Ice Bikes

We're Bob and Brennan, and we're into a very cool, very slick sport: ice biking! Our school holds an annual ice bike race, where the goal is to design and build the winning bike. We know we want to modify one of last year's top models by adding studs to the tires. The studs will give us traction, kind of like cleats do on shoes. Our DragonflyTV question is: How many studs should we add for maximum speed on ice?

How Would You Investigate This Question?
Think about Bob and Brennan's idea of adding studs to the ice bike's tires. Do you think this is a good modification? If so, how many studs would you add? Will too many studs "crowd" the tire, actually slowing the bike down? What other design changes might you suggest to make a bike cruise quickly and safely across an icy surface? Think about other bicycle features, like the handlebars, seat, and frame. Write your ideas in your notebook and discuss them with your classmates. Then discuss them with your teacher, watch the DragonflyTV video, or go to Ice Bike to see what Bob and Brennan did, what they learned about engineering, and finally, if their ice bike won the day!