Line-outs – Echelons and Scrubbing

The first ride in the image below is overcoming a total resistance on his frontal area. The frontal area being the area of his body that he is exposing to the direction in which he is traveling. We can see from the smoke trails that he is overcoming resistance and in doing so he alters the smoke trails and sets a new pattern of smoke trails for the rider behind him. The new trails behind offer to the rider behind have are considerably less in number to the front rider. If we put a weight value of 1kg to each of these trails we can see how the rider in front would be carrying considerably more kilos than the rider behind and experience fatigue much quicker that the rider behind. Riding correctly in another riders slipstream wether it be a headwind, tailwind or a crosswind can save up to 30% of your power and give you the edge needed for the win. If the wind is coming from the left the rider needs to be on the right of the rider in front and depending on how much of a crosswind will depend on how far up along the ride the second order needs to be. Vice versa for the right crosswind and exactly behind for the headwind. The rider in front can also use the crosswind to shed riders from his wheel. If the a crosswind is coming from the right then the rider in front can put himself and his bike on the left side of the road as close to the gutter\kerb as possible. This will prevent the riders behind getting and shelter and put those sitting in under pressure. So when your in a line-out or in an echelon this is the reason why.