked to see id got a couple of riders on my wheel, I didn't know how long they had been there as they never spoke, is this the norm with people or should they have let me know they were there?
Ive had enough people whizzing past me over the past few months who have always spoke but never anyone stuck on my wheel especially as i was only going about 15mph

How often do you look behind? Maybe they only just arrived 'on your wheel'? Quite usual in York to have such situations. 15mph is quite fast for many.

 

[skwerl]

depends what "on my wheel means". Uness there's <1 foot between tyres it's not drafting

 

[Wolvesandy]

I didn't look behind me for ages as i was on a long quiet country lane, and yes he was really close

 

[Tynan]

trying to nick your back light

did he have a screwdriver in his hand?

 

[Bigtallfatbloke]

I'd sit down quick if I were you.

 

[Joe]

I'd sit down quick if I were you.

Hehe!
I actually had this happen to me the other week for the first time. Made me jump when I turned round to check the traffic and saw a roadie on my wheel!
Having only ridden solo I wasn't sure what to do, should I have signled him to take the lead at some point? I just carried on as normal...

 

[cyclebum]

I caught up with a roadie while on my MTB a few weeks ago, for the first time ever. I was in a bit of a quandry what to do but he was just going a bit too slow. As I pulled past him I did greet him as nicely as possible just as has been done to me sooooo many times. As I reaches the junction further up the road he suddenly appeared behind me then turned the other way from me. Later, my husband who had been behind us both said as I passed him he suddenly looked up in a very surprised manner then his little legs were peddling like fury to try to catch me. I must say it felt good to turn the tables just this once!!!!

 

[bonj2]

I caught up with a roadie while on my MTB a few weeks ago, for the first time ever. I was in a bit of a quandry what to do but he was just going a bit too slow. As I pulled past him I did greet him as nicely as possible just as has been done to me sooooo many times. As I reaches the junction further up the road he suddenly appeared behind me then turned the other way from me. Later, my husband who had been behind us both said as I passed him he suddenly looked up in a very surprised manner then his little legs were peddling like fury to try to catch me. I must say it felt good to turn the tables just this once!!!!

that's the good thing about an MTB on the road - if you get overtaken by a roadie, you can put it down to their bike being faster, but if you overtake a roadie, you must be faster.

 

[Chuffy]

that's the good thing about an MTB on the road - if you get overtaken by a roadie, you can put it down to their bike being faster, but if you overtake a roadie, you must be faster.

Heh....
I tried chasing down a couple of road whippets on my commute home yesterday. They went past as I was waiting at the bike crossing (with my slicked up mtb commuter) and I decided to try my luck following them rather than head down my normal route. Luckily they peeled off before I could catch them because if I had caught them I wouldn't have been able to do more than tap them on the shoulder and wheeze "you're 'it'" before keeling over in a ditch.

 

[Bigtallfatbloke]

that's the good thing about an MTB on the road - if you get overtaken by a roadie, you can put it down to their bike being faster, but if you overtake a roadie, you must be faster

...on a tourer a good trick is to carry four panniers full of polystyrene....looks like you are lugging a heavy load so you get more sympathy from motorists and roadies are REALLY pissed orf when you match them for speed.

 

[fossyant]

I've burnt off a few road bikes on the way to / from work, but I'm a roadie with a commuted up mtb - it's still slow though - just doesn't accellerate like the road bike, plus I'm carrying an 8kg rucksack....argh (need to ditch the lock somewhere).....

Just cos they have a road bike doesn't mean they are fast, but they 'should' be quicker than an MTB, unless the poor bugger has ridden 100 miles

 

[johnr]

Etiquette? Cyclists? Interesting concept

 

[CarnageAX]

that's the good thing about an MTB on the road - if you get overtaken by a roadie, you can put it down to their bike being faster, but if you overtake a roadie, you must be faster.

Unless that roadie has just ridden 100 miles over hill and country and you sail by after your 5th mile that day!

All things considered I know who the sensible one is.

 

[stevenb]

Aye, you can never tell really.....I would suppose that if the person is really fit looking decked out in lycra and you pass them then the chances are they might be winding down or on the end of a long trip out.

I've looked around a few times before to find a rider behind me but I just kept going at the pace I was...was never overtaken.

In terms of etiquette I always wave, nod etc at passing cyclists.