![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pasitheaThis post has nothing to do with Gabbie or Gabber. It's about GABA or
Gravity Assissted Bicycle Acceleration, and I'm not just talking about riding downhill.
Actually, I suppose it's a bit more complex than gravity. It's also centrifical force at work, but anyhow, here it is:
I found a way to increase my flat-out speed even more and to fall uphill. I'm sure it's nothing new, but it's always pleasant to notice something, test it, and speculate on what is happening.
So. Here's my discovery. The fastest way to get between two points on a bicycle is a sine wave. If you hard zig-zag your bike, it accelerates and it takes almost no extra energy. What's happening is that as you lean your bike to one side, it falls (accelerates), you also get some centrifical force boost that I don't remember the formula for. Anyhow, the result is you're going faster (in an arc) but since you're a high center of mass over your bike and there's a gyroscopic effect happening on the tires, it's easy to shift it back the other way and your downthrust on the peddle while pulling up on the bike effectively gives you more pedal power too.
Of course, you're going further to go the same distance and much of your speed boost is eaten by the extra distance but you can pull out of your zigzag and let inertia carry you or keep peddling at the higher speed since it's not so hard to maintain a speed once you're there. On a flat out section, I increased my speed from 15 to 18MPH. I saw much bigger gains when combining this with pumping (well, a slight variant, where my center of gravity was staying relatively centered and I'm throwing the bike from side to side) In that instance, my all-out pumping speed went up from 20 to 25.
Of course, I've been pro bicyclers use the pumping method, so it's nothing new, but it's fun for me to think about how it works.
Gravity Assissted Bicycle Acceleration, and I'm not just talking about riding downhill.
Actually, I suppose it's a bit more complex than gravity. It's also centrifical force at work, but anyhow, here it is:
I found a way to increase my flat-out speed even more and to fall uphill. I'm sure it's nothing new, but it's always pleasant to notice something, test it, and speculate on what is happening.
So. Here's my discovery. The fastest way to get between two points on a bicycle is a sine wave. If you hard zig-zag your bike, it accelerates and it takes almost no extra energy. What's happening is that as you lean your bike to one side, it falls (accelerates), you also get some centrifical force boost that I don't remember the formula for. Anyhow, the result is you're going faster (in an arc) but since you're a high center of mass over your bike and there's a gyroscopic effect happening on the tires, it's easy to shift it back the other way and your downthrust on the peddle while pulling up on the bike effectively gives you more pedal power too.
Of course, you're going further to go the same distance and much of your speed boost is eaten by the extra distance but you can pull out of your zigzag and let inertia carry you or keep peddling at the higher speed since it's not so hard to maintain a speed once you're there. On a flat out section, I increased my speed from 15 to 18MPH. I saw much bigger gains when combining this with pumping (well, a slight variant, where my center of gravity was staying relatively centered and I'm throwing the bike from side to side) In that instance, my all-out pumping speed went up from 20 to 25.
Of course, I've been pro bicyclers use the pumping method, so it's nothing new, but it's fun for me to think about how it works.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2005-10-21 01:48 am (UTC)Its far cheaper to bike to work, I used to dump $100 of gas a month when gas prices were a bit more in the sane $1.50? range I think.. somewhere much cheaper than now... and I didn't drive that much. Not to mention hundreds in insurance... maint.. etc... plus I get more fit by the day.
yeah, you get speed by borrowing energy from mother earth... though I still have to go uphill across 880...
(no subject)
Date: 2005-10-21 02:09 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-10-21 02:45 am (UTC)Honestly, it's not that far, and I COULD use the exercise, but....
There's ~6 miles of road with NO shoulder, steep dropoffs on both sides, and asshole drivers. It scares the hell out of me to WALK it, and I've SEEN how they treat bikers on that stretch. And, of course, it's what I have to get through to get into town/the highway, where there's decent shoulders and sidewalks and bike lanes.
ARGH. >_