drafting/slipstreaming etiquette

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Hacienda71

Hacienda71

Mancunian in self imposed exile in leafy Cheshire
Location
Wilmslow, Cheshire
I suspect there is an advantage but from a peleton or large vehicle, you are almost surfing the wave of air being pushed by those just behind you. I can't see a lone wheelsucker giving any perceivable advantage.
 
slowmotion

slowmotion

Quite dreadful
Location
lost somewhere
User13710 said:
It was you who first mentioned the idea that there might be an advantage to the person in the lead, not me. It's a ridiculous idea.
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No. That's not what Mr Doherty says. He may be wrong. People often are.
 
Yellow Saddle

Yellow Saddle

Guru
Location
Loch side.
The snot rocket suggestion is not as bawdy as it sounds, It is used regularly in competitive cycling, as is the sweat shower. The latter requires some speed and obviously some sweat (which is plentiful on a 30 minute climb). Sit up slightly and get your head in the airstream. Then press on your helmet to sponge out that sweat reserve in the brow padding and voila - instant retreat.
A more gentlemanly technique is to push him in the gutter. Not physically of course, but tactically. You assess the wind and wait until it comes over your right shoulder. That means the wheelsucker's sweet spot is on your left, just behind you. Then you move over left until you are on the edge of the road. His sweet spot is now somewhere off the road, hopefully on the gravel or mud. If the wind comes over your left shoulder, you simply push him into the oncoming traffic by moving over as far right as you can go.

A final trick in my arsenal is so pedal like a rookie. This technique calls for you standing up to pedal when you reach a hill and in the process you kinda miss a beat and go backwards a little bit.

There is more than one way to skin a cat.
 
MisterStan

MisterStan

Label Required
Location
Out there somewhere
mjray said:
Well you can't win because of riders in front!

I think the benefit of drafting to the person in front was covered in one of ITV's tour de France Neducational films in the wind tunnel a year or two ago.
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^^^^ This, Chris Boardman did a piece on it with Ned Boulting in a very badly fitting skin suit. There was a small advantage in having someone on your wheel.
 
Pale Rider

Pale Rider

Legendary Member
What works for the strange animal that is the pro peleton may not work, or work nearly as well, for ordinary cyclists.

I'm sure there are enormous benefits to be had by being in the sweet spot, about 15 riders in.

But I've never had much of a tow by following another rider along the cycle path.

Speed could be a factor, I suspect I cycle too slowly to be sucked along.
 
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Sittingduck

Sittingduck

Legendary Member
Location
Somewhere flat
Headwind aside...

I don't think it makes much difference uphill, other than perhaps psycological advantage. Therefore, little advantage is to be had from the drafting effect.

Same goes for slow speed riding. The slower you are riding the less benefit is felt from drafting.
 
Pale Rider

Pale Rider

Legendary Member
Sittingduck said:
Headwind aside...

I don't think it makes much difference uphill, other than perhaps psycological advantage. Therefore, little advantage is to be had from the drafting effect.

Same goes for slow speed riding. The slower you are riding the less benefit is felt from drafting.
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Makes sense to me.

I'm not sure a single rider in front is much benefit into a headwind, but the slow speed non-effect is probably part of the reason.
 
T

thatname

Active Member
Location
SE London
I only find drafting beneficial over speeds of 20mph and I would have to be close to the rear wheel of the rider in front. By the same reason its why I find wheel suckers on my wheel when I am doing a steady 20+mph.
As for etiquette, well thats open to interpretation to many these days. I generally don't mind giving a stranger a tow. I usually make a quick assessment of them as to whether they look like they know what they doing before I contemplate dropping them. If I am happy they seem to be competent I will have a quick word to let them know its cool and then flick my elbow after a mile or so and see if they respond to my request to take their turn up front. If they dont I drop them or ease off massively and fumble around in my pockets pretending to look for something.
 
donnydave

donnydave

Über Member
Location
Cambridge
drafting benefits the lead vehicle more as the speed increases, e.g nascar. If they get close enough you the air "sees" one long vehicle so the drag at the rear of the lead car is reduced significantly - less drag = speed goes up. Widely known in racing circles, I also remember doing some wind tunnel studies on it at uni.

On the subject of people stealing a tow, it really really annoys me when someone arrives unannounced and just sits there. If I know there's someone right behind me I ride differently to account for it. I only really like doing it with someone I know and trust. Often I'm in the opposite position and will get alongside and ask something like "do you mind if we share the work" and take turns. If I notice someone has glued themselves to my wheel I'll give them 5 minutes or so then I'll move to the side, ease off and shout "YOUR TURN!" and see what they do
 
mjr

mjr

Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
Location
mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
Pale Rider said:
I'm not sure a single rider in front is much benefit into a headwind, but the slow speed non-effect is probably part of the reason.
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It depends how slow is slow and how windy is the headwind. Into a stiff wind in the fens and levels, it's definitely worth it. In ordinary conditions, I don't do it, because the 10mph typical average of our freewheeling group rides don't need it, but we've towed/drafted at 7mph through a storm before!
donnydave said:
On the subject of people stealing a tow, it really really annoys me when someone arrives unannounced and just sits there. If I know there's someone right behind me I ride differently to account for it. I only really like doing it with someone I know and trust.
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Yes, it's full of risks for all participants, especially if the drafter tries to run a pro-style tiny gap between the wheels. The drafter could shunt the rider in front, the rider in front could fail to signal a pothole/defect that the drafter crashes into, ... all sorts of ways it can go horribly wrong. In general, it's not worth being either rider IMO, but I'm very against crashing.
 
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