I've read about and seen it but I've always wondered how much energy you save by drafting. When watching competition cycling they talk about it like it decides races. So is it really that great?
Yes I have, once you catch the draft it is a huge help. When on the tandem, riders LOVED catching our draft. Riding in a group on the tandem we would go anywhere from 23 to 28 mph from different riders that were taking a pull. It helps. A lot. When on my single bike, when I caught the draft my work load was cut a lot. You can feel it.
It does make a huge difference. You can clearly see the people drafting often pedaling intermittently to avoid hitting the person they are drafting while he/she is up from working their a** off. Also, pulling out of a draft at higher speeds basically feels like you are hitting the brakes. In fact, that's a good method to make sure you don't run into the back of the person in front of you. Just pull over a little and let wind resistance slow you down.
Here is one number I saw quoted in a study regarding this.
"At 20 mph, drafting a single rider reduced energy requirements (measured by VO2 needs) by 18% and at 25 mph by 27%."
I've also seen savings of 30 to 50% suggested for riders farther back in a group.
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