The thrill of the draft!

[RoadRaven]

Oh yes... I now know what an absolute thrill this is...

For two years I have been drafting but only with a few others - my partner and sons, or the 2-3 others of similar ability in races... 3-4 times I have drafted in a small peloton in a "fun" ride.

Drafting behind my partner is the best when training, as he is 6'3" and is great to "hide" behind and he can "motor-pace" me well, or just let me rest at the end of a long ride.

But having just moved up a grade in my club, and raced my first full race there last Saturday... wow!!!

I started with my grade, a group of people there to race and to win... and I hung onto the back as for various reasons this was my first road race with them and I didn't know what to expect except that it would be different from the road-racing I had been doing in the beginners grade.

I got dropped early on thanks to less-than-considerate car-driving, but it was a handicap race, so when the other grades passed me I was allowed to join their bunch - if I could.

And with two of them, I did... and it was awesome. Both times I was on my own when each peloton passed me and it lifted my race speed from 27-29km on my own into the wind, to something like 38-42km with the bunch. I was going faster and yet able to coast at times and actually got a rest... until of course I couldn't maintain it and got dropped... but just an awesome (if somewhat scarey) feeling.

[bikerchick68]

yep, drafting is a blast as long as you trust the person you're drafting... I ride with my older brother when I go visit him... he is a BIG windblock... it's an absolute hoot to draft him I don't even pedal the whole time...