title: The influence of tyre characteristics on measures of rolling performance during cross-country mountain biking.
abstract: This investigation sets out to assess the effect of five different models of mountain bike tyre on rolling performance over hard-pack mud. Independent characteristics included total weight, volume, tread surface area and tread depth. One male cyclist performed multiple (30) trials of a deceleration field test to assess reliability. Further tests performed on a separate occasion included multiple (15) trials of the deceleration test and six fixed power output hill climb tests for each tyre. The deceleration test proved to be reliable as a means of assessing rolling performance via differences in initial and final speed (coefficient of variation (CV) = 4.52%). Overall differences between tyre performance for both deceleration test (P = 0.014) and hill climb (P = 0.032) were found, enabling significant (P < 0.0001 and P = 0.049) models to be generated, allowing tyre performance prediction based on tyre characteristics. The ideal tyre for rolling and climbing performance on hard-pack surfaces would be to decrease tyre weight by way of reductions in tread surface area and tread depth while keeping volume high.
authors: a School of Sport & Exercise , Massey University , Palmerston North , New Zealand.
authors: Paul William
authors: PW
authors: Macdermid
authors: Philip W
authors: PW
authors: Fink
authors: Stephen R
authors: SR
authors: Stannard
mesh_terms: D000054:Acceleration; D000328:Adult; D054874:Athletic Performance; D001642:Bicycling; D003654:Deceleration; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012044:Regression Analysis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D019876:Sports Equipment; D013499:Surface Properties
keywords: field testing; mountain biking; performance; rolling resistance; tyres