Why regular bike allows you to increase your speed and effective range by several times despite having no motor?
In: 0
If mechanical advantage was the only answer then running on stilts would be effective. In fact it is fast over short distances but tiring over any meaningful distance.
The secret of a bicycle lies in its separation of two functions: holding your weight up and moving you forward. When running you have to transfer your weight to the ground using the body parts that propel you forward. This is tiring because you constantly need to lift yourself up, in effect running is a series of dynamic hops upward and forward. You have springs in your legs (your Achilles’ tendons) to absorb energy of landing and return it on liftoff, but this is not entirely efficient.
In contrast when cycling your weight is transferred through the saddle and frame, leaving your legs free to provide forward motion. You can see this separation clearly in that it takes no effort to coast on a bicycle, whereas gently slowing down while running still requires energy.
Mechanical advantage helps with speed: a kick scooter is good for range but limited in top speed because you can only kick so fast.
Latest Answers