Tuesday Tidbits: Superman, Shimano, Scotsman and Belgium

Here are 3 articles I recently found to be a good read, good watch and good listen.

The Physics of a close pass

This article looked at the forces you go through when that annoying lorry passes you much closer than your partner would have wanted it to. Here is a summary of the 5 stages and I think they go some way to explaining why it’s best to be 2nd in the peloton, as there is a push from behind as well as a pull from in front.

1. Outward pressure pushes the rider away from the vehicle reaching a maximum just before the car passes the bike’s BB.
2. Outward pressure flips to become a suction force as the front of the vehicle passes the bike’s BB.
3. Suction towards the vehicle
   
4. 2nd flip reverts to small outwards pressure after the back of the car passes the cyclist.
5. Forces oscillate to zero.

The full article is linked to in much more detail here at Cycling Tips

https://web.archive.org/web/20230128041238/https://cyclingtips.com/2020/04/push-and-pull-the-surprising-physics-of-a-scary-pass/

A Demanding Alternaitve Tour of Flanders

I liked this interesting Tour of Flanders video from Shimano, shot before the Covid restrictions started. I’m not a follower of gravel riding myself but there are some well-shot scenes in it, especially near the start. Shimano must have a good marketing budget. Along with some Shimano accessories, the video makes good play of the Shimano GRX Di2 2×11 drivetrain and the riders’ Shimano RX8 gravel shoes.

The Flying Scotsman aka Superman

Next up is an interview with BikeRadar and Graeme Obree. He explains why his technical innovations got him banned and also he talks about how some of his riding positions and bikes evolved over the years.

Audio Interview: https://play.acast.com/s/bikeradarpodcast/bikeradarmeets-graemeobree