Should I be Afraid?
By now you understand that Sports Science in general and Physical Cycling in particular make extensive use of Physics and Math. So should you be afraid of proceeding?
You might even be fearful of hearing Geena Davis’ classic line from the 1986 movie The Fly where she answered:
Fortunately, this is not the answer.
Can I understand physical cycling if I am not a physicist or a mathematician?
Few cyclists are also trained physicists and mathematicians. So if Physical Cycling is understanding cycling as they see it, the answer must be no. Elite Cyclists understand its insights without the underlying Math. So how hard is up to you, and to what degree you want to understand the math behind the insights.
These notes use math in a limited fashion to get to results. The math is there for those who are interested. But what is important are tjhe insights, not the derivations.
As pointed out before, the biggest cyclist challenge may be in learning the underlying physical terminology. However, much of it is already part of the cyclist’s lexicon, terms like speed, cadence, work, and power.
What is most important in learning?
What is the right attitude to approaching Physical Cycling? Here is a great quote from Albert Einstein:
