˲Ʊ bike technology’s role in world record attempt
Image: Pinarello
Technology developed and patented by University of ˲Ʊ researchers will power Olympic and world track cycling champion Filippo Ganna in his world record quest.
Filippo Ganna will attempt to ride further in one hour than anyone in history at the UCI Hour Record Timed by Tissot event in Grenchen, Switzerland on Saturday, 8 October.
The Ineos Grenadiers rider will ride a Pinarello Bolide F HR 3D bike that uses AeroNodes, precision bumps that reduce the drag on the bicycle frame in a key area of high turbulence.
“This allows the rider to travel further and faster for the same effort,” said University of ˲Ʊ Associate Professor Richard Kelso from the School of Mechanical Engineering, the co-developer of the low-drag technology.
“We have been working on this technology since 2006, first using them to improve the performance of aircraft wings and fans.
“Their use on bicycle frames came about when we noticed that the airflow around the seat tube alternates through a wide angle as the cyclist pedals, leading to separated flow and increased drag.
“We discovered that bumps, or AeroNodes, on the front surface are able to minimise this separation effect and reduce the drag significantly by generating a regular pattern of vortices around the seat tube.
“However, standard manufacturing techniques such as carbon fibre moulding cannot easily produce such small features.