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On the core of the CyclingAbout Consolation Lab is vibration measurement. My purpose is to have comparable information that may clearly point out the effectiveness of various comfort-improving bikes and elements.
On this article, I’ll clarify how my strategy to testing bike vibrations has modified through the years, and the way I’m conducting my vibration checks going ahead.
Measuring Vibration Open air With A Smartphone App
Most of my vibration checks have been carried out utilizing a smartphone and a vibration-measuring app.
For entrance vibration measurement, the smartphone was mounted on my wrist, and for rear vibration measurement, the smartphone was mounted on my again.
I took the vibrations on two completely different routes and at two completely different speeds. One was a bumpy forest path (pictured above) to see how bikes and elements attenuated vibrations coming from greater hits (15 km/h). The opposite was a quick gravel street to see how bikes and elements attenuated high-frequency vibrations (35 km/h).
Like all out of doors check, it’s actually arduous to regulate the variables. My vibration outcomes had been by no means instantly comparable as a result of the routes merely yielded completely different ends in scorching, chilly, dry, or moist circumstances.
I additionally used an extended measurement period of ~10 seconds for the quick gravel street and ~60 seconds for the bumpy forest path. Consequently, the vibration ranges had been typically lowered considerably after I averaged the info.
Moreover, I used to be measuring vibrations at my wrist and again, and the human physique itself dampens numerous vibration earlier than it hits the accelerometer.
You possibly can learn extra about my out of doors vibration testing HERE.
Measuring Vibration Indoors With A Treadmill
I needed to have one thing extra scientific, so I began experimenting with a Woodway treadmill. This allowed me to higher management each the atmosphere and pace.
I mounted completely different slats on the treadmill to simulate each massive hits and high-frequency, gravel chatter. I needed to experiment with the location and frequency of those slats to realize outcomes per my bumpy forest path and quick gravel street checks.
An enormous enchancment right here was utilizing a devoted accelerometer. With assist from the developer of Vibration Evaluation, I used to be in a position to configure the Arduino Nano BLE 33 precisely for my wants. I may additionally acquire very detailed information, the truth is, this was 5 to 10 occasions extra information than my smartphone may acquire (the measurement frequency was now 500 Hz).
I took measurements each beneath the saddle and beneath the brake hoods. At these areas, I may exclude the damping impact of the physique.
However the treadmill was removed from good. Attempting to make a motorcycle journey by itself on the treadmill was a chore. Additionally, determining learn how to obtain practical weight distribution for the rider proved to be very difficult. In the end, this system introduced just a few too many challenges.
You possibly can learn extra about my treadmill vibration testing HERE.
Measuring Vibration Open air With Constant Outcomes
Going ahead, I shall be conducting vibration checks that mix components from the out of doors and treadmill checks.
I’m utilizing the identical Arduino Nano BLE 33 accelerometer as my treadmill check. It’s mounted beneath the brake hoods (entrance of the bike) and beneath the saddle (again of the bike).
I’ll once more be utilizing my benchmark bike as a degree of comparability between completely different bikes and elements.
My Rene Herse Umtanum Ridge 650B x 55 mm tires shall be inflated to a quite excessive 45 PSI air strain. This excessive strain ensures the tires should not impacting the vibration outcomes an excessive amount of.
And if I’m utilizing tires of various widths I’ll calculate the suitable tire strain utilizing Laplace’s regulation. This enables me to take care of the identical tire casing rigidity for all checks. You possibly can learn a bit extra about how I take advantage of Laplace’s Legislation HERE.
To find out how a motorcycle or element handles greater hits, I’m laying a single picket block that’s 50mm lengthy and 30mm excessive on a easy, flat asphalt street. I run over it on the pace of 25 km/h after which can measure one very clear bump occasion.
To find out how a motorcycle or element handles quick gravel roads, I’m utilizing an impediment nearly 300cm/118″ lengthy with numerous completely different picket slats mounted at random (as gravel is random when it comes to bump frequency). I run over this impediment at a pace of 25 km/h. The bump frequency is excessive sufficient to correctly simulate the high-frequency chatter of a gravel street.
This 300cm check will also be thought of an general efficiency check as a result of it additionally comprises two greater hits – at the start and on the finish (when using on and off the impediment).
I conduct precisely 9 check runs in every situation. I exclude the 2 highest and two lowest measurements to make sure that slight pace fluctuations should not impacting the ends in any important method. I then calculate the common vibrations of the 5 remaining check runs.
Abstract
My newest strategy to vibration testing yields outcomes per my out of doors consolation checks. However this time, the outcomes are repeatable – irrespective of the climate circumstances.
In contrast to the treadmill check, I’m really on the bike and transferring at typical gravel biking speeds (25 km/h) so the vibration measurements are even nearer to real-life situations.
And with the high-resolution vibration information being measured on the brake hoods and saddle, we take out the damping impact of the human physique. This may hopefully spotlight greater consolation variations between bikes and elements.
If in case you have any questions on how I conduct my checks, be happy to ask within the feedback part beneath.
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