Everyone knows it, everyone hates it. As soon as you approach a bend, the bike turns into a stubborn beast that seems to want to shake you off. The reason is braking bumps. Nasty, washboard-like ruts that lurk on both natural and man-made trails. But how exactly do they occur? And how can they be avoided? This is what the University of Innsbruck with a large-scale research project. "Braking waves disrupt the flow, but they also accelerate erosion. That's why we want to investigate the causes in detail. What influence does driving style have? What is the optimum compaction of the soil to avoid braking waves? The Results We want to make them freely available," says Liz Zimmer, who is involved in the project. With the help of a test carousel (pictured above), the influence of air pressures, tyre profiles and various braking methods are being experimented with.
Laurin Lehner
Editor
