On your bikes
In this activity, students measure speed and drag for a person on a bike to determine the effects of aerodynamic drag and rolling resistance on a cyclist’s maximum speed.
Aerodynamics and drag
Dr Mark Jermy and PhD student Lindsey Underwood from the University of Canterbury explain what aerodynamics is and how it relates to competitive cycling. They introduce three different types of aerodynamic drag and describe some of the most relevant things that cyclists can do to reduce their drag.
Point of interest:
What are the three types of aerodynamic drag? What types of drag are relevant to competitive cyclists?
By the end of this activity, students should be able to:
measure distance and time to calculate a cyclist’s maximum speed
describe what might affect aerodynamic drag and rolling resistance
experiment to find out how the maximum speed that a cyclist can reach is affected by different drag and rolling resistances
measure the forces of drag and rolling resistance for a cyclist on a bike being pulled at a constant speed
explain how forces need to be balanced for a cyclist to travel at a constant speed.
What is rolling resistance?
Dr Mark Jermy from the University of Canterbury explains why a tyre has some resistance to the motion of a bike as it rolls over the ground. He explains what causes some energy to be converted to heat in the tyres (hysteresis) and describes some things that can be done to reduce rolling resistance.
Download the Word file (see link below) for:
introduction/background notes
what you need
what to do
extension ideas
student worksheet.
Related content
An activity designed to develop basic understanding of speed and acceleration.
