P4_6 What a Drag!

Abstract

Transporting bicycles via a roof rack can often be convenient and easy, especially if you have a small car or do not wish to modify the car's frame. However, this method is also thought to be the least fuel efficient due to the extra drag that the bikes create. Our analysis of the extra fuel per mile needed to transport two bikes via a roof rack for both petrol and diesel vehicles showed that there is a strong dependence on the speed at which the vehicles are travelling.