Fabric testing for cycling skinsuits

Abstract

Improvement in aerodynamic performance for high performance sports is critical, and the focus on materials and apparel has increased significantly over the last decade. Wind tunnel testing has been carried out on four cycling fabrics stretched over three cylinders of different diameter, and placed in the streamwise and spanwise orientations to determine their aerodynamic performance at speeds from 45kph to 80kph. There was no significant difference in drag coefficient between the materials in the streamwise orientation, but in the spanwise orientation the choice of material and seam placement was dependent on the speed. The drag coefficient uncertainty was 3%.