Slow Bicycle Race Competition
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New Hampshire
Science and Engineering Exposition
Objective:
To ride a two-wheeled vehicle over a fixed course in the longest interval of time.
Purpose:
To encourage research and development prior to the contest.
Means:
Teams of students will have to determine how to ride a two-wheeled vehicle over a fixed course for the longest
interval of time. This event allows students a chance to behave as real world scientists do when faced with a
problem that has to be solved.
Besides learning how to be part of a team, each student will essentially follow scientific method when seeking the
answer to the question of how to achieve the objective. By the time the team comes to the Expo, it will have learned
through trial and error how to modify a bicycle that remains on the course for the longest possible time. This
advanced preparation will be demonstrated at the competition when the student presents the best effort.
Rules:
1. This competition is open to all schools with a maximum of four teams per school and a maximum of three
students per team. Each bicycle may be submitted by only one team and each team may submit only one
bicycle.
2. Each team will designate one and only one bicycle rider.
3. Each team will provide its own bicycle which must meet the following specifications:
a. It must have two rubber-tired pneumatic wheels in ground contact, which are coplanar in the plane of the
frame when traveling in a normal fashion.
b. Tire prints of the bicycle will not exceed 8 cm in width and 20 cm in length when the student is on the bicycle.
c. Minimum wheel radius must be 15 cm.
d. No part of the bicycle except the above mentioned tires may touch the course.
e. The bicycle may have more than one forward speed, and may have a coaster brake activated by back
pedaling, but may not have any caliper brakes. Caliper brakes must be disconnected during the competition.
f. The bicycle may be modified in any way to enhance its ability to
accomplish the task, so long as the above requirements are adhered to when preparing the bike for the
event. However, the maximum length shall be 3.0 meters.
4. The course will be level, 0.75 meters wide and no more than 20 meters long.
5. The bicycle must maintain forward motion at all times. Forward motion will be provided only by the muscles of
the rider.
6. No part of the competitor’s body may touch the ground.
7. The bicycles must remain within the boundaries of the course.
8. Each team is to provide a poster board that displays title and objective at the top, and
will include the following content:
a. The logic used in initial planning to get the longest time interval and select the type of bicycle. Discussion of
the principles of science involved in this project.
b. What was learned from trial and error.
c. Whether trial and error affected the final structure of the bicycle.
d. Whether trial and error affected the final riding technique.
e. Prediction for the time it will take to ride the course
Competition:
1. Each entry will be inspected for qualification.
2. Once qualified, the rider will start the front wheel of the bicycle behind the starting line. Motion will commence
upon a signal from a judge.
3. Timing of the event will begin the instant the first wheel crosses the starting line and will last until the wheel
crosses the finish line.
4. Two attempts to complete the course will be permitted. Judges may allow one trial run.
5. An attempt will be terminated without a score if, in the opinion of the judges:
a. The bicycle has ceased forward motion.
b. Any part of the rider’s body or clothing, or any part of the bicycle other than the tires comes into contact with
the ground.
c. Either tire of the bicycle goes outside the boundary markers of the course.
Scoring of Competition:
(The maximum score for the competition is 70 points)
1. Time of each run will be recorded.
2. The entrant with the longest time to complete the course will receive 70 Points.
3. Individual scores will be determined:
Your score = Your Recorded Time × 70
Winner’s Recorded Time
Scoring of Poster Board and interview:
(The maximum score is 30 point and requires the following)
1. The poster shows Title and Objective at the top.
2. All five components required for the poster board were presented.
3. The display was neat, organized, and appealing.
4. The team made a compelling case for their prediction of how well they would do
.
5. The team was able to point out any newly discovered flaws in their original plan and to offer suggestions on
how these flaws might be overcome.
Overall Scoring of the Event:
(The maximum score possible for this event is 100 points)
1. The overall score will be based on the sum of the points earned by a team during the competition and the
poster board judging.
Revised March 1, 3007
