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Video: tailgating a tipper truck at 40mph

One plucky/foolish/mad cyclist channels the spirit of Guy Martin on the streets of Manchester

Anyone who's seen Guy Martin attempting to break the bicycle speed record will know there's a lot of aerodynamic advantage to be gained by sitting right behind a big, fast moving vehicle that's punching a big hole in the air for you.

However, while that's okay on a special bike in a controlled environment in full motorbike leathers – and even then it's really not okay for most of us, is it? – it's certainly not something we'd recommend you try behind a tipper truck on a fast three-lane dual carriageway in Manchester.

We were sent this footage by a reader of one brave (?) soul doing exactly that. "I noticed him a mile before this was shot, he continued drafting for a good 5-10 minutes",  he told us. "The truck driver had no idea he was there, averaging 40 as we went through the speedcam."

It's certainly one way to gain an advantage on the commute home, although not one we're keen to have a go at ourselves. Anyone?

Dave is a founding father of road.cc, having previously worked on Cycling Plus and What Mountain Bike magazines back in the day. He also writes about e-bikes for our sister publication ebiketips. He's won three mountain bike bog snorkelling World Championships, and races at the back of the third cats.

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93 comments

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700c replied to Quince | 9 years ago
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Quince wrote:

To rephrase; he's essentially got his own giant personal shield. No-one would attempt to side-swipe a huge bloody truck. Maybe we should equip all cyclists with trucks. They'd be safe from idiots illegally filming on camera phones.

But they'd also be in danger of going underneath the lorry, wouldn't they?

I love how this idiotic behaviour can be ignored because of righteous indignation about a driver possibly using a handheld device.

For the avoidance of doubt, in case you haven't tried it, please don't draft lorries like this on your bike. If nothing else, then at least have some thought for the poor lorry driver who will have a death on their conscience when they brake, not knowing a cyclist has just slipped under their vehicle and died.

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mrfree | 9 years ago
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He's won that Strava seg.

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stuke | 9 years ago
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7 miles at 40mph is my best behind a Sainsbury's artic, certainly livened up the commute. 56mph on one section, damn those limiters

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amc654 | 9 years ago
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Next time road.cc posts one of its many 'cyclist dies' story, can we make sure that it isn't a complete and total effing nitwit like this imbecile?

If he were injured, it would've been 100% his own fault.

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Some Fella replied to synoptic | 9 years ago
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synoptic wrote:
Argos74 wrote:

Trying to recognise where that is... I think I've seen the rider from my commute. A6 northbound out of Stockport?

Looks more like Wythenshawe maybe? Near M60 junction...? if so, the irony is that the cyclist is probably in the safest place.

Most likely the East Lancs coming in through Salford - the only three lane A road i know of in Gtr Manchester.

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samwstraw | 9 years ago
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What a moron.

But yeah, I've done it...

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drfabulous0 | 9 years ago
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Nothing wrong with that, nothing at all, so long as you can do it without dying.

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shay cycles | 9 years ago
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Of course it's perfectly safe - he has a helmet and hi-vis and is therefore pretty much immortal, surely?  3

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shay cycles | 9 years ago
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Of course it's perfectly safe - he has a helmet and hi-vis and is therefore pretty much immortal, surely?  3

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banjokat | 9 years ago
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Lighten up you naysayers. It's all about perceived risk, and not dying. If you've never, ever done it .... maybe you're a bit dull  4

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goggy | 9 years ago
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The Highway from Tower Bridge to Canary Wharf in the morning has construction lorries (specifically from a company called Keltbray, which sponsors a cycling team I recall) that go at a steady 30mph. Sticking behind one of those, and staying in the centre of the lane, is actually safer than the punishment passes you get from drivers otherwise. But that is 30mph, not 56mph, and stopping is simple.

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jasonbrim | 9 years ago
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If he's stupid, then what are these guys: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iO7_Fq56g2c

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rix | 9 years ago
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This guy tailgated for 310km (averaging 70 kmh) from Riga to Tallinn.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jckZW6NOWSo

P.S. Bike was modified and truck was in on it... and there was support car.

