Website Bert Blocken, Eindhoven University of Technology (The Netherlands) and KU Leuven (Belgium)
 

CYCLING aerodynamics research

[back to main page]
 

New research results on cycling aerodynamics:

Publication:

Performed by:

Bert Blocken (Eindhoven University of Technology, NL and Leuven University, B)
Yasin Toparlar (Eindhoven University of Technology, NL)

         

Image: Wind tunnel test of influence of following car on cyclist drag (Blocken & Toparlar 2015)

Image: Wind tunnel test of influence of following car on cyclist drag (Blocken & Toparlar 2015)

Image: Wind tunnel test of influence of following car on cyclist drag (Blocken & Toparlar 2015)

Movie: CFD simulation: contours of wind speed for 5 m distance between cyclist and following car at a cycling speed of 54 km/h (Blocken & Toparlar 2015)

Movie: CFD simulation: contours of pressure coefficient for 5 m distance between cyclist and following car at a cycling speed of 54 km/h (Blocken & Toparlar 2015)

Image: Wind tunnel test of influence of following car on cyclist drag (Blocken & Toparlar 2015)

Image: Wind tunnel test of influence of following car on cyclist drag (Blocken & Toparlar 2015)

Image: Wind tunnel test of influence of following car on cyclist drag (Blocken & Toparlar 2015)

Previous research results on aerodynamics of a single cyclist: see articles here (years 2010, 2011)

Performed by:

Thijs Defraeye (Leuven University, B)
Bert Blocken (Eindhoven University of Technology, NL)
Erwin Koninckx (Leuven University, B)
Peter Hespel (Leuven University, B)
Jan Carmeliet (ETH Zurich and EMPA, CH)
 

Images: Left: Laser scanning of elite cyclist. Right: Result of laser scanning: surface geometry (Koninckx et al. 2007)

µ

Images: Results of laser scanning: point cloud and surface geometry (Koninckx et al. 2007)

Images: Preparation of wind tunnel tests - pressure plates on cyclist and bicycle on force platform (Defraeye et al. 2010)

Images: Preparation of wind tunnel tests - pressure plates on cyclist and cyclist and bicycle on force platform (Defraeye et al. 2010)

Images: Preparation of wind tunnel tests - bicycle on florce platform, cyclist on bicycle, and flow visualization in wind tunnel (Defraeye et al. 2010)

Images: Cyclist equipped with pressure plates and bicycle on force platform just before wind tunnel tests (Defraeye et al. 2010)

Image: Detail view of computatinonal grid on head and top of torso and in vertical center plane (Defraeye et al. 2010)

Previous research results on aerodynamics of drafting cyclists: see article here (year 2013)
 

Performed by:

Bert Blocken (Eindhoven University of Technology, NL)
Thijs Defraeye (Leuven University, B)
Erwin Koninckx (Leuven University, B)
Peter Hespel (Leuven University, B)
Jan Carmeliet (ETH Zurich and EMPA, CH)
 

Image: Detail view of computatinonal grid for two drafting cyclists in time-trial position and in vertical center plane (Blocken et al. 2013)

Images: Left: wind speed contours in vertical center plane. Right: pressure coefficients in vertical center plane (Blocken et al. 2013)

    µ

Image: Front page publication in EuroPhysics News (Blocken et al. 2013)

Image: Top of front page publication in Computers &  Fluids (Blocken et al. 2013)