QUESTION: I usually ride alone, but sometimes I encounter other cyclists going at a similar pace or slightly faster. Is it okay to draft behind them, and if so, what’s the proper etiquette for joining a stranger or small group on the road? —Robert T.
RBR’S STAN PURDUM REPLIES: There are two issues with drafting random persons: One is etiquette, and the other is safety.
I’ll address safety first. To get the most benefit from riding in another rider’s slipstream, you need to be quite close behind them — your front wheel just a few inches behind the rear wheel of the rider ahead. With that close proximity, the possibility of crashing is higher than normal, especially if the rider in front makes an unexpected maneuver. So asking the person you want to draft behind is important so that he or she knows you’re there and can keep a steady pace and signal any moves.
Here’s a scene I witnessed: I was on a large multi-day event ride with two of my friends, whom I’ll call Dan and Louie. On the final day, we, along with many other riders, were pedaling on a low-traffic country road on flat terrain. We had a headwind, so it was natural that some riders wanted to draft behind others. It happened that I spotted a rider I knew from my hometown, so I slowed down a bit to ride beside him and chat, which kept me out of the mishap I’m about to describe. Meanwhile Dan spotted a man he didn’t know who was plugging along well on his bike, so without asking, Dan tucked in behind him, and Louie did the same behind Dan. The three were now moving promptly along well, so soon, two women joined the paceline.
Then, for some reason, the front rider braked. (It’s not clear that he even knew people were drafting behind him.) Dan, next in line, was able to avoid hitting him by turning sharply, but Louie was not so fortunate. He went down hard. The first woman behind him also crashed and flew over her handlebars and over Louie and landed on the ground in front of him. The second woman crashed as well, doing a faceplant on the tarmac.
The lead rider, apparently oblivious to the mayhem behind him, continued cycling on his way. Dan, not having fallen, was unhurt. Louie had scrapes and bruises, and his rear wheel was knocked so out of kilter that we had to open his rear rim brake wide for the wheel to spin. The first of the women — who, it turned out was the daughter of the second woman — got to her feet, also with scrapes and bruises and who knows what other injuries, but her mother, who remained prostrate on the road, was clearly injured more severely. A layer of skin had been scraped off the right side of her face, and that area was seeping blood. When she did finally manage to sit up, she was moving very stiffly.
At that point, another rider stopped. Telling us that he was an EMT, he stepped in to help the woman. She started to tell him that she was all right and could ride on, but he said, “Ma’am, you are hurt more seriously than you think,” and as she sat there a little longer, she agreed she probably did need medical help. At that point, the EMT phoned for an emergency squad.
The rest of us soon moved on, but the mother and daughter stayed put, waiting for the squad. For them, it was not a nice ending to what had been a fun-filled event.
One other piece of fallout from that crash was that Louie, who is a hyper-sensitive guy, went home feeling guilty, taking on himself the blame for the injuries to the mother and daughter.
Presumably, the accident could have been avoided if Dan had simply asked the fast rider if it was okay if the others drafted behind him. That man may have had no paceline experience, and the question would have given him a chance to either say no or to admit his inexperience with drafting procedures. I had ridden in pacelines with Sam and Louie before and I was sure they knew the importance of the lead rider avoiding sudden moves, but apparently it didn’t occur to them to check with that particular rider.
Regarding etiquette: Yes, always ask. Some cyclists prefer to ride solo, and even some in groups don’t want the responsibility of sheltering and “towing” another rider. Others don’t mind at all, but almost everybody prefers to be asked. And if they do say yes, be sure to offer to take a turn at the front once you’ve rested in their slipstream.
Also, if you are a man, never draft without asking behind a woman riding alone who doesn’t know you — and even if she says yes, be aware that you may be making her uncomfortable. This came home to me one day when out on an otherwise empty country road, I caught up with a female cycling by herself. While I had no intention of pacing behind her, I spoke simply to be polite, saying something like “Great day for cycling, isn’t it?” I could tell by her hesitant reply and the fact that she made no attempt to continue the conversation that my presence was making her nervous, so I added, “Enjoy your ride,” and proceeded on my way.
It’s always good to try to read the “temperature” of the strangers you want to draft on. On another group ride, I saw a young man flying like the wind on his bike, so I dropped in behind him, trying to get close enough to ask permission to draft. But before that happened, he looked back with an expression I read as fear, and he started pedaling even faster. Not sure what was happening, I backed off. Later, at our evening encampment, I saw him again, with a group of other young people, all wearing similar T-shirts, and accompanied by a couple of adults. Seeing the whole group, it was obvious that the young people were mentally handicapped. I realized the young man likely didn’t understand why some older man was “chasing” him on his bike and misread my intentions.
Readers, do you have any drafting behind strangers stories?
Stan Purdum has ridden several long-distance bike trips, including an across-America ride recounted in his book Roll Around Heaven All Day, and a trek on U.S. 62, from Niagara Falls, New York, to El Paso, Texas, the subject of his book Playing in Traffic. Stan, a freelance writer and editor, lives in Ohio. See more at www.StanPurdum.com.
