1. This cat 2 rider is incorrect, drafting benefits are enjoyed at much lower speeds than the mid 20's. See for yourself...that's just simply incorrect.

2. Safety reasons?

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Quid quid latine dictum sit altum videtur
(That which is said in Latin sounds profound)

Usually the refs won't call you for drafting on the steep climbs, but the rules don't change on the hills.

You benefit from drafting big time at speeds as low as maybe 15 mph. At 25 mph, you benefit even if you are three bike lengths back.

1) I disagree completely. Don't know what speed but drafting advantage kicks in lower than that. Go ride with a roadie group and you'll see what I mean.

2) Some of the draft marshals at tri events can be overzealous while others aren't strict enough. At one tri a guy came up behind me for just a few seconds before attempting to pass but the marshal on a motorcycle pulled him over. At another tri a group of four guys obviously drafting passed me so I tucked in behind them and finished the last few kms of the bike with them. The marshals said nothing. Can't be critical though. Let's not forget that they're volunteers and without them tris couldn't happen.

Er, so if you see others drafting then its okay?

"Er, so if you see others drafting then its okay?"

Let's not be totally anal about this as is was a local sprint tri and not running for top pro spot at IM Kona. These four guys pulled up beside me in draft and were going only marginally faster than I was with only about four or five kms to the end of the bike split.

options were to speed up to stay ahead and be dead at the start of the run or keep the same pace and be towed home. I chose the latter.

Yes I was a bad boy and technically I cheated and got away with it. Had a more observant marshall been present then perhaps the group of us would have been thrown in jail.

well at least you are publicly admiting to a lack of personal integrity :-)

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"on your Left"

third option - stay 3 bike lengths back of them and finish the bike 3 seconds later

Is it possible he meant 25 kph not 25 mph? 25 kph would be approximately 15.5 mph. Just a thought.

D.

Just one somewhat off-the-subject PS: if you find yourself being illegally drafted, remember that -- irritating as this is -- he/she is actually doing you an inadvertant favor.

Pray the cheater gets caught, but in the meantime bear in mind that their wheelsucking is actually slightly increasing your own average speed as well.

Even the lead bike gains some airflow "drag" reduction advantage from a tight 2-bike formation.