Drafted a lorry for the 1st time

CiB

I'll do it on roads that I know well enough to be confident that there are no side roads, pot-holes or other things that might make it go t!ts up, so mainly straight rural roads or the bit of the ring-road near here with no turns till the next roundabout 3/4 of a mile away, smooth as silk road surface and no reason for any vehicle to stop suddenly. In the 6 years or so I've been driving & cycling this way to work I don't recall ever seeing a car stopped at the side, so I'm confident that the odds of it happening on the odd occasion I'm tucked up behind a larger vehicle doing 40+ it'll be okay. I also take the view that as long as the brakes are covered and my ears are on full Spidey-alert tuned into the air brakes, I can probably stop as quickly as a decent sized truck can. The idea that one of them can stop on a sixpence and I carry on is a scaremongering really.

Anyone else notice a bit of a theme developing on here these days? Helmets, drafting, Di2? A few people seem keen to tell us how to live our lives and if we don't share someone else's perception of what is an acceptable risk, there's a good chance of being called names and informed that we're surplus to the requirements of the gene pool. What happened to the old BR? It used to be fun on here.

cougie

I think if you did hit a car that you were drafting - then you'd not have a leg to stand on.

Mopeds are safer - you can see round them better. I'd not risk it with a lorry - I think by the time you've heard the airbrakes - you'll have hit the back.

Monty Dog

One of my abiding memories from my formative years as a club cyclist was the whole group drafting a bus down the Ayr Road from Kilmarnock to the coast the old buses could barely top 50, but traffic was light and the road nice and straight so you could see what was coming. If you couldn't get on, you'd be at least 10 minutes late for the tea-stop.

Another delight is drafting camper vans and overtaking on descents in the Alps - they even have nice big handles on the back for the purpose of giving a tow :P

On my regular group training rides, we always sprint for town/village signs. I remember once a bus pulling out of the slip road behind, about 800m from the next sprint. I dropped back, sprinted like fury to get in the draft of the bus doing 40 as it overtook. I easily beat my ride buddies and they couldn't believe the speed I was doing to claim the sprint points - who needs Strava?

team47b

CiB wrote:

Anyone else notice a bit of a theme developing on here these days? Helmets, drafting, Di2? A few people seem keen to tell us how to live our lives and if we don't share someone else's perception of what is an acceptable risk, there's a good chance of being called names and informed that we're surplus to the requirements of the gene pool. What happened to the old BR? It used to be fun on here.

This is the 'new' fun, laughing at the self righteous DM types, long may they post, it's almost worth posting just to set them off

Just got back from a ride, seeing how many speed limits I can break, KOM'd three this morning, best one 58.4 in a 50, there's no law against it

goonz

team47b wrote:

CiB wrote:

Anyone else notice a bit of a theme developing on here these days? Helmets, drafting, Di2? A few people seem keen to tell us how to live our lives and if we don't share someone else's perception of what is an acceptable risk, there's a good chance of being called names and informed that we're surplus to the requirements of the gene pool. What happened to the old BR? It used to be fun on here.

This is the 'new' fun, laughing at the self righteous DM types, long may they post, it's almost worth posting just to set them off

Just got back from a ride, seeing how many speed limits I can break, KOM'd three this morning, best one 58.4 in a 50, there's no law against it

You were cycling at 58.4mph? Even drafting thats highly unbelievable.

MattC59

CiB wrote:

What happened to the old BR?

Communtergate

CiB

MattC59 wrote:

CiB wrote:

What happened to the old BR?

Communtergate

Nail? Meet this head.

jonny_trousers

MattC59 wrote:

CiB wrote:

What happened to the old BR?

Communtergate

What does that actually mean?

ju5t1n

After a mid-race wheel change I was towed back to the bunch behind the neutral service car and picked up a random Strava KOM in the process. It was an almost effort free chase and you can see I’m 20 seconds or so quicker than the fastest riders in the bunch… http://app.strava.com/segments/2350503

goonz

ju5t1n wrote:

After a mid-race wheel change I was towed back to the bunch behind the neutral service car and picked up a random Strava KOM in the process. It was an almost effort free chase and you can see I’m 20 seconds or so quicker than the fastest riders in the bunch… http://app.strava.com/segments/2350503

Are you a pro?

ju5t1n

No, they have neutral service in lots of races

To be honest I thought my race was over when I punctured because I hadn’t given the service car a wheel, but they pulled over next to me when I stopped and said “Shimano or Campag?”, “Campag” I replied, and 10 seconds later the mechanic had swapped my wheel

natrix

One of my friends drafted a HGV down an A road many years ago. The HGV braked suddenly, my mate hit the back and then the HGV drove off, not even having noticed anything. Said friend was cut, bruised and concussed, nothing too serious, but neither of us would do anything like that again :oops: :oops:

team47b

goonz wrote:

team47b wrote:

CiB wrote:

Anyone else notice a bit of a theme developing on here these days? Helmets, drafting, Di2? A few people seem keen to tell us how to live our lives and if we don't share someone else's perception of what is an acceptable risk, there's a good chance of being called names and informed that we're surplus to the requirements of the gene pool. What happened to the old BR? It used to be fun on here.

