Audax Etiquette

[red marley]

Especially if you pull up along side, grab some malt loaf from your Carradice and offer the TTer some. With the inevitable refusal, just shrug your shoulders and cycle off into the distance.

[Salvatore]

For maximum effect, I think I'd offer a liquorice allsort.

[teethgrinder]

Not really Audax etiquette, but I know from experience that if you're riding a 600, it's Sunday morning, and a 10-mile TT happens to be using the same road, latching onto his passing disk wheel for a couple of miles can really annoy a tester, especially if he can't shake you off.

But very amusing for onlookers.

That's a Goode one.

[GruB]

One of my favourite audax etiquettes, is to see a familiar rider approaching and to shout out his name.

SPOONER

[Salvatore]

Not really Audax etiquette, but I know from experience that if you're riding a 600, it's Sunday morning, and a 10-mile TT happens to be using the same road, latching onto his passing disk wheel for a couple of miles can really annoy a tester, especially if he can't shake you off.

But very amusing for onlookers.

That's a Goode one.

Well 'spotted'. Have a house point.

[Nuncio]

Just keep slowing down until they get bored - that or tell them that you don't want/need their company.  You don't have to be mean or grumpy about it.

I can't remember quite what you said when I followed you towards your parents' home on the BCM last year, but it worked.  I'm still embarrassed to think of my faux pas.

[Chris N]

 

[scottlington]

I don't mind someone sitting on my wheel - makes no odds to me really.

I sometimes find though that I very slowly catch someone and need a slight rest before I eventually overtake, so I'll sit there behind them for a little while. Last thing I want is to over take, then be knackered and passed again within a mile! 

Most of the time though, if I do drift up behind someone, I'm pretty concious of not drafting. I tend to sit far enough off the back wheel not to gain any significant effect. Horses for courses though - if I'm riding with some people I know, or in a group, I do try to do my bit at the front.

As previous posters have wisely pointed out, the only thing that really annoys me on an audax is me. My lack of strength, stamina, hill climbing ability, whatever. And that is for me to deal with.

[Climberruss]

Audaxers seem like generally well behaved bunch to me. One thing that does get my goat though is the attitude of some towards horses on the road. Don't rush past in a speedy peloton, slow right down, say hello before approaching and pull wide. We as cyclists should know better about the feeling of vulnerability when startled by a faster vehicle approaching from behind.

Agreed - after slowing down I always shout "Bike Behind" just to make sure the jockey knows I'm there. 

[JJ]

Anyone who feels my wheel is worth risking the noxious vapours for, is welcome to it, unless they sit there when they're clearly stronger than me, but there's an exception to that.  If the road is wet and you're too cool for mudguards, don't go on the front! Stay on my wheel, or burn by fast and wide.

On PBP last, there was a nut with some kind music system blasting out the worst of 70s and 80s french and belgian pop.  There's nothing like terrible music and a long ride to set me up for sense of humour failure.

[simonp]

On PBP there was a couple of riders who I seemed to keep coming across in the middle of the night.  They were sticking together, so they had a system.

"Patrice?"

"Ya!"

...

...

"Patrice?"

"Ya!"

...

...

"Patrice?"

"Ya!"

...

...

"Patrice?"

"Ya!"


This seemed to go on all-bloody-night.

I'm warning you two, next time I will just kill you. 

[De Sisti]

I suppose it would be good manners to ask if one could draft behind another rider,
or at least tell them that you didn't want to spoil the look of your bike by not wanting having 
a route card holder on your handlebars.

[ludwig]

I am quite a slow rider but you know how it is at the start or after controlling without eating, yu can end up heading up a group that would ideally like to speed past but at the same time you feel that you should do your bit at the front. This happened on a ride once and a guy actually put his hand on my back  pushed me along. I turned and laughed thinking that he was just having a bit of a joke about my lack of speed but he didn't look amused in the least. I never did understand what his motivation was and just let him and the rest of the group pass as soon as possible.

[Hot Flatus]

Did I see you on that ride grub - I was recumbent bloke.

