Do heavier people go downhill faster?

[Jeffrsnapln]

Not sure if this is a stupid question or not...? guess I'll find out soon enough.

 

 

 

I don't mean "downhill" downhill, just any descent on gravel or tar where your airspeed exceeds your pedaling speed - ie: you are freewheeling. Will a heavier rider have an advantage here? It seems to make sense cos more weight = more momentum...?

 

 

 

There are two guys I ride with: the heaviest has the best bike and always seems to pull ahead on downhills. The middle weight guy has the next best bike, and seems to be the next fastest down hills. I am the lightest, with the lowest spec bike and can never keep up going down hills.

 

 

 

Probably has a lot to do with the bikes, but would weight be a factor too?

 

 

 

If the bikes are the main factor, what upgrades would be most effective to level the playing field?Jeffrnapln2009-11-23 02:19:09

[CAAD4]

Yes We do. If you are light and want to keep up Jeff, maybe should should get a heavier bike... so we can keep up with you on the hills..

[Iwan Kemp]

Yes we do...

 

 

 

Hubs make a big difference. If they run smooth with little friction and spin up fast they will higher speeds quicker and will be able to run faster with less effort.

[Tumbleweed]

no they don't!  

[Andyr249]

Yes, but you must be better than them on the uphills?

As far as upgrades go, you could try new wheels that roll better.

[Tumbleweed]

from wikipedia:

Scaling factors also account for the relative disadvantage of the small cyclist in descending, although more as a result of physics than physiology. A larger rider will experience a more powerful gravitational force because of his greater body mass, but he will not have as great an increase in the frontal area that creates aerodynamic drag. The downward force is proportional to the cube of height whereas the frontal area is proportional to the square of height. Descending exclusively under the force of gravity?i.e. not applying power through pedaling?the heavier rider will be faster.

[gummibear]

I am heavy and fly on the flats and downhills but i cant climb.

[TNT1]

Nevermind heavier.

 If you are in afull aero tuck in the drops, and you produce a sustained burst of farting, will you accelerate?

[jagwil]

YES.

[splat]

Nevermind heavier.
 If you are in afull aero tuck in the drops' date=' and you produce a sustained burst of farting, will you accelerate? [/quote']

 

It's not that you accelerate, it's that anyone that was behind you has been blown off the back...

[Trubie]

certainly

I am the King Of Downhills!!!!!!!!!

 

 

[Gumpole]

on his (her?) own the heavier rider will go faster, but dont worry.. little people can just sit in their slipstream on the waydown.

 

Ditto for tandems

 

[Pappa Bear]

We accelerate faster on the downhills, but once terminal velocity is reached I think we are all the same - we just get there faster.

[TNT1]

 

certainly

I am the King Of Downhills!!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

And I am the king of farts.

 

[Domestiquehated]

Finally!  A topic I can talk on with some authority...  And the answer is "Yes, but not fast enough to catch up with the bunch of weight obsessed annorexics who have just dropped one on the climb".

[Borriz]

Been a while since I last so scientific formulas able to jot them down but the factors impacting speed (v-if I recall) is drag and resistance coefficiency.

Drag comes from the airo-dynamics of rider and bike (spokes and frame) and resistance from hub and tyre surface.

Momentum is a factor of rider weight and speed.

So based on this weightweenies will benefit from airodynamics. Heavies from their weight, but the changable factor is hubs and tyres.

If all is fair i.e. bike, outfit, tyres, etc etc. Then the heavier rider will still win.....downhill that is!