Benchmarking rolling resistance of bicycle tyres on a laboratory treadmill

Engineering of Sport 15 - Proceedings from the 15th International Conference on the Engineering of Sport (ISEA 2024)

Tyre rolling resistance is considered to be one of the major performance determining factors for vehicles in general but bicycles specifically. In cycling, a trend to wider tyres is given in order to provide comfort to the athlete. The impact of tyre dimensions, thread pattern and tyre pressure to rolling resistance is hence subject for ongoing discussion. In this study, a selection of 15 different tyres from one manufacturer (Wilderness Trail Bikes, Marin County, USA) was examined in terms of their rolling resistance on smooth surfaces. An alternative method to the usual drum test rigs was used, a stationary laboratory treadmill, which in future can also be used to investigate rolling resistance on uneven road surfaces.