The Effect of Spatial Position on the Aerodynamic Interactions between Cyclists

Barry, Nathan; Sheridan, John; Burton, David; Brown, Nicholas

doi:10.1016/j.proeng.2014.06.131

Cited by 27 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…As drafting riders experience lower resistive forces than the lead rider, they will tend to decelerate at a lower rate. Despite the uncertainties associated with the coast down method to investigate drafting effects, the findings of Kyle [94] agree reasonably well with much more recent studies conducted in the controlled environment of a wind tunnel [95].…”

Section: Multi-rider Aerodynamics and Draftingsupporting

confidence: 85%

“…Both studies note the importance of the drafting effect on the shape, size, and position of the riders. Despite differences in rider position between studies, the findings of Zdravkovich et al [53] show a much more rapid decay of the drafting effect with separation distance compared to Barry et al [95] and other relationships established in literature. It is evident that the findings of Zdravkovich would have been significantly influenced by wind tunnel blockage effects ([15%) due to the small closed wind tunnel test section in which experiments were performed.…”

Section: Multi-rider Aerodynamics and Draftingmentioning

confidence: 88%

“…Although the magnitudes differ substantially, both studies show a relative decrease in aerodynamic drag savings of the order of 30-10% for a 0.2 m lateral offset as axial spacing increases from %0 to 1 m. For overtaking manoeuvres, or more generally when riders are positioned alongside one another, Barry et al's [95] quasi-static results also showed that the relationship between aerodynamic drag and rider position is more complex compared to when the trailing rider is positioned aft of a leader's rear wheel. As a result of interference effects between riders, at certain positions throughout a relatively close overtaking manoeuvre, both riders actually experience an increase in aerodynamic drag of the order of 6% relative to their isolated drag numbers.…”

Section: Multi-rider Aerodynamics and Draftingmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…In an effort to remove drafting skill from the equation, both Zdravkovich et al [53] and Barry et al [95] investigated the influence of drafting on aerodynamic forces in controlled wind tunnel experiments (see Fig. 14).…”

Section: Multi-rider Aerodynamics and Draftingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Second riders typically experience a 30-45% reduction in drag below their baseline, while subsequent riders typically experience a 35-55% reduction compared to their baselines. For riders behind the leader, not only does the wake of the rider that they are following reduce the pressure ahead of them, but the high-pressure region in front of the rider following them also reduces the pressure differential, further contributing to the total reduction in pressure drag [37,38,45,53,58,93,95].…”

Section: Multi-rider Aerodynamics and Draftingmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

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: Multi-rider Aerodynamics and Draftingsupporting

confidence: 85%

Section: Multi-rider Aerodynamics and Draftingmentioning

confidence: 88%

Section: Multi-rider Aerodynamics and Draftingmentioning

confidence: 93%

Section: Multi-rider Aerodynamics and Draftingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Multi-rider Aerodynamics and Draftingmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Riding against the wind: a review of competition cycling aerodynamics

et al. 2017

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Flow field interactions between two tandem cyclists

et al. 2016

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The influence of crosswinds and leg positions on cycling aerodynamics

Mao,

Zhou,

Liu

et al. 2024

Exp Fluids

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This work investigated the influence of crosswinds and leg positions on the aerodynamics of an articulated cycling mannequin on a track bicycle. Force, wake total pressure and wake velocity measurements were made in a low-speed sports wind tunnel of closed-circuit type. The freestream velocity and wheel speeds were kept at $$15\, \hbox {m/s}$$ 15 m/s . The crank angle of the mannequin was varied across a pedal cycle. Yaw angles from $$0^{\circ }$$ 0 ∘ to $$20^{\circ }$$ 20 ∘ were examined. The experimental results reveal that the leg position significantly affects the aerodynamic performance of a cyclist. At high yaw angles, the aerodynamic drag on the cyclist showed noticeable deviations between most leg positions and their $$180^{\circ }$$ 180 ∘ -apart pairs. A wake analysis technique effectively captured the influence of leg positions on drag. The total pressure deficit contributes dominantly to the overall drag. The wake pressure contours demonstrate how leg-wheel interaction affects the total pressure distribution and drag under crosswinds. This study offers valuable insights into the flow behavior and drag generation around a cyclist with varying leg positions under crosswinds.

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The Effect of Spatial Position on the Aerodynamic Interactions between Cyclists

Cited by 27 publications

References 7 publications

Riding against the wind: a review of competition cycling aerodynamics

Riding against the wind: a review of competition cycling aerodynamics

Flow field interactions between two tandem cyclists

The influence of crosswinds and leg positions on cycling aerodynamics

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