drafting (and a little bit of bragging)
 

It may not seem like much to a lot of you guys who ride a lot, but I broke 35mph for the first time today and I'm stoked! :D

I was riding around campus at the closest university where my fiancee attends, it's about an hour's ride away. I was drafting behind an SUV down a seldom-trafficked road, went for about a mile behind him, so it only lasted a couple of minutes. Had to go really fast to catch up, but it was easy to stay behind him once I got there, and then it started to get harder when I was having to prolong that kind of exhertion.
Maybe I broke 35 catching up to him but I wasn't looking at my computer, and I know I broke it while I was behind him cuz I took a couple glances just for kicks. Oh well, it was fun!

I know not to get too close, especially with an automotive, but I was wondering if there were any drafting pointers floating around out there....? I think I would like to try it again a few times..!!! :p :p

When I do it I go all Zen watching my surroundings and the brake lights...

Enjoy :)

Buses rock for that. Scope out a few long blocks somewhere on a nice bvld where the bus has no reason to stop and rock the draft, and it's big enough to bring friends.

When I'm drafting I get down in the window and wave or thumbs up and then hunker down. Some cool ones will get the message and give me a haul. Long live the mini van, kids wavin' at ya, you waving back. :lol:

Find other cyclists to ride with.

As for drafting behind vehicles, SUVs aren't bad actually, as long as you can see through the windshield. Watch the brake lights and signals in the periphery, but keep your attention on the road in front of the vehicle. Stay out from behind vehicles you can't see through.

It's fun, but it doesn't really count drafting behind something motorized.

who's counting when you're out having fun?

I used to catch the back of a moped on my way to work, it confused the hell out of the kid.

I found a nice 45 mph dump truck the other day. I have a real soft spot for bumpers that aren't accelerating too fast. My training partners don't always get on with me, so I usually have to hop off after a mile or so.

RE: the moped, I used to commute home and shared a route with a fat girl on a crappy moped. On this long shallow climb, I would catch her about twice a week. Pretty funny :)

We were running late for a time trial in a stage race one day, so since we were going to miss warm-up we rode the last 15 miles to the race start drafting behind the team van at 30 mph. Fun stuff!

Dumptrucks are my favorite (preferably empty)

too dangerous imo but I think I did it once and it was pretty fun.

I was thinking "35 mph was your max?", then I remembered the topography of Florida. nice work.

We had a moped putter by us just as we were gearing up for our last sprint of our group ride (the first to the town sign gets minor bragging rights). We had a fun little kieren race that day (I got second).

until you know how to read a situation and handle a bike at speed: don't

Even the larger vehicles you can't see through generally have much more momentum and large stopping distances so it doesn't matter that you can't see the road ahead... At least that's what I'm telling myself until I end up in hospital after slamming into the rear tow bar of a 50ft semi.

Two words: pot holes

That's true, I only draft vehicles on roads I know and very rarely those doing much over 30MPH. It's usually on my cheap bike on the route back from uni when the wind is always against me and often quite strong.

I once drafted a Volvo on a slight uphill at 40 mph for about an eighth of a mile. It was blast and the driver had a pretty surprised look on his face. I kept what I thought was a safe distance and he didn't seem to mind.

Actually motor pacing can be really good training. Cooperative spouse is a much better option however.

Stay in the draft in the low to mid 30's for 5 minutes, then attack and pass the car. Drop back into the draft. Repeat.

Coming into the wind at 35 mph and having to accelerate to pass is a workout.

yep.

either that, or some kid on a scooter who knows you're there, and gives you the heads up when he/she is braking.

once again - this is something for experienced riders, not newbies.

Know the road.

Be prepared for ANY type of reaction by the driver. Most, but not all reactions, will be good.

Although the draft is usually best in the center of the vehicle, you risk hitting the most flotsam there because they'll likely straddle it.

Know that if you die you will be called both an idiot and a thrill seeker.


I used to hang out at a major intersection 5 miles outside of Marquette, MI and wait for a semi to get stuck at the traffic light. In that respect, it was almost like surfing: wait for a big wave to come and ride it to shore, then turn around and paddle back out to the spot where the waves form.

Anybody made the Darwin Awards this way?

Oh, I'm sure there's been a few smashed faces this way but death? Seems unlikely.
Keep an eye out for escape routes to the left for the pass if it's possible. I had to do this once as my draft broke for a city bus pulling out, I carved left to the yellow line and whipped past.

Yeah, if you know what you're doing, it's not that dangerous. Even if the vehicle decellerates faster than you, it's not like you're doing 40 and they're stopped. The speed differential is still going to be really small. Your tire rubs the bumper, and you slow down a little faster. It's not that big of a deal.

We used to put black stripes all over the rear bumper of a teammate's white company work van. If we were recovering back there (from sprint-arounds like merlin said), we'd get bored sometimes and just start bouncing our tires off his bumper.

If motorpacing with a car (motorcycles/scooters are good too), it's a good idea to get something where the back opens up (minivan, SUV, station wagon, van) so you can prop the doors open and talk to the driver.

That's a perfect analogy. :beer: I wait at the top of hills for struggling dump trucks on my regular lunch route. There's a quarry out there so the trucks are carrying their full 5T +1 :)

what if it comes to a complete stop, ala ullrich riding into the back window of a t-mobile audi staion wagon the day before the '05 tdf started? didn't he almost cut his jugular? :eek: