Aerodynamic performance and riding posture in road cycling and triathlon

Barry, Nathan; Burton, David; Sheridan, John; Thompson, Mark C.; Brown, Nicholas

doi:10.1177/1754337114549876

Cited by 38 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…Broker [61] and Kyle [62] note that rider positions that result in a flat back, a low tucked head and forearms positioned parallel to the bicycle frame generally have low aerodynamic drag. Wind tunnel investigations into a wide range of modifications to standard road cycling positions by Barry et al [55] showed that that lowering the head and torso and bringing the arms inside the silhouette of the hips reduced the aerodynamic drag. Positions that resulted in reductions in aerodynamic drag were also related to a lower velocity deficit and turbulence levels in the wake.…”

Section: Wind Tunnel Testing Of Rider Positionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Riding against the wind: a review of competition cycling aerodynamics

et al. 2017

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Aerodynamics has such a profound impact on cycling performance at the elite level that it has infiltrated almost every aspect of the sport from riding position and styles, equipment design and selection, race tactics and training regimes, governing rules and regulations to even the design of new velodromes. This paper presents a review of the aspects of aerodynamics that are critical to understanding flows around cyclists under racing conditions, and the methods used to evaluate and improve aerodynamic performance at the elite level. The fundamental flow physics of bluff body aerodynamics and the mechanisms by which the aerodynamic forces are imparted on cyclists are described. Both experimental and numerical techniques used to investigate cycling aerodynamic performance and the constraints on implementing aerodynamic saving measures at the elite level are also discussed. The review reveals that the nature of cycling flow fields are complex and multi-faceted as a result of the highly three-dimensional and variable geometry of the human form, the unsteady racing environment flow field, and the non-linear interactions that are inherent to all cycling flows. Current findings in this field have and will continue to evolve the sport of elite cycling while also posing a multitude of potentially fruitful areas of research for further gains in cycling performance.

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Section: Wind Tunnel Testing Of Rider Positionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Riding against the wind: a review of competition cycling aerodynamics

et al. 2017

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“…While several studies have examined CdA in road cycling, [8][9][10][11][12] very few have focused on sprinting. 1,6 To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study assessing CdA of a novel forward standing position.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…different positions was not the focus of these studies. 1,6 From data published on aerodynamics in cycling, it is known that lowering the torso [8][9][10][11] and head 9,12 significantly reduced aerodynamics. Therefore, in this study a novel cycling sprint position was assessed during which participants adopted a low and forward torso and head position (forward standing position).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Reducing Aerodynamic Drag by Adopting a Novel Road-Cycling Sprint Position

Merkes¹,

Menaspà²,

Abbiss³

2019

International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance

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Purpose: To assess the influence of seated, standing, and forward-standing cycling sprint positions on aerodynamic drag (CdA) and the reproducibility of a field test of CdA calculated in these different positions. Methods: A total of 11 recreational male road cyclists rode 250 m in 2 directions at around 25, 32, and 40 km·h−1 and in each of the 3 positions, resulting in a total of 18 efforts per participant. Riding velocity, power output, wind direction and velocity, road gradient, temperature, relative humidity, and barometric pressure were measured and used to calculate CdA using regression analysis. Results: A main effect of position showed that the average CdA of the 2 d was lower for the forward-standing position (0.295 [0.059]) compared with both the seated (0.363 [0.071], P = .018) and standing positions (0.372 [0.077], P = .037). Seated and standing positions did not differ from each other. Although no significant difference was observed in CdA between the 2 test days, a poor between-days reliability was observed. Conclusion: A novel forward-standing cycling sprint position resulted in 23% and 26% reductions in CdA compared with a seated and standing position, respectively. This decrease in CdA could potentially result in an important increase in cycling sprint velocity of 3.9–4.9 km·h−1, although these results should be interpreted with caution because poor reliability of CdA was observed between days.

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“…The optimum torso angle for each athlete varied from 1.6° to 8.6° to the horizontal plane. Barry et al [23] performed wind tunnel tests to investigate the effect of variations in body posture on aerodynamic performance. The torso angle of the athlete was also investigated in dropped positions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of pilot and stoker torso angles in tandem para-cycling aerodynamics

et al. 2019

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The torso angle of a cyclist is a key element to consider when attaining aerodynamic postures. For athletes competing in the tandem para-cycling category as the pilot or stoker, the torso angles are similar to those adopted by able-bodied athletes. However, their aerodynamic interaction is not yet fully understood. To date, there has been no study to identify aerodynamically advantageous torso angles for tandem athletes. In this study, numerical simulations with computational fluid dynamics and reduced-scale wind tunnel experiments were used to study the aerodynamics of tandem cyclists considering 23 different torso angle combinations. The sagittal torso angle combination of the pilot and stoker that yielded the lowest overall drag area of 0.308 m 2 (combined pilot, stoker and bicycle) was 25° for the pilot coupled with 20° for the stoker. The results suggest that higher torso angles for the pilot have a lower impact on the overall drag area than equivalent torso angles for the stoker. This study suggests that a slight relaxation of pilot torso angle (which may help increase power output) may not penalise aerodynamics, in low (< 25°) sagittal torso angle ranges.

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Aerodynamic performance and riding posture in road cycling and triathlon

Cited by 38 publications

References 25 publications

Riding against the wind: a review of competition cycling aerodynamics

Riding against the wind: a review of competition cycling aerodynamics

Reducing Aerodynamic Drag by Adopting a Novel Road-Cycling Sprint Position

Impact of pilot and stoker torso angles in tandem para-cycling aerodynamics

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