Bicycling Science, third edition - Softcover

Wilson, David Gordon

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0262731541 ISBN 13: 9780262731546

Publisher: The MIT Press, 2004

Synopsis

A new, updated edition of a popular book on the history, science, and engineering of bicycles.

The bicycle is almost unique among human-powered machines in that it uses human muscles in a near-optimum way. This new edition of the bible of bicycle builders and bicyclists provides just about everything you could want to know about the history of bicycles, how human beings propel them, what makes them go faster, and what keeps them from going even faster. The scientific and engineering information is of interest not only to designers and builders of bicycles and other human-powered vehicles but also to competitive cyclists, bicycle commuters, and recreational cyclists.

The third edition begins with a brief history of bicycles and bicycling that demolishes many widespread myths. This edition includes information on recent experiments and achievements in human-powered transportation, including the "ultimate human- powered vehicle," in which a supine rider in a streamlined enclosure steers by looking at a television screen connected to a small camera in the nose, reaching speeds of around 80 miles per hour. It contains completely new chapters on aerodynamics, unusual human-powered machines for use on land and in water and air, human physiology, and the future of bicycling. This edition also provides updated information on rolling drag, transmission of power from rider to wheels, braking, heat management, steering and stability, power and speed, and materials. It contains many new illustrations.

About this title

From the Inside Flap:

"*Bicycling Science* is the bible for bicycle and human-powered vehicle development. It offers the reader a good understanding of the technical aspects of bicycle design, as well as a look back at where we've come from, and perhaps where we're going. Everyone involved in the bicycle industry should read this book -- a real gem." --Bob Bryant, Publisher, Recumbent Cyclist News

"*Bicycling Science* is the ultimate fundamentals book in cycling science. The third edition of this highly respected work is more comprehensive and better than ever ­ rigorous in its scholarship, yet clear and entertaining, at times even lighthearted. Wilson sets out what is established and known on the physics of cycles and human power, and identifies open questions and directions for ongoing research. For anyone with a deep interest in cycling science and human power, this book is simply essential." --Richard Ballantine, President, International Human Powered Vehicle Association

"In this much-modified third edition of *Bicycling Science*, David Gordon Wilson has at last compiled the definitive book about this efficient method of travel. He covers all of the bicycle's facets, from history to physics to aesthetics, in a book that is both exacting and entertaining." --Paul B. MacCready, Chairman, AeroVironment Inc.

"If you want to really understand the physiology and physics that make your bike fun and fast, Bicycling Science is the one book you need. For more than a quarter century, it has been bicycle technology's Rosetta stone for dedicated enthusiasts and professionals alike. The third edition expands on this tradition nicely, adding and updating valuable information." --John Schubert, Technical Editor, Adventure Cyclist Magazine

"The third edition of *Bicycling Science* is the best book of its type since Archibald Sharpe's 1896 *Bicycles and Tricycles*. Wilson's book includes excellent updates on topics ranging from bicycle history, human power, and bicycle stability to aerodynamics and mechanics. It will become the essential reference for those who really want to understand what makes a bicycle work." --Chester Kyle, Co-founder, International Human Powered Vehicle Association

About the Author:

David Gordon Wilson was Professor of Mechanical Engineering Emeritus at MIT. An acknowledged authority on human-powered transit and bicycle design—and the self-described “father of modern recumbents”—he was also a prolific inventor and an early advocate for a “carbon fee” to encourage the use of renewable energy.

About this edition

• Publisher: The MIT Press
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0262731541
• ISBN 13: 9780262731546
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 3
• Number of pages: 485