heavy things

[nicholas]

Do heavier people go down hill faster than light people on cycles or is it a terminal velocity thing just wondering

 

[smokeysmoo]

I have no idea about the science of these things, but FWIW I do know I descend much more quickly than a mate of mine who is a lot lighter, but then he easily catches me back on the hills

 

[Ern1e]

I have no idea about the science of these things, but FWIW I do know I descend much more quickly than a mate of mine who is a lot lighter, but then he easily catches me back on the hills

+1 from me my other half (sorry edit should read team mate) who is heavier than me also goe's down hill faster than me even though her bike is lighter than mine and she is also slighly wider than me lol so I don't think wind resistance is to much of a problem, but as you say I do catch up on the climbs so IMHO heavier people do go down hill faster.

 

[solidthegreat]

I have no idea about the science of these things, but FWIW I do know I descend much more quickly than a mate of mine who is a lot lighter, but then he easily catches me back on the hills

Likewise, I can freewheel down hills a lot faster than my mate who is a lot lighter,But he leaves me for dead on climbs. What goes up..
Never was good at physics but I guess there is something behind this.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

I was chatting to a big chunky lad on a charity ride once, he came hurtling past me downhill & I caught him up going up the other side, he was very sure his solidity made a difference & he did fluctuate much more on the hills

 

[biggs682]

when my daughter and i use to go out on our tandem , i always got to the top or bottom of any hill quicker than she did ...................


............................... but then i was the captain and front seat rider .........................

 

[Gravity Aided]

http://www.sportsci.org/jour/9804/dps.html
Momentum makes a difference, but the increased effort on uphills over the longer time it takes to complete them makes up for this and morre. Equations at above citation.

 

[derrick]

I ride with guys who are heavier than me, some are better up hill than me ,some are better at down hill, nothing to do with weight , all to do with bottle.

 

[Shut Up Legs]

Dense people go down hills faster. They don't imagine pain so well.

How true. I've seen a few of those.

By the way, the riding position makes a big difference to descents: just sitting up slightly in the saddle can add enough drag to slow a cyclist noticeably.

 

[steveindenmark]

Nicholas, you now need to become more dense and heavier to become terminal.

Steve

 

[snailracer]

Likewise, I can freewheel down hills a lot faster than my mate who is a lot lighter,But he leaves me for dead on climbs. What goes up..
Never was good at physics but I guess there is something behind this.

It's about drag vs weight.
A person twice as heavy has 100% more weight pulling them downhill, but only 59% more drag slowing them due to their larger frontal area, all other factors being equal.

 

[DooDah]

I seem to go downhill slower then lighter people and uphill slower than heavy people

 

[Ern1e]

when my daughter and i use to go out on our tandem , i always got to the top or bottom of any hill quicker than she did ...................


............................... but then i was the captain and front seat rider .........................

Now I would have been very worried if she had overtaken me !!!!!

 

[biggs682]

Now I would have been very worried if she had overtaken me !!!!!

she would be too busy singing along to her i pod to notice ...............

 

[Ern1e]

she would be too busy singing along to her i pod to notice ...............

Ah the Ipod (the work of satan if ever there was) amazing what can happen to them whilst listening !!!