Drafting Etiquette

GlennaMaddy

I shamelessly drafted a fast commuter for about 5km one day before blasting past for the final km before turning into the office carpark where I locked my bike to the bike rack.
When I was leaving the office that evening there was his bike locked to mine, he said it was a mistake, but if it wasn't I suppose I deserved it!

cdaly_

He was just making sure you'd be there for his tow home...

seamus

Gonna drag this one up for a very specific question which happened a number of times yesterday.

On the PM yesterday, particularly on the way home, I'd catch up with two or three riders just barely going slower than me (say by 2-3km/h) and not being immediately able to overtake (because of traffic or because they were blocking the road), I'd slot in behind them, happy to spin along and take a short breather (4/5mins) in the draft.

I had no problem "taking my turn" as it were, but I knew that if I was to let them draft me, I'd have to drop my pace. So instead I just overtook them and spun off; if they wanted to draft me they could up their pace.

Cheeky, rude or OK? Should I be aiming to just overtake them as early as possible and draft someone going at my pace?

Captain Havoc

Just bull on.

doozerie

Had a guy stick to my wheel a few weeks back on my commute. As I aimed for a gap between an (illegally) parked van in the bus lane and a line of queuing traffic, I realised that a taxi in the line of cars was looking at the same gap. Just as I was about to pass on the left of the taxi, he pulled left into the bus lane, floored the car and filled the gap. I was prepared for it so hit the brakes and stopped the bike with a couple of feet to spare. But the idiot on the bike behind me was obviously oblivious to all of this until it was too late to stop and he opted to use me as an extra brake by sticking his arm out and shoving me into the parked van. I got a hand against the van which stopped me from face-planting it and also managed to unclip a foot and get it on the ground, so I came through unscathed but annoyed. Other guy hit the deck, which took the edge off my anger towards him. Think he was okay, though he didn't merit any sympathy whatsoever.

It's just one incident, but it demonstrates the danger to the rider in front of being drafted by someone that doesn't have a clue of how to ride with others. Even if you are used to riding with a group and know to look ahead rather than at the rear wheel in front of you, sticking to the wheel of someone you don't know is taking liberties. If you are not used to group riding you are posing a danger both to yourself and the rider in front. And in any case, drafting in traffic is just stupid regardless - the dangers are heightened and the benefit of drafting is usually minimal.

souter

seamus wrote: »

Gonna drag this one up for a very specific question which happened a number of times yesterday.

On the PM yesterday, particularly on the way home, I'd catch up with two or three riders just barely going slower than me (say by 2-3km/h) and not being immediately able to overtake (because of traffic or because they were blocking the road), I'd slot in behind them, happy to spin along and take a short breather (4/5mins) in the draft.

I had no problem "taking my turn" as it were, but I knew that if I was to let them draft me, I'd have to drop my pace. So instead I just overtook them and spun off; if they wanted to draft me they could up their pace.

Cheeky, rude or OK? Should I be aiming to just overtake them as early as possible and draft someone going at my pace?

Similar situation myself, first big spin of the year I was sufferring a bit, so I thought about teaming up with a some riders I caught up to. But also wanted to get home and couldn't figure out the etiquette for "err, in a bit of a hurry, so either we speed up or go our seperate ways". So on both occasions overtook them without offering to team up.
Did get me home quicker as well I think - if you overtake someone who's not much slower it turns into something akin to secret commuter race.

Cabaal

Coronal wrote: »

That's what I was thinking alright.

I had planned to shake him off (no hello, no work sharing for several kms), but I was already going pretty flat out (for me :rolleyes:), so trying to pull away probably wouldn't have worked out so well...

If you don't have the energy to speed off and leave him then just slow down and wait for him to get annoyed and overtake you

Staro

GlennaMaddy wrote: »

I shamelessly drafted a fast commuter for about 5km one day before blasting past for the final km before turning into the office carpark where I locked my bike to the bike rack.
When I was leaving the office that evening there was his bike locked to mine, he said it was a mistake, but if it wasn't I suppose I deserved it!

The shame, the shame, we know who you are :-)

Coronal

Cabaal wrote: »

If you don't have the energy to speed off and leave him then just slow down and wait for him to get annoyed and overtake you

I know, but that feels like cheating :P One must fight for one's honour and whatnot, right?

michael196

blorg wrote: »

In fairness a rider accustomed to group riding will handle themselves completely differently if they think they have someone on their wheel vs thinking that they are on their own. E.g. no sudden braking, predictable, etc. It is a good idea to make sure the lead rider is aware of the situation. Any time I've done it at the end of a sportive, etc. (e.g. wrecked) I make sure to ask first "OK to sit on your wheel?", the response has always been that I am welcome.

being wrecked at the end of a sportive, any stronger lads have no problem letting people draft , if its just to get the soldiers home .......

FatSh!te

michael196 wrote: »

being wrecked at the end of a sportive, any stronger lads have no problem letting people draft , if its just to get the soldiers home .......

Second that...did the Sean Kelly 100km 2 years ago with no training, and was in bits towards the end...nearly every group of club/experienced riders that went by encouraged us to jump onto the back of the group for as long as possible....

michael196

FatSh!te wrote: »

Second that...did the Sean Kelly 100km 2 years ago with no training, and was in bits towards the end...nearly every group of club/experienced riders that went by encouraged us to jump onto the back of the group for as long as possible....

absolutly: its no fun out there, no energy, feeling miserable: trying to get home, every cyclist has gone through that at some stage and its no fun at all. , and to be dragged home by a group is a luxury. try it sometime on ur own, thats real misery.

the day will come Fatsh!te when u get to return the favour. its costs nothing to the stronger lads to bring you in.

when I am out with my buddies who are new to cycling; I never leave them: they tell me to go, but I dont !! its just misery on ur own when ur just not up to it, on the day . its important that they realise that help is available : get them home so that they will feel like going out the next day; Leave then there and they might get pissed off, no energy, and have a horrible time getting home, maybe even embarassed out of cycling.

lads are usually very gratefuil for getting dragged home. establishes a good buddy base, when u know the person and are likely to meet up again.

for me, its important for the new lads to know, that if they are in trouble, hungry, just not fit enough or enough miles in the legs or just a bad day, that if there is a group nearby just try to jump on,

especially in sportives where it is not competitive. Funny how a push on ur back for 10 seconds can get u over that crest and u start to recover , and u might come back on board, energy wise in a few minutes .


funniest thing , 2010, bunch of new cycling budies, trying to get them to do up and over : while on the road..... think they thought I was complelty mad. I just gave up !!

:D