![]() ![]() Stacking just one bike in a plastic protective cover on the roof yields a gain of 7.08 seconds. Stacking two bikes placed perpendicular to the riding direction yields a gain of 3.57 seconds. A car with 10 bikes on the roof would give a gain of 1 second. For a car with five bikes on the roof and a separation distance of 10 m, the relative time gain over 22.4 km would be 0.57 second. It could also be a future regulatory maximum number, as one spare bike should be sufficient in almost every circumstance. Having just one bike on the roof is a realistic situation. From left to right: Simulations showing one bike on a car roof following at 1 m, five bikes on a car following at 5 m, and two bikes arranged perpendicularly on a car following at 5 m. To the best of our knowledge, no one has ever assessed in detail how much drag reduction is caused by different numbers and configurations of roof-top bicycles.įigure 3. Moreover, the 2015 study did not consider the potential benefit of bicycles stacked on the roof of the following car. However, a lack of proper measurement technology makes it difficult to actually enforce the minimum distance rules. ![]() In 2023, the International Cycling Union (UCI), after consulting with the researchers and others, changed the previous minimum distance between the cyclist and following team car from 10 m (32.8 feet) to 25 m (82 feet). This generates a large overpressure bubble in front of the car (see red and yellow colors), which in turn exerts a significant push effect on the cyclist and allows him/her to ride faster with the same effort. 1 The effect can be explained by the air mass that is pushed forward by the car body, as shown in the videos below. This physical insight was revealed in an earlier study by the same partners in 2015. We already know that a team car riding behind a cyclist gives the athlete an aerodynamic benefit.
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