Drafting when commuting

[Si]

Or ae you suggesting that on club rides we don't need to shout 'pothole', 'car up', 'stopping' , etc?

Nobody needs to for my benefit and I certainly dont rely on it.

You must have pretty uncomfortable rides then...either that or you aren't doing what _I_ would call proper drafting and thus you're giving your self a bit of space between you and the rider in front so that you can see what's coming.

[meic]

It is the sort of drafting that makes my cycling easier, if I wasnt doing it then I would be going much slower or working much harder.

[gentlegreen]

if I wasnt doing it then I would be going much slower or working much harder.

Hard cheese.

Thankfully I have never encountered idiots drafting me on a friendly Sunday group ride.

[Si]

You can argue that riding 100m behind someone else makes it easier 'cos you've something to aim at. But the 'much' is important. A couple of lengths back at around 12mph in still air and you'll get a slight pull but not a massive amount of help. 4 inches behind, at 20mph into a head wind and you will receive massive benefit. Guess which one I'm talking about as proper drafting

[meic]

if I wasnt doing it then I would be going much slower or working much harder.

Hard cheese.

Thankfully I have never encountered idiots drafting me on a friendly Sunday group ride.

Which one of us is throwing the idiot word around here?

The one who had the crash recently or the one who hasnt been injured yet on a bike, I wouldnt bring it up so bluntly if you hadnt used the idiot word but as you did.

[gentlegreen]

if I wasnt doing it then I would be going much slower or working much harder.

Hard cheese.

Thankfully I have never encountered idiots drafting me on a friendly Sunday group ride.

Which one of us is throwing the idiot word around here?

The one who had the crash recently or the one who hasnt been injured yet on a bike, I wouldnt bring it up so bluntly if you hadnt used the idiot word but as you did.

Did you see HOW I got injured ?

[Ayesha]

Drafting.

Wind coming from the right, ride close on the left of the rider's wheel.
Wind coming from the left, ride close on the right of the rider's wheel.
Wind dead ahead, ride directly behind the rider.
Wind up ass at faster speed, no advantage.

Direct sidewind, wheel overlap but not width overlap.

Strong direct sidewind, ride almost alongside on downwind side and grab his jersey.

[Aberdeen_lune]

I had an interesting drafting experience a month or so ago. I was riding from work to compete in my cycling clubs annual hill climb. Anyway I overtook this cyclist and he jumped on my wheel. I then turned and went over a bridge then along a convoluted route through country roads for about 5 miles. The guy was still glued to my tail not saying a word. I then turned to cycle up the hill climb route ( race sign on was at the top).

When I got to the top the drafter was no where to be seen. He eventually got to the top looked a bit lost then turned and headed back down again.

I was thinking whats that all about? He obviously didn't know the roads I suppose he wanted to find a new bike route. He didn't bother me but I would have thought he might have said something along the way. There's not as strange as folk I suppose. I wonder if he got lost on the way home.

[Geriatrix]

I don't mind riders drafting me but they don't get much of an advantage from drafting a recumbent. When I was still commuting on my e-bike I passed a rider in a strong headwind & invited him to tuck in behind me, which he did. That arrangement repeated itself a few times in the next few weeks.

I don't draft other riders but sometimes I like to follow riders travelling at the same pace. I have had some really good rides with some really good cyclists doing that. A few cyclists have tagged me too - a camaraderie develops. A few weeks ago the cyclist I followed sensed my presence and started signalling all the hazards. His anticipation of traffic hazards was superb. The location was Southbound on the A23. If it was anyone here - Thanks.

[PaulCumbria]

Like Geriatrix, not many people find advantage in drafting my recumbent. But I do get people following (not true drafting) just for a better look.
Of course there are extra issues if someone does decide to stay close on a downhill, as they're in for a nasty shock when they discover on the first sharp bend that I've got the twin benefits of a lower CofG and full suspension! For that reason I often back right off to ensure I don't lead them into doing something stupid.
The only 'stranger drafting' I consider acceptable is when it's mutually accepted - often wordlessly. If I overtake someone not expecting it, and thirty seconds later they come flying past me, I might be tempted to ramp it up a bit and overtake them once again. They pick up the gauntlet and overtake once more. So now we're both really flying, we both know we're racing-for-fun, and a bit of cautious drafting as you set yourself up for the next overtake is just fine in my book.
But you DON'T simply jump onto someone's back wheel as they come past and stay there - or worse, come up behind and then hang on silently.
All this only applies on relatively quiet country roads - I would immediately deal with any drafting on heavily trafficked roads, as it's simply too hazardous for me to tolerate.

[LollyKat]

All this only applies on relatively quiet country roads - I would immediately deal with any drafting on heavily trafficked roads, as it's simply too hazardous for me to tolerate.

How? (Not that it's worth anyone's while to draft me. )

[thirdcrank]

Cycling is an activity where strength and experience increase together - until you are over the hill Descending at silly speeds, especially when following somebody else too closely are both signs of inexperience and IMO in these juvenile showing off situations tend to be to compensate for being unable to keep up on climbs. Making a big effort to pass somebody then fading immediately is about as crass as it gets. Some posters are miffed by strangers sitting on their wheel but I get irritated by this competitive showing off (especially if it's pouring down and the person who thinks it's clever to be in front has no mudguards. ) I don't think any of that is what the OP was concerned with.

Somebody above (BigT?) commented how it's not always easy to overtake in traffic. It seems to me that when commuting - as thread title - most riders are riding towards the upper end of their ability in terms of speed: not racing, but pressing on. It seems inevitable to me, therefore, that in the normal course of things, stronger riders are going to be catching up with those going a bit slower. In traffic, overtaking safely is not always easy. I remember a personal apology published in the CTC mag ten or twelve years ago from the then CTC director, Kevin Mayne. I cannot remember the details but he had become involved in some sort of misunderstanding when he had caught a female rider who had taken umbrage for some reason and having seen the orange sticker on has back mudguard shouted something like "Call yourself CTC?" as he rode off down the road. He seemed mortified by the complete misunderstanding.

I'd like to think that the apparent increase in riders knowing how to shelter behind another is generally a good thing. I like to think there's a strong sense of mutuality among cyclists: I've always been grateful for help given by other riders and I've been pleased when I've been able to help others. OTOH, some posters seem to suggest that there are strong/ experienced riders sitting on wheels as though they were policing an attack in a road race. Is this really as frequent as some seem to suggest?

[gentlegreen]

On my local path it is becoming problematic - with riders chasing Strava segments on the way to work.

Having had a numpty knock me off the other week, I now fear for all normal overtakes of pedestrians and very slow riders - overtakes where in the past I would never have deemed signalling necessary - but the Lycra boys see someone like me and wrongly assume that I'm as slow as the people I've found myself behind - whereas I'm built for sprinting from near stationary.
And those guys will often invent a third lane and overtake anyway.

And I'm witnessing other more hesitant riders in front of me assuming I'm going to cut them up - more an more I'm having to take primary and / or shout my intentions .

Things have got sufficiently bad locally that today I started leaving half an hour earlier in the hope of avoiding trouble.

[[XAP]Bob]

On my local path it is becoming problematic - with riders chasing Strava segments on the way to work.

Report the segments to Strava - Then there can be no segment chasing.

[gentlegreen]

On my local path it is becoming problematic - with riders chasing Strava segments on the way to work.

Report the segments to Strava - Then there can be no segment chasing.

But doubtless they'll be chasing larger segments that I would have to ride myself to discover ..

Even without Strava they'd be chasing something.

The main thing is unless you have prior agreement, the other people on the path are entitled to proceed at their own pace.
It's supposed to be better than the roads.