Author: The Conversation

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

The strange biomechanics of riding – and balancing – a bicycle

Post author By The Conversation
Post date February 22, 2020
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A group ride — Various research studies have indicated that engaging in cardiovascular exercise regularly can significantly improve one's brain functioning by improving memory and enhancing concentration among other brain functions. This is because cardiovascular exercises increase blood flow into the brain, therefore, ensuring that the brain has an adequate supply of oxygen for its optimal functioning. You can incorporate cycling as your preferred form of cardiovascular exercise. Other studies have linked cycling with rebuilding the hippocampus brain cells which begin to deteriorate at the age of 30.

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 a rider can balance itself and have identified the bicycle design features critical for that to happen.

However, the stability – that is, the ability to remain balanced – of a bicycle with a rider is more difficult to quantify and describe mathematically, especially since rider ability can vary widely. My colleagues and I brought expert and novice riders into the lab to investigate whether they use different balancing techniques.

Stephen Cain, University of Michigan

Urban cycling Women's cycling

Stop that car, and plan cities around bikes to make cycling a real option for more women

Post author By The Conversation
Post date December 20, 2019
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Woman cycling — despite the availability of the technical expertise in what is needed to get more people on bikes, cycling levels in the UK have remained low. Although cycling levels have increased almost every year since 2008, the rise is pretty slow over the country as a whole, with some exceptions for some cities, such as London. And more cycling does not mean a diverse range of people are cycling.

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 years later. Short local trips at first, then to work, and for leisure in the countryside. I enjoyed the thrill of it.

Katja Leyendecker, Northumbria University, Newcastle

Races Cycling Tips Cyclists and Teams

How to dope in cycling and get away with it

Post author By The Conversation
Post date November 17, 2019
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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 in all my years thinking about this issue, I have learned much more about how to get away with doping than how to prevent it.

Craig Fry, Victoria University

Hors Catégorie

Ten reasons why we should all love cyclists

Post author By The Conversation
Post date October 9, 2019
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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

Cycling Records

How fast can a human cycle? With aerodynamic help, the 300km per hour barrier seems easily within reach

Post author By The Conversation
Post date September 25, 2019
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British cyclist Neil Campbell breaks the men's "fastest bicycle in a slipstream" record, cycling at 174 mph. He claimed the motor-paced speed world record, after cycling a short distance at a staggering 174.34 mph (280.57 km/h).

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

Cycling Tips

Your riding position can give you an advantage in a road cycling sprint

Post author By The Conversation
Post date August 20, 2019
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Caleb Ewan sprint position — Check the position: Australian rider Caleb Ewan wins stage two of the Tour Down Under in the Adelaide Hills, South Australia, 2018. AAP Image/David Mariuz

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 position themselves on their bicycle.

That can be enough to make the difference between winning or losing a race.

Paul Franciscus Johannes Merkes, Edith Cowan University, and Chris Abbiss, Edith Cowan University