S7 Cycling

Topic

Cycling itself constitutes a sport of mechanical propulsion in which the power generated by pedaling is transmitted through the bicycle's drivetrain to the wheel, which in turn interacts with the ground—a key element in the overall system model.

The cyclist's power balance represents the central model of the sport: the muscular power generated must overcome the sum of aerodynamic drag (which accounts for the largest share of resistance at high speeds), gravitational resistance (significant during climbs), rolling resistance, and inertial resistance.

The cyclist's aerodynamic position is the most important modifiable factor in the sport; reducing the effective frontal area saves a considerable amount of power—specifically regarding the aerodynamic drag mentioned earlier. Further reducing this frontal area through body positioning results in even greater power savings.

The mechanical efficiency of pedaling—specifically the efficiency of the bicycle's drivetrain—represents the highest mechanical efficiency among all sports involving human locomotion; it is considerably higher than the cyclist's overall metabolic efficiency during the act of pedaling. Conversely, this optimal final cadence minimizes the neuromuscular fatigue established by another model in this set. If the cyclist deviates further from this specific optimal cadence, the resulting neuromuscular fatigue for a given effort increases. Consequently, the cyclist's final lactate threshold power—the same threshold defined in another model of this set—serves as the most widely used performance indicator in cycling, representing the maximum average power the cyclist can sustain over a prolonged period. The cyclist's pedaling action generates a tangential force on each pedal, which is converted into torque at the bicycle's rear sprocket—as defined by another model in this set—based on the specific gear ratio between the chainring and the sprocket. If the cyclist increases this lactate threshold power, their sustainable average power output consequently rises as well.

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