Beat the Wind: The Best Aerodynamic Bike Position

Overview

Have you done any exercise today? If not, you should try out road biking, an exercise for anyone. The purpose of my experiment is to figure out what the fastest bike position is, so the next time you ride, you can beat the wind and your friend in a race. My hypothesis for my experiment is that if a cyclist uses a more aerodynamic position, their speed loss on a straight, flat section of road will be less than with other positions. This is because a better aerodynamic shape reduces wind resistance. The hypothesis was tested in two experiments using a road bike on a 100-meter and 125-meter flat, straight bike path test zone, varying the position on the bike while recording key data using the coast-down method. My hypothesis was confirmed: if a cyclist adopts more aerodynamic positions, their speed loss on a straight stretch will be reduced. One of the things I learned from my experiment, and something I would change if I moved on, is to use a speed gun for more accurate numbers, and also test these 5 positions on different riders. Since I would have more variables, I would test whether the same position ranked consistently across all positions, regardless of rider, bike, or entry speed. I came up with this project because my Mom is an endurance cyclist and I've watched her train for years. I got curious about why some riders seem to go faster without pedaling harder, just by changing how they hold their body. I wondered if I could actually measure that difference myself.

Competition history

• CSEF 2026 Physics & Astronomy (Junior Division) · Entry J-17-02

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