This is the 'new' fun, laughing at the self righteous DM types, long may they post, it's almost worth posting just to set them off

Just got back from a ride, seeing how many speed limits I can break, KOM'd three this morning, best one 58.4 in a 50, there's no law against it

You were cycling at 58.4mph? Even drafting thats highly unbelievable.

I can only agree with you, I should have said...

...it's Portugal the limits are in KPH

Crispyapp

Got to admit I've done it quite a bit over the yrs, and more so when I was younger. Didn't think twice to draft behind a bus at 40mph and hardly pedal.... However like others have said. I'm older now and realise how stupid it is and especially now I have a amply. Certainly wouldn't do it again now. It wouldn't take much to end up under the wheels and we all know how that ends..... :oops:

pride4ever

Well done OP, have you made a last Will and testament yet?

seanoconn

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.

Sorry for the delay but.......

Mikey23

Oh dear, my reputation as a rampant homicidal cyclophobe continues...
No, that isn't what I would do

Neale1978

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

Bullshit. Do it as responsibly as humanly possible and there is still the chance of whatever is in front having to brake suddenly for whatever reason. Just because you can get away with something does not mean you should encourage it. Like it or not this is how a lot of people get killed

jonny_trousers

Rollemynot wrote:

Wow........ Drafted a lorry for 300 yds at 25 - 30 mph.

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

Anyone in the know care to answer the OP's question?

markos1963

Mikey23 wrote:

Oh dear, my reputation as a rampant homicidal cyclophobe continues...
No, that isn't what I would do

Then why the f$£k say it in the first place then you muppet.

thegreatdivide

Neale1978 wrote:

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

Bullshit. Do it as responsibly as humanly possible and there is still the chance of whatever is in front having to brake suddenly for whatever reason. Just because you can get away with something does not mean you should encourage it. Like it or not this is how a lot of people get killed

Sorry dad.

team47b

thegreatdivide wrote:

Neale1978 wrote:

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

Bullshit. Do it as responsibly as humanly possible and there is still the chance of whatever is in front having to brake suddenly for whatever reason. Just because you can get away with something does not mean you should encourage it. Like it or not this is how a lot of people get killed

Sorry dad.

Mikey23

@markos1963 .. Erm, because it seems entirely in the context of these tiresome trolling type threads when someone starts off with something controversial like I don't wear helmet, I run red lights, I wear earphones and its ok whee, and everyone piles in with idiot for or against posts and it develops into a flame war and everyone gets pissed off and the thread dies...

When a vehicle follows me too close I would touch my brakes as a warning and the other person would back off.. Failing that I would stop and wait. It's called safe and responsible motoring. Of course the prob with a drafter is that they would be in my blind spot and I wouldn't know they are there. I drive big disabled vans full of vulnerable peeps so I know how difficult rear vision can be. So if a crazy cyclist was in my blind spot and I braked and I was responsible for his death then it would live with me for the rest of my life.

I can't imagine that anyone would be imbecile enough to actually do this though so I assume the thread is a troll therefore my comment was wholly appropriate ...

mikeeye

Wirral_Paul wrote:

I did it once on my ride to work - over 2 miles behind a tanker at just on 40mph.

I'm surprised you got any benefit that far back.

cougie

If you're in a car and being tailgated - using your wipers tends to make them back off a bit. Safer than brake testing them.

And in the bunch you do almost get sucked around. Its very similar to drafting a wagon, but safer. Usually.

goonz

Perfect weather today to be drafting, heavy headwinds meant I was trying to draft absolutely anything. Just had to be extra vigilant.

Neale1978

team47b wrote:

thegreatdivide wrote:

Neale1978 wrote:

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

Bullshit. Do it as responsibly as humanly possible and there is still the chance of whatever is in front having to brake suddenly for whatever reason. Just because you can get away with something does not mean you should encourage it. Like it or not this is how a lot of people get killed

Sorry dad.

Look, Its ok but dont come crying to me with broken knees or half a head just because you've been out having a good time

MattC59

Neale1978 wrote:

team47b wrote:

thegreatdivide wrote:

Neale1978 wrote:

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

Bullshit. Do it as responsibly as humanly possible and there is still the chance of whatever is in front having to brake suddenly for whatever reason. Just because you can get away with something does not mean you should encourage it. Like it or not this is how a lot of people get killed

Sorry dad.

Look, Its ok but dont come crying to me with broken knees or half a head just because you've been out having a good time

<lines up next to thegreatdivide> ok dad.

kettrinboy

A year ago now i was just about to go for a Strava segment up a short hill when a big truck overtook me and i managed to tuck in behind nearly all the way up to the top, got the KOM at 27 mph and i,m still in 2nd place now out of 150 riders.

goonz

So pretty much all Strava KOM' are cheating drafters?