Drafting Question

[CorsairMac]

I did my first drafting today! (is "did" the right word! LOL) Anyway, there was a man drafting off me which was fine. When we got to some hills he came around and told me I could draft off him. I said I had never done that before and he said no problem just stay on his wheel and he'd pull me along. But he was going too slow! As we climbed the hills I would stand up when he did but I seemed to be climbing faster than he was. Before I ask my ?? - I just wanted to say what a Blast drafting was tho. We were in headwinds and he was a much bigger guy than I was so it was nice to have him blocking those winds as we climbed.

Now for my ??: even on the flats I felt that I was crowding his space and going too fast. Since he was blocking the wind should I have backed off some to draft off him??......My speed dropped when he took the front so I don't believe it was just him blocking the wind - I believe he was riding slower than me but etiquitte-wise should I have slowed down and ridden his pace? After the second hill he dropped back and told me I could lead and I picked my pace back up to where it had been before and was comfortable for me. Should I have continued at his pace? He seemed to struggle for a little but he did catch back up with me.
Any drafting manners/advise would be appreciated!

[alison_in_oh]

Now for my ??: even on the flats I felt that I was crowding his space and going too fast. Since he was blocking the wind should I have backed off some to draft off him??......My speed dropped when he took the front so I don't believe it was just him blocking the wind - I believe he was riding slower than me but etiquitte-wise should I have slowed down and ridden his pace? After the second hill he dropped back and told me I could lead and I picked my pace back up to where it had been before and was comfortable for me. Should I have continued at his pace? He seemed to struggle for a little but he did catch back up with me.
Any drafting manners/advise would be appreciated!

Hm. I'm just getting into drafting too, whoo! If you need/want the draft, then shift down and spin your gears. It should be easier than riding alone -- I often fall into the trap of thinking we're going too slow on group rides, until I realize I'd never be doing 19 mph into a headwind by myself! If you don't know the guy/feel he's predictable, stay a foot or more off of his wheel. When you take a pull, start at the same speed but ramp it up slowly if you want. He should be able to keep up with you if he's anywhere near your ability. If he's not...well, if it were me and some dude that I picked up on the road, I'd drop him. :\ My workout's more important than his feelings! And though you'll lose out on having someone to take a pull for you later, well, you started out the ride solo -- you probably chose the route such that you can complete it solo!

[fixedgeargirl]

Sounds like you whooped up on him, Corsair !! Also sounds like this guy is not at your ability, since you were able to pull faster than him !!

As for crowding his space, that's the whole idea. DH tells me to ride one inch off his wheel, and I do. I do it because I know he's a solid rider who rides a clean line and pedals smoothly. I do it because that is where you will actually catch a draft. Get more than a very few inches behind and wind resistance goes up exponentially. You can feel it when you lose the sweet spot.

But you are taking your orthopedic health in your hands if you closely draft someone who wiggles all over the place and doesn't spin, that is to say, they don't pedal continuously (and I mean CONTINUOUSLY). The second they back off pedalling, their speed drops ever so slightly, and there you are, climbing up their tail-pipe.

I have been totally spoiled by drafting my husband and the club I've been riding with here. Very solid wheels (and they're all bigger than me ). I've been on some other rides here with, shall we say, less solid wheels. On the last ride, a 50-miler, I followed the ride leaders, triathlete women who were clearly stronger than me (oh, they actually train, maybe that's it). I could have kept up if I could have drafted, but their technique and etiquette were not up to my high standards . This was my ride to really experience what it's like when the person(s) in front of you don't spin smoothly. Scary!!!They were unfamiliar with what to do when you're done pulling and want the next rider to take a pull (peel left, let the paceline pass, jump on the back). One of them was strong, but bobbed and weaved all over the place, I stayed away from her rear wheel.

So, your guy finally realized he was out of his league and sat back in! If he hadn't, and you were frustrated with the pace (slower than you were going on your own!), then I think it would be appropriate to pull around left and get ahead of him. Of course, I do not have the Emily Post Cycling Edition in front of me, so this is IMHO.

Sounds like you're ready for club rides!!!!

[alison_in_oh]

They were unfamiliar with what to do when you're done pulling and want the next rider to take a pull (peel left, let the paceline pass, jump on the back).

Having listened to my hubby complain recently about this, I feel I should point out: if there's enough wind to merit an echelon formation, pull off *into* the wind whether that's right or left. That way you continue providing some protection to the other riders in the echelon as you drift back.

(Not that I'd EVER be coordinated enough to do this! DH tries to quiz me sometimes, "Which way's the wind coming from?", and I guess wildly!)

[fixedgeargirl]

Having listened to my hubby complain recently about this, I feel I should point out: if there's enough wind to merit an echelon formation, pull off *into* the wind whether that's right or left. That way you continue providing some protection to the other riders in the echelon as you drift back.

You learn something new every day!! I'm surprised I haven't heard this from my oh-so-correct DH!!! Maybe we haven't encountered this before.

[alison_in_oh]

You learn something new every day!! I'm surprised I haven't heard this from my oh-so-correct DH!!! Maybe we haven't encountered this before.

Yeah, I think it's a pretty unique situation. The particulars he was complaining about were in a race: a 2 mile lap, there were strong sidewinds on two of the legs of the loop, and he'd been caught up in a group off the back of the pack that therefore needed every advantage to bridge the gap...