Originally Posted by
trippn1
question about drafting.....I ride mostly on a trail and we ride side by side and talk. Our last ride was 58 miles and a strong headwind the last 29 miles. Does drafting really make a big difference? The guy I ride with is about 6'2" and 250 and I am 6'4" and 227.....I guess what I want to know is if we draft instead of riding side by side, how many more miles do you think we could ride? That is on a very Straight and FLAT FLORIDA trail, with only one curve in 29 miles.
I've heard it conserves about 15% of your energy. If you get a partner that is willing to ride with you, it's great. Even if one rider pulls 5 minutes and the other pulls 2. In a good team effort, it's not about trying to ditch the other guy, it's about giving him a break allowing him to recover. Most other riders pull up to the front and lift the pace by 6 mph then fade after one minute. If the other guy is doing 20, then hold 20 when you get up there. It's about trying to hold a good pace consistently. Don't sprint off at 26!
