Commuting Idea No. 1 - truck surfing

[GruB]

Today on my commute to work I noticed a long line of LGVs approaching me from behind.  I was in the service area on the A350 so I had a good metre to myself and they had a wide lane so there was no real danger / risk of us coming together. 

As the first truck neared me I put a bit of power into my pedalling and then noticed that when the wash of the truck hit me I surged forward.  I kept trying to do this for each subsequent truck.  I certainly could tell when I miss timed my effort too.

I liken it to catching a wave - you have to paddle hard just before the wave picks you up and then you can glide effortlessly.

[rogerzilla]

When I did TT training on the now-defunct K37/10 I used to go out in the rush hour.  Once four artics passed me in succession and I was doing 29mph uphill.

[Palinurus]

I like doing that too.

I reckon the absolute best slingshot is from those flatbed type trucks with a sort of solid ramp affair at the back which sticks straight up. The air sort of curls around the back of it and scoops you along.

[fuzzy]

I do it on the A4 and A4155 on the way in to work. The truck needs to be passing at a reasonable rate I have found.

[Torslanda]

When I did TT training on the now-defunct K37/10 I used to go out in the rush hour.  Once four artics passed me in succession and I was doing 29mph uphill.

Rog. Are you supposed to hang on to the mudguards? Or did you get your sleeve caught?

[Mr Larrington]

I once managed to draft a four-axle tipper down the Edgware Road from Cricklewood to Marylebone.  The driver either had a supernatural knowledge of the timing of the lights or was in telepathic communication with the traffic pixies, coz he didn't have to slow down once.

[L CC]

Trying to do this on the prom at Whitley Bay resulted in the first of many faceplants in my cycling 'career'.
I haz no skillz

[GruB]

I'm sure that fixed would be quite different though.

[The Seldom Killer]

When I cycled across Canada I naturally came across some of the very big trucks that they have there. Our conclusion was that three feet is ideal passing distance to pick up a slipstream and would occasionally come out a bit to pick up a bit of a lift up a hill.

When I was very much younger I was out riding with my brother on the A380 from Newton Abbot heading north when a convoy of four limousines came past us and we caught a bit of slipstream of them as well. Turn out one of the occupants was The Queen.

[jane]

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1jzs6dk4bs/

(At the end)