Pedal Strikes on Rollers

Recently failing with this because the rollers were too steep and abrupt, not flowy, the next logical limit is to consider pedal strikes as an option for roller peaks. A 100% strike-free roller isn’t possible because once you start to angle the bike from vertical/upright the pedal can strike the roller, especially if pedals are down. Regardless, these methods will get you close to (upright) strike-free.

There are more than a few ways to do determine the arc of the peak to make a roller strike-free. Parabolas and circles come to mind.

Using Parabolas to Get Strike Free Rollers

pedal-strike-arc-roller-max-sample

Beyond this^ of course is the easy way: build a roller, get a bike, and roll it with a crank/pedal down. Of course most of the time pedals are not down when pumping over rollers and we aren’t likely to lean much unless entering or exiting berms

chord/segment method

I like this circle or chord/segment method better.

strike-free-roller2

After riding these round rollers I have to say that although they are nice and smooth they do seem a little slower than the more peaky outcome shaping by eye that I got before I used a wood form. I feel like these strike-free rollers take more out of me or I’m out of breath faster. Not that this is evidence for being worse. How much slower are they, if at all? I don’t know. I do know I seem to get tired faster.

My next goal will be to meet in the middle of strike-free and a Brachistochrone companion roller, maybe an actual Brachistochrone curve that starts to roll on top around 60 degrees.

One thing this excise taught me is that I will certainly settle with the trouble of making wooden forms as they provide consistent rhythm and faster shaping.

strike free form (foreground) vs Brachistochrone
companion roller

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