Drafting Lorry/Buses

rick_chasey

supersonic wrote:

I had a word with my brother who is a cop in WY - the force have pulled people over for doing this!

Shame they don't do the same for WVM when I'm driving.

gbsahne001

supersonic wrote:

I had a word with my brother who is a cop in WY - the force have pulled people over for doing this!

TV police followed me drafting an arctic on Friday (circa 35 - 40mph) and never said a word

supersonic

Police can issue on the spot £100 for tailgating, but not sure if this applies to bikes! Something I'll ask the bro lol.

veronese68

gbsahne wrote:

supersonic wrote:

I had a word with my brother who is a cop in WY - the force have pulled people over for doing this!

TV police followed me drafting an arctic on Friday (circa 35 - 40mph) and never said a word

TV police have no juristiction, they're only acting. Sorry if that shattered any long held illusions.

Kieran_Burns

supersonic wrote:

I had a word with my brother who is a cop in WY - the force have pulled people over for doing this!

He's a Jedi? Cool!

supersonic

You not heard of PC Yoda?!

Twostage

Kieran_Burns wrote:

supersonic wrote:

I had a word with my brother who is a cop in WY - the force have pulled people over for doing this!

He's a Jedi? Cool!

Got it on the second read
I once drafted a horsebox. My wife was driving and she just happened to come along at the right time. I got a tow for the three miles back to our house. It was a great feeling getting pulled up the hills. You could literally freewheel.
Brilliant.

Kieran_Burns

Under arrest, you are.

To say anything you have not, but mention it may harm your defence if you not when questioned something which you later rely on in court. You say may be given in evidence anything. Herh herh herh.

jonny_trousers

Was reminded last night of why this is a pretty bad idea.

I was riding south along Kennington Road at about 10:30pm last night when a perfect bus drafting opportunity presented itself. There was a touch of a headwind I fancied avoiding, the road was pretty quiet, and a bus was just pulling out of its stop as I approached it. Now, I ride this route six days a week so by now I'm on first name terms with the scary potholes along that road, or so I believed. I knew most of them to be within 3 feet of the kerb and so I positioned myself right in the centre of the bus lane. I was at 30mph (on my singlespeed) in no time and zipping along nicely when I hit a pothole/sunken drain cover - I don't know exactly what - with enough impact to cause a scarily loud bang and for my bars to be forced down against the grip of the stem. I was absolutely certain that I must have cracked a rim, or at best, given myself a pinch puncture, but thankfully it looks like I got away without either (the 28mm tyre I have on as a spare right now saving me?). It shook me up proper, however, and so I don't think I'll be trying that again unless I know the road surface intimately. Shame cos it's good fun

CiB

Equally I had the perfect draft last week when I pulled out of a quiet lane onto the main road (A421 by the Lone Tree Inn, pub with missing roof if you know it) and spied a decent sized tractor pull out of the opposite side of the cross-roads going my way. He had a head start and initially I wasn't bothered but then suddenly I was. Caught it on the long downhill to the river where I'd normally be >30 so he held me up a bit but tucking in behind about 6 feet or so going up the other side and on into Buckingham on the steady longish climb where I'd normally see 14-19mph, I was having the world's easiest ride holding a steady 26 all the way. I could see round him, I know there are no holes, no junctions and no traffic ahead (it was all behind) so it was a case of tucking in, cover the brakes and look to see which part of the back of a tractor looks least painful if push comes to shove, literally.

He went right & I went left at the next roundabout. Lovely. Could have done with another few miles if truth be told.

madtam

I have done it and find double decker buses the best, with caravans or other boxy trailers the worst. To get the real benefit you need to be close (too close really) and then the engine note is the thing to use so rear engined buses are great as it's just in front of you, with the caravans etc the engine is so far away you can hardly hear it and I think the brake lights seem to have a slight lag as well so it's too easy to get too close.
Besides potholes etc I did once have a moment on a sharp bend in the wet when the front wheel twitched a bit as I was going faster than usual. It's not the vehicle in front that you worry about at that point, but the vehicle behind that will be over you before they notice if you do go down.

JCB's are OK but they often travel too slowly and seem to hold you up unless there is a headwind.

One other advantage of the local double deckers is that as the radiator is actually right at the back, on cold wet days not only do you keep out of the rain but you actually get warm air around you. Curiously I haven't noticed exhaust fumes as the exhausts are out the side so riding close behind actually seems to lead to cleaner air ?

gbsahne001

madtam wrote:

I have done it and find double decker buses the best, with caravans or other boxy trailers the worst. To get the real benefit you need to be close (too close really) and then the engine note is the thing to use so rear engined buses are great as it's just in front of you, with the caravans etc the engine is so far away you can hardly hear it and I think the brake lights seem to have a slight lag as well so it's too easy to get too close.

One other advantage of the local double deckers is that as the radiator is actually right at the back, on cold wet days not only do you keep out of the rain but you actually get warm air around you. Curiously I haven't noticed exhaust fumes as the exhausts are out the side so riding close behind actually seems to lead to cleaner air ?

Agreed with the double deckers, but they stop too often, my favourite's a fully laden arctic. They're loud enough that you can hear the engine noise and because they're fully laden they can't stop that quickly and are slow away at the lights, so that you can keep up.

Also you do need to be in close 1 - 2 feet away from the back to get the full benefit, which is way too close for any chance of surviving were they suddenly to stop on a sixpence.