How efficient are bikes?

[Nick Atherley]

I had an argument at work with a colleague today about the efficiency of bikes. I said it was in
the high 90% mark, he said no way. I am sure I am right though, anyone seen any sites that proves
that I am right?

TIA

Nick.

 

[Dougal \]

Nick Atherley's a lumberjack and he's ok, whilst pressing wild flowers wrote:
> I had an argument at work with a colleague today about the efficiency of bikes. I said it was in
> the high 90% mark, he said no way. I am sure I am right though, anyone seen any sites that proves
> that I am right?
>
>
> TIA
>
> Nick.

err the bike is very efficient, but the rider, hmmm thats a different story!

 

[Bill Wheeler]

On Fri, 24 Jan 2003 22:34:20 -0000, "Nick Atherley" <[email protected]> wrote:

>I had an argument at work with a colleague today about the efficiency of bikes. I said it was in
>the high 90% mark, he said no way. I am sure I am right though, anyone seen any sites that proves
>that I am right?
>
>
>TIA
>
>Nick.
>
I once heard that the most efficient form/use of energy is a man on a bike, or woman.....no idea if
it's true.

Peace, Bill The mind serves properly as a window glass rather than as a reflector, that is, the mind
should give an immediate view instead of an interpretation of the world.
:-]

 

[Stephen Baker]

Bill says:

>I once heard that the most efficient form/use of energy is a man on a bike, or woman.....no idea if
>it's true.

I don't know if a man on a woman is the most _efficient_ use of energy, but it sure is fun! ;->

Steve

 

[Mark Hickey]

"Nick Atherley" <[email protected]> wrote:

>I had an argument at work with a colleague today about the efficiency of bikes. I said it was in
>the high 90% mark, he said no way. I am sure I am right though, anyone seen any sites that proves
>that I am right?

Well, I figure it must be about 250% efficient. I run about 10mph, but bike about 25mph.

Mark Hickey Habanero Cycles http://www.habcycles.com Home of the $695 ti frame

 

[Tj]

I saw a study once. Once!.......dynamic power transfer from pedal to wheel is about %98-99
efficient. A rider can go ( roughly) 3 times further than on foot on the same amount of calories.
I.E for the math challenged like
me: 1 mi on foot about 250 calories = 3 mi on bike about 250 calories So I would say that a bike
increases the efficiency of locomotion by about %300. Up hill it decreases. Down hill it
increases exponetially

TJ takes off his dirty lab coat.

"Nick Atherley" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I had an argument at work with a colleague today about the efficiency of bikes. I said it was in
> the high 90% mark, he said no way. I am sure I am right though, anyone seen any sites that proves
> that I am right?
>
>
> TIA
>
> Nick.

 

[Jd]

"Nick Atherley" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> I had an argument at work with a colleague today about the efficiency of bikes. I said it was in
> the high 90% mark, he said no way. I am sure I am right though, anyone seen any sites that proves
> that I am right?

It depends on who is riding it. Now if you have a lameo sidewalk rider like duhski, frightpig or
jpuddinhead, it's not efficient unless you count running over inocent pedestrians due to lack of
rudimentary bike handling skills.

JD

 

[Dave]

"JD" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> "Nick Atherley" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> > I had an argument at work with a colleague today about the efficiency of bikes. I said it was in
> > the high 90% mark, he said no way. I am sure I
am
> > right though, anyone seen any sites that proves that I am right?
>
> It depends on who is riding it. Now if you have a lameo sidewalk rider like duhski, frightpig or
> jpuddinhead, it's not efficient unless you count running over inocent pedestrians due to lack of
> rudimentary bike handling skills.

it's INNOCENT you stupid ****. And I wish you'd come stand on my sidewalk and let me give it a go
like you described....
>
> JustaDICK

 

[scottieski]

>It depends on who is riding it. Now if you have a lameo sidewalk rider like duhski, frightpig or
>jpuddinhead, it's not efficient unless you count running over inocent pedestrians due to lack of
>rudimentary bike handling skills.

>JD

I've heard that having a pony tail significantly reduces efficiency too.

 

[Westie]

"TJ" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> I saw a study once. Once!.......dynamic power transfer from pedal to wheel is about %98-99
> efficient. A rider can go ( roughly) 3 times further than on foot on the same amount of calories.
> I.E for the math challenged like
> me: 1 mi on foot about 250 calories = 3 mi on bike about 250 calories So
I
> would say that a bike increases the efficiency of locomotion by about
%300.
> Up hill it decreases. Down hill it increases exponetially

So let me get this right? If I can find a steep enough hill thereby increasing my locomotion
exponentially, I can travel at the speed of light? Or, (lowers voice to a quiet and awestruck tone)
Even... faster...????

Westie

 

[ØYvind RøTvold]

[email protected] (Stephen Baker) writes:

> Bill says:
>
> >I once heard that the most efficient form/use of energy is a man on a bike, or woman.....no idea
> >if it's true.
>
> I don't know if a man on a woman is the most _efficient_ use of energy, but it sure is fun! ;->

And so is biking...

