Riding for Olympic glory
Glenn O Shea, Rohan Dennis, Michael Hepburn and Jack Bobridge training in the Monash Wind Tunnel
When Australian cyclists line up at the London Olympic velodrome they will have the advantage of having undergone ground-breaking analysis in the southern hemisphere’s largest wind tunnel.
A collaborative partnership between Monash University, the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), and Cycling Australia has enabled the Australian men’s pursuit team and coaches to analyse rider-by-rider aerodynamic interaction in the University’s wind tunnel.
Professor John Sheridan, of Monash University's Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, which manages the wind tunnel, said he hoped the testing would have a positive impact on the team.
“It really is possible to make a difference when you have access to such a facility,” Professor Sheridan said.
“A cyclist is not an aerodynamic shape, like a wing, but we learnt how the flow passes over the riders which enabled us to make recommendations that should make a big difference in their performance.
“By combining this with the expertise from the AIS and Cycling Australia, we have found ways to make our athletes go faster for longer.”
New technical developments at the wind tunnel allowed all four riders and the interactions between them to be examined simultaneously.
The testing jig allowed cyclists to adopt relevant pedalling rates and rider-to-rider spacing. As a result, coaches and athletes could investigate specific equipment and body position options to identify the best way to produce speed for a given amount of power.
Smoke was blown over the riding formation to give a clear visual of aspects of the team that could be modified to produce speed or aerodynamic gains.
Individual pursuit world record holder and leader of the Cyclones - Australia’s pursuit team - Jack Bobridge said testing like this was crucial in the cut throat world of track cycling.
“These days it is coming down to all the one percenters which includes aerodynamics,” Bobridge said.
“When you win you might be talking about a margin of 0.1 of a second over four kilometres, so testing the entire team allows us to explore some questions that are very difficult to answer using any other technique.
“I believe, this type of testing will give us confidence and potentially gives us more than one per cent. To fine tune our team aerodynamics like this is massive for our group.”