Originally Posted by
apricissimus
Sometimes I see cyclists drafting off buses and other large vehicles. And I mean, they are about five feet behind these vehicles, directly behind them. The draft must be nice (though I don't know about the exhaust), but I've never been tempted to do it myself. If I'm behind a bus like that, I won't be able to see what's coming up the road. I'd be very worried about the bus stopping without much warning.
Are these cyclists just more skilled than me, or just stupider than me?
These are not mutually exclusive; they could be both.
Anyway, I'll do it occasionally. RT uses liquid natural gas so there's no heavy diesel exhaust, they accelerate slowly and they brake slowly. And you can hear the foot come off the gas before they brake anyway. I've never worried about hitting the back of one.