Drafting

• funking 1, MA3K.
  aglepar, if you ploughed into me when drafting, i would make you acutely aware that it was your fault.
  

front doesn't feel it

Fixed

BTW I was only talking about drafting on a long, straight clear bit of road - not daily through traffic! So the chances of him emergency stopping were pretty remote.

To be honest I couldn't give two hoots if someone drafts me, I'd much rather they did that than the much more usual routine - they slide up next to me or worse on the bloody inside of me, then cut me the hell up when the traffic situation changes two seconds later. This happens daily! And if it's a close call, they get an earful.

Of course having said all that if someone did crash into me from behind I'd go nuckin futs.

Hermetically sealed cycling bubble for the win

ha. i had some geezer drafting me up essex road the whole way onetime. i was soo tired i couldn't even pull away. every time i tried to make a break for it he stayed right there, and he knew i knew he was there.

eventually i thought fuck it turned around and said "you dickhead" cut out to the middle of the lane did a long skid and let him shoot past me, and i continued to snail along.

ha. i had some geezer drafting me up essex road the whole way onetime. i was soo tired i couldn't even pull away. every time i tried to make a break for it he stayed right there, and he knew i knew he was there.

eventually i thought fuck it turned around and said "you dickhead" cut out to the middle of the lane did a long skid and let him shoot past me, and i continued to snail along.

You almost had it.

The thing to do is to pull out, skid, and then throw yourself in his draft and then grin widely every time he looks around.

Hermetically sealed cycling bubble for the win

Yes! Perhaps we could adapt this

What is there about drafting that makes the front guy care???

It's simple physics. Because the front guy is pushing through the air aerodynamically on his own - the air bulges round him, then comes together smoothly (see fig A), causing no drag and good speed. This is the view from above the cyclist...

When a drafter comes along he disrupts the air-flow behind the lead rider, which in effect pulls him backwards and slows him down. (see fig B).

Fig C is the lead rider doing a little skid because a taxi has pulled over in front of him without indicating. See the disrupted airflow and therefore reduction in speed.

Can we get a fig of the lead rider beating the shit out of the drafter with a quick release chainring because he nudged wheels?

You almost had it.

The thing to do is to pull out, skid, and then throw yourself in his draft and then grin widely every time he looks around.

ha. why didn't i think of that at them time

ha. why didn't i think of that at them time

if you do this to me, the two of us are going to look like Chesire Cats the whole time and be skidding everywhere... we'll also be going very very slowly.

I like to 'catch the bus'

And draft other cyclists....but I always pull my weight on the flipside.

It's fun, and you both go faster, what's not to like?

It's simple physics.

Actually it's the opposite effect to your explanation. Proprly done, both cyclists benefit because the lead guy is not dragging vortex eddies behind him.

The reason people don't like it is beacause they don't like the concept of some other fucker getting a free ride. It's like seeing someone nip in the back door of a bendy bus when you've just swiped your oyster like a good busenger. You want to burn the litle shit. End of.

Anyway, it was funny.

if you do this to me, the two of us are going to look like Chesire Cats the whole time and be skidding everywhere... we'll also be going very very slowly.

Hehe have you ridden with Crane before....when he skids the back wheel normally moves round by about 90 degrees lol.

Jung I like to 'catch the bus'

And draft other cyclists....but I always pull my weight on the flipside.

It's fun, and you both go faster, what's not to like?

Good question Jung!

or398

Quote:
front doesn't feel it
Fixed

BTW I was only talking about drafting on a long, straight clear bit of road - not daily through traffic! So the chances of him emergency stopping were pretty remote.

To be honest I couldn't give two hoots if someone drafts me, I'd much rather they did that than the much more usual routine - they slide up next to me or worse on the bloody inside of me, then cut me the hell up when the traffic situation changes two seconds later. This happens daily! And if it's a close call, they get an earful.

