This morning's commute and other commuting stories

Because if you're close enough for it to have any useful effect, you're too close to be safe.

A complete stranger, in busy and unpredictable conditions a couple of inches off your back wheel? No thanks.

This.

Very true

I guess cause I'm usually fixed so majority if people can easily slow down as fast as me. (I don't do skid stops or that lark).

So a trilby wearing fat lad listening to Slade through a speaker a few inches off your rear tyre makes you all uneasy?

I shall continue then.

3rded. Though it is fun when you get a wheelsucker to do the old go slow on them and see how long they last before they overtake.

Last night, waiting at the lights at Bank, riding my 1961 Mercian track bike. Some chap pulls up next to me, saying "nice piece of Derby engineering". Then tells me his father used to work at Mercian. Made my night. I doubt you are on here but if so hai!

Snapped chain halfway into commute, precisely at the point furthest away from bike shop. One uber trip poorer and now hoping that my bike isn't stripped for parts where I left it. Utter ball ache.

Easy enough to buy a chain at lunch. Why don't I carry a chain tool any more?

On the brakes a lot this morning. I fitted Kojaks recently and haven't found the point at which they break away in the wet. Dozens of junctions where cars etc roll forward into my road whilst waiting for me to pass. Scares the shit out of me since recently when one of them didn't stop rolling and I inspected his bonnet badge at close quarters (Mercedes)

You make me uneasy from wherever you are

My view is if you can't drop someone then you can't moan about them wheelsucking.

It's a well known fact that if you can't drop someone, then there is zero risk of you having to stop suddenly in traffic and have them crash into the back of you.

You know, because the roads suddenly become safer when someone is on your wheel and you're not in a fucking race.

I was finding it particularly challenging, normally I don't mind but it was the mental "oh my god this is really hurting this morning, why?" and then seeing someone go past me.

@laner: u so pro.

Get faster. Drop them. Or brake check them a bit.

But srsly, do people have a problem with wheelsuckers? I can't say I've really experienced them much, either on road bike or commuter bike. If someone sits on my wheel and doesn't do any work I'll suggest that they fucking do!

Just rolled past supreme to see a queue* of identikit skaterurban drongos waiting all night on camping chairs for some 'drop'. Fucking hell! I shouted at them 'Look at you lot! Supleeeem! Get it in enay make some monayyy! Losers!'

Two words: Barbara Kruger.

*This was a queue of almost Apple store proportions

I sometimes get people sitting on my wheel, even though I don't go fast at all. I'm really not sure what the purpose is because it's definitely not drafting, not in my case. The speed isn't high enough for it to be drafting. I do what photoben suggested above ^ and slow right down to 3pmh until they overtake - I'm not really interested in dropping people in traffic anymore. Too old for that caper these days.

Or skip-stop a bit.

Yes, I do.

They rarely do, because I'm quite slow. But that's beside the point.

It's not because they're "not doing any work". I have no interest in "dropping them". It's not a fucking race.

I don't like worrying about whether they can see ahead of me enough. I don't like worrying about if they're paying attention to what I'm doing, or if their brakes are ok. I don't know them. I do stop and slow more often than a lot of people. So yeah, problem.

Actually, people behind me generally aren't "wheel sucking" as I'm too slow for that. They're just too fucking close.

Dropping comments are largely tongue in cheek...

Yeah I suppose it is a bit risky having people riding behind you, just never really had it happen to me (not from being quick, I'm pretty slow on my commuter). Perhaps I smell? I hate riding close behind others for the same reason, that they stop too quickly for me to react. And the fact that I can't see up the road.

Got all the green lights for record time, not many close passes, pleasant temperature. 9/10.

words fail me...

2 Attachments

You're commuting. Why are you "doing work"

Go faster? It's not a race.

Fast / slow / pootling - it doesn't matter. You're in traffic. If you're on someone's wheel, you're too close to stop effectively if something happens, and you are putting both yourself and the person in front of you at risk.

I don't wheelsuck. If someone's wheelsucking you, ask them not to. Moaning about it on the internet isn't going to solve your problems is it?

So today a RECORD: 3 cyclists at an ASL. Cycling is indeed on the up. (and Belfast is sorta small yeah 30 at the ASL is probably normal in London)

Arrival order: Lady cyclist (middle-right of ASL box)
Moi: Left of the box, not gutter hugging
A gentleman cyclist, in the middle between us with not enough room to go between us

I wanted to let the lady out first (she was first) but she was very slow taking off at the green so I just powered through staying in my line, so shouldn't be in anybody's way.

I found myself wondering what the etiquette is.

You're the one who asked!
Your words weren't obviously "tongue in cheek" for what it's worth. There are plenty of people who do treat their commute as a race. It's majorly off-putting.

Being the flatulent sort I treat "wheel suckers" to some methane sucking.
Seems to do the trick, though care must be taken not to follow through.

Ah, apologies for any misunderstanding. I try to keep my racing to when I have a number pinned on.

Who's moaning? Tit.