….Most effective body position for tailwind

General cycling advice ( NOT technical ! )
Mike Sales
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Re: ….Most effective body position for tailwind

Post by Mike Sales »

If you watched the Americas Cup you would have seen the boats 'sailing' much faster than the natural windspeed.
If anybody is interested in this question there is a lengthy discussion on a yachting forum here.

https://forums.ybw.com/index.php?thread ... nd.244200/
It's the same the whole world over
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Isn't it a blooming shame?
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: ….Most effective body position for tailwind

Post by [XAP]Bob »

simonhill wrote: 14 Jun 2021, 7:29am
Jdsk wrote: 13 Jun 2021, 10:15pm
Postboxer wrote: 13 Jun 2021, 10:09pm Coincidentally I was watching a YouTube video earlier of a vehicle capable of travelling directly downwind, faster than the wind. Skipped most of it, just looking for the theory of why it might work and whether or not it did work.
I'm interested... but did it only use aerofoils?

Jonathan
If you watched the Americas Cup you would have seen the boats 'sailing' much faster than the natural windspeed.
Easily, but never straight downwind. They were always moving with some lateral component, and when you do that you can easily have a downwind component faster than the actual wind. The trick here is to go straight downwind faster than the wind (although you could easily argue that the fan is just a way of generating a crosswind component for part of the vehicle).
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
Jdsk
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Re: ….Most effective body position for tailwind

Post by Jdsk »

[XAP]Bob wrote: 14 Jun 2021, 7:54am
simonhill wrote: 14 Jun 2021, 7:29am
Jdsk wrote: 13 Jun 2021, 10:15pm I'm interested... but did it only use aerofoils?
If you watched the Americas Cup you would have seen the boats 'sailing' much faster than the natural windspeed.
Easily, but never straight downwind. They were always moving with some lateral component, and when you do that you can easily have a downwind component faster than the actual wind. The trick here is to go straight downwind faster than the wind (although you could easily argue that the fan is just a way of generating a crosswind component for part of the vehicle).
... which is why I asked the way I did!

; - )
[XAP]Bob wrote: 14 Jun 2021, 12:13am It’s this one
Thank you

Jonathan
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freiston
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Re: ….Most effective body position for tailwind

Post by freiston »

I remember as a kid, there was a particular road on the way home from school that sometimes funnelled the wind so that we had a very strong tailwind. On our bikes, we would unzip our parka or snorkel coats, sit upright and hold the corners out and sail "no handed" down the road. I don't think I have the nerve or the balance to try that now.
Disclaimer: Treat what I say with caution and if possible, wait for someone with more knowledge and experience to contribute. ;)
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531colin
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Re: ….Most effective body position for tailwind

Post by 531colin »

freiston wrote: 14 Jun 2021, 11:35am I remember as a kid, there was a particular road on the way home from school that sometimes funnelled the wind so that we had a very strong tailwind. On our bikes, we would unzip our parka or snorkel coats, sit upright and hold the corners out and sail "no handed" down the road. I don't think I have the nerve or the balance to try that now.
you know you want to......
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freiston
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Location: Coventry

Re: ….Most effective body position for tailwind

Post by freiston »

531colin wrote: 14 Jun 2021, 5:45pm
freiston wrote: 14 Jun 2021, 11:35am I remember as a kid, there was a particular road on the way home from school that sometimes funnelled the wind so that we had a very strong tailwind. On our bikes, we would unzip our parka or snorkel coats, sit upright and hold the corners out and sail "no handed" down the road. I don't think I have the nerve or the balance to try that now.
you know you want to......
:D A couple of weeks ago, returning home on my folding bike, the local kids playing in the street shouted out something on the lines of "Oi mister, do a wheelie", so I obliged. I didn't get very far before the back wheel was further forward than the front wheel but I had been wanting to do that for ages too.
Disclaimer: Treat what I say with caution and if possible, wait for someone with more knowledge and experience to contribute. ;)
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Tinnishill
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Re: ….Most effective body position for tailwind

Post by Tinnishill »

In the Netherlands, 30 odd years ago, I was in a particularly windy open area when I saw a lad going down wind. He was sitting bolt upright with both hands in his coat pockets and holding his arms out as wide as possible. Going like a train.
Agitate, educate, organise.
Mike Sales
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Re: ….Most effective body position for tailwind

Post by Mike Sales »

Tinnishill wrote: 16 Jun 2021, 10:05am In the Netherlands, 30 odd years ago, I was in a particularly windy open area when I saw a lad going down wind. He was sitting bolt upright with both hands in his coat pockets and holding his arms out as wide as possible. Going like a train.
As ever with bikes, the idea has been taken further.

bike kite.jpg
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bike kite.jpg
bike kite.jpg (7.54 KiB) Viewed 461 times
More here.https://www.google.com/search?q=bicycle ... o1il_9NjpM
It's the same the whole world over
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Isn't it a blooming shame?
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