Bicycle efficiency

1999/09/19 Kortabarria Olabarria, Beñardo - Elhuyar Zientzia

• Garraioak

Although it seems a lie and has a very simple mechanism in terms of energy use, the bicycle is one of the most efficient transports that human beings have invented. Since the modern bicycle was invented —1879. Although it has been a long time since 2000, the world of transport in all stages has been greatly advanced, the bike is the one that best takes advantage of energy. To this conclusion, the professors of Johns Hopkins University have arrived, following laboratory tests carried out with different means of transport. High efficiency rate of 98.6%. Infrared
cameras from engineers were installed around a bicycle and the bicycle was controlled by computer. The cameras observed the heat that caused the chain rub in different situations. Considering that the heat generated represents the loss of energy, the measurement of it could indicate the possible inefficiency of the system.

Of all the tests, the worst of them obtained an efficiency of 81% in the measure of the energy of the pedals to the rear axles. Electric pedaling motors were used to make the test as real as possible, while magnetic brakes were used to simulate tire friction. Interestingly, among the factors that mark the effectiveness of the bike, lubrication has not much to do, in which the size of the set and the tension of the chain are decisive.

If you consider that the design of the chains and the way of making the chains has hardly changed at all in the last 100 years, you can say that it is one of the most outstanding inventions of engineering.

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