On Sun, May 22, 2011 at 5:18 AM, V G wrote: > Just a thought. > > I wonder if there's an easy way to calculate the power output of a human > pedaling on a bicycle. The only idea that comes to mind is some sort of > method to sense the torque applied to the wheels, and then calculate the > power output from there using classical mechanics. How would one go about > sensing the applied torque though? The ideas I'm currently thinking of do= n't > seem practical for installation in a normal bicycle - such as a pressure > sensor at some point =A0along the radius of the hub, sensing the arc pres= sure > and calling that "force at radius" (torque). > > Or - how about pressure sensors on the pedals? The applied pedaling force= is > directly related to the torque. Human power output can be calculated from > there. But then there's the issue of bogus pressure applied by the body > which doesn't actually go into doing any work (for example, when standing= on > the pedals). > > Any other ideas? The traditional way to measure power is a steep hill and a stopwatch. If the hill is steep enough, aerodynamics aren't relevant. Increase in potential energy is elevation gain * mass. Divide by time to get average power. Regards, Mark markrages@gmail --=20 Mark Rages, Engineer Midwest Telecine LLC markrages@midwesttelecine.com --=20 http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist .