How fast are riders going?

So, last time we got together for Goldsprints, our race software claimed Dan "The Man" broke 100mph during one of the heats. No doubt Dan is a stud and his cadence is something you gotta see. But did he really break the century mark? Let's do a little "sports science."

WARNING: the following contains math and bike geekiness

I made some calls to the "so called experts" of Goldsprints at Opensprints and they have actually addressed this same issue. But of course, bikers are competitive.

So, first let's go over some particulars for our Goldsprint system (as they are not all the same). We are running a 56t:13t gear ratio. We are using a 700x23c wheel/tire which has a circumference of 2.096 meters. With these numbers we can calculate how far our bike would travel with 1 crank rotation. Math: (56t/13t) x 2.096M = 9.01 meters. This means that if our Goldsprints bike was not attached to the rollers, we could travel 9.01 meters for every crank rotation. Now that is some travel.

Another useful detail to know is how many crank rotations are then needed to complete our 500 meter races. Now that we know how far we travel for every crank rotation that is easy to determine. Math: 500M/9.01M = 55.49...let's say approx 55 crank rotations. That doesn't sound to difficult huh? Especially when the bike is on rollers which provide little to no resistance. That means when you are Goldsprinting you are racing in an almost ideal riding world.

Why race? Well, Goldsprints determine the last factor: time. How fast can you turn the cranks the needed 55 times compared to the guy riding next to you...all in this almost perfect riding situation.

These stats are all fun but let's get back to Dan and his race. He completed 500M in 17.75 secs and the race software claimed he peaked at 101 mph. Math 500M/17.75sec = 28.16 meters/sec. Meters/sec mean nothing to me. Math: 28.16m/s x 2.24 (1meters/sec = 2.24miles/sec) = 63.07mph. Now this would be Dan's average speed and do doubt he had some spikes. But he probably did not reach 100mph. Sorry Dan...but Fred says you can still keep the Free Beer for a Month prize!

I say Dan probably did not reach 101mph, but check out this video of a guy who set the world record on rollers at 126mph http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q77GMkXzOVE

I just love that chainring.

I contacted the Goldsprints software developer and there appears to be a bug when riders reach unusually high speeds/cadences. It does not happen very often. And in the end, the max mph reading does not mean anything to the race, the winner or the results. The peak mph is merely a stat that we can all brag about and rub in our buddy's face.

I will keep every up to speed on the progress of the "fix." Until then, keep training and we'll see you at the races Jan 10th.