What does "Thank you for your draft; feel free to close in" mean?

[newbie nonjock]

What does "Thank you for your draft; feel free to close in" mean?

[djasonpenney]

Drafting is when one rides really close to a rider in front of you. You see race cars do this as well; there is a significant saving in energy, especially at speed or if there is a headwind.

This whole incident raises a whole bunch of questions and comments. First of all, one should never draft a rider without first calling "on your wheel!". This alerts the rider that they are--essentially--being tailgated and need to be caution about sudden moves, changes in speed, or roadway hazards. I kinda wonder if your shadow did that?

Second, you're either crazy or stupid to draft a stranger (unless that stranger is a Cat III or better racer, in which case you might be able to assume that they're not homicidally inclined). The reason is that if someone taps your rear wheel, you'll be startled and annoyed, but most likely all that will suffer will be your adrenal glands.

On the other hand, if you tap someone's rear wheel with your front wheel, it requires advanced riding skills and a little bit of luck to avoid an Intimate Encounter with the asphalt.

I won't draft someone that I don't know well, and I don't mean sharing drinks at a bar. As a non-competitive rider, I want to know someone well enough--to be familiar enough with their riding style--that if they forget to signal that they're about to stand, brake, or whatever, that I can recognize from their body language what might be going down.

Back to your shadow: it sounds from your description that someone let you "pull them along" for a bit and was offering to return the favor. That, in itself, is courteous. I hate the people who "wheel suck" for many minutes and then, when you get tired, drop you like a used kleenex.

Drafting is an important cycling skill, and there is an art to managing a "pace line" correctly. But don't learn by hanging out with strangers!.

Get one to five friends together and practice that way. Don't pull any closer to the rear wheel in front of you than you feel comfortable; when I started out I never felt comfortable getting closer than about a wheel's length, and then I moved in closer as I got more comfortable with my own riding skills and as I gained trust of the rider in front of me. There's also a whole protocol for maneuvering and signaling in a pace line, but that's more than I want to get into here.

[newbie nonjock]

Thanks for the info! I have to admit, being new to bicyle commuting I thought he might have been likening me to a semi truck hogging the bikelane and telling me to pull myself together.

Now that I know what "drafting" is I may be able to try it someday using the correct etiquette. (For now I'll just stick to signalling clearly incase of of drafting shadows...)

Thanks again

[allisons]

It's also possible he was hitting on you. That'd be my interpretation. I think you ought to slap his face for being so fresh!

In seriousness, I"ve tried to learn to draft from my boyfriend...he races. It usually just scares the bajeezus out of me and I end up lagging back.

Originally Posted by allisons

It's also possible he was hitting on you. That'd be my interpretation. I think you ought to slap his face for being so fresh!

In seriousness, I"ve tried to learn to draft from my boyfriend...he races. It usually just scares the bajeezus out of me and I end up lagging back.

slap him? He's just lettin' her know she's still got it!

my question is, how do you signal braking? I've slammed into my wife a couple of times because I didn't know she was going to stop.

[Tait]

I went to the ODOT bike manual to get a picture and was surprised to find they don't include a picture of a hand signal for stop. There is an interesting description of how to get lights to trigger though (on page 14).

Stop is indicated by lowering your hand behind you. There are pictures here.

[Manji312]

I'm always a bit annoyed when people I don't know decide to draft me, just feels a bit rude.

[boneshaker]

Originally Posted by Manji312

I'm always a bit annoyed when people I don't know decide to draft me, just feels a bit rude.

I agree. As a daily commuter I don't need wanna-be racers hugging my rear wheel because it just means one other danger for me as I'm riding home. The least they can do is let me know they're drafting. One of the worst is when someone rubs your rear wheel when you didn't even know they were back there. I tell people to back off if I see 'em doing it.

I think djasonpenney has a pretty good post there and I agree, you shouldn't be drafting strangers.

[Donald]

and if you'd move a bit to the right, I'd take a turn up front.

relax...

[Grant]

Originally Posted by Donald

and if you'd move a bit to the right, I'd take a turn up front.

relax...

I don't know you, I'm not going draft off of you in the hope that you know what you are doing and are going to react how I'd expect if something unexpected crops up.

Thanks but no thanks.