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antonio | 9 years ago
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A wartime measure for heavy goods vehicles was to restrict the speed to comply with fuel rationing and economy, no speed cameras then. The engines were fitted with a govener to limit fuel and they were registered for an appropriate speed badge, 20 or 30 mph. In the early fifties this still applied.
This was great for young and foolish teenage cyclists,(I was one) and faced with a gale force wind riding fixed gear from Lancaster to Preston on the A6 it was a no brainer for me at the time to take advantage of a lift. At 76 I could have done with one of these in last nights ten mile time trial, but then again I would not have been able to avoid the pot holes.

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jmaccelari | 9 years ago
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Is it illegal? I don't think so... So I can't really condemn it, even if it is daft. The first word that came to mind was 'Darwin'... If he takes himself out that's his problem.

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Beaufort | 9 years ago
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Darwin Award waiting to happen.

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northstar | 9 years ago
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The "outraged" type comments kind of make me chuckle, I wonder how many of them / you enjoy the scene from "Breaking Away" when the main character is doing just this...

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farrell | 9 years ago
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Like a fucking boss.

If it had gone wrong he'd only have himself to blame. To clarify this for the wailing banshees of moronity getting their knickers twisted, this would not be the same as getting hit by a truck from behind or a truck turning left. Not even close to being the same. You're not even comparing apples and oranges, you're comparing apples and pan-galactic gargleblasters.

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Rupert | 9 years ago
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It obviously dangerous and irresponsible to do this drafting behind a lorry like this.
That's why many of us won't admit to doing this on many occasion sometimes at much much faster speeds.  11

Still think riding through red lights is much more dangerous  14
If you ride through red lights as a cyclist please stop doing it, it is dangerous and sets a very bad example.

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brackley88 | 9 years ago
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Dumb Ways to Die Number 37.

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Scoob_84 | 9 years ago
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actually doing this is no where near as dangerous as it looks

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clayfit | 9 years ago
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I love the hyperconcentration bubble you need to be in to do this- you have to zone out everything except your distance from the back of the lorry and the sound of it's engine and brakes.
The violent buffeting when you get out of the dead spot immediately behind the vehicle is more than a bit scary, though.

Buses are better than lorries- you can hear the engine better when it slows down and they obligingly stop at bus stops to let you get off. But they really don't like you to be there. Can't say I blame them.

Sometimes I've found a driver who will have some fun himself by towing me- I've had Harley riders out for a spin who are chilled enough to oblige.

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rothbags | 9 years ago
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More concerned with the Public safety matter that someone still thinks its acceptable to listen to Roxette.

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srchar | 9 years ago
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I don't see what's wrong with this, there are so many reasons that drafting something large and fast is preferable to sitting in the gutter doing 23mph, with cars whizzing past your elbow, that I can't be bothered to list them.

Obviously the main disadvantage is that you can't be holier-than-thou on a cycling forum, which I think for some people is more important than getting some miles in.

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zanf replied to picko | 9 years ago
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picko wrote:

The biggest crime here is Roxette

Hello you fool. I love you!

Come on, join the joyride! Join the joyride!

I have this etched in my brain as the most banal lyrics ever.

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Bilbobaggins replied to Stumps | 9 years ago
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I can't believe that people are justifyi ng the actions of a twat. If he wants to kill him self then fine but what sort of example does this set for younger cyclist 's. It gives cycling a bad name.

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james-o | 9 years ago
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"what sort of example does this set for younger cyclist 's"

I used to draft the school bus regularly as a teen on my MTB, brilliant fun. Didn't need any encouragement from seeing others do it in traffic, I knew about drafting from watching the TDF : )

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Stumps replied to farrell | 9 years ago
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farrell wrote:

You're not even comparing apples and oranges, you're comparing apples and pan-galactic gargleblasters.

Whats a pan-galactic gargleblaster ? they sound cool and can you get one fitted to your bike for numpty car drivers ????

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underwood | 9 years ago
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Massive fun, one of my best rides home from work involved drafting a tractor up and down hills for several miles on a country road - cheers tractor man!

As for this guy in the vid, ok maybe he is taking a risk but then throughout life everyone takes risks on a daily basis. How much of a risk is it? Not much from my view, appreciate he may be doing 40mph without much braking space but lorries aren't exactly known for rapid stopping powers, so I can see no reason why he couldn't stop in time if he needed to.

Good work that man!

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mrmo | 9 years ago
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regularly draft tractors and mopeds, not big not clever, but beats dealing with a headwind all the time!

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