Problems with drafting

mea00csf

I'm just getting into road biking and am having problems with drafting.

I'm reasonable fitness and would like to be able to go on the local club runs and as my blokey is also a roadie (much better and more experienced than me!) i figured i'd practice drafting him first. Problem is......it makes me feel really, really queasy :shock: . I've tried focusing on different things, not focusing on anything, shifting my focus, head up, head down but can't seem to manage much more than 20-30 seconds before i have to break off due feeling incredibly sick.

Anyone else have this?? Am i a total freak? How did anyone get over it if you found this? I really daren't ride in a group without this sorted....

Felix-da-house-mouse

matbe its just nerves cos you cant really see whats going on? or fear? not sure

HungryCol

Looking at the top of the draftee's shoulders works for me.

Do you get car sick if you're not looking out the window of a car/bus, e.g. reading a book? My wife get queasy and needs to look out the car window. Map reading is a 'mare.

on the road

Maybe you're getting too close too soon. Try staying a bit further back to begin with so you can see where you're going, then once you start to get a bit more confidant try getting a little closer.

fossyant

Follow the wheels - drop back enough not to come anywhere near the rear whilst being able to focus on the road ahead, out to the side etc.

drenkrom

I started road racing as a kid and, as you can imagine, getting a bunch of kids to stick together on the road is a nightmare. It's not much that we couldn't see, we were scared sh!tless of touching someone else. So our coaches took us to a soccer.. oups.. football field first thing every year and made us ride the length of the field shoulder to shoulder, with full weight on the guy next to you. Then we switched sides. Then we had to pick up a water bottle that was on the ground while having it pass between the two of us, all while still shoulder to shoulder. We had games of tag on our bikes. We even played ultimate frisbee on our bikes. The soft ground made any fall inconsequential and we gained complete confidence in a few sessions. After that, we had fun doing tire kisses out on the road.

Also, ride alone on a painted line on the road and look far ahead and practice to keep both wheels on the line at all times. Whenever you veer off, go all out for 30 seconds as a punishment and start again. Be creative and find little games like this that will practice you riding in a straight line with your head up at all times.

I'd really recommend doing that kind of stuff if you're starting off on the road. Get a few pals together and go fool around on a grassy field on your bikes. Even the more experienced guys will gain a lot doing this. Learn to get real close, to trust the people around you to do the right thing and keep you safe and your confidence will rise dramatically out on the road. When you get back behind someone, you'll know you can keep your line and you'll be confident that even if you do touch wheels, no harm will come of it.

Keep at it. Nobody got these things right the first time out. And if they think they did, they're probably still screwing it up now.

knedlicky

on the road wrote:

Maybe you're getting too close too soon. Try staying a bit further back to begin with so you can see where you're going, then once you start to get a bit more confidant try getting a little closer.

I agree. Obviously the closer the more benefit, but even a few feet back you still feel some benefit - which is why the gap left in TTs and those triathlons where drafting isn't allowed is required to be (I think) 3 metres.

Also, ride a little offset not exactly aligned behind, you'll then be able to see ahead better and there's less risk of the wheels kissing.
Often it makes more sense to ride slightly offset anyway, headwinds are rarely directly face -on but come from the side, and so then you are better slightly to the side (the opposite side from which the wind is coming).

McBain_v1

Agree - some people are just not comfortable if they cannot see the road in front of them - maybe you are one of them? Nothing wrong with that - quite sensible if you ask me, but you have to trust whomever is in front of you to call out about hazards, direction changes etc. or you'll be a nervous wreck before the end of the ride.

mea00csf

cheers fellas, will try dropping back a bit and riding at the side. Hopefully that'll help Should be out for a longish ride at the weekend so i'll report back on how it goes :oops:

oldwelshman

mea00csf wrote:

cheers fellas, will try dropping back a bit and riding at the side. Hopefully that'll help Should be out for a longish ride at the weekend so i'll report back on how it goes :oops:

Take some travel sickness tablets and draft or you will get very tired and probably dropped

on the road

Don't travel sickness tablets make you drowsy? :?

mea00csf

haha, it won't be with a club, it'll be with the boyfriend so if i get "dropped" there'll be trouble