Broctoon

I’ve been riding pretty seriously for decades, but not often with any kind of group and only occasionally in a tight pace line. I’ve entered a few races, where I always stick with the Cat 4/5 guys.

Just lately I’ve found a group I really like, so I try to join them every week. These guys and gals have a few things going that can really help me: they are pretty serious about working together, and they’re pretty fast. Actually, about 1/3 of the group is really fast; they always drop me. Another third, I can usually keep up with them if I commit. The remaining ~third is equal to or less than my ability; I don’t have to try hard to hang with them.

Last week, I tried to keep up with some of the faster guys, and after about one minute I got dropped. I made a futile attempt to catch them again but just didn’t have enough steam. (You all know how hard impossible it is when you’re solo and trying to catch up.) So I finished the ride with a friend who is actually pretty fast but somehow ended up with the stragglers that day. Watching those speed demons walk away from us, I said to him, “Man, they’re too strong! I can never hang with them.” In his thick southern accent he told me, “You just gotta learn how ta suck a whee-ole.” (Yes, ‘wheel’ comes from him in two syllables.)

It occurred to me that he’s right. Part of the problem is a simple lack of stamina. I need to get my heart and lungs stronger and my muscles more efficient. But it would also help a lot if I could get better at gluing myself right onto the back wheel of whoever I’m trying to draft.

This week, I made this my focus. I stayed with the middle tier and really concentrated on keeping as close as I could. I'd feel safer doing this in a group that I’m more familiar with. Since I’m kind of a newcomer here, I don’t know them very well, nor do they know and trust me. It would also help if we were on a really nice, smooth road with few obstacles. The route we ride has the occasional pothole, piece of debris, or other hazard to watch for. Nevertheless, I did pretty well. My average speed through the whole ride went up about 10% over previous weeks. I felt good at the end. Also pretty important, I don't think I pissed off anyone while in the middle of the line or taking my turns out front.

I’ve figured out that it’s helpful to look ahead, up the line a few riders and beyond, rather than focusing on the one right in front of me. I'm also working on not overcorrecting. I sometimes make the mistake of pushing hard, then backing off (coasting briefly, and/or moving to the side a little) in a repeating cycle. Obviously it’s better to make a smooth, continuous effort and get into a flow—but easier said than done while I’m still building confidence. And I’m working on telling myself to just send it… we probably won’t all end up in a big fiery crash, so what am I worried about? Again, I’m sure this will be easier as this group and I get more comfortable with each other.

What other tips do you folks have for an intermediate rider trying to get better at “sucking a wheel?” I appreciate any advice.

datlas 

Don't overlap wheels. Look at road ahead, not at the wheel in front of you. Use peripheral vision to stay close to wheel in front of you.

Maybe start out practicing with just ONE friend before you try to suck wheels in a larger group.

jrobe

One possibility to consider is that each group really wants riders that not only can draft and "suck wheels" but also are strong enough to pull and contribute to the group. Maybe the middle group is the best group for you like it is for me. I hate to ride with groups unless I can do my fair share of the pulling.

Broctoon

This is certainly true. If I could hang with the fast group long enough to work my way up the line, I could also pull when it's my turn. It's never been an issue, because I can't stay on with them for that long.

Eric F 

Don't allow your front wheel to overlap the wheel in front of you.

Be smooth. Rapid changes of pace (accelerating or slowing) are potentially dangerous. As much as possible, adjustments should be done with slight changes of pressure on the pedals. If a gap opens in front of you, close it slowly.

When it's your turn to take a pull, maintain the same speed you had when you were in the draft. For me, I focus on keeping my feet moving at the same tempo.

caloso

Yes, you absolutely need to look up the road. One tip I was given when I first started riding in groups was to sight through the jersey pockets of the rider in front of you. They can't go anywhere without their hips, and this lets you scan forwards up the road. Work on being smooth. You want to cover the brakes, but stay off them as much as safely possible. If you find yourself creeping up on the wheel in front of you, you can slide into the wind a little bit (mind your front wheel while you do so). Keep the pedals turning even if they're not engaging (soft pedal) rather than fully coasting.

