I think that sweeping at the back of a group ride is helpless if the sweeper doesn’t have some sort of superpower allowing for example to give someone 4x the draft when that someone is drafting 10m or less behind the sweeper. I’ve tried yesterday to help the sweeper in a C group and I was dropped twice trying to help some riders at the back. Giving the sweeper a 4x draft would mean that someone can rest behind the sweeper for a while instead of being dropped. When someone is dropped it means he is most of the times at the limit of his resources. Very few are dropped because of lack of experience.
If smbdy wanna be a sweeper, he/she shoud have superpower without PUPs This work is only for the strongest powerhorses in event…
When someone is dropped it means he is most of the times at the limit of his resources.
You are correct, those who got dropped from the group because they couldn’t hold the pace aren’t going to be swept back on.
Sweepers are only really useful for people who experienced tech issues (power dropouts) who need a wheel to get back on to the group.
yes but then why the group leader forces the group to go under group proposed w/kg for 30 seconds if those at the end of resources should be let go?
Sometimes people loose concentration and get dropped, as a group you can go much faster than a single rider. It helps if the group slowdown so that the rider off the back to get back without blowing up.
Well sweepers are usually making it back to the groups but the purpose of the sweeper is to help others who struggle comeback, regardless how strong the sweeper is he cannot give that strength to the cyclist that need help. You didn’t notice but I was talking about drafting behind the sweeper and not drafting of the sweeper.
You are saying the double draft helps more the group ahead than the sweeper behind? Interesting point.
Maybe the solution is then to make available a Magic Button to a rider which falls behind more than 20 seconds behind the group leader so he can be magically teleported back behind the leader. You can make it am magic number of three times when this jump is available during a ride, should work almost like a join late feature. I’ve never been a official sweeper but I usually patrol the rear trying to help. I tell you sweeping is more of a workout than staying at the front behind the fence.
O yes you can say that again, if you want a good workout then go sweep. But it is so rewarding when you can bring someone back to the group.