looking for ski/bike roof rack help

Adam says:

The next biggest is the ratio of area to length (the more
laminar the flow, the less the pressure 'hole' behind the object will
be).

That's great on a fair sirface, like a foil, but the racks are not fair
(especially the crossbars!), and will tend to seperate early (really early). A
cylinder has the same drag coefficient as a foil of the same thickness, but 5
times the length.

Drag doesn't exactly quadruple as speed doubles, but is is a *very*
approximate squared rule (hence the front facing area being the
dominant factor).

Ummmmm..... Drag equals Cd * 0.5 * rho * Area * V-squared.
I don't see the disconnection. ;-)

Acksherley, there is a disconnection, but it is because of Reynolds' Number
effects. It would be very hard to have the same Cd at all speeds.

Steve "don't get me started ...."

"Monique Y. Herman" wrote

So you're saying that the less aerodynamic the car, the less the bikes
will impact mpg?

Well, sure. If you're dumb enough to be driving some overpowered,
cube-shape ****box that only gets 12 mpg to begin with, you could
probably put a half a dozen bikes on top and still get 9.5 or 10 mpg.

CC

"Chris Phillipo" wrote in message
.. .
So what is that first vehical you mentioned, the
ML320?

ML55.

"Corvus Corvax" wrote in message
om...
"Monique Y. Herman" wrote

So you're saying that the less aerodynamic the car, the less the bikes
will impact mpg?

Well, sure. If you're dumb enough to be driving some overpowered,
cube-shape ****box that only gets 12 mpg to begin with, you could
probably put a half a dozen bikes on top and still get 9.5 or 10 mpg.

ROTFLMAO.

The great unwashed masses are heard from...

Penny S wrote:
..

Anyone remember the "wasting energy" speeding tickets in Nevada?


Penny

Here in AZ is was 'misuse of a finite resource' and I was the proud
recipient of such a ticket.

Gary

Doki wrote:
Penny S wrote:
Doki ran this through spell check:
I was under the impression that the max speed limit on lots of roads
is 55. I had heard of some experiments with removal of speed limits
though.

You are behind the times and misinformed.

I do live in the UK, and have never driven in the US. The only info I
get on US speed limits is from seeing signs and people getting pulled
over in films.

While for many years the
Federal limit was 55 ( like anyone paid attention to that once you
are out in the boonies) it was raised to 65 and then 70 on the
interstates several years ago. Montana does not have a speed limit
per se, but how fast you can go before you are ticketed it totally up
to the local law enforment.

I see.

Anyone remember the "wasting energy" speeding tickets in Nevada?

That's how they introduced speed limits here. During the fuel crisis
of the 70s, speed limits were introduced on motorways and country
roads, on the grounds of saving fuel then were never removed. The
Isle of Man is an exception, and still has no speed limit outside of
town.

I just got back from England and nobody, NOBODY, drives less than 70 except
for the lorries. I had people up my butt and I was doing 90 trying to get
out of the way. But the drivers are much more curtious than drivers here.

And your steering wheel is on the wrong side of the car! g

Gary

GeeDubb wrote:
Doki wrote:

That's how they introduced speed limits here. During the fuel crisis
of the 70s, speed limits were introduced on motorways and country
roads, on the grounds of saving fuel then were never removed. The
Isle of Man is an exception, and still has no speed limit outside of
town.

I just got back from England and nobody, NOBODY, drives less than 70
except for the lorries. I had people up my butt and I was doing 90
trying to get out of the way. But the drivers are much more curtious
than drivers here.

The lorries are on 90kph (roughly 56mph) limiters .