It was a trip today, I saw some dude out there drafting a big guy, good for them. I went up to my turn around point then headed back. Only 25 miles wanting to save time in order to get back for some quality time with Gina. No ride plan but I just rode to get in a few more miles for the month.
Actually did pretty good for being the hottest month so far, maybe ever. Darn it's been hot! 472 miles in the month of August, so I'm good.
So on the return, I see the two guys off a ramp. Seems the big guy is leaving the trail. A double underpass so I can see them from several yards away. Just as I'm approaching that ramp, the tiny guy hops on the trail. I'd say he's 5'3 and maybe 130 pound, pretty small but looks like a pro ha ha ha!
Just as I'm about to arrive, he hops back on the trail and heads my direction. He didn't see me coming, probably a bad thing, another clueless unsafe rider but oh well, plenty of those in the world. I see him start pedaling so I just hang back giving him a chance to pull away figuring he looks like a pro, I don't want to interfere. But he's slow in getting organized but I just hold back not wanting to get in his way.
But a mile down the road, he seems to be struggling with the wind. He's about 40 yards ahead and by his appearance, I can see he's fading in the wind. Well heck, I'm just doing my thing and at this point, if I continue to hold back, he's actually in my way. So I go around him and stay far to the left so he gets the idea that I ride alone and don't care to carry anybody on a ride. Heck, I don't need anyone or expect anyone to carry me on my ride.
So I stay really far left for about 50 yards then to be safe, I look to my right before moving back over into the lane to be safe. I look back and out of my peripheral vision, I don't see anything, WTF did he go? So I look to my left and there he is wedged between me and a fence. I'm like 5 feet from the fence so WTF is he there?
I look back at him in the eye and give him the look. In my case, it's the "here we go again" look. So I sit up and swing far to the right so he can pass and I'll let him go. But he tries to stay behind so I really slow down. I have ear buds in listening to rock music so when he rolled by muttering something, I had no idea what he said so I gave him the other look. The "I don't need a little tiny mofo sucking my wheel! 😁
SO he rolls by muttering and I just look at him and don't really GAF what he said. I just gave him another look, the GTF outta here look!
So he did. He took off lifting the pace, good for him and good for me, I'm doing my own thing now. SO he gets about 75 yards ahead rather quickly but then all of a sudden, I see his motions screaming, "I'm struggling!".
Yup, he sure is and about a mile and half before the end of my ride. A couple more minutes, he's really struggling. About a mile left and I'm closing rather quickly without too much effort. Then I'm about 15 yards back, if I go by, he's going to take my wheel so I dropped the hammer. HR went from 130 to 165, probably my max but I blew by him. Didn't give him any stupid looks or mutter anything, I just hammered him. I didn't look back but I knew there was no way he was going to be able to hop on my wheel, I made sure of that ha h ha!
Heck, what do I need some tiny guy sucking my wheel? I've had too many experiences with the type. Benefitting off my draft then when it's time to go to the front, the sprint around or they cry claiming that they can't fight the wind so they stay behind me, then sprint around.
Reminds me of a forum member I met years ago. Green River to Huntington Beach and back. 60 miles round trip. He sucked my wheel for the first 20 with a ride plan to ride together. Getting frustrated, I asked him to go to the front and he said he couldn't hold my pace. So what? I need to recover even if you do 12 mph. But he wouldn't so I just kept going and asked a few more times but nothing but whining.
Round trip 60 miles, no help enjoying the benefits then the last 1/2 mile, he sprinted around. WTF!!! I asked him at the end why he did that . His response was that he felt good having some extra energy so he wanted to burn it off.
Then he asked when we were going to ride again. Uhh, I'll call you, don't call me! Do I really need little guys sucking my wheel when you know they aren't going to want to help? Nope!
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