--
Øyvind Røtvold ._ @ http://www.darkside.no/olr/index.html / //\. ... sciare necesse est ... \>> | \\

 

[John Morgan]

> > It depends on who is riding it. Now if you have a lameo sidewalk rider like duhski, frightpig or
> > jpuddinhead, it's not efficient unless you count running over inocent pedestrians due to lack of
> > rudimentary bike handling skills.
>
> it's INNOCENT you stupid ****. And I wish you'd come stand on my sidewalk and let me give it a go
> like you described....

*ploink

 

[Jd]

"Doof" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> "JD" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> > "Nick Atherley" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:<[email protected]>...
> > > I had an argument at work with a colleague today about the efficiency of bikes. I said it was
> > > in the high 90% mark, he said no way. I am sure I
> am
> > > right though, anyone seen any sites that proves that I am right?
> >
> > It depends on who is riding it. Now if you have a lameo sidewalk rider like duhski, frightpig or
> > jpuddinhead, it's not efficient unless you count running over inocent pedestrians due to lack of
> > rudimentary bike handling skills.
>
> it's INNOCENT you stupid ****.

That's a laugh, *you* correcting my grammar, doof.

> And I wish you'd come stand on my sidewalk and let me give it a go like you > described....

Another cheap threat from a cheap *******. What a grand surprise! I might be scared if you hady any
bicycling skills, but the only way you could hit what you wanted to would be blind fool luck.

JD

 

[Stu]

if you happen to have a copy of scientific american handy from march 1973 that is there is a nice
article in there about bikes doesn't give a figure for efficiency. it just says "remarkably
efficient machine both structurally and mechanically" goes on to say that a man walking burns about
.75 calorie per gram per kilometre on a bike a man burns about .15 calorie per gram per kilometre
which make him the most efficient from of travel, it terms of energy consumed in moving a certain
distance as a function of body weight next best on the graph is salmon at .4 cal per g per km jet
about .6 cars about .8 and the poor old lemming about 40. l guess the jets and cars may have got a
little closer since 1973 but not much(mostly they just got bigger) hope this helps

 

[crazy6r54]

Take it easy Ski I got a ponytail but it is braided.

Fire up MTB 03

 

[Gabrielle]

On Fri, 24 Jan 2003 20:30:34 -0800, TJ wrote:

> I saw a study once. Once!.......dynamic power transfer from pedal to wheel is about %98-99
> efficient. A rider can go ( roughly) 3 times further than on foot on the same amount of calories.
> I.E for the math challenged like me: 1 mi on foot about 250 calories = 3 mi on bike about 250
> calories

****, and here I was doing this for the weight loss potential.

gabrielle

 

[Tj]

Sure you could. You would probably have to remove any kind of friction as to not burn up. If the
pull of gravity is great enough you could transcend time.

"Westie" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
>
> "TJ" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> > I saw a study once. Once!.......dynamic power transfer from pedal to
wheel
> > is about %98-99 efficient. A rider can go ( roughly) 3 times further
than
> > on foot on the same amount of calories. I.E for the math challenged
like
> > me: 1 mi on foot about 250 calories = 3 mi on bike about 250 calories
So
> I
> > would say that a bike increases the efficiency of locomotion by about
> %300.
> > Up hill it decreases. Down hill it increases exponetially
>
> So let me get this right? If I can find a steep enough hill thereby increasing my locomotion
> exponentially, I can travel at the speed of light? Or, (lowers voice to a quiet and awestruck
> tone) Even... faster...????
>
> Westie

 

[Jonathan Bond]

Westie wrote:
> "TJ" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
>
>>I saw a study once. Once!.......dynamic power transfer from pedal to wheel is about %98-99
>>efficient. A rider can go ( roughly) 3 times further than on foot on the same amount of calories.
>>I.E for the math challenged like
>>me: 1 mi on foot about 250 calories = 3 mi on bike about 250 calories So
>
> I
>
>>would say that a bike increases the efficiency of locomotion by about
>
> %300.
>
>>Up hill it decreases. Down hill it increases exponetially
>
>
> So let me get this right? If I can find a steep enough hill thereby increasing my locomotion
> exponentially, I can travel at the speed of light? Or, (lowers voice to a quiet and awestruck
> tone) Even... faster...????
>
> Westie

As long as there's a black hole at the bottom, that should accelerate you nicely!

Jon "Commander" Bond

 

[Mike Vandeman]

On Sat, 25 Jan 2003 08:56:23 -0800, gabrielle <[email protected]> wrote:

.On Fri, 24 Jan 2003 20:30:34 -0800, TJ wrote: . .> I saw a study once. Once!.......dynamic power
transfer from pedal to .> wheel is about %98-99 efficient. A rider can go ( roughly) 3 times .>
further than on foot on the same amount of calories. I.E for the math .> challenged like me: 1 mi on
foot about 250 calories = 3 mi on bike .> about 250 calories

That only applies to road bikes. Mountain bikes have too much rolling resistance.
===
I am working on creating wildlife habitat that is off-limits to humans ("pure habitat"). Want to
help? (I spent the previous 8 years fighting auto dependence and road construction.)

http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande

 

[Lightweight]

"TJ" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Sure you could. You would probably have to remove any kind of friction as to not burn up. If the
> pull of gravity is great enough you could
transcend
> time.
>
>
But, only on a JEEP mountain bike.