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Old 09-04-08 | 08:39 AM
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CliftonGK1
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Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 11,373
Likes: 8
From: Columbus, OH

Bikes: '08 Surly Cross-Check, 2011 Redline Conquest Pro, 2012 Spesh FSR Comp EVO, 2015 Trek Domane 6.2 disc

Through the center of Woodinville, and through the slight downhill section of 202 into the center of Redmond, if I can catch a draft off a bus or large delivery truck I'll take advantage of it. There's little better than a 40mph draft for a couple miles, where you're expending almost no energy.

I only do this on sections of the road I know very well. No potholes, no manhole covers. Yes, it's a bit scary to think that if there's a big tree branch or something on the roadway, I've got a 5' heads-up to deal with it; and at 40mph that equates to enough time to think "Oh crap!" before slamming the pavement.

Vehicles not to draft:
- School busses
- FedEx, UPS, DHL delivery trucks
- USPS delivery trucks
- City busses (in the city)
They all stop randomly, and don't always pull out of the roadway when stopping (so you don't have a clean "out" to get around them.) Drafting is fun, but you don't want to become a bumper thumper when one of those big vehicles puts on the brakes unexpectedly.
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