Drafting

If I'm riding along Clerkenwell Rd on the way home from 80 hilly miles in Kent or something, and someone happens to end up in front of me doing roughly the same speed as I'm doing, I'll take a tow, thanks very much.

The speed limit's 30mph AFAIK, and even if it were practical to ride at that speed all the way along there, I bet you don't maintain it, especially westbound...

it depend on the wind and the tunes, and i don't maintain 30 the whole way up, but i can get from old street roundabout to farringdon road without being overtaken by a car, but that depends on the lights.

Thankyou to the chap who drafted me halfway up Holloway Road last night. There was a fucking evil headwind and I appreciated when you overtook so I could tuck in for the rest of the road. Ta.

I drafted a moody looking sprinter van this morning and almost got stoned.... the van windows were open & from the "aroma" the boys in the van must have been smoking skunk - at 6:30am!

It was a very pleasant chilled ride after that..... going for munchies now

I find before 7am everybody on the road is all chilled out, only after then do the nobs come out speeding to work.

I drafted a moody looking sprinter van this morning and almost got stoned.... the van windows were open & from the "aroma" the boys in the van must have been smoking skunk - at 6:30am!

It was a very pleasant chilled ride after that..... going for munchies now

Sounds about right and explains a great deal

Roadies in Poole really don't like you drafting them. I was riding to work in what seemed like a wind tunnel this morning.

Drafted a roadie to get a bit of a sling shot around so could get some speed to put some distance between me and the cars so I have a little more distance before the upcoming right hand turn, guys gives me a proper dirty look and I see him utter "cunt" under his breath as I pass him.

I had a middle aged commuter in flouro top etc draft me along Mile End road the on my way to work the other day. Fair play to him, that road can get proper windy. When he went to overtake me he looked at me and had a huge smile on his face; not a smug smile but one of someone who was really enjoying the ride. It made my day to see someone who obviously rides the same route every day to enjoy it.

Roadies in Poole really don't like you drafting them. I was riding to work in what seemed like a wind tunnel this morning.

Drafted a roadie to get a bit of a sling shot around so could get some speed to put some distance between me and the cars so I have a little more distance before the upcoming right hand turn, guys gives me a proper dirty look and I see him utter "cunt" under his breath as I pass him.

standard reply :)

I think being called a cunt by your mate is a badge of honour myself, and it is even more sweet when you don't know the guy.

totally.

i got told off this morning by bearded dude, glasses on, thick towel(?) under his helmet riding a black condor pista with rapha colours for sitting on his wheel along birdcage walk. i mouthed back by saying "i know what im doing blah blah blah...i have my hand on my brakes at all times blah blah blah...im on the road all the time, mate blah blah blah". my apologies. shouldnt have snapped like that.

i confess, i draught all the time but i do it on select sections of roads and only when conditions are right. birdcage walk happened to be one of them. it's an uninterrupted run through apart from the ambiguous ped crossings where some go through and some give way...eitherway, i was looking if there are peds ahead. and this morning, i was going to ride on someone's wheel, like it or not. i was running late and felt weak and hungry. besides, you passed me slowly and were riding at my pace. not quite sure what to do in those situations...i can overtake, but like i said, you were riding at my pace. and no, im not going to drop back just because it makes you uncomfortable.

dont blame you for assuming that im just another nodder commuter tho. im not a whitey, ride a mtb, dont have fixie or roadie gear on and have a childseat at the back. i seriously think these are the reasons why every cyclist think they should get in front of me whilst i sit and wait at every fckn light.

still...i couldve been more civil in my response

looks like you answered your own diatribe then.

I wouldn't beat yourself up, your response hardly sounds extreme. Probably more pissed that he couldn't drop a bloke on an mtb with a childseat than about your riding.