Cruising in the Slipstream

During the Murray to Moine, I had the oppourtunity to ride in a number of 'bunches'. There were over 1000 other riders in the event and natually, our small group of 3 riders would catch up with other groups, which would catch up with other groups...resulting in a large mass of riders cruising down the road at over 35km/h.

In any bunch or group of riders, the cyclists up front take the brunt of the wind and air resistance, creating a slipstream or reduced resistance behind them. The bigger the group, the easier it becomes for the riders in the back.
Bunch ettiquite dicates that as riders in the front tire, they ease to the outside and fresh riders from in behind, move up to take their turn as windbreakers.
In doing this, the endurance and speed of the group as a whole can be sustained for long periods of time, as riders have a chance to rest and slow down their leg cadence while still cruising along at a good clip.

Meeting the Hypoactive crew and spending 48 hours with 13 other Type 1's was like slidding into the slipstream of a 13 rider bunch.
Although I was was working hard to keep my blood sugars in check (testing my blood over 30 times, eating enough to keep fueled, dealing with highs, topping up lows) it was as though suddenly the resistance had eased. Everyone around me was doing the same thing. EVERYONE had diabetes, EVERYONE was managing their disease and EVERYONE was excelling out on the road, pushing their physical limits. Before I knew it, I had been picked up and sucked into the bunch- for 48 hours, I was cruising.

Riding alone with diabetes, like riding alone on a road bike, is a challenge (not imposible by any means) but if the wind picks up or you need to travel long distances, fatigue and exhaustion become a problem.

After riding in a bunch, I realize that I have expended a lot of extra energy riding out on my own all these years. Luckily, I have an incredible support crew of family and friends that are like a constant tail wind, but the experience of riding in a bunch and meeting other active, fit and outgoing Type 1 athletes who deal with the same things that I do every single minute of every single day was like nothing I have ever felt before.

For 48 hours, I shared the load. I had people out in front of me breaking headwind, people beside me encouraging me and people behind me, riding in my slipstream. All of us took turns out in front of the bunch and all of us took cover in behind at somepoint. The result was a group speed averaging 30km/h for 15 hours straight...a feat none of us could have accomplished on our own.

Sunday night as we returned back to Melbourne, it was time for the bunch to disperse and go their seperate ways, time to ride as individuals for a while on the energy saved from riding in the bunch and the anticipation of knowing that soon, somewhere down the road there will be an opportunity to ride in the slipstream again.