a passion, an emotion, a sport
Humans have been riding bicycle-like machines for close to 200 years, beginning with the Draisine or “velocipede” in 1817. While riding and balancing a bicycle can seem simple and effortless, the actual control process used by a human rider is still somewhat of a mystery. Using mathematical equations, researchers have explained how a bicycle without …
Continue reading “The strange biomechanics of riding – and balancing – a bicycle”
Growing up in North Germany, cycling was my main means of transport, as would be usual for residents. When I moved to Newcastle, northern England in 1996, I stopped. The clear cycle paths I was used to in Germany simply didn’t exist and I didn’t feel safe. But slowly I began cycling more a few …
As an academic researcher, I have studied drugs in society for the last 20 years. In my current job, I also study cycling history and culture, and the place of drugs and doping in this sport. I know a lot about this topic. But something new dawned on me the other day. I realized, that …
Continue reading “How to dope in cycling and get away with it”
Cyclists globally are much maligned by drivers who may never have thought about the many benefits they provide. In fact, cycling as a form of truly sustainable transport is increasingly the focus of attention by governments seeking solutions to multiple societal problems. Seamus Allison, Nottingham Trent University
British cyclist Neil Campbell recently set a new record for the men’s “fastest bicycle in a slipstream”, clocking up a breathtaking 280km per hour. Timothy Crouch, Monash University
Many professional road cycling events are hundreds of kilometers long, but the final placings are often decided by what happens in the last few seconds of any race stage. New research shows that a rider can gain up to an extra 5kph advantage in those final sprint seconds, and it all depends on how they …
Continue reading “Your riding position can give you an advantage in a road cycling sprint”
