Drafted a lorry for the 1st time

rollemynot
rollemynot Posts: 436
edited January 2015 in Road general
Wow........ Drafted a lorry for 300 yds at 25 - 30 mph.

Is this the same as wheel sucking in the middle of the peloton?
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Comments

  • jthef
    jthef Posts: 226
    there is a youtube clip with a guy drafting a wagon doing about 40 mph hardly peddling.
    way too close for my liking though.
    :)
  • Wirral_paul
    Wirral_paul Posts: 2,476
    I did it once on my ride to work - over 2 miles behind a tanker at just on 40mph. Wouldnt do it again now though - you wouldnt have a clue if he braked hard, and a lorry is a little less "soft" than another cyclist if you hit the back of them.
  • Brakeless
    Brakeless Posts: 865
    I've drafted a few buses in my time but I don't anymore. Roads are generally pretty bad these days and hitting an unseen pothole whilst drafting doesn't really appeal to me.
  • sloppyschleckonds
    sloppyschleckonds Posts: 8,019
    You do it once or twice, but realise its a very foolish thing to be doing.
    I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles
  • thegreatdivide
    thegreatdivide Posts: 5,807
    I drafted a bin lorry the other week and had a major tailwind behind me too. Top marks to the driver because he knew exactly what I was doing and we kept eye contact via his wing mirror. He added a little speed and I matched it etc etc. My own little Cinzano truck scene from Breaking Away :-D
  • danlikesbikes
    danlikesbikes Posts: 3,898
    SloppySchleckonds wrote:
    You do it once or twice, but realise its a very foolish thing to be doing.

    I've never done it once TBH & think I don't need to work out the damage it could do, but I am overly sensitive to motor vehicles & the damage they can do but seem less worried about drafting another rider without really questioning their skill levels?
    Pain hurts much less if its topped off with beating your mates to top of a climb.
  • TakeTurns
    TakeTurns Posts: 1,075
    thegreatdivide wrote:
    I drafted a bin lorry the other week and had a major tailwind behind me too. Top marks to the driver because he knew exactly what I was doing and we kept eye contact via his wing mirror. He added a little speed and I matched it etc etc. My own little Cinzano truck scene from Breaking Away :-D

    Lovely wiff eyh
  • thegreatdivide
    thegreatdivide Posts: 5,807
    TakeTurns wrote:
    thegreatdivide wrote:
    I drafted a bin lorry the other week and had a major tailwind behind me too. Top marks to the driver because he knew exactly what I was doing and we kept eye contact via his wing mirror. He added a little speed and I matched it etc etc. My own little Cinzano truck scene from Breaking Away :-D

    Lovely wiff eyh

    Hehe - saved by the tailwind thank feck!
  • mbthegreat
    mbthegreat Posts: 179
    Doesn't appeal I have to say, a big pothole, debris, even a large pebble and you could end up going down hard. If he slams his brakes on you're going into the back of it or underneath it, could end up getting dragged etc.
  • Mikey23
    Mikey23 Posts: 5,306
    Seems a particularly reckless and irresponsible thing to do. I think if anyone did it to me While i was driving i would be inclined to jam my brakes on....
  • iPete
    iPete Posts: 6,076
    How else does one get KOMs?
  • morstar
    morstar Posts: 6,190
    SloppySchleckonds wrote:
    You do it once or twice, but realise its a very foolish thing to be doing.

    This^
  • greggbaker
    greggbaker Posts: 55
    Mikey23 wrote:
    Seems a particularly reckless and irresponsible thing to do. I think if anyone did it to me While i was driving i would be inclined to jam my brakes on....
    Sorry this made me laugh. Irresponsible and reckless to draught behind a lorry but not to slam your brakes on when a cyclist is doing it to you. Brilliant lol
  • markos1963
    markos1963 Posts: 3,724
    Mikey23 wrote:
    Seems a particularly reckless and irresponsible thing to do. I think if anyone did it to me While i was driving i would be inclined to jam my brakes on....
    By actually writing this on a forum do you realise you have practically admitted to reckless driving yourself? I often hear people say they do this to various road users who tailgate but if an accident occurs from this action you are in serious sh%t.
    I'm not defending tailgaters, they really get my goat up but I would never do anything to make the situation worse.
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  • jamie1012
    jamie1012 Posts: 171
    Mikey23 wrote:
    Seems a particularly reckless and irresponsible thing to do. I think if anyone did it to me While i was driving i would be inclined to jam my brakes on....
    Nothing teaches a reckless cyclist a lesson quite like being murdered.
  • greggbaker
    greggbaker Posts: 55
    jamie1012 wrote:
    Mikey23 wrote:
    Seems a particularly reckless and irresponsible thing to do. I think if anyone did it to me While i was driving i would be inclined to jam my brakes on....
    Nothing teaches a reckless cyclist a lesson quite like being murdered.
    I actually laughed out loud at this
  • Wirral_paul
    Wirral_paul Posts: 2,476
    iPete wrote:
    How else does one get KOMs?

