Drafting

Drafting is riding close behind another moving vehicle or cyclist to reduce aerodynamic drag by using the lower-pressure wake ahead.

Aerodynamic drag: The force exerted by air opposing an object's motion through it. Drafting reduces the drag that a follower must overcome.
Bicycle racing: Competitive racing in which riders travel on bicycles over road, track, or off-road courses. Riders use drafting to conserve energy before attacks, climbs, and finishes.
Time trial: A race format in which competitors start separately and are timed against the clock. Unlike group racing, a time trial often restricts drafting to preserve individual effort.
Energy conservation: The reduction of energy expenditure required to maintain a given speed or output. Lower aerodynamic resistance lets a follower save effort for later in a race.
Wake (fluid dynamics): A region of disturbed flow left behind a moving object. The leader's wake shelters the follower from faster surrounding air.
Peloton: The main group of riders in a road bicycle race. Riders in the peloton share aerodynamic shelter and can travel more efficiently than isolated riders.
Solo cycling: Cycling performed without another rider close enough to provide aerodynamic shelter. A solo rider faces undisturbed airflow rather than a leader's wake.
Aerodynamic efficiency: The ability to produce useful motion or output with limited aerodynamic resistance. Drafting improves effective efficiency without changing the follower's equipment.
Slipstream: A stream of air moving behind an object and influenced by its passage. The follower rides within this moving air, where relative airflow is reduced.
Team time trial: A cycling race in which teams start separately and compete against the clock. Teams rotate riders at the front so teammates can draft and share the workload.

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