lostarchitect 

You need to start eating a can of beans before heading out. That will keep them back a little.

Wolfwerx

Hopefully...
It's amazing how many people don't know what that means. Or, they are a******s.

tjspiel

My guess is that if they weren't bothered by your presence back there they wouldn't be trying to drop you. Maybe you should take the hint.

matimeo

The other night I got off work late and it was already pitch black on my ride home. I made my way to the MUP, feeling tired and not overly motivated to make it home in record time, since I was saving my strength to play basketball that evening. I went around a sharp corner and caught a bike light right on top of me, but couldn't make out what kind of a bike or anything since there are no street lights along the MUP. Just kind of snuck up behind me. I thought, "I'm not going to let this guy pass me" and I took off. I never turned my head back, but I could tell he was right on my tail for the next three miles until we went in different directions. I tried to drop him but he was right behind me. I kept seeing the beam of his light cast on the ground under my bike so he must have been right on my rear. I think I made it home in record time that night. No words were exchanged.

tjspiel

Local customs vary but I think it's rude to assume that drafting somebody is going to be OK. It can be very unnerving to someone who has no experience with pace lines.

Even though group rides and pace lines are things that I think of as fun, commuting for me is a chance to be alone with my thoughts. If someone latches on to my wheel I automatically feel some responsibility for calling out hazards and such. That's not what I want to be doing on my commute.

alan s 

Nope. It's just something to break up the routine and get in an interval or two. If the rider doesn't want me there, there are ways to make it known, which I always respect.

tjspiel

Just my opinion, but "respecting" means asking first. If you're a stronger rider, which you are implying, then just pass them. If the race is on at that point then fine. They've chosen to engage.

What you're doing is putting the burden of communicating their displeasure on them, rather than taking on the burden of communication yourself.

alan s 

I am not racing anyone, just drafting. If I was stronger than the other rider, I would just pass them and go on my way. Point is, I can usually draft a roadie on my MTB, but couldn't pull or ride solo at the same speed. If they want draft me, as they sometimes do, go right ahead. I'll let them know if I don't want them there. No big deal.

Next time my route takes me through Minnesota, I'll definitely ask before drafting.

mmm12

Since I typically come to a complete stop at stop signs and lights, I've almost been hit from behind when informal "drafters" don't expect me to stop at an intersection where there is no other traffic. It seems silly to draft on my commute where we have to stop every 1/4 mile. Commuter "racing" can be fun, but I get nervous about being drafted on crowded MUPs or in traffic that's unpredictable.

elkootcho

how close is considered "drafting", in the commuting world? How far back can I be at 20mph to still get the benefit of a pull without sitting right on top of another rider?

I'll often pace another rider because it's a little bump of motivation on my ride to or from work but avoid getting closer that a few feet.

MNBikeCommuter

Thank you!!!!

buzzman

This comes up in here every once in a while. I'll say what I always do:

I don't want someone I don't know sitting on my wheel unannounced. I don't like it. Never have. Probably never will.

The other day I had a guy in full kit on a road bike sit on my wheel on the West Side bike path as I rolled along on my da hon folder in street clothes with a rack bag and backpack- somehow this is the height of ridiculous.

audi666

Agreed. If your going to draft someone have the common courtesy to ask first.

Seattle Forrest

The other day I hit 40 in a 25 zone on my road bike. It took a hell of a lot of work.

The traffic violation part was funny.

Seattle Forrest

As you've learned, stopping randomly is dangerous.

tjspiel

The rules in a no-draft triathlon say that you need to be 1.5 bike lengths back. In my experience you have to be closer than that to get much benefit from a draft. On group rides I try to stay within a foot or two at most.

I'd approach the question a different way. You should gauge following distance on the amount of time it would take you to stop if the bike in front of you were to slam on the brakes. We're talking about commuting after all and the emphasis should be on safety and courtesy rather than speed. Having said that, a pace line during a commute on an open road or low-traffic MUP can be fun and mutually beneficial. I just think the participants should be willing and aware that they're involved in one.

The guy doing the drafting is the guy most likely to go down in a collision but lots of bad things can happen. Early last spring I was on a group ride and there was still some ice around. Some of us had studs, others didn't. We were in a two column pace line going over a bridge. I was in the right hand column.

The guy in front of me to my left didn't get any warning about some ice he was about to go over. He panicked and squeezed his brakes before he hit it. The guy behind him (to my left) didn't want to run into the guy that grabbed his brakes so he tried to steer clear by passing him on the right. This forced me up against a concrete barrier which I bounced off. As I came off the barrier I got hit from behind while trying to maintain my balance. Of course my going down caused about two other people to go down. Nobody was hurt. After lots of finger pointing and grumbling we continued on.

Of course this kind of scenario is far less likely when you're talking about two cyclists, but throw in a pedestrian and a dog in there and there are lots of bad potential outcomes.

My point is this. All it takes for a collision while drafting is for one of the people involved to have a lapse in concentration. If the draftee doesn't know that drafter is even there or doesn't know what they're doing, it can lead to trouble.

fizbiz

Yeah...the extra thrust makes it hard for them to keep up.

As a fairly new commuter who has had little interaction with other cyclists, I was wondering what the general consensus is on drafting behind cars/suvs. About half of my trips take me down 2 miles of 25 MPH roads and I often hug the back of an SUV (large enclosed trailers are the best) then cruise at 30 MPH with only moderate effort. That then leads to a 35 MPH road where I get back onto the side of the road. I don't really feel like it is dangerous because I can maintain a considerable distance while remaining in the slipstream. Obviously depends on the vehicle I'm behind. Just wondering how many others do this?

pdlamb

I think I've drafted twice in the last seven years while commuting. Lack of opportunity, mostly.

Of course, not many people want to draft me in the winter, as I keep my nose clean by way of snot rockets.

Seattle Forrest

As long as (1) you can see through their rear window and windshield, so you have some warning before they hit the brakes, (2) you know the road well enough to not be taken by surprise by potholes, (3) you have an out, eg an empty lane to escape to, and (4) the pavement is dry, then no harm, no foul. Visit the road forum and look for posts by Waterrockets.

david58

It would piss me off - I feel like I have enough to deal with trying to survive the ride in without having someone on my back wheel. But, I say that having never had it happen on my commute - I go in early, my flashy lights would be obnoxious to look at, and there aren't but a couple of other commuting fools on my route.

billyymc

You can be off to the side slightly and still get the benefit.

fizbiz

True. But when traveling at the same speed as traffic I figure I might as well be in the middle of the lane. Much smoother ride. Out of curiosity, what is the fastest speed anybody here regularly drafts behind a vehicle? So far I only do it between 25 and 30mph.

alan s 

That's usually where the dead animals and debris are. Not a good idea.

locolobo13 

Never been comfortable enough to follow somebody that closely. Sometimes when traffic is too heavy I follow maybe 1 or 2 lengths behind waiting for a chance to pass.

Sometimes when our paces are close enough and we feel like we might push for the lead. That doesn't bother me. Usually there is a large enough difference between our paces it is obvious who is faster.

reducedfatoreo

I believe I had the pleasure of this moron's company a few days ago. I'll shout over my shoulder once I notice them that it's super dangerous for them to be there and not announce themselves. One guy thanked me and apologized for not announcing–he said he was new to riding, so I welcomed him and let him keep sucking my wheel, along with giving him hand signals. Morons like the one you described I'll brake-check at the next intersection if I'm feeling spiteful...or better yet, drop the hammer on them.