Objective
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to apply math concepts to real-life scenarios related to mountain bike riding.
Materials and Prep
- Pencil and paper
- Calculator (optional)
- Basic knowledge of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division
Activities
- Activity 1: Gear Ratios
Calculate the gear ratio of your bike by dividing the number of teeth on the front chainring by the number of teeth on the rear cog. How does this ratio affect your pedaling efficiency? - Activity 2: Speed and Time
Measure the distance of your favorite trail and time yourself riding it. Calculate your average speed. Can you improve your time by increasing your speed? - Activity 3: Elevation Gain
Research the elevation gain of a challenging mountain biking trail. Calculate the total amount of work done when climbing that trail in joules. How does this compare to riding on flat terrain?
Talking Points
- Gear Ratios: "Gear ratios help us understand how easily we can pedal our bikes. A higher gear ratio means more distance covered with each pedal rotation."
- Speed and Time: "Speed is how fast we are going, and time tells us how long it takes to cover a distance. By calculating our speed, we can see how efficiently we are riding."
- Elevation Gain: "When we climb a steep trail, we are working against gravity. Calculating the elevation gain helps us understand the energy required to conquer that trail."