Question: While grinding downhill into a nasty headwind recently, I had plenty of time to ponder the following question: What headwind velocity would compensate for the downhill advantage, making it feel like I was pedaling in calm conditions? If going uphill on various grades, what tailwind speed would compensate for the vertical gain? — Dusty C….
I have a 56-cm Trek 5200 with Ksyrium wheels. I’ve ridden it for a few years without problems, but in the last few months the bike has developed a shimmy, wobble wiggle (whatever) at speeds of 40+ mph. Here’s the kicker: I haven’t changed anything on the bike, nor is my body or riding style…
By Bob Howland After a recent windy ride, Premium Member Bill Rosenfeld wrote to pose two questions about the physics of riding in the wind: 1) When you’re buffeted by a cross-wind, does going faster make you more or less stable? Velocity is a vector quantity; it has both speed and direction. Let’s say you…
Sandy Scott is a multiple Florida, Georgia and national time trial champion across numerous distances. Sandy’s is an amazing cycling story: Now 72, he didn’t take up the sport until age 64, and soon afterward broke his neck in a time trial. He has, in one of his favorite phrases, been “kicking butt” since. Click to…
By Coach Fred Matheny Have you ever wondered why bicycles come with a relatively narrow range of crankarm lengths? Most cranks commercially available range from 165 to 175 mm. This 1 cm span equals about 1/3 inch yet is supposed to fit riders from under 5 feet tall to well over 6 feet. Very tall cyclists…
