Measurements of roll, steering, and the far-field wake in track cycling

Abstract A series of measurements taken with two instrumented track bicycles in a velodrome are presented. The bicycle wheel speed, cadence, roll angle, steering angle, power, and airspeed are recorded. The experimentally-measured values are compared to existing theoretical models of roll and steeri...

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Main Authors: Shaun Fitzgerald, Richard Kelso, Paul Grimshaw, Andrew Warr
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2022-07-01
Series:Scientific Reports
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-15384-3
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author Shaun Fitzgerald
Richard Kelso
Paul Grimshaw
Andrew Warr
author_facet Shaun Fitzgerald
Richard Kelso
Paul Grimshaw
Andrew Warr
author_sort Shaun Fitzgerald
collection DOAJ
description Abstract A series of measurements taken with two instrumented track bicycles in a velodrome are presented. The bicycle wheel speed, cadence, roll angle, steering angle, power, and airspeed are recorded. The experimentally-measured values are compared to existing theoretical models of roll and steering angles. The accuracy of the roll angle calculations is dependent on the fidelity of the modelled cyclist path and decreases for higher riding speeds. Experimental measurements of the steering angle show a reasonable agreement to theoretical calculations, albeit with reduced steering angles on the bends at higher speeds. There is also seen an increasing steering angle oscillation within each pedal cycle with increasing bicycle velocity which may influence a cyclist’s rolling resistance and the aerodynamic flow around the bicycle’s front end. Observations are made of changes in the flow field ahead of the bicycle due to the presence of other riders on the track, showing an effective tailwind of up to 0.7 m/s. The measured power shows a decrease at the bend entry due to the changing roll angle. Data presented in this paper provides new insights and can help to provide a validation of values used in existing track cycling analytic models.
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spelling doaj.art-d5af3618113b45d091c539dc01f0fdc72022-12-22T02:43:41ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222022-07-0112111110.1038/s41598-022-15384-3Measurements of roll, steering, and the far-field wake in track cyclingShaun Fitzgerald0Richard Kelso1Paul Grimshaw2Andrew WarrSchool of Mechanical Engineering, The University of AdelaideSchool of Mechanical Engineering, The University of AdelaideSchool of Mechanical Engineering, The University of AdelaideAbstract A series of measurements taken with two instrumented track bicycles in a velodrome are presented. The bicycle wheel speed, cadence, roll angle, steering angle, power, and airspeed are recorded. The experimentally-measured values are compared to existing theoretical models of roll and steering angles. The accuracy of the roll angle calculations is dependent on the fidelity of the modelled cyclist path and decreases for higher riding speeds. Experimental measurements of the steering angle show a reasonable agreement to theoretical calculations, albeit with reduced steering angles on the bends at higher speeds. There is also seen an increasing steering angle oscillation within each pedal cycle with increasing bicycle velocity which may influence a cyclist’s rolling resistance and the aerodynamic flow around the bicycle’s front end. Observations are made of changes in the flow field ahead of the bicycle due to the presence of other riders on the track, showing an effective tailwind of up to 0.7 m/s. The measured power shows a decrease at the bend entry due to the changing roll angle. Data presented in this paper provides new insights and can help to provide a validation of values used in existing track cycling analytic models.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-15384-3
spellingShingle Shaun Fitzgerald
Richard Kelso
Paul Grimshaw
Andrew Warr
Measurements of roll, steering, and the far-field wake in track cycling
Scientific Reports
title Measurements of roll, steering, and the far-field wake in track cycling
title_full Measurements of roll, steering, and the far-field wake in track cycling
title_fullStr Measurements of roll, steering, and the far-field wake in track cycling
title_full_unstemmed Measurements of roll, steering, and the far-field wake in track cycling
title_short Measurements of roll, steering, and the far-field wake in track cycling
title_sort measurements of roll steering and the far field wake in track cycling
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-15384-3
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