Validation of an Outdoor Coast-Down Test to Measure Bicycle Resistance Parameters
Publication: Journal of Transportation Engineering, Part A: Systems
Volume 144, Issue 7
Abstract
Bicyclist rolling and aerodynamic resistance parameters are needed to estimate speed and energy expenditure in various travel analysis applications. These parameters have been investigated for sport and professional bicyclists, but better understanding is needed for real-world urban bicyclists. This paper describes a field coast-down test to measure bicycle resistance parameters that can be administered during traveler intercept surveys and generate representative data for advanced bicycle travel models. Mathematical models are developed that expand on past methods by accounting for varying wind and grade and allowing for increased measurement locations per test. A 12-sensor, 100-m test setup is developed, and indoor and outdoor validation tests are performed. The additional measurement locations yield higher precision than the previous three-sensor methods, but as expected, the precision of outdoor tests is lower due to inconsistent wind, grade, and riding surface. Outdoor validation tests generate rolling resistance coefficient estimates of and effective frontal area estimates of . Outdoor tests in a headwind are sufficiently sensitive to identify significant changes in resistance with riding position and tire pressure and are expected to generate realistic parameter estimates for parsimonious modeling of on-road bicyclists.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
This research was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the University of British Columbia. Andrei Radu assisted with the data collection.
References
Bigazzi, A. Y. 2017. “Determination of active travel speed for minimum air pollution inhalation.” Int. J. Sustainable Transp. 11 (3): 221–229. https://doi.org/10.1080/15568318.2016.1238984.
Bigazzi, A. Y., and M. A. Figliozzi. 2014. “Review of urban bicyclists’ intake and uptake of traffic-related air pollution.” Transp. Rev. 34 (2): 221–245. https://doi.org/10.1080/01441647.2014.897772.
Bigazzi, A. Y., and M. A. Figliozzi. 2015. “Dynamic ventilation and power output of urban bicyclists.” Transp. Res. Rec. 2520: 52–60. https://doi.org/10.3141/2520-07.
Candau, R. B., F. Grappe, M. Menard, B. Barbier, G. Y. Millet, M. D. Hoffman, A. R. Belli, and J. D. Rouillon. 1999. “Simplified deceleration method for assessment of resistive forces in cycling.” Med. Sci. Sports Exercise 31 (10): 1441. https://doi.org/10.1097/00005768-199910000-00013.
Debraux, P., F. Grappe, A. V. Manolova, and W. Bertucci. 2011. “Aerodynamic drag in cycling: Methods of assessment.” Sports Biomech. 10 (3): 197–218. https://doi.org/10.1080/14763141.2011.592209.
Defraeye, T., B. Blocken, E. Koninckx, P. Hespel, and J. Carmeliet. 2011. “Computational fluid dynamics analysis of drag and convective heat transfer of individual body segments for different cyclist positions.” J. Biomech. 44 (9): 1695–1701. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2011.03.035.
de Groot, G., A. J. Sargeant, and J. Geysel. 1995. “Air friction and rolling resistance during cycling.” Med. Sci. Sports Exercise 27 (7): 1090–1095. https://doi.org/10.1249/00005768-199507000-00020.
di Prampero, P. E. 1986. “The energy cost of human locomotion on land and in water.” Int. J. Sports Med. 7 (02): 55–72. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-2008-1025736.
di Prampero, P. E., G. Cortili, P. Mognoni, and F. Saibene. 1979. “Equation of motion of a cyclist.” J. Appl. Physiol. 47 (1): 201–206. https://doi.org/10.1152/jappl.1979.47.1.201.
Faria, E. W., D. L. Parker, and I. E. Faria. 2005. “The science of cycling: Factors affecting performance—Part 2.” Sports Med. 35 (4): 313–337. https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-200535040-00003.
Fintelman, D. M., H. Hemida, M. Sterling, and F.-X. Li. 2015. “CFD simulations of the flow around a cyclist subjected to crosswinds.” J. Wind Eng. Ind. Aerodyn. 144: 31–41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jweia.2015.05.009.
Fintelman, D. M., M. Sterling, H. Hemida, and F.-X. Li. 2014. “The effect of crosswinds on cyclists: An experimental study.” Procedia Eng. 72: 720–725. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proeng.2014.06.122.