I can’t recall the last time a rider asked if it was okay to draft us. We call riders who attach themselves to us Klingons. We ditch Klingons ASAP.
If I find myself a group of riders I don’t know, I let them know I have no objection to them taking advantage of my bow wave. I’m happy to do some work for them.
That story rings true to me. I have ride alone 80% of the time and even with perfect hearing, there have been many times when I suddenly realized I have one or more riders on my wheel. I had a close call while doing intervals when I sat up and heard 4 panicked riders behind me.
I think you nailed it. It’s a courtesy and a safety issue, especially when it comes to intervals. If I ride behind someone I don’t know, I ask if it’s ok and then make sure I ride off there wheel and have plenty of room to go around them. It might not be the best draft but I have never run into anyone.
Yes, even perfect hearing doesn’t guarantee you’ll be aware of people drafting behind you. With intervals, you are going quite fast, which means wind is whipping by your ears, carrying sound away.
Great points, to which I would recommend adding the need to always remain a bit skeptical of anyone you don’t know well. I was recently in a group ride with my regular club when I found myself on the wheel of a guy who had been in the club decades longer than me but hadn’t shown up for several years, so I didn’t know him.
Based solely on his tenure, I confidently locked on 6 inches off his wheel, but thankfully a tiny bit to the side. When he unexpectedly slowed for no apparent reason, I barely managed to half wheel overlap without hitting him. He apologized later BTW …
Talk about decoupling! Big heart rate spike with no power ?
If I haven’t ridden with you before I will not draft you, nor do I allow riders to draft me. I will wave the person behind me on if I feel them there. I used to ride on a group ride with a local club (I moved away) many years ago but it was an organized ride with a safety brief before we left the shop. So, unless I know the riders, drafting for me is a no no.
When wheels touch it is probably going to be the rear (drafting) rider who goes down. The lead rider will just hear the racket behind.
I have a mirror so don’t remember ever being surprised by someone behind me. For riders who worry about aero costs, mine is the Italian Mirror, reviewed by RBR some time ago: https://www.roadbikerider.com/italian-road-bike-mirror-review/
We have great paved trails for miles out of town here in Madison, WI. A bigger issue I’ve noticed is fast riders or ebikers who ‘suddenly’ whoosh by without a word, startling me and I’m sure other riders. Calling out a ‘passing left’ makes a huge difference.
‘Passing left’, bells are even better!
As a tandem Rider I am a magnet to single “draftees” most, sadly, did not ask me.
That guy who doesn’t signal road debris, hogs the road then chases the passing car, the one in front who decides to abruptly slow and take a drink, the guy looking at the scenery instead of the road, the newbie who gets to the front and takes off, the “never takes a pull” guy, it usually becomes obvious what kind of rider you are with and then I just stay in front or leave.
I have taken some new riders under my wing and gone over draft etiquette several times and it is gratifying. I had it done with me from my more experienced riders and really appreciated it as I benefited from the 30% rest time.
Two things that I have not seen addressed here. When a rider in front stands abruptly, his bike moves backwards in relation to his body. If you are drafting closely behind and he does not know you are there, an overlap can occur instantly without braking. Second, you can achieve drafting efficiency more than two bike lengths behind a lead bike. You get max efficiency when the interval is reduced.
A study with motorcycles showed a draft advantage up to 10m behind. I would guess that a bicycle must still provide a draft advantage up to 7ish meters.
Thank you for pointing out the issue of a male drafting behind a lone female. I (female) was riding alone on a bike path in a fairly remote area and this guy would NOT get off my ass – creepy as all get out. I finally pulled over and told him to go ahead of me.
As far I’m concerned, there’s a simple protocol – be courteous, thank the other rider for the slipstream, do your turn if possible.
One nice day ten years ago, I’m out for a ride in Essex.
Heading home, I hear someone changing gear behind me. I glance back, and there’s someone sitting on my wheel.
So I make a point of keeping it smooth, no braking, no suddenly standing up. And from time to time I glance back.
After a kilometre of this – wham!, he attacks as if his life depends on it, sprinting past me flat out, making sure that I don’t get on.
I jump after him, I get on after a short chase. I think about coming alongside and telling him what an a***hole he is, but I’m turning off very shortly so I can’t be bothered.
More recently, I’m riding along and a woman overtakes me. I’m now rather geriatric and getting slower, so I welcome all the help that I can get. I move into her slipstream.
A short while later, she looks over her shoulder and screams at me to go away. She says that nobody should ever slipstream anybody else without first asking – I think her words were that “it’s creepy”. I’m genuinely surprised, since from her riding style, clothing, and bike I’d assumed that she rode road races, so she must be used to bunch riding.
Maybe it was gender specific? I got the impression that it wasn’t. But I honestly don’t know.
A few days later, I’m in a similar situation. So I ask if she minds, and I explain why I’m asking. She laughs and says that of course it’s ok.