OT - Human power

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  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,660
    Mr_Ribble wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Re human power, cycling always impresses me - how far and fast a human can go on a bike.

    Isn't the efficiency of even an average bike around 95% odd?

    Yea, I read somewhere that they calculated a bike to be 96% efficient of something like that. A s/s with some uber ceramic bb and teflon coated chain would be very efficient. Some of those BSO's with buckled wheels rubbing against the brakes ~50%!

    Or a very aero recumbent - I imagine that'd be plenty higher.
    _
  • Specialized Needs
    Specialized Needs Posts: 802
    Off the top of my head, but I thought the 96% quoted was the (maximum - not some of the post winter rusty and gunked chains I have :roll:) efficiency of a chain only - not the whole system. I don't know about others, but I heat up quite a lot (transferring much of this to the air by radiation), and friction from air resistance. And no doubt there are other inefficiencies.

    However, a well-tuned bike is still relatively efficient compared with other methods of transport.

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