You’ve exited the swim, shaken yourself down, pulled yourself out of your wetsuit and are ready to conquer the bike followed by the run. That requires generating power and reducing drag on two wheels, before holding a good pace on the final leg that won’t leave you firing up like an incinerator.
That might be the top line, but have you ever dug a little deeper into some of the physics and forces at play? Have you ever wondered why the faster you go, the more face-on the wind seems? Or why your tri-suit’s woven from a particular fabric? You have? Excellent news…
AERODYNAMICS MATTER
When it comes to the bike, and to a much lesser degree the run, aerodynamics count. This is one reason why: aerodynamic drag is cubic. What does that mean when seen through the prism of triathlon? Simply, that doubling your bike speed requires eight times as much power; in other words, the faster you go, the greater the air resistance. It’s why air resistance rather than friction, like from rolling resistance of your tyres, takes over as the dominant factor holding you back once you’re riding above around 16km/hr.
Esta historia es de la edición September 2023 de 220 Triathlon.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición September 2023 de 220 Triathlon.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
BAPTISM OF FIRE
Eager to get a taste for multisport, Ben Clement takes on the duathlon at Xterra Matterley in Hampshire and discovers it's far from a walk in a park...
SWIMMING'S GREATEST INNOVATION
FORM’S NEWSMART, SWIM 2 GOGGLES PROJECT YOUR ACCURATE!} HEART RATE ONTO THE. GSGELE. LENS FOR ON-THE-FLY FEEDBACK, IT’SSET TO TRANSFORM THE PERFORMANCE OF ALL EEVELS OF TRIATHLETE. WE SHOW YOU HOW..;
ON TEST TRIATHLON BAGS
In need of a pack to keep all of your kit organised on race day? We put seven options to the test
TRIATHLON WETSUITS UNDER £400
On a budget? Then there are some great wetsuits out there, starting at a little over £100. Here's our pick...
LONG DISTANCE RACES FOR LESS
Struggling to stomach the cost of a full or middle-distance tri? These picks will test you physically and mentally, without being as painful on your pocket...
HOW TO CONQUER SWIMMING IN THE SEA
The sea is nature's greatest swimming pool - and features in many of the world's best triathlons. But if you're new to oceanic adventures, it can be daunting. Here's how to feel at home...
THE POWER OF RESILIENCE
Georgia Taylor-Brown is one of Great Britain's finest triathletes whose strength of spirit has seen her overcome a litany of injuries and personal issues that would end the careers of most. And, as Adam Leitch finds out, just making the 2024 Olympic team would be her biggest victory to date..
QUINTANA ROO V-PRI
QUINTANA ROO’S BACK WITH AN UPGRADE ON ITS V-PR. ON THE FACE OF IT, IT LOOKS IMPRESSIVE, BUT YOULL NEED DEEP POCKETS...
NEW KID ON THE BLOCK
Hugo Milner may be fairly new to the sport of triathlon, but he's already one of Britain's brightest prospects in years. In fact, he's that good he even has an outside chance of heading to Paris...
"I DON'T LET THE STROKE AFFECT MY DECISION TO RACE"
In 2022, personal trainer Richard Higgins, 33, suffered a stroke two months before Celtman, but he refuses to waste any energy thinking about it...