draft or not to draft?

**kumagako** Mon Mar 07, 2011 12:09 pm

the figure above shows that the 3rd to 5th man in the draft have almost the same power in a single paceline.

power saving increase if there are more than one paceline.

drafting behind a truck gives the greatest benefit but unsafe.

**kumagako** Mon Mar 07, 2011 12:22 pm

Our round the island group is simulated like the 5-man paceline in the Figure above.

You (4th) go to the hoods instead of the drops because of alot of reasons.
Surely you will be needing to pedal a higher power than the guy in front or behind who is on the drops.
But you don't feel it much because there is always a small yoyo effect in the paceline giving you small recoveries.
Multiply that by 100kms and you may or may not have overstressed yourself for that day.

Don't just think about yourself but also with the other people in the paceline.
Since you catch the wind on the hoods,
you are subjected by the wind causing you to have a larger discrepancy in speed.
This can cause a larger yoyo effect in the paceline compromising safety.

Riding in the drops is quite uncomfortable and can not be sustained long.
When in a paceline where everybody in in the drops then drop to the drops.
If the last guy then ease out on the hoods. jump