When I ride behind another rider the power used is identical to when I am not near anyone. If I try and stay behind a rider I constantly fall back or ride ahead even if I am on the flat and try to keep my speed constant. I get no sense that drafting is working. Is there some setting I failed to set?
If you are using the TT bike then you can’t draft off anyone.
You know when you are in the draft when your avatar sits up onto the hoods.
Edit: also draft is sticky so there is a range of wattages that you can be putting out to be stuck on someone’s wheel. it takes a bit of practice and experimentation to work out that when you are on someone’s wheel you can try to ease up just slightly and stay in the draft without dropping back instead of basically ramming into them and wasting energy.
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This caught me out when I started. The draft doesn’t work like it would outside, i.e. making it easier. Instead by riding in ‘the draft’ the groups’ speed is faster for the same power than if you are riding solo.
As @Ben_Brawn notes though you can’t draft if you are riding the TT bike.
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I don’t get to see much advantage from drafting because of simple maths. My rider will sit up a bit, meaning I’m in the zone but my power isn’t that great 200W or so a drop of say 10% (somebody here will know the actual advantage) is 20W, however if riding at 400W then the same 10% is a more noticeable 40W.
Eric’s articles on drafting over at ZI might be useful. He calculates saving is around 25%
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