Researchers advance aerodynamic understanding of paracycling

Until now, despite the sport's growing popularity, insight into paracycling aerodynamics has been very limited. But the new research, which has involved researchers from NUI Galway in Ireland, Eindhoven University of Technology in The Netherlands and Belgian research university KU Leuven has shown that decisive gains can be achieved by counter-intuitive postures and wheel selection.

Surprised by the scarcity of scientific research performed on paracycling, NUI Galway’s Dr Eoghan Clifford, a four-time paracycling world champion, joined forces with Eindhoven’s Professor Bert Blocken to set up the first large open scientific research project into Paralympic cycling.

The project combined computer simulation (CFD) with ANSYS software on Irish and Dutch supercomputers with testing in the wind tunnels of Eindhoven University of Technology and the University of Liège.

The investigation focused on tandem cycling and H1-H4 handcycling and resulted in four key new findings.

Firstly, the group found that the typical time-trial setup with a time-trial handlebar for the pilot and the stoker does not provide the lowest aerodynamic resistance. The stoker holding the seat post of the tandem bicycle (frame-clench setup) provides a gain of 8.1s over a 10 km race.