Friday, August 7, 2015

Learning to cycle as an adult: from complete n00b to daily commuter

4 comments:

  1. Really cool! Sorry about the other riders, they sound like they suck. I got honked at a lot when I first learned to drive. Hopefully they get over their bad attitude.

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    1. Thank you! And yeah, it seems that there's a certain category of person who won't put up with folks less proficient than them getting in their way. They might be memorable, but thankfully they're not the majority :)

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  2. The tailgating thing: another name for it is drafting.

    They aren't doing it to intimidate you, they are using it to get a "free" ride where you break the slipstream for them and reduce their effort required. It is a common thing in cycling, and there are a whole lot of strategies around it used in the racing scene.

    I used to find it quite irritating and intimidating, but if the guy behind you looks like an experienced cyclist you are very unlikely to have them crash into the back of you. If it does still spook you, maybe hanging an "L" plate off your saddle will help discourage them. These days it doesn't bother me so much... except when the guy getting the free ride won't take a turn at the front to return the favour ;-)

    Does this help?

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    1. Thanks John; I really do prefer to think the best of people, and this reply lets me do that :)

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