Citation

Macdermid PW, Fink PW, Stannard SR. J. Sports Sci. 2015; 33(3): 277-285.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/02640414.2014.942682

PMID

unavailable

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 (PP=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.

Language: en