Nakrotor

Air Resistance and Drafting in Bicycling and Running The reason drafting, or riding behind another rider, is common in bicycle but not running races results from the physics of air resistance. In the Tour de France, or any other major bicycle race, riders will often deliberately ride close behind another rider. This practice, called drafting, is designed to save energy. By letting the front rider take care of the air resistance, the back rider can rest a bit. However in the Boston Marathon, other major marathons, or other running races, the runners don’t draft each other to save energy by blocking air resistance. Air resistance is more of a problem for bicycle riders than runners. Why? Physics of Air Resistance Simplified The physics of air resistance is quite complex. For the mathematically unintimidated, details can be found in Analytical Mechanics by Fowles, G.R. and Cassiday, G.L. (2005, Thomson Brooks/Cole). I provide only a conceptual overview here. In the equations describing ...