The effect of aerodynamic characteristics on the drafting effect in track cycling

Journal Title: Journal of Science and Cycling - Year 2015, Vol 4, Issue 2

Abstract

Since the aim of the men’s team pursuit is to accomplish a distance of 4000m as fast as possible, reducing aerodynamic drag by means of drafting can attribute in achieving this goal. Broker et al.1 quantified the average effect of drafting on power requirements in a team pursuit based on practical experimental data. However, since team members are not identical and will differ in aerodynamic characteristics, expressed as frontal projected areas (Ap) and drag coefficients (Cd), the reduction in power is likely to vary among individuals. A prediction of the magnitude of the drafting effect based on aerodynamic characteristics of team members can result in a more specific estimation for required power per position than the model of Broker et al.1 This study focuses on the effect of frontal area of team members on drag reduction, expressed as percentage of the drag coefficient measured in first position (drag fraction).

Authors and Affiliations

Heimans, L. | Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Faculty of Human Movement Science, Dijkshoorn, WR

Keywords

Related Articles

Reliability of Time –Trial versus Time-to- Exhaustion Cycle Tests in healthy untrained subjects

In sport science and physiology, exercise performance tests are frequently used to examine the influence of experimental interventions on endurance performance. The reliability (or reproducibility) of performance of a te...

Modelling of critical power from road data

Background: Performance tests are an integral part of evaluating competitive cyclists. Despite all technological and physiological advances, limited research has been performed addressing the translation of standardized,...

Quantification of vibrations during mountain biking

Background: During cross-country mountain biking, riders are subjected to vibrations due to the terrain, which must be damped before reaching the central nervous system. Damping vibrations requires work, which may help...

Wearable multi-sensor system for embedded body position and motion analysis during cycling

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to validate the AREM system in laboratory conditions. AREM is an embedded electronic system for motion tracking and movement analysis, based on Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEM...

Positioning of Elliptical Chainrings During Wingate Testing; A Repeated Measures Case Study

Manufacturers of non-circular bicycle chainrings claim that use of their products can increase power output during exercise. These chainrings are generally defined as the ellipse shaped by a large diameter (major axis) a...

Download PDF file
  • EP ID EP2928
  • DOI -
  • Views 383
  • Downloads 20

How To Cite

L. (2015). The effect of aerodynamic characteristics on the drafting effect in track cycling. Journal of Science and Cycling, 4(2), 40-42. https://europub.co.uk./articles/-A-2928