Of course having said all that if someone did crash into me from behind I'd go nuckin futs.
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This last bit seems to be what every one is hot about so to clarify because I would like to think that if by mistake I got to close to most of your rear wheels I would get flicked, hooked or jamed I would rather not have the agro. If a competent rider is drafting he is watching the road ahead of the 1st bike, so pot holes, turning/stopping cars etc. are seen before or at least at the same time as the front bike. So the chance of him plowing into you is very low.

On the other hand, yes, an inexperienced rider would and could rear end you. So are we talking about the question of a poor rider being a danger to you or just about not liking any one following what you perceive as "to close"? It seems that poor riders are usually dropped quickly or if they are hulks let them go by and get on their wheel.

Villa-ru, love the astute science!

This thread is ridiculous - riders with a reputation for crashing more than is healthy moaning about the danger posed by 'inexperienced' riders behind them.

I don't give a fuck about people sucking my wheel, and I'll do the same whenever I fucking want. I do, however, give a fuck about people rear-ending me, but funnily enough, it's only ever happened racing in crits or on mtb circuits, never traversing the city.

BMMF, good one.

+1 BMMF. I very rarely draft anyone, because I'm much more likely to put the work in and overtake. But if someone slower than me wants a lift they're welcome, it's not going to slow me down.

I did actually draft someone from the roadworks on York Way - Camden Road the other day, because he was going pretty fast on a geared road bike and I didn't want to overtake going up the hill. But left him for dust by judging the lights well at Camden Road and spinning for Britain :)

I'm not good enough to draft, wouldn't have the faintest idea how close to be to actually take advantage of it.

I do however love to tail people better than me - it helps me learn. Just did this the other day after deciding that cutting out the Park Lane/Shaftesbury loop in getting to the British Museum was worth it to ride down Oxford Street the whole way. I was pootling along, being a good cyclist, not undercutting the thousands of busses, when this other dude (pink button-up shirt and blueish trousers) on a fixed bike came up on my right and demonstrated, probably without meaning to, the manner in which I could get my inexperienced self along the road faster.

Did this once in NYC, pleasing myself by tailing a dude who was obviously better than me and feeling good about the whole thing. He looked behind himself a couple of times and when he realized I'd been tailing him quite a while he shot off and left me in the dust. :(

I don't think I'd mind having a tail, in fact I'm relatively certain I'd relish the feeling of being in front for once!

being able to ride on a wheel is an essential skill in bunch riding or racing, those forum rides where nobody knows how to work together are a perfect example of poor cycling skill. It leaves the slower riders doing extra work, and the faster riders waiting around at every junction.

get yourselves on a club run and learn how to ride in a group.

(or be the solo, hardcore fixie rider, alone and on a mission, courier bag and chip firmly strapped on shoulder)

being able to ride on a wheel is an essential skill in bunch riding or racing, those forum rides where nobody knows how to work together are a perfect example of poor cycling skill. It leaves the slower riders doing extra work, and the faster riders waiting around at every junction.

get yourselves on a club run and learn how to ride in a group.

(or be the solo, hardcore fixie rider, alone and on a mission, courier bag and chip firmly strapped on shoulder)

Uh, are you talking to me? Because I don't think I said anything about not knowing how to ride in a group. I've been on several of the big rides and always end up in the first 1/4 to 1/3 of the group. I don't believe I said anything about wanting to race, though. Just that I wouldn't try to draft, not knowing how to do it.

I mentioned that I like to ride with/near people to learn something, now didn't I?

Uh, are you talking to me?

No. I wasn't.

@jayloo - I think RPM was addressing the thread as a whole. He just happened to post after you :)

On the other hand, I was posting directly in the faces of MA3K, and 31trum :p

got my back up, lemme just go ahead and put it on down ; )

I'm not good enough to draft, wouldn't have the faintest idea how close to be to actually take advantage of it.

I do however love to tail people better than me - it helps me learn.

I used to love doing that too. I followed an old guy who was quite slow but he was so good it was a pleasure watching him ride and I decided to follow him instead of overtaking. Now I watch commuters who try to race Jaygee but that is just amusing. It gives me the giggles which is a good start to the day.

I tried to draft Jaygee but he is too fast so he spent the 500k we did in Suffolk drafting me and telling me that I have no leg power :D