On your bikes

In this activity, students measure speed and drag for a person on a bike to determine the effects of aerodynamic drag and rolling resistance on a cyclist’s maximum speed.

By the end of this activity, students should be able to:

• measure distance and time to calculate a cyclist’s maximum speed
• describe what might affect aerodynamic drag and rolling resistance
• experiment to find out how the maximum speed that a cyclist can reach is affected by different drag and rolling resistances
• measure the forces of drag and rolling resistance for a cyclist on a bike being pulled at a constant speed
• explain how forces need to be balanced for a cyclist to travel at a constant speed.

Download the Word file (see link below) for:

• introduction/background notes
• what you need
• what to do
• extension ideas
• student worksheet.