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World-class engineering helps British cyclists in their Olympic race for medals

August 16, 2004

The British Olympic track cycling team may be offering some thanks to a group of researchers at the University of Sheffield today, if they pick up a medal in this year's games.

The Sports Engineering Research Group (SERG) at the University has been working as part of a world-class team to develop a state-of-the-art bike, which could shave crucial milliseconds off the athletes' times.

The project was funded by British Cycling, who wanted to provide the British team with the best possible bike by exploiting the superb engineering, technology and research expertise to be found in the UK. Its development was funded by the National Lottery via the Cycling World Class Performance Programme.

The bike the team will be using was designed by Dimitris Katsanis of the Derby-based Advanced Composites Group. SERG then used its 3D laser scanner and flow simulation software to ensure that the front forks and handlebars were as aerodynamic as possible, using Fluent's computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software. The team built up a 3D image of the bike and then used the software to characterise the aerodynamic flow around it.

Benefiting from meticulous at attention to detail and the application of established engineering techniques, the bike has undergone continuous development - always adhering strictly to the rules of the sport imposed by the governing body, the Union Cycliste International (UCI).

Peter Keen, performance adviser to British Cycling and manager of the bike development programme is convinced that the machine can become even better through continued support of the best technical experts the UK can provide. "Our objectives were to produce frames and components that were lighter, stiffer, stronger and safer than those currently available, and to ensure that we have a reliable supply of sufficient equipment for our growing squad. The new bikes are universally praised by the riders who typically report sensations of better handling, transmission of effort and ease of use."

David Curtis, SERG Technical Manager, explained, "In addition to technical excellence, speed of response is also vital in the high-pressure world of elite sport around an Olympic Games. At the eleventh hour we completed an aerodynamic analysis of the helmets available to the team following a late rule change by the sport's governing body, the UCI. New safety regulations eliminated some previous favourite helmets of squad riders, and the team needed to know which of the certified helmets available to them was the most aerodynamically efficient. We were able to act in time and provide the answer.

"The British track cyclists will be competing in Athens on bikes designed and made in the UK with the help of specialist engineering experts, and we are confident that they are one of the best equipped teams at the Olympics."

Sheffield, University of