[Xringer]

About 4 times a week, my wife and I take the same route into the next town
over and do 3 or 4 laps around a quite residential area.

There is a small hill where we get a quick 330 yard coast. Many times, we will stop at the top of the hill & take a water break before starting the coast down. I mostly let my wife get about 20-30 yards ahead before I take off.
Once I start rolling, I get up to about 15 MPH and coast down to 10 or 11 at the end of the run.
I always pass my wife. Due to my weight (205), I'm always down at the turn around point long before she gets there.
She pedals on her way down. I never do.. At the start, I've waited for her to get 50 yards ahead, I usually pass her before the the half way mark.

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On our third lap this afternoon, I asked my wife to let me go first and for her to draft on me. I asked her to stay tucked in real close behind me.
I even told her to pedal a little if she needed to close up the space a bit.

Well, when we got about 40 yards down the hill, she asked me if I was hitting the brakes! "No", I wasn't. Then I see her pull off to the side a bit. (in the mirror)..
When we got down to the end, she explained. She was going so fast, that she would have hit me. She had to pull out to the side so our wheels wouldn't hit and she had to brake so she wouldn't pass me!!

I was amazed that she actually had to brake. If I had got on the pedals a little (up to 16 or 17 MPH), I think she would have kept right up with me, Without pedaling at all..

I think this was her fastest time down that hill..
Maybe tomorrow, I'll try going 16 and see if she stays in my draft while coasting..

I knew that drafting was common in bike racing, but I never knew just how effective it was.. These results were way more than I expected.

Cheers,
Rich