Broctoon

I've been conscious of this, because I know it will not win me any points if I speed up or slow down when I get out front. I'm not very good at judging it, so I've set up my Garmin to help. On solo or even casual group rides, I just use one of the default screens with five or six data fields. For these more spirited groups, I created a new ride category and set up its home screen to show current speed up top, really big. Just below that I have average speed, but it's actually not very useful, because the first ten minutes everyone goes pretty slow to warm up. When I'm second in line I note how fast we're going, and then try to maintain it when I get out front. Not super strict about it, I just glance down every few seconds and try to stay within about 1 mph + or -

This week, I took a long turn pulling at one point. I was maintaining the same speed we'd had before, but thought I'd left them behind. I didn't hear anything back there for a while, and I don't like to keep turning around to check. Kind of embarrassing, but it's not unheard of for someone in this group to break away, or for one or more riders to drop off. To my surprise, when we came to an intersection I found they were all still right on me. I dropped to the back at that point, and they all gave me a quick "thanks" for the good pull. That was satisfying.

Eric F 

With experience, you will start to get a feel for it, but there's nothing wrong with using your computer to help out. When you're rolling through areas with changing grades, you'll have to go more by feel. Keep at it. Pay attention to what the more experienced rides are doing and try to mimic them as much as you can.

One of my favorite cycling experiences is being in a group that is all working in sync, and going much faster than any one of us could go solo.

datlas 

One other piece of advice: do NOT be wobbly. If you have access to them, go ride on some rollers. if you can ride the rollers (it takes a little practice) you will be much smoother in the group.

Do it now and thank me later.

big john

When with a group of faster riders it's usually acceptable to take a short pull or even no pull when it's your turn. You should probably talk to them about it first but they'll usually be ok with it, at least in my experience.
Also, if you ride with the same people for a while you learn their habits and who you can feel comfortable being close to at speed. You will also learn to spot knuckleheads. Personally, I like to stay away from people I don't know, at least until I have a chance to check them out.
At my age, I tend to suck wheel more than I used to.

cxwrench

As for how long to pull...just pay attention to what the others are doing. Or ask. If you're really nailing it just rolling through is fine...you don't need to take huge pulls on the front and then get dropped. Take care of your front wheel, never overlap. Look before making any lateral movement.

Eric F 

Good point. If riders are taking fairly long pulls, and you don't have that much gas, it's okay to take a shorter pull. However, if it's a situation where riders are only pulling until they are clear of the last rider to pull, taking a longer pull can disrupt the flow and rhythm of the group.

MoAlpha

True and they’d rather have you off the front than slowing them down or causing a gap later ‘cause you’re gassed. Personally, I have no interest in riding with people for whom it matters if riders aren’t “doing their work” on informal training rides anyway.

caloso

I'd much rather have someone take a short pull or skip the rotation than have them blow themselves up and get dropped. Most of the riders I know would rather folks just sit on the back than disrupt the flow, if they're new or not feeling super-strong.

MinnMan

Depending on group dynamics and convention, it can be acceptable to sit in, without ever getting near the front. To do so, make sure to open a small gap at the right time, so that whomever is dropping back after their pull slots in in front of you. Communicate verbally so they know what you are doing.

As reflected in previous suggestions in this thread, the most important thing is to draft safely - no overlapping wheel, no unpredictable behavior.

Also, if you are gassed just trying to hang with the group, the likelihood of unsafe moves increases greatly. Give it your best shot, but if you are redlining while "sucking wheel", then do everybody a favor and let yourself get dropped.

Voodoo76

Also start to gain an understanding of where the draft is. It's rarely directly behind the wheel in front of you and it changes as the road direction changes relative to the wind. Move around a little and you can feel it on your face/shoulders but you are often going to be slightly (or a lot) offset from the rider in front of you if you want the full benefit.

woodcraft

I find it helpful to remember that wherever you are in the line,

you are the lead rider for everyone behind, so give them a smooth and predictable wheel to follow.