Phoenix Park Odd gExperience Cyclist Drafting

rcklap

Yesterday a rider decided to sit on my wheel for a good 25 minutes every time or so making me feel very uncomfortable and resulting in me heading home.

I overtook him near the Garda station, didn’t think anything of it, I then had to slow down to about 15kmh to check my phone briefly, noticed he was on my wheel, no effort to pass, even though he could see I was on my phone (not ideal I know but Grandmother in hospital). 5 mins later still on my wheel, no effort to chat etc so I put in an effort and he decided to sit on my wheel for a full lap of the Phoenix Park, I would drop him he’d could back, I tried nodding, took headphones out, slowed down to a crawl two or three times, nothing, sat there on my wheel

Eventually I took my phone out and took a selfie of myself and him.

Now... here’s the thing, decked out head to toe, fillet, arm warmers, cap, gillet the works in FDJ Team Gear.

Has anyone noticed this bloke before? What is the deal?

moonshadow

He obviously fancied your derrière ��

Would you not tell him to desist if it bothered you?

rcklap

Augeo wrote: »

Would you not tell him to desist if it bothered you?

Play that one out, I didn’t want to stop, I didn’t want a confrontation. He was clearly looking for a reaction.

Glencarraig

rcklap wrote: »

Yesterday a rider decided to sit on my wheel for a good 25 minutes every time or so making me feel very uncomfortable and resulting in me heading home.

I overtook him near the Garda station, didn’t think anything of it, I then had to slow down to about 15kmh to check my phone briefly, noticed he was on my wheel, no effort to pass, even though he could see I was on my phone (not ideal I know but Grandmother in hospital). 5 mins later still on my wheel, no effort to chat etc so I put in an effort and he decided to sit on my wheel for a full lap of the Phoenix Park, I would drop him he’d could back, I tried nodding, took headphones out, slowed down to a crawl two or three times, nothing, sat there on my wheel

Eventually I took my phone out and took a selfie of myself and him.

Now... here’s the thing, decked out head to toe, fillet, arm warmers, cap, gillet the works in FDJ Team Gear.

Has anyone noticed this bloke before? What is the deal?

Why not stop completely and wave him on, if he doesn't f**k off then hes a nutter with some problem.

eeeee

Some people are rude.
You could ride them off your wheel, flick the elbow (most of them don't know what that means :rolleyes: )
Or stop.
Or say something.
I haven't found them antagonistic, I just feel sorry for their lack of social skills.
I go with the first option usually, it's so rude!
I don't mind it if people ask.

Plastik

Still waiting for the selfie pic

rcklap

In hindsight, stopping and calling him a total b*ll*nd would have been great but at the time after 25 or so minutes of him breathing down my neck I didn’t want to escalate anything.

For what it’s worth I’m a male in my 30s, absolutely no issue with confrontation but some days and thankfully most days now as I get older you are just not arsed teaching someone a lesson or stopping as some have suggested.

Just want to create some awareness here that if anyone gets a similar experience from Mr. FDJ then it might be something ... a bit weirder.

Mods not sure if I could or should post pic. Head tells me nope.

MojoMaker

Why?

You could have pulled over and fiddled with a valve/tyre and let him continue by.

If he stopped too then at least you'd no for sure he had another agenda.

o1s1n

also in the 'why didn't you just pull over?' camp.

Not even for a confrontation, just to let him pass. Sounds like a really weird scenario to just keep cycling for 25 minutes with someone up your arse.

magicbastarder

snotrockets!
nah, i'm not actually advocating that.

ED E

I read that expecting a July 2020 reg date.

odyssey06

He was practising his drafting skills for a real race.
Would have outsprinted you at the finish for sure.

Mr. Cats

Monsieur FDJ was clearly mesmerised by your superb souplesse and was pondering how you could maintain it whilst also on phone.

wpd

Pinot doesnt like descending!! were you going down hill

bazermc

Pity wasn’t this guy

https://youtu.be/NMmyyEOeVTs

Ultima Thule

It wasn't me, but if a cyclist overtook me I wouldn't bother overtaking him again. Maybe he cycles faster than me so let him off. You made the initial overtake so you made the intent you wanted to be ahead. Maybe he was respecting that?

Was there a drastic difference in speed? When you overtook, did you keep your speed? Sometimes a cyclist can overtake misjudging effort levels. Was he supposed to slow from his previous speed to make you more comfortable?

rcklap

I heard Marc Madiot was a bit mad but I don't it was him.

A look, fair enough, next time I pull over, play with a valve or something.

For anyone questioning the overtake, if you know where the Garda station is you'll know there are many junctions, so my overtake was just down to momentum at around 20Kph I didn't pay attention to it until... he would ... not.... p!ss off....

Mr. Cats

rcklap wrote: »

I didn't pay attention to it until... he would ... not.... p!ss off....

It is a bit weird in fairness. I got back from a spin one day and someone commented ‘gotcha’ on my strava activity with a link. I clicked on the link and it was a picture of me and two lads I was cycling with. Pic was taken from behind so I guess we overtook the picture-taker and he took a snap and used strava Flybe’s to identify me. This was on Clontarf cycle path. There wasn’t anything threatening in it or anything like that. Just felt a bit weird all the same that someone would go to the bother.

Which reminds me that I must switch off Flyby 😂😂

Mr. Cats

rcklap wrote: »

I didn't pay attention to it until... he would ... not.... p!ss off....

It is a bit weird in fairness. I got back from a spin one day and someone commented ‘gotcha’ on my strava activity with a link. I clicked on the link and it was a picture of me and two lads I was cycling with. Pic was taken from behind so I guess we overtook the picture-taker and he took a snap and used strava Flybe’s to identify me. This was on Clontarf cycle path. There wasn’t anything threatening in it or anything like that. Just felt a bit weird all the same that someone would go to the bother.

Which reminds me that I must switch off Flyby 😂😂