Shadowing Practice: How Tire Rolling Resistance Affects Cycling Speed ? - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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What is rolling resistance and why should you think about it on the bike?
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Rolling resistance is, quite simply, the energy that is lost as a tyre rolls along a surface.
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The energy is mostly lost because of the constant deformation of that tyre against the surface.
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Now, whilst paying attention to rolling resistance is important, it's not actually the biggest resistance factor when it comes to cycling fast.
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Air resistance rises in a squared ratio with increased speed.
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At a speed of 20 kilometers an hour on a level ground, air resistance has already become the main resistance force.
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And the faster you go, the more air resistance increases exponentially.
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So before even thinking about rolling resistance, get aero.
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Acceleration energy is also expended, for instance, the weight of the wheels is of great importance when this mass has to be brought up to rotation.
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Then when riding uphill, the main resistance force to be overcome is the gradient resistance.
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This is basically the additional resistance added by fighting gravity.
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And in addition to these, there are other friction resistances in the chain, the bottom bracket, and other rotating parts.
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Now, in a well-serviced bicycle, these represent a very minor part of the total resistance.
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So, should you just ignore rolling resistance then?
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Well, no. Because improving your rolling resistance may be the cheapest
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and easiest upgrade you can make to your bike to go faster.
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You can improve all the others by getting aero, by getting a good bike fit and spending the time getting used to it, by getting aerodynamic and light frame,
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by getting some aerodynamic race wheels, and even by upgrading the bearings to maybe ceramic bearings.
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But you can get big gains simply by upgrading your tires and improving your rolling resistance.
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And of course, pumping those tires to the right pressure.
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It's pretty simple.
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A tire with a higher rolling resistance will require more power
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to attain the same speed than a tire with a lower rolling resistance, will require less power.
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So what factors affect the tyres rolling resistance?
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Tyre pressure.
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On a completely smooth surface the following applies.
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The higher the inflation pressure the less the tyre deforms and thus the lower the rolling resistance.
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However on an imperfect surface which we are always riding on lower inflation pressures cause the opposite, lower rolling resistance.
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Imperfections in the road on a very hard tyre will cause bouncing and skipping and increased resistance, not to mention the toll that takes on the rider in terms of fatigue.
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Whereas a tyre with low inflation pressure can adapt better to the rugged surface.
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It sinks into the ground less and absorbs imperfections rather than pushing against them and bouncing off them.
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And so with a softer tyre the whole rotational mass is held back much less on the uneven surface.
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Tire width.
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At the same tyre pressure on a smooth surface a wider tyre will have lower rolling resistance than a narrower tyre.
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This is essentially because a wider tyre