A4see Special Topics in Sports Engineering at TU Delft, The Netherlands

Within the framework of the Erasmus+ Knowledge Alliance A4SEE – Alliance for Sports Engineering Education three students of the Master’s programme Sports Technology participated in the annual A4See Special Topics in Sports Engineering Summer School.

After the 2nd semester ended for the students of the Master’s programme Sports Technology with the sports practical measurement week in Brno (Czech Republic) in the summer, there was still a highlight ahead for three students of this year. In the course of the A4see project, they went to Delft University of Technology (Netherlands) for the two-week course Special Topics in Sports Engineering, where everything revolved around bicycles.

At the beginning, the course participants from the participating universities in Delft, Sheffield, Chemnitz and Vienna were given introductory lectures and guest lectures on the topic of “Maximising Cycling Performance”. Then, in small groups (4 to 6 people), relevant parameters for self-selected bicycle-human configurations were measured in experiments, which could then be used for performance-based modelling. The aim of this was to use the model to estimate the actual lap times required for the final measurements in the track cycling stadium on the final day. Two different scenarios had to be carried out. There were hardly any limits to the creativity of the students, for example, a tandem bicycle was used or the aerodynamics were strongly influenced by attaching an umbrella to the bicycle. In the course of the two weeks, the groups were given helpful feedback by the organisers and the lecturers after short presentations of the project progress. In addition, the participants heard other lectures relevant to the topic.

The representatives from Vienna were accommodated in a mobile home at the campsite in Delft. As is usual in the Netherlands, most of the trips in the city, as well as the journey to the university, were made by bicycle. On the free weekends, students also had the opportunity to visit nearby Rotterdam. During the week, there was also the opportunity to spend time and socialise with the other participants in the evenings, either by the lake or with a drink or two in the city. On the last day, we went together by bus and the bicycles needed for the measurements to the track cycling stadium in Apeldoorn, where the models and estimates were finally validated and presented by the final measurements.

Thankfully, the costs for the course including travel to and from the venue, accommodation and a daily rate for meals were covered by Erasmus+. Further thanks go to the committed participants as well as the lecturers and all those who made this course possible. The course is an ideal opportunity for those who want to deal more intensively with the above-mentioned topics away from the classroom in Vienna and who also want to gain a valuable experience abroad, albeit a short one.