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Bicycling Science

Front Cover
19 Reviews
MIT Press, 2004 - Science - 477 pages

The bicycle is almost unique among human-powered machines in that it uses human muscles in a near-optimum way. This new edition of the bible of bicycle builders and bicyclists provides just about everything you could want to know about the history of bicycles, how human beings propel them, what makes them go faster, and what keeps them from going even faster. The scientific and engineering information is of interest not only to designers and builders of bicycles and other human-powered vehicles but also to competitive cyclists, bicycle commuters, and recreational cyclists.The third edition begins with a brief history of bicycles and bicycling that demolishes many widespread myths. This edition includes information on recent experiments and achievements in human-powered transportation, including the "ultimate human- powered vehicle," in which a supine rider in a streamlined enclosure steers by looking at a television screen connected to a small camera in the nose, reaching speeds of around 80 miles per hour. It contains completely new chapters on aerodynamics, unusual human-powered machines for use on land and in water and air, human physiology, and the future of bicycling. This edition also provides updated information on rolling drag, transmission of power from rider to wheels, braking, heat management, steering and stability, power and speed, and materials. It contains many new illustrations.

  

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Review: Bicycling Science

User Review  - Dave - Goodreads

Well, I can't say I actually finished this book - more like reevaluated it. It's a reference book, or can/should be, and I'm going to treat it as such. I got about halfway through at a marginal pace ... Read full review

Review: Bicycling Science

User Review  - Arjun - Goodreads

I haven't completed this, but I love to reference it. I especially enjoyed the explanation of the origins of the bicycle, and the implications it had on society. Read full review

All 16 reviews »

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Contents

A short history of bicycling
3
Human power generation
37
Thermal effects on power production how bicyclists keep cool
109
SOME BICYCLE PHYSICS
121
Power and speed
123
Bicycle aerodynamics
173
Rolling tires and bearings
207
Braking
237
Mechanics and mechanisms power transmission
311
Materials and stresses
353
HUMANPOWERED VEHICLES AND MACHINES
397
Unusual humanpowered machines
399
Humanpowered vehicles in the future
431
Appendix
457
Timeline
465
Index
473

Steering and balancing
263
Copyright

Common terms and phrases

acceleration aerodynamic drag anaerobic average bicycle frame bicycle wheel bicycle's bicyclist bike body brake bump center of mass chain chainwheel components contact patch crank curve cycling cyclist cylinder Dave Wilson derailleur derailleur gears developed diameter drag coefficient drive effect efficiency energy Engineering equation ergometer factor fatigue fibers force frame friction front wheel fuel gear ratio glycogen handlebars heat hub gear Human Power human-powered human-powered vehicles increase Kyle lactate lean load machines mass material maximum measured mile/h motion muscle oxygen Papadopoulos pedaling percent performance power level power output power required pressure produce racing radius rear wheel recumbent bicycles reduce relative Reynolds number rider riding road rolling resistance safety bicycle shimmy shown in figure sideforce slope speed spokes sprocket steel steering axis steering torque stiffness stress surface temperature tion tire torque transmission tricycle tube typical vehicles Velocar velocipede velocity vertical weight Whitt wind

References to this book

References from web pages

Bicycling Science, 3rd Edition - The MIT Press
A new, updated edition of a popular book on the history, science, and engineering of bicycles
mitpress.mit.edu/ 0262232375

American Scientist Online - Pandora's Baby, Bicycling Science, The ...
Pandora's Baby, Bicycling Science, The Mapmaker's Wife and more . ... But Bicycling Science does much more than scientifically dissect cyclists, ...
www.americanscientist.org/ BookReviewTypeDetail/ assetid/ 33954

Slashdot | Bicycling Science, Third Edition
Bicycling Science, Third Edition -- article related to Book Reviews, Books, and Technology.
books.slashdot.org/ article.pl?sid=04/ 05/ 12/ 1718231

'Bicycling Science' author wages war on bike makers - news - www ...
Professor David Gordon Wilson of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology said litigation is the best way to get safer bicycles
www.bikebiz.com/ news/ 25316/ Bicycling-Science-author-says-litigation-is-best-way-to-get-safer-bicycles

Gear Of The Day: Bicycling Science - bicycling.com
Pick the right book, and sitting on the couch can make you a better, smarter rider
www.bicycling.com/ article/ 1,6610,s1-1-323-15380-1,00.html

Bicycling Science | Science News | Find Articles at BNET.com
Bicycling Science from Science News in Reference provided free by Find Articles.
findarticles.com/ p/ articles/ mi_m1200/ is_15_165/ ai_n6094192

My book report: 3 paragraphs of Bicycling Science || kuro5hin.org
David Gordon Wilson, in association with the MIT press brings us Bicycling Science, 3rd. Edition. I didn't finish it. Yesterday while K5 was down I only ...
www.kuro5hin.org/ story/ 2005/ 12/ 7/ 163343/ 821

References
Bicycling Science, 3rd ed., by David. G. Wilson with J. Papadopoulos, MIT ... Bicycling Science provides a semi-. technical (“semi” for its sparse use ...
ieeexplore.ieee.org/ iel5/ 37/ 32202/ 01499395.pdf?arnumber=1499395

A Collection Level Description of the Books and Papers of Frank ...
E., was the principal author of Bicycling Science (published 1974 and 1982), ... Frank Rowland Whitt and David Gordon Wilson, Bicycling Science (The MIT ...
www.warwick.ac.uk/ services/ library/ mrc/ ead/ 328n49col.htm

Bicycling Maintenance & Technical Books
The first book to bridge the huge gap between Richard's Bicycle Book, and Whitt & Wilson's Bicycling Science, Bicycle design is the essential handbook if ...
peteandedbooks.com/ 7.htm

About the author (2004)

David Gordon Wilson is Professor of Mechanical Engineering Emeritus at the MassachusettsInstitute of Technology. He is the coauthor of the first two editions of BicyclingScience and was the editor of the journal Human Power from 1994 to2002.

Bibliographic information

QR code for Bicycling Science
TitleBicycling Science
AuthorDavid Gordon Wilson
EditorJim Papadopoulos
Translated byJim Papadopoulos
ContributorJim Papadopoulos
Edition3, illustrated
PublisherMIT Press, 2004
ISBN0262731541, 9780262731546
Length477 pages
Subjects ›  › 

Science / Reference
Social Science / General
Transportation / Motorcycles / General
  
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