Gross, A. C., C. R. Kyle, and D. J. Malewicki. 1983. “The aerodynamics of human-powered land vehicles.” Sci. Am. 249 (6): 142–152. https://doi.org/10.1038/scientificamerican1283-142.
Heinen, E., B. van Wee, and K. Maat. 2010. “Commuting by bicycle: An overview of the literature.” Transp. Rev. 30 (1): 59–96. https://doi.org/10.1080/01441640903187001.
Iseki, H., and M. Tingstrom. 2014. “A new approach for bikeshed analysis with consideration of topography, street connectivity, and energy consumption.” Comput. Environ. Urban Syst. 48 (Nov): 166–177. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compenvurbsys.2014.07.008.
Isvan, O. 2015. “Wind speed, wind yaw and the aerodynamic drag acting on a bicycle and rider.” J. Sci. Cycling 4 (1): 42–50.
Knight, R. 2008. “The bicyclist’s paradox.” Phys. Teach. 46 (5): 275–279. https://doi.org/10.1119/1.2909744.
Kyle, C. R., and E. Burke. 1984. “Improving the racing bicycle.” Mech. Eng. 106 (9): 34–45.
Martin, J. C., C. J. Davidson, and E. R. Pardyjak. 2007. “Understanding sprint-cycling performance: The integration of muscle power, resistance, and modeling.” Int. J. Sports Physiol. Perform. 2 (1): 5–21. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.2.1.5.
Martin, J. C., D. L. Milliken, J. E. Cobb, K. L. McFadden, and A. R. Coggan. 1998. “Validation of a mathematical model for road cycling power.” J. Appl. Biomech. 14 (3): 276–291. https://doi.org/10.1123/jab.14.3.276.
Mercat, N. 1999. “Modelling of bicycle journeys: Using energy expended rather than journey time or distance.” In Proc., 11th Int. Bicycle Planning Conf. Brussels, Belgium: European Cyclists’ Federation.
Mueller, N., D. Rojas-Rueda, T. Cole-Hunter, A. de Nazelle, E. Dons, R. Gerike, T. Götschi, L. Int Panis, S. Kahlmeier, and M. Nieuwenhuijsen 2015. “Health impact assessment of active transportation: A systematic review.” Preventive Med. 76: 103–114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2015.04.010.
Navin, F. P. D. 1994. “Bicycle traffic flow characteristics: Experimental results and comparisons.” ITE J. 64 (3): 31–37.
Olds, T. S. 2001. “Modelling human locomotion: Applications to cycling.” Sports Med. 31 (7): 497–509. https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-200131070-00005.
Parkin, J., and J. Rotheram. 2010. “Design speeds and acceleration characteristics of bicycle traffic for use in planning, design and appraisal.” Transp. Policy 17 (5): 335–341. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2010.03.001.
Preda, I. C., and D. Ciolan. 2010. “Coast-down test—Theoretical and experimental approach.” In The Automobile and the Environment, 277–288. Brasov, Romania: Transilvania University Press.
Scrucca, L. 2013. “GA: A package for genetic algorithms in R.” J. Stat. Software 53 (4): 1–37. https://doi.org/10.18637/jss.v053.i04.
Twaddle, H., T. Schendzielorz, and O. Fakler. 2014. “Bicycles in urban areas.” Transp. Res. Rec. 2434: 140–146. https://doi.org/10.3141/2434-17.
USEPA. 2010. “MOVES2010 highway vehicle population and activity data.”. Washington, DC: USEPA.
Waltham, C., and B. Copeland. 1999. “Power requirements for rollerblading and bicycling.” Phys. Teacher 37 (6): 379–382. https://doi.org/10.1119/1.880355.
White, R. A., and H. H. Korst. 1972. “The determination of vehicle drag contributions from coast-down tests.” In SAE Technical Paper 720099. Warrendale, PA: Society of Automotive Engineers.
Wilson, D. G. 2004. Bicycling science. 3rd ed. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Copyright
©2018 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Nov 11, 2016
Accepted: Jan 5, 2018
Published online: Apr 28, 2018
Published in print: Jul 1, 2018
Discussion open until: Sep 28, 2018
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.