Cycling speeds in crosswinds

Using a large-scale wind tunnel equipped with an aerodynamic balance mounted on a rotating turntable, we first study the aerodynamic force exerted on a cyclist in time trial position from head to tailwind limits. A theoretical model for the aerodynamic force is developed to show the origin of the different experimental features. The theoretical analysis is then extended to the power dissipated in crosswinds and it is shown that the expression commonly used in the literature only holds in the pure head and tailwind limits but must be corrected in the general case of a crosswind. A new analytical expression for the total aerodynamic power is derived and used to determine the cycling speed in arbitrary crosswind conditions.