SOLUTION: A cyclist travels 96km in 4 hours going against the wind and 72km in 2 hours with the wind. What is the rate of the cyclist in still air and what is the rate of the wind?

Question 270050: A cyclist travels 96km in 4 hours going against the wind and 72km in 2 hours with the wind. What is the rate of the cyclist in still air and what is the rate of the wind?
Answer by Alan3354(69443) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
The rate of the cyclist is 24 km/hr, and then 18 km/hr.
The rate of cycling is not directly dependent on the wind.
The "rate of the wind", called windspeed, cannot be determined.
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Have you ridden a bicycle? The windspeed has very little effect on the cycling speed. Most of the limitation to speed is the friction between the rubber tires and the surface, with some friction added by the moving parts of the bicycle. Even a slight up or downgrade has a noticeable effect on the max speed.
The calculation of drag due to relative wind is complex and is not linear. It's 2nd order, and the density of the air must be considered.

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