Measuring and Modeling Wind during Road Cycling

Description

During road cycling, one of the bigger uncertainties is wind. Wind direction and force both affect cycling performance.

One goal of the powerbike project, the optimization of pacing strategies for road cycling relies on a mathematical model for road cycling (Martin et al., 1998). The current state-of-the-art omits the possibility of having different wind forces and directions during a ride.

Therefore, we are looking forward for wind measurement solutions and an extended road cycling model.


Tasks

  • Find a selection of wind measurement devices.
  • Measure wind on different courses with different conditions.
  • Analysis and visualisations of the measurements of the devices.
  • Enhance the road cycling model. 

Prerequisites

Basic math skills requiered.

Knowledge of MATLAB or similat programs for data analysis is of advantage.

References

  1. Martin, J. C., Milliken, D. L., Cobb, J. E., McFadden, K. L., & Coggan, A. R. (1998). Validation of a mathematical model for road cycling power. Journal of applied biomechanics14(3), 276-291.
  2. Dahmen, T., Byshko, R., Saupe, D., Röder, M., & Mantler, S. (2011). Validation of a model and a simulator for road cycling on real tracks. Sports Engineering14(2-4), 95-110.
  3. Swain, D. P. (1997). A model for optimizing cycling performance by varying power on hills and in wind. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise29(8), 1104-1108.
  4. skippykitten.tumblr.com

Contact

Alexander Artiga Gonzalez 

Stefan Wolf