Cycling Equipment · Public discussion

spider-web aerodynamics

Email address hidden · 2006-06-20T23:35:35+00:00

It's too hot at 100F for much of the wildlife that normally entertains me on my daily ride up the Arkansas River, apart from some quail that look even more confused than normal. But yesterday I noticed something odd in the natural world. When I turned and put the sun behind me, the light caught a single-strand spider-web running from my speedometer to my left brake hood. It survived the entire 15 mile ride, top speed 40.5 mph. Like everyone else, I know that a spider-web is immensely strong, but I'm still wondering if I should be surprised that it stood up to sustained winds over 35 mph on three descents. Webs are strong enough to catch insects, but they rely on numerous strands, not just one. The strand was finer (I think) than a human hair, which reduces wind drag considerably, but it was also about 8 inches long and laid sideways across the windstream, which should have increased wind drag quite a bit. While not as strong as the thicker human hair (which easily stands up to such breezes), the web strand was still strong enough not to snap in two in 40mph wind. I suppose what surprised me was that neither end broke loose, when the attachment points were so tiny. We all know that the silk itself is strong, but now I want to know just how good the glue at the end is. Maybe researchers should be trying to duplicate web-glue to replace tublar-tire cement instead of trying to use web-strands to replace silk and kevlar. Time to head out, having foolishly waited until the news announced that it's 103F this evening. I'm curious to see if the web is still there. Carl Fogel

Started by Email address hidden · 20 June 2006 · Last activity 21 June 2006 · 5 posts · 504 views

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Original section: Cycling Equipment
Published: 20 June 2006
Last activity: 21 June 2006
Original author: Email address hidden
Posts: 5
Discussion status: Public discussion
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Original post
Email address hidden
Archived post

20 June 2006, 23:35 UTC #1

It's too hot at 100F for much of the wildlife that normally entertains
me on my daily ride up the Arkansas River, apart from some quail that
look even more confused than normal.
But yesterday I noticed something odd in the natural world. When I
turned and put the sun behind me, the light caught a single-strand
spider-web running from my speedometer to my left brake hood.
It survived the entire 15 mile ride, top speed 40.5 mph.
Like everyone else, I know that a spider-web is immensely strong, but
I'm still wondering if I should be surprised that it stood up to
sustained winds over 35 mph on three descents.
Webs are strong enough to catch insects, but they rely on numerous
strands, not just one.
The strand was finer (I think) than a human hair, which reduces wind
drag considerably, but it was also about 8 inches long and laid
sideways across the windstream, which should have increased wind drag
quite a bit.
While not as strong as the thicker human hair (which easily stands up
to such breezes), the web strand was still strong enough not to snap
in two in 40mph wind.
I suppose what surprised me was that neither end broke loose, when the
attachment points were so tiny.
We all know that the silk itself is strong, but now I want to know
just how good the glue at the end is. Maybe researchers should be
trying to duplicate web-glue to replace tublar-tire cement instead of
trying to use web-strands to replace silk and kevlar.
Time to head out, having foolishly waited until the news announced
that it's 103F this evening. I'm curious to see if the web is still
there.
Carl Fogel

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Leo Lichtman
Archived post

21 June 2006, 00:51 UTC #2

<[email hidden]> wrote: (clip) The strand was finer (I think) than a
human hair, which reduces wind drag considerably, but it was also about 8
inches long and laid sideways across the windstream, which should have
increased wind drag quite a bit. (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
And you didn't notice any effect on your riding speed or pedaling effort?

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Email address hidden
Archived post

21 June 2006, 01:48 UTC #3

Leo Lichtman said:

<[email hidden]> wrote: (clip) The strand was finer (I think) than a
human hair, which reduces wind drag considerably, but it was also about 8
inches long and laid sideways across the windstream, which should have
increased wind drag quite a bit. (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
And you didn't notice any effect on your riding speed or pedaling effort?
Dear Leo,
Not even a Schwinn cyclocomputer reading in thousandths of a mile
revealed the effect.
But half an hour ago I noticed that the strand of spider web had
affected a small midge or nymph, which was dangling at the end of an
invisible tether in a 20 mph breeze, having collided with my single
strand of spider web.
(Possibly another example of a carbon part failing catastropihically
instead of bending? Are spider-webs made of carbon?)
Anyway, I assume that the luckless insect smacked into the middle of
the strand and that the tremendous impact (on a spider-web scale) tore
the leading end off my brake hood, dissipating enough energy in the
procees that the end on my speedometer held.
I pondered the midge or nymph's fate for about a mile, wondering if I
should try to free it, but I couldn't even see the strand of spider
web and realized that I couldn't possibly pull the insect free of the
sticky strand, so I finally just brushed it off.
I thought that the guy-lines, so to speak, weren't sticky and that a
special fuzzy web was used to turn them into a trap, but evidently
this single strand was sticky enough enough to hold a tiny insect
helpless in a considerable wind.
Cheers,
Carl Fogel

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Dave Larrington
Archived post

21 June 2006, 10:12 UTC #4

In article <[email hidden]>,
() said:
Like everyone else, I know that a spider-web is immensely strong, but
I'm still wondering if I should be surprised that it stood up to
sustained winds over 35 mph on three descents.

[...]
Quoted message said:
I suppose what surprised me was that neither end broke loose, when the
attachment points were so tiny.
The area behind the glass on motorcar door mirrors make excellent
nesting places for spiders, who will build their webs 'twixt mirror and
door. These seem capable of staying in place at speeds of up to, er,
rather more than is legally permitted by Her Majesty's Government...
--
Dave Larrington - <http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/>
My other motto is in Latin.

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Skippy
Archived post

21 June 2006, 19:05 UTC #5

[edit]
Quoted message said:

But half an hour ago I noticed that the strand of spider web had
affected a small midge or nymph, which was dangling at the end of an
invisible tether in a 20 mph breeze, having collided with my single
strand of spider web.
(Possibly another example of a carbon part failing catastropihically
instead of bending? Are spider-webs made of carbon?)
[edit]
Quoted message said:
Cheers,
Carl Fogel
I think spider silk is a protein, so a polymer. More ductile than a carbon
fibre i think too.
I'm sure the spider had installed the web without regard to the important
warnings contained within the manual. Not a hope of getting it repaired
under warranty.
Skippy
E&OE

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