U
User33236
Guest
Get the crowds to inhale and exhale in sync with him approaching/ passing? Lol
Hour Record (may contain spoilers)
- Thread starter fimm
- Start date
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swansonj
Guru
Well, quite seriously, I'll bet that a bit of synchronised fanning by the audience could create a circulating airflow that must be worth another few laps.
U
User33236
Guest
I do wonder how much difference the intense noise made to the ditance achieved. After all sound is a pressure.
smutchin
Cat 6 Racer
- Location
- The Red Enclave
Ah, so that's why they were doing the Mexican wave?
smutchin
Cat 6 Racer
- Location
- The Red Enclave
Dunno, but never mind controlling the pressure - what about using strategically placed fans to generate a vortex that acts as a tailwind?
Dogtrousers
Kilometre nibbler
How about a velodrome track suspended from a giant mast liike one of those witches hat things you used to find in kids' playgrounds? It could precess around the mast giving a constant downhill for a correctly synchronised rider.
Of course the antediluvian blazers at the UCI would probably frown on such progressive blue sky thinking.
Of course the antediluvian blazers at the UCI would probably frown on such progressive blue sky thinking.
swansonj
Guru
Sir Isaac Newton might have something to say about that one too.
swansonj
Guru
I'm getting intrigued by this one now. A 1 mph tail wind is 3% of the average speed. If we assume the resistance is dominated by air resistance rather than friction, 3% extra is an extra kilometre and a half. And a mere 1 mph circulating breeze seems perfectly within bounds of what could be created by a few strategically directed fans or by the audience waving their programmes. Surely UCI must have thought of this one?
400bhp
Guru
I don't think that makes sense? Yes, 1mph = about 3% of Mr Wiggins' travelling speed, however, increase in tail wind is far far from being perfectly correlated with increasing bike speed. If that were true, with a 20mph tail wind you would be blown along at 20mph with no pedalling needed?
I'm sure you meant something different.
Citius
Guest
The UCI probably did think of it - and then promptly dismissed it as an absurdity.
smutchin
Cat 6 Racer
- Location
- The Red Enclave
To calculate the difference a 1mph tailwind would make to Wiggo's speed, you'd need to know his drag coefficient, frontal area, air density and stuff like that. Completely beyond me, but I'm sure someone has the time, expertise and energy to work it out...
You'd also have to factor in friction from the tyres and wheel bearings but they're probably negligible for the purposes of this discussion.
I presume the choice to set the velodrome temperature higher was to reduce air density, but I guess the trick is finding a balance between the benefits of lower air pressure and the negative effects on performance of overheating.
You'd also have to factor in friction from the tyres and wheel bearings but they're probably negligible for the purposes of this discussion.
I presume the choice to set the velodrome temperature higher was to reduce air density, but I guess the trick is finding a balance between the benefits of lower air pressure and the negative effects on performance of overheating.
swansonj
Guru
If, as i said and as @smutchin has said, you assume that rolling resistance/friction is negligible compared to air resistance, then yes, it really is as simple as 1 mph tailwind = 1 mph extra ground speed. In that scenario, I don't think you need to know the drag corefficient etc - whatever speed his power output, frontal area, and drag coefficient result in for still air, it's 1 mph high with a 1 mph tailwind. I would guess that at 30 mph with a highly aerodynamic bike, air resistance is dominant but not totally dominant, so in practice 1 mph tailwind may only be 0.8 or something extra ground speed, but still worth having.
That all breaks down when air resistance ceases to be dominant. If you have a 20 mph tailwind and you are cycling at 20 mph ground speed, then you are cycling at the same speed as the air and, to a first approximation, there is no air resistance (only to a first approximation, because there's still relative motion where the wheels rotate and your legs move). Then the situation is reversed and your speed is determined entirely (to that first approximation) by rolling resistance/friction and not at all by aerodynamics.
That all breaks down when air resistance ceases to be dominant. If you have a 20 mph tailwind and you are cycling at 20 mph ground speed, then you are cycling at the same speed as the air and, to a first approximation, there is no air resistance (only to a first approximation, because there's still relative motion where the wheels rotate and your legs move). Then the situation is reversed and your speed is determined entirely (to that first approximation) by rolling resistance/friction and not at all by aerodynamics.
New Hour Record set!!
http://www.uci.ch/pressreleases/mol...makes-history-with-new-women-uci-hour-record/
(but its the woman's one so no one is interested... sarcasm aside, I'm slightly surprised that no one has posted this yet (or have I missed it?) given that there are quite a few people on here who are more up on the women's racing scene than I am.)
Anyway, congratulations to Molly Shaffer van Houweling.
http://www.uci.ch/pressreleases/mol...makes-history-with-new-women-uci-hour-record/
(but its the woman's one so no one is interested... sarcasm aside, I'm slightly surprised that no one has posted this yet (or have I missed it?) given that there are quite a few people on here who are more up on the women's racing scene than I am.)
Anyway, congratulations to Molly Shaffer van Houweling.
SWSteve
Guru
- Location
- Bristol...ish
I've been listening to the cycling time trial podcast where Mark Florence has had a bit of a fan boy thing going for this, but haven't seen her attempt in the press.
Her's is quite a good story, I would recommend the podcasts in which she features.
HF2300
Insanity Prawn Boy
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