Pacelines and Drafting Etiquette

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Pacelines and Drafting Etiquette

• Richard P. Wharton
• USA Cycling Elite Coach
• www.onlinebikecoach.com

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Drafting Drafting is riding in the slipstream
(area not directly in the wind) created by a
leading cyclist or pack of cyclists. This allows
you to ride at the same speed as other riders
with less effort.
This cyclist is leading
When drafting, the closer the trailing cyclist is
to the lead cyclist, the less that following
rider has to work. However, COMMUNICATE to the
lead rider that you are behind him or her! Also,
its important to SHARE THE WORKLOAD and offer to
Take a Pull every half minute or so. No one
likes a Wheel-sucker!
This cyclist is drafting
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This is a single pace line.
Pace Lines When three or more cyclists form a
line, either single-file or two-abreast, they can
achieve an even higher speed with less overall
work through drafting.
This is a double pace line.
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Pacelines work best when riders take turns at the
front. Usually, when wind is a factor (and it
usually is), pace lines will stretch from
directly behind the lead cyclist to an area
slightly to the right or left of the cyclist. In
order to avoid overlapping wheels, the LEAD
CYCLIST, when he is ready to slide to the back of
the pace line, will signal his intent with a
Chicken Wing movement on the side that the
cyclist behind him can see, then he will LOOK
OVER HIS SHOULDER in the OPPOSITE direction to
ensure that the path beside him is clear. He will
then gently drift INTO the wind and SLIGHTLY
decrease his speed, until he is at the rear of
the pace line.
Lead Cyclist will wiggle LEFT elbow, will LOOK
RIGHT, then slide RIGHT
Wind is from the Right
If wind is from the left, cyclist will wiggle
RIGHT elbow, then look LEFT, then slide LEFT.
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Right line is slower.
For a double pace line, the windward cyclists are
always protecting the leeward cyclists, and the
line is CONSTANTLY moving. The Leeward line is
the faster of the two, but the peel off is the
same signal your intent, look to make sure the
space is clear, and slide over. CONSTANTLY
COMMUNICATE with voice, arm and head
gestures. When done properly, this form of pace
line resembles a conveyor belt, and it is fast,
smooth, and very, very fun!
Wind coming from the RIGHT
Rotation is constant and steady.
Left line is faster.
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Important things to remember

• COMMUNICATE when drafting and riding in a pace
  line.
• BE AWARE of your surroundings. Crashes happen
  when people do not pay attention to the road or
  fellow cyclists.
• Dont be afraid to rub tires. Rubbing tires wont
  cause a fall over-reacting to a tire touch
  will.
• BE SMOOTH and CONSISTENT. This will take
  practice, but dont be discouraged if you are not
  successful the first several tries. Find someone
  more experienced and
• ASK FOR HELP if you dont understand something.
• HAVE FUN! The second this sport ceases to be fun,
  its time to go BOWLING!

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About the Author
Coach Richard P. Wharton is the owner and
operator of www.onlinebikecoach.com, an online
and on-site coaching, training and testing
business based in Dallas. He began cycling in the
1980s, lived in and raced mountain bikes in
Montana in the 1990s, ran a junior development
program, and returned to Dallas in 1999 to work
with the Dallas Olympic bid. In 2000, he was
Director of Development at the Superdrome in
Frisco, and in 2002 Coach Wharton interned at
Tailwind Sports, the company that owned and
operated the USPS Pro Cycling Team. He has been a
licensed coach since 1993 and has been published
numerous times in several trade and scientific
journals, and is a consultant for both
CompuTrainer and iBike Sports (based out of
Dallas). Richard is accompanied in life by his
wife, Amy, and their Boston Terrier, Shadow. His
custom vanity Lance Armstrong license plate
reads, simply, POWER.