I want to be alone (or how to be barred from the fraternity of cyclists)

[yello]

Just don't use google translate to put that into french, you would seem like a slightly eccentric anti-capitalism protester "Je ne veux pas l'entreprise"

I think I prefer the Google version !

 

[yello]

Anyway, I am still (genuinely) mystified why you rode that route that day.

And I've answered that as best I could. As I said, it's not black and white as you seem to be seeing it.

 

[swansonj]

How much, if at all, does a rider slipstreaming you and thereby getting a considerably easier ride, slow you down? I've heard it said that with cars, two cars, closely drafting, more closely than would be safe on roads, actually have lower wind resistance than either one on their own.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

When you passed him the second time couldn't you have pushed him into the ditch?

 

[User6179]

Try eating beans or a Vindaloo the night before a ride then you will not be long getting rid of any followers next day.
Nobody drafts me on a Sunday after my Saturday nite curry

 

[wiggydiggy]

Audaxing in my experience is a strange mixture of solo and group riding. You ride along with someone for a while, then you ride alone for a long long time on your own, then you ride with someone else.

If you really object to sticking with someone for 1/2 hour and you are both doing an audax, then you must use your words. There is an unstated companionship on these rides, and if you want something else, you must state it.

Ah, so when I thought you were trolling, I was right?

(I had to separate from someone I'd spent a day riding with on LEL. It was actually quite horrible to do, afterwards I felt like Joe Simpon's mate. Neither of us finished ,so that makes it even worse. But I can't see the problem of blowing off a complete stranger, or putting up with someone for 15km. )

I can!

 

[Dogtrousers]

How much, if at all, does a rider slipstreaming you and thereby getting a considerably easier ride, slow you down? I've heard it said that with cars, two cars, closely drafting, more closely than would be safe on roads, actually have lower wind resistance than either one on their own.

According to a piece by Chris Boardman on telly last year this is true for cyclists. The rider behind affects the air flow in some way to make it easier for the leading rider by some infinitesimal amount. They are effectively pushing. A teeny bit.

 

[NorvernRob]

I did a popular local randonée yesterday. There were 5 distances, all 'out and backs', and all shared the same final 20km section. At around 15km from the finish, I approached a bloke moving at a considerably lesser pace them me. As I passed, I said 'hello'*, he nodded back and I trundled on. Then I become that he has taken my rear wheel.

Now, as a rule, I ride alone. I don't take other peoples wheels and I don't like it being done to me. If that makes me a grumpy old sod then I plead guilty. It's not about wheel suckers or not wanting to work with someone (which I do on the odd occasions I might ride a sportive), it's simply that I usually like to ride alone. It can spoil my enjoyment of a ride to have a companion, much less a 'hanger on'.

So I slowed up. He slows... it starts getting tactical like track racing! He eventually passes and carries on, again at his slower pace. I let him go a number of yards before I pass him again. He attaches himself again. I slow up again. He slows. Eventually, the penny drops with him - I don't want to ride with him. 'Ok'* he shouts at me, seemingly quite aggrieved. I carry on and enjoy the rest of my ride - on my own! Guess I'm just not part of the team!

(* this is France, it was actually bonjour and d'accord)

We did a sportive a few weeks ago, and around the 75/80 mile mark passed another rider. I realised just after that he'd latched onto my back wheel and we towed him along for over 10 miles without him saying a word, I was getting mightily annoyed then he shouted 'thanks for the tow lads, I was struggling' and proceeded to take a turn on the the front - but he was hitting 22-23mph and seemingly trying to drop us!

My mate turned to me and said 'no chance' so I groaned, put my head down and followed. We got to the last hill 3 miles from the end and the guys legs went again and we dropped him

 

[Shut Up Legs]

According to a piece by Chris Boardman on telly last year this is true for cyclists. The rider behind affects the air flow in some way to make it easier for the leading rider by some infinitesimal amount. They are effectively pushing. A teeny bit.

Plus there's the "peer pressure" effect. Although I try not to let someone cycling behind me affect my performance, I find it hard to resist pedaling a bit harder when I'm being followed. It's not always an easy thing to resist.

 

[MikeG]

We did a sportive a few weeks ago, and around the 75/80 mile mark passed another rider. I realised just after that he'd latched onto my back wheel and we towed him along for over 10 miles without him saying a word, I was getting mightily annoyed then he shouted 'thanks for the tow lads, I was struggling' and proceeded to take a turn on the the front - but he was hitting 22-23mph and seemingly trying to drop us!

My mate turned to me and said 'no chance' so I groaned, put my head down and followed. We got to the last hill 3 miles from the end and the guys legs went again and we dropped him

That sounds a classic how-not-to-ride story. The guy you towed was riding in bursts..........fast/ slow/ fast/ slow...... I watched a really interesting interview with Andy Wilkinson, who was a 47 year old amateur when he broke his own world record for 24 hours (541 miles!!!!!!), and he was saying that the secret was to put in exactly even effort all the time. The same effort up hills as down. Let the bike speed vary, considerably, but the riding effort should be exactly the same, constant, all the time. No coasting, no big effort to get up a hill.

 

[yello]

the secret was to put in exactly even effort all the time. The same effort up hills as down. Let the bike speed vary, considerably, but the riding effort should be exactly the same, constant, all the time. No coasting, no big effort to get up a hill.

I could buy into that.

I suspect we've all had that feeling of ease when we've been chugging away at a constant effort. For me, that's invariably on the flat but I have experienced it when settling into a steady climb too. Now if I could only combine the two!

 

[MarkF]

I agree with the OP and far prefer to ride alone too. Maybe once a month a pal would ride to Skipton & back with me, via Ilkley on the return, maybe 45 miles. He'd sit on my wheel all the way to Skipton, usually into a headwind, then he'd sit on my wheel all the way back to Ilkley, close to home, where he'd pass me and climb like he was king of the mountains.

 

[Joshua Plumtree]

That sounds a classic how-not-to-ride story. The guy you towed was riding in bursts..........fast/ slow/ fast/ slow...... I watched a really interesting interview with Andy Wilkinson, who was a 47 year old amateur when he broke his own world record for 24 hours (541 miles!!!!!!), and he was saying that the secret was to put in exactly even effort all the time. The same effort up hills as down. Let the bike speed vary, considerably, but the riding effort should be exactly the same, constant, all the time. No coasting, no big effort to get up a hill.

That's where a power meter would prove very useful (although I can't afford one at present!)

 

[yello]

Would you be able to measure effort with an HRM?

 

[Joshua Plumtree]

Would you be able to measure effort with an HRM?

Yes, but not as accurately, I suspect.