Drafting on the commute - Guardian article

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OP
OP
dellzeqq

dellzeqq

pre-talced and mighty
Location
SW2
I sometimes draft or slipstream to have a short rest & gauge how fast & when I can overtake. I was having a nice little rest behind a mountain bike the other day, then he pulled over to let me pass. Not sure if he was being polite or just wanted to tail me for a while. I had to put the foot down then to make sure he didn't.
why?
 

al-fresco

Growing older but not up...
Location
Shropshire
When I see another bike heading in the same direction (which is rare) they're either going much faster or a lot slower than me so the question never arises. Where are these cycle crowded roads of which you speak?
 

martint235

Dog on a bike
Location
Welling
However it can be very enjoyable sometimes, especially if both (or more) cyclists know what they are doing and are aware.

True but I don't know many of the people I see on my commute that well. Drafting on a weekend ride does it make it easier to rack up the miles!!!
 

400bhp

Guru
I sometimes draft or slipstream to have a short rest & gauge how fast & when I can overtake. I was having a nice little rest behind a mountain bike the other day, then he pulled over to let me pass. Not sure if he was being polite or just wanted to tail me for a while. I had to put the foot down then to make sure he didn't.

That is weird.
 

Bman

Guru
Location
Herts.
I was drafting another roadie for a few minutes on my commute home last night.


When we got to a nice open stretch of road, I overtook saying "I think its my turn to take the headwind" which he laughed in reply. I moved in front to allow him to get in my slipstream, but each time I checked over my shoulder he was further behind.

Either I was going too fast or he just didnt want to draft me. Nevermind :smile:
 

gaz

Cycle Camera TV
Location
South Croydon
Personally I couldn't care less, but run into the back of me, or try to whinge that I haven't pointed out a pothole, and you can f*ck right off and pray you haven't damaged me or my bike.

This ^

I can sometimes feel uncomfrotable with certainl people behind me so i usually drop the hammer and show them who's the boss.
 

BrumJim

Forum Stalwart (won't take the hint and leave...)
Don't think I have ever seen drafting in Birmingham. To be fair Brum doesn't seem to have the same concentration of cyclists as London except maybe a couple of routes on the west side.

Have, at times, both drafted and given drafts on my commute, but wonder why more people don't take advantage. Some days I would rather give a draft than shoot off on my own.

Was being drafted once by a woman on a nice white road bike (Scott?). Got to a junction, and thought I'd be sociable and say "Hello." At which point she admitted that she was only using me for my draft.:rolleyes: And I thought it was my backside she was interested in.:angry:
 

albion

Guru
Location
South Tyneside
I got overtaken by a fast roadie yesterday at the top of Belsay en-route to Ponteland.Having done a gentle 40 miles on my fat heavy hybrid I politely chased him for 3 miles averaging 21mph. He slowed for the final mile so I closed the 10 yard gap and gently overtook to pull him along.He was burnt out so I left him for dead. If I had actually drafted maybe we could have taken turns.He had priorly chased me to do that overtake from having his liquid drink in Belsay.
 

Bigsharn

Veteran
Location
Leeds
Personally, I only draft buses, and other larger vehicles with windows at eye level like people carriers... Then I can see if the driver's about to slow down for traffic (usually, I start slowing well before they do)
 
Interesting to see that the vast bulk of comments are anti on the article.

The last time drafting came up on here as a topic, I was fairly 'anti'. I've had a rethink since and honestly if I dont know your there, I dont have a problem (unless you hit me lol!)
 

adds21

Rider of bikes
Location
North Somerset
I very rarely get the opportunity to draft, although I did follow a roadie for a mile or two on my commute this morning. I wasn’t planning on drafting him, but I didn’t have the legs to overtake, and the temptation was too much after a morning swim! :whistle:

However, I am wary after an acquaintance of mine did some nasty damage to himself in a drafting-related accident.
 
OP
OP
dellzeqq

dellzeqq

pre-talced and mighty
Location
SW2
When I see another bike heading in the same direction (which is rare) they're either going much faster or a lot slower than me so the question never arises. Where are these cycle crowded roads of which you speak?
the A24/A3 in to central London can have up to 45 cyclists waiting at a single red light. They're nose to tail.
 
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