ebr898

An interesting commute home last night, but faster that normal. I turned onto the main road and saw a combine coming my way. It was on the other side of a small hill so I could only see the top of the cab. I headed out and wandered: bicycle vs combine race who’s win, what kind traffic problems could be caused by both of us on the road, will he be able to catch up with me…. As I was climbing up the hill out of the valley I can hear his hydrostats as he descended the other side. I decided to wait at the top of the hill and wait to avoid traffic problems.
Well I found out a few things when we finally met on the road: that John Deere is faster that I am on my commuter bike. (early 80’s Nishiki Bushwhacker ATB), I do not want to be out in front of a corn header, and that it is easy but very dusty to draft off a combine. Not a Hollywood moment like Breaking Away when he is @ 60 + behind a semi, but hey it’s Kansas.
I drafted off him for about 3 miles, it was a good ride but dirty.
I wonder if there is a AG/harvesters forums, where the combine operator is saying how he was leading a pace line?

chaadster

My vote for wackiest post of the month!

Sixty Fiver

uke

More interesting than drafting a dump truck, that's for sure.

one_beatnik

That's cool!

BBnet3000

oh that could end up badly, in my car i stay the hell away from those things, half the time theres sand and rocks hitting my car when im behind them.

knobster

I've drafted them before. They seem to go about the same speed as me. On coming one's are the problem. People will pass them and drive off the road on the other side to get around them. This could be bad news for the on coming biker.

tippy

I find it ironic that some posts complain about motorists severely underestimate how fast a cyclist is actually traveling and then we turn around and think a big huge combine can only do 15 MPH max.

Occasional the big farm equipment is seen out on roadways in this area. (ex: Hwy 20 four-laner). I estimate that they do around 40-50 mph. It "seems" like they are moving slow because the average highway speed is 70 MPH on a 65 MPH roadway. They are easy to catch up to ... in your car ... but on a bicycle? ... you are probably not going to catch one.

ebr898

I didn't get any sand or gravel, but alot of dust and some corn kernels. I did try to open my front bag and catch some bouncing out of the off loading auger. It didn' t work and there was not a lot comming out. I do not have a speedometer on this bike but, I guess it was around 20 mph.

Szczuldo

bah only 20mph, I would've been around him and pulling away within seconds, I don't want to bring my average speed down by going 20mph for 3 miles

JanMM

"I think we're in Kansas, Toto!"

ebr898

I thought about passing then, thought about it again! Did I want this behind me:

uciflylow

When you live in the farm belt these are no big deal! As a matter of fact my father still farms and I opperate the combine in the fall to help out with the harvest. My favorite to draft is just the plane jane farm tractor. Most run in the low 20s on the road and are a great way to "suck some wheel".
I do tend to stay away from combines because of the dust that seems to always be coming off them. Last week I was behind one for a short while comming home and the soy bean dust was terrible!

Tractors are fun, every one should get to draft one once and a while!

jefferee

I don't think I would draft a combine. My skin is starting to itch even thinking about riding in that dust.

mhifoe

My best draft ever was from a farm tractor.

I was heading into quite a stiff wind when I was passed by a tractor with a big trailer doing 20-25mph. I latched on and drafted it for over 10 miles. That day I made my second fastest ever time home with minimal effort.

MichaelW

My best draft was an electric milk delivery float. I had a 20mp free ride along a busy main road during a heavy sea-mist.

Cyclist01012

You know when you have blown yourself up bad when you are willing to draft a manure spreader to get home.

Lizzylou

I had an oncoming combine driver pull out to prevent the 'paceline' behind him from passing so that I could get past him safely without having to worry about the cars that wanted to pass. Now that was an alert and fast thinking combine operator.

sesmith

Better than a garbage truck, and as noted above, way better (and less dangerous) than a manure spreader in the wrong hands!