This morning's commute and other commuting stories

It is just fucking rude

I guess brake testing someone into crashing is irresponsible. How does this compare to the irresponsibility of drafting in commuter traffic, please?

you guess causing an accident is irresponsible?

The main difference being intent.

Totally. Hopefully they will not do it again.

And hopefully from your perspective you don't put someone in a coma or worse. Anyway seems an extreme way of dealing with things.

FFS.
They put themselves in the 'at risk' position. Not me. What do you not understand about that?

But it wasn’t a problem until you essentially made it one. You’re a nasty piece of work.

Deliberately brake checking someone is quite clearly your fault and also illegal, it also increases your likelihood of getting crashed into, seems an absolutely idiotic thing to do on the roads. Cycling behind someone is not illegal whether you like it or not.

If you don't like it there are more sensible actions to get people to stop other than trying to deliberately injure someone. A simple word with them or slowing down and letting them past or upping the pace and dropping them all far more appropriate.

Anyway no point arguing on a forum, enjoy your future commutes and for all involved I hope they're incident free.

I’m not a fan of sitting on someone’s wheel or having them sit on mine. Feels a bit sketchy when riding round London for me. I just use it as an excuse to slow down and chill out a bit. Does annoy me if the person behind stays there after I’ve slowed down a significant amount though.

how about that wind

Rep

I just stuck on a big lad's wheel

Dick move. Thumbs down

I don't understand the issue, in London commuter traffic there is always going to be someone in front or behind you and the drafting effect is going to make it easier for the person to stay there instead of overtake. What do people expect? Start to sprint past anyone that happens to be in front of you just because it might be a psycho getting triggered?

There's a difference between cycling behind someone and being "on their wheel" though isn't there, it's like tailgating in a car.

Can't stand it - Too many unpredictables in city riding to have someone that close behind - there's enough to to concentrate on already

I get it's kind of an inevitability for the central London bike lane rush just due to sheer numbers but I'll get it on my suburban commute occasionally, I'll just slow down to a crawl or wave them on

Happens a lot on Embankment as it's fairly clear run from Westminster to Blackfriars - you get a lot of people hooking on less than a foot away, can't stand it.

The ideal solution is just to cropdust every one of them, but I'm not that gassy.

Enormous "Audi driving dickhead" energy.

Having been thoroughly acquainted with the 'Embankment Wall of Wind' over the years, on Monday I was accosted by it's chippy upstart City cousin. The 'London Bridge WoW' kinda sneaks up and punches just as you pass Adelaide House. Went from a decent lick to sideways to a crawl. Luckily it was deserted at lunchtime. Think its only a storm phenomenon though.

Was always the Millbank* Wall of Wind for me.

As for wheelsucking, there's a big difference to someone >1m back (most London commuters) and someone <10cm from your rear wheel.

It never annoyed me as my commuting bike was scratched to shit anyway and the wheelsucker is the one at most risk, there's hardly any risk of injury for the person being drafted as they glance off the side of the person their wheelsucking and inevitably go down hard on the road.

* The clue is kind of in the name.

I, for one, love a bit of an embankment chaingang

Yes Phil! Sometimes I do it on the Embankment on my Brompton with the front bag. I look for a Ti rim-brake setup or a high-stack Trek with bongo wheels and suck their wheel until Somerset house and then come around and do a big ass turn to drop them before the Eye. Then, stopped at the Big Ben lights, I look chill breathing easy and as they roll up I say 'thanks for the tow earlier'. It can be hard to do the grand-depárt-handlebar-lean with the tall M type bars but I find a way to make it work. Sometimes we do a fist bump or do a knowing smiling into a freeze-frame. Then the credits roll.

Jurek I look forward to riding you off my wheel at a future date :)

You have to catch your breath before the lights so you look like it was nothing at all.

That? Oh yeah that was nothing. I have easily arrived here after doing 40kmh for the last 5 minutes having not broken a sweat. I'm in no rush whatsoever.

Rep.

Then, stopped at the Big Ben lights, I look chill breathing easy and as they roll up I say 'thanks for the tow earlier'. It can be hard to do the grand-depárt-handlebar-lean with the tall M type

Sometimes I do the same from Blackfriars Bridge to Westminster on my sweet sweet fixeh

(TM this forum)

Anyone with full kit. If they have all the gears sometimes they can leave me, but sometimes I stay on their wheel, and the pleasure is spinning just as it goes slightly uphill towards the Palace of Westminster. An incline of about 2% always finds them out.

I must deploy the same phrase, but quite often most are sporting headphones