I was first off the line and nobody passed me until I stopped for a pee 15 or 20k in, but I came across a recumbent rider who had obviously sneaked away before the officail start time.

Was that you? 

[Hot Flatus]

I dislike being in groups at the start as I've seen some really dangerous riding.  A group just behind me only a few k in on the Flyer nearly caused a car crash when they all flew out of a side road into the path of an oncoming car.  Somebody had shouted 'car' and perhaps this was mistaken for 'clear'.

[LEE]

Audaxing is fundamentally a load of cyclists of varying abilities and experience all riding a similar route for a variety of personal reasons, enjoyment mostly.

You can't expect everyone to understand what annoys everyone else because different things annoy different people.

If other riders' habits annoy you then it's time to either chill-out or start riding Perms and DIYs.

[vorsprung]

On PBP there was a couple of riders who I seemed to keep coming across in the middle of the night.  They were sticking together, so they had a system.

"Patrice?"

"Ya!"

First night of PBP I was riding along near some people from our favorite PBP nation.
They kept saying "roll call!" and then the group would reply.  After of a couple of these I added some "witty" comment, ( the exact content of which escapes me ) but it was met with some kind of icey comeback from the leader.  They had an interloper in their midst! And he spoke their language!  But he was taking the piss!  Riding PBP is a serious business!!

I don't mind attitude from the French riders on PBP, it's kinda quaint and atomospheric to be told off, by a captain, for crossing the central lines overtaking.

[MSeries]

Is that the same Patrice that broke his bike I wonder. It's the Italians that pissed me off on PBP and the American men. Trying to cosset their women folk on the hills and generally getting in the way of faster passing English riders (me & Jim). We did have to give one Italian our "best motivational speech" after he veered left as I passed forcing me into the path of an oncoming car.  I think he was pissed.

[Julian]

Trying to cosset their women folk on the hills

The mind boggles.

[Von Broad]

Chris Tracey, mate of Martin of Zoom, who I had the good fortune to meet during TFR described PBP as a 'wheel suckers paradise', which I thought was a delightful turn of phrase 

[Mr Larrington]

Not really Audax etiquette, but I know from experience that if you're riding a 600, it's Sunday morning, and a 10-mile TT happens to be using the same road, latching onto his passing disk wheel for a couple of miles can really annoy a tester, especially if he can't shake you off.

I managed something similar once, riding home from Harwich.  They really really don't like being overtaken by recumbents, especially not one towing a heavy and very obviously hoam-maid trailer

[Tiger]

Did I see you on that ride grub - I was recumbent bloke.

I was first off the line and nobody passed me until I stopped for a pee 15 or 20k in, but I came across a recumbent rider who had obviously sneaked away before the officail start time.

Was that you? 

I may have inadvertently departed just before the whistle.  I think there shoudl be an advance start for more senior riders anyway.   

[Bianchi Boy]

Not really Audax etiquette, but I know from experience that if you're riding a 600, it's Sunday morning, and a 10-mile TT happens to be using the same road, latching onto his passing disk wheel for a couple of miles can really annoy a tester, especially if he can't shake you off.

I managed something similar once, riding home from Harwich.  They really really don't like being overtaken by recumbents, especially not one towing a heavy and very obviously hoam-maid trailer

Yes wheel sucking. It is more of a phycoligical problem than a real hinerance. But you only have to expend about 75 to 80% of the energy when second in line. Also I like to bet that the recumbent was not going up hill. As we all know, like tandems, they benefit from reduced wind resistance - but poor climbing.

[Ian H]

There was a time when cyclists would naturally co-operate when they came together on the road. Perhaps modern-day untrammelled individualism has destroyed that.

[valkyrie]

I'll happily wheel suck for a while when I get the opportunity - don't see anything wrong with it. Likewise I'm happy for anyone to sit on my wheel if they want to, it doesn't do me any harm.
Generally speaking people take a turn on the front when they can and if they're not up to taking a turn on the front then they might as well benefit from sitting on someone else's wheel. On longer rides people's energy levels rise and fall, so the guy that sits on your wheel for the first 200km might end up being the guy that gives you a tow home for the last 200km.