Me240 Bike2

ME240/105S: Product Dissection
Biomechanics of Cycling
1. Why do we shift
gears on a bicycle?
2. Are toe-clips worth

the trouble?
3. What determines
how fast our bike
goes for a given
power input?
1
Cycling Bio-Mechanics
 Basic Terminology (fill in the details as a class)
– Work:
– Energy:
– Power:
– Force:
– Torque:
2
Newton’s Second Law

F = ma = m dv/dt
F4
F1
a
C.G. A Rigid Body
F2
F3
3
Forces Acting on a Bicycle at Rest
used by permission of Human Kinetics Books,

©1986, all rights reserved
4
Forces Acting on a Moving Bicycle

5
Free Body Diagram of Motive Force

Purpose of bike transmission
is to convert the high force, low
velocity at the pedal to a higher
velocity (and necessarily lower
force) at the wheel.

 Working with your group, derive the relationship between F1 and

F4 as a function of L1-L4.
 Next, derive the relationship between V1 and V4.
6
Changing Force versus Speed

 Using the relationships you derived, complete the
table from Session 1.
Increase in: Effect on Output Force Effect on Output Speed
front chain ring (# of teeth)
rear cog (# of teeth)
rear wheel (diameter)
crank arm length
 Does this agree with had previously? Why or

why not?
 Is the relationship between F1 and F4 constant?
7
Ankling
Ankling refers to the orientation
of the pedal with respect to a
reference frame fixed in the
cycle (vertical to level ground).

8
Effective and Unused Force

Fe is effective force which Fr
produces motive torque.
Fu  Fr-Fe = unused force.
 In your journal (for extra credit), show that:

Fe = Fr sin (1 + 2 -3)
Fp = Fr cos (1 + 2 -3)
9
Pedal Forces - Clock Diagram
A clock diagram showing the

total foot force for a group of
elite pursuit riders using toe
clips, at 100 rpm and 400 W.
Note the orientation of the

force vector during the first
half of the revolution and the
absence of pull-up forces in
the second half.
10
How Pedal Forces Vary over Time
11
Combined
Forces of
Both Legs

A plot of the horizontal force between the rear wheel and the road
due to each leg (total force is shown as the bold solid line). Note
that this force is not constant, due to the fact that the force applied
at the pedal is only partly effective. (ref 3, pg 107)
12
Are Toe-Clips Worth the Trouble?
13
Pedaling Speed MOST EFFICIENT

PEDALLING SPEED
Optimum speed for most people is

55-85 rpm.
This yields the most useful power

output for a given caloric usage.
(ref 3, pg 79)

14
Human Power Output

 Most adults can deliver 0.1 HP (75 watts) continuously
while pedaling which results in a typical speed of 12 mph.
 Well-trained cyclists can produce 0.25 to 0.40 HP

continuously resulting in 20 to 24 mph.
 World champion cyclists can produce almost 0.6 HP (450

watts) for periods of one hour or more - resulting in 27 to
30 mph.
Why do the champion cyclists go only

about twice as fast if they can produce
nearly 6 times as much power?
15
Human Power Output
The maximum power output that can be sustained for

various time durations for champion cyclists. Average
power output over long distances is less than 400 W.
used by permission of Human Kinetics Books, (ref 3. pg 112)
16
The Forces Working Against Us

Drag Force due to air resistance:
Fdrag =CdragV2 A
Cdrag = drag coefficient (a function of the shape of the body and the
density of the fluid)
A = frontal area of body
V = velocity
Since: Power = Force x Velocity
to double your speed requires 8 times as much power

just to overcome air drag (since power ~ velocity3)
17
Some
Empirical
Data
Drag force on a cycle versus speed
showing the effect of rider position.
(ref 3, pg 126)
The wind tunnel measurements are

less than the coast-down data
because the wheels were stationary
and rolling resistance was absent.

18
Other Forces Working Against Us
 Rolling Resistance Frr=Crr x Weight
Typical values for Crr:
knobby tires 0.014

road racing tires 0.004
 Mechanical Friction (bearings, gear train)

absorbs typically only 3-5% of power input if well maintained
19
Other Energy Absorbers
 Hills (energy storage or potential energy)

Change in Potential Energy = Weight x Change in elevation (h)
h Here, the rider has stored up

energy equal to the combined
weight of rider and bike times
the vertical distance climbed.
20
The First Law of

Thermodynamics
 Conservation of Energy, for any system:
Energyin = Energyout + Change in Stored Energy
Energy input Internal Energy

of System
Energy Output
SYSTEM
21

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ME240/105S: Product Dissection

2. Are toe-clips worth

 Basic Terminology (fill in the details as a class)

Newton’s Second Law

Forces Acting on a Bicycle at Rest

used by permission of Human Kinetics Books,

Forces Acting on a Moving Bicycle

used by permission of Human Kinetics Books,

Free Body Diagram of Motive Force

used by permission of Human Kinetics Books,

 Working with your group, derive the relationship between F1 and

Changing Force versus Speed

 Does this agree with had previously? Why or

used by permission of Human Kinetics Books,

Effective and Unused Force

Fu  Fr-Fe = unused force.

 In your journal (for extra credit), show that:

Pedal Forces - Clock Diagram

A clock diagram showing the

Note the orientation of the

How Pedal Forces Vary over Time

used by permission of Human Kinetics Books,

Are Toe-Clips Worth the Trouble?

Pedaling Speed MOST EFFICIENT

Optimum speed for most people is

This yields the most useful power

used by permission of Human Kinetics Books,

Human Power Output

 Well-trained cyclists can produce 0.25 to 0.40 HP

 World champion cyclists can produce almost 0.6 HP (450

Why do the champion cyclists go only

Human Power Output

The maximum power output that can be sustained for

The Forces Working Against Us

Since: Power = Force x Velocity

to double your speed requires 8 times as much power

The wind tunnel measurements are

used by permission of Human Kinetics Books,

Other Forces Working Against Us

 Rolling Resistance Frr=Crr x Weight

Typical values for Crr:

knobby tires 0.014

 Mechanical Friction (bearings, gear train)

Other Energy Absorbers

 Hills (energy storage or potential energy)

h Here, the rider has stored up

The First Law of

Energyin = Energyout + Change in Stored Energy

Energy input Internal Energy

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