Is drafting acceptable on a training run?

[Globalti]

This is a delicate blokeish question concerning egos and manly pride: been road riding for the last couple of months with a bloke a little older who is an ex-runner, has longer road experience and is stronger on the road bike than me. On our regular 20 mile evening training run he delights in burning me off on the last small rise before home then sprinting down into the town with me 100 yards behind.

Another cyclist I know tells me runners are always competitive like this. If I sit on his wheel I think can stay with him over the last rise and might even be able to manage a well-timed "Cav" move in the last 100 yards or even arrive alongside him. I think he would enjoy the sprint actually.

However I feel reluctant to draft on a training run; somehow I have this idea that a training ride is supposed to be a shared experience of equal effort.

What does the panel think?

 

[PK99]

What does the panel think?

Think "Chain gang" - everyone is drafting 90% of the time (in a 10 man line!)

Look at the Dynamo training in Richmond Park on Saturday morning - always chaingang or paceline never solo.

 

[ianrauk]

Go for it. You say it's a training run yet your matey enjoys burning you off.. why not do the same to him..?

This is a delicate blokeish question concerning egos and manly pride: been road riding for the last couple of months with a bloke a little older who is an ex-runner, has longer road experience and is stronger on the road bike than me. On our regular 20 mile evening training run he delights in burning me off on the last small rise before home then sprinting down into the town with me 100 yards behind.

Another cyclist I know tells me runners are always competitive like this. If I sit on his wheel I think can stay with him over the last rise and might even be able to manage a well-timed "Cav" move in the last 100 yards or even arrive alongside him. I think he would enjoy the sprint actually.

However I feel reluctant to draft on a training run; somehow I have this idea that a training ride is supposed to be a shared experience of equal effort.

What does the panel think?

 

[PaulB]

Do it. If he's a former runner (PM me his name; I'm bound to know him, esp. if he's from E Lancs) then he'll be less bothered about someone taking a ride behind him than a pure never-been-nowt-else cyclist.

 

[Globalti]

Thanks to 20 years of mountain biking I am less fearful (or more recklesss!) than him on downhills and can easily lose him - maybe this rankles him!

 

[Crankarm]

Do some extra training to improve your leg power. Take some RnR behind him if he insists of leading then pounce in the last mile/ 0.5 mile from home. Works for Renshaw and Cav why not you? As long as you spend a few moments at the front I wouldn't have thought any other rider would hold it against you at club level if you were genuinely trying and not a free loading shurker.

 

[fossyant]

Nah....the final run in always brings a bunch sprint.....

We used to do it in the club - sprint for the last sign - it was a blooming 1 mile lead out though....I'd generally do the lead out, then the sprinters would fly past for the sign.

 

[Noodley]

sit in behind him all the way and tell him you are going to kick his arse in the sprint home. And keep telling him this every so often.

 

[akaAndrew]

Methinks drafting is normal on training runs. So try your Cav move, if it doesn't work, so be it, if he's competitive then he could appreciate the attempt!

Sometimes, in my club, a few of them like to sprint for town signs. I sometimes sort of take part (in that I'm no sprinter) but I tend to pick up the pace from a long way out, 3 or 4km. This alerts the sprinters that it's on and there's a bit of a chain gang forms, with spells being taken.

But there's this one guy, a non-regular that rides with a sports cycling club but joins us from time to time, that loves to just sit on wheels and then move with around 30m to go. He probably thinks he's being a A1 tactician but it pisses the others off!

So beware, your friend might just think you taking a free ride!

 

[willhub]

From training runs I've done it seems everyone is drafting at one point? It's all about helping everyone get round, on the flat that is, on the hills it's ok to thrash it and be competitive.

 

[MacB]

but don't come crying to us over your roadrash if it all goes pear shaped after this 'oh so meaningful' sprint

 

[Globalti]

sit in behind him all the way and tell him you are going to kick his arse in the sprint home. And keep telling him this every so often.

Ha ha! I don't know the guy personally very well but I suspect he has a strong and rather spoilt ego!

 

[Keith Oates]

Draft him, if it's a training run then you're training for a race and racing is all about drafting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[willhub]

Not everyone is training for races though.

 

[Globalti]

No but the majority of you have convinced me that I'm being a wuss and need to compete.