    Same as plenty of others do - put the GPS in the car and drive just a little bit faster than any cyclist could go :lol::lol:
  • BigTK
    BigTK Posts: 47
    Im a lorry driver btw. What do you guys mean by drafted?
    I do get nervous if a cyclist was to ride beside me. I probably would floor it lol
  • BigTK
    BigTK Posts: 47
    I've overtaken cyclists when I have, otherwise I would wait for the opportunity to present it self safely. But never drove along side one
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    Its not alongside - its riding behind in the slipstream. I passed a cyclist doing it behind a bus at about 50 on a dual carriageway - it was relatively safe - no junctions or stops along the way - but I'd not do it. TBH the cyclist was a bit of a nob anyway.

    And there wouldnt be any way the driver would know the cyclist was there - so he couldnt make allowances or slam on just out of spite.
  • BigTK
    BigTK Posts: 47
    Ah ok, thanks for clearing that up.
  • Flexisurfer
    Flexisurfer Posts: 249
    Mikey23 wrote:
    Seems a particularly reckless and irresponsible thing to do. I think if anyone did it to me While i was driving i would be inclined to jam my brakes on....

    What a complete C0£k.

    I've done it a few times but as already said our roads and pot holes don't really allow you to relax.
  • goonz
    goonz Posts: 3,106
    I do it, I never know what sort of pace I am hitting but I always try to stay a little further back if possible. I tend to stay just to the right and then weave out to try and let the driver catch me in his wing mirror and try to bunny hop and potholes or just ride them out the saddle. Usually more controllable that way.

    If I am behind a car I always look through and brake when I see the car in front braking or slowing never when the car I am behind begins to brake.

    Not bragging or saying I show off, its just nice to get a break from the wind and old air every once in a while and I try to be as safe as possible. I never do anything on the bike that exceeds my confidence in my own ability. Ill be a bit reckless in these instances but then I will never do anything silly in rain or never undertake any vehicle unless totally safe.

    You need to know your own limits and stick to them imo. One time I did hit a pothole whilst picking up speed so was pedalling hard and sitting down, that hurt and a cheap rear light I had broke off.
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  • dave35
    dave35 Posts: 1,124
    Some pretty stupid comments-from admitting to wanting to kill a cyclist-get off a cycling forum if that's your attitude.
    But the worse is actually drafting lorries/cars-what would you do if you had an accident whilst doing it-blame the driver guaranteed-if you re still alive
    Do us all a favour and either stop doing it or sell your bike and get off the road-it's pratts like you that give cyclists a bad reputation, i normally defend cyclists to the hilt when arguing with motorists,but can't/won't with idiots doing this dangerous thing.
  • Neale1978
    Neale1978 Posts: 484
    Common sense tells you its not worth doing it just because of the possibility of the vehicle that is in front having to suddenly brake hard and then whatever is behind piling straight into it

    Prevention is better than cure as they say
  • thegreatdivide
    thegreatdivide Posts: 5,807
    dave35 wrote:
    Some pretty stupid comments-from admitting to wanting to kill a cyclist-get off a cycling forum if that's your attitude.
    But the worse is actually drafting lorries/cars-what would you do if you had an accident whilst doing it-blame the driver guaranteed-if you re still alive
    Do us all a favour and either stop doing it or sell your bike and get off the road-it's pratts like you that give cyclists a bad reputation, i normally defend cyclists to the hilt when arguing with motorists,but can't/won't with idiots doing this dangerous thing.

    Dear god.
  • dave35
    dave35 Posts: 1,124
    What's the dear god for-do you condone doing it then?
  • jonny_trousers
    jonny_trousers Posts: 3,588
    iPete wrote:
    How else does one get KOMs?

    :lol: I think there may be a lot of truth in that. A quick tow from a bus can get you to 30 mph much quicker than going absolutely balls out yourself.

    I do completely agree that drafting vehicles is a pretty silly thing to do, but I will occasionally do it. My first experience came after reading a thread about it over on Commuting Chat. I was quite surprised to see how many people did it, given how safety conscious most people are there, so I thought I'd have a go. On about my third go I hit a sunken drain cover at around 28mph with enough force to cause my bars to drop forwards in the stem. Thankfully I stayed upright. I got lucky and it was a lesson well learnt. That said, I'll be honest and will admit to doing it every so often, but mostly where I know the surface of the road intimately, or if there's a wicked headwind and I want a little help. Apart from anything, the payoff of a little tow is really not worth the unpleasantness of breathing in diesel fumes.
  • colsoop
    colsoop Posts: 217
    I have drafted a lorry before. Its a road i know well slightly downhill, i enjoyed doing it and didn't feel a sense of impending doom while in the moment.

    You don't need to be right behind to get the benfits of drafting one. If you can stay just to the right so they can see you in their mirror you can also see the road ahead too.

    Too many self righteous types on here.
  • thegreatdivide
    thegreatdivide Posts: 5,807
    colsoop wrote:
    You don't need to be right behind to get the benfits of drafting one. If you can stay just to the right so they can see you in their mirror you can also see the road ahead too.

    Too many self righteous types on here.

    +1 on both points. Do it responsibly and nobody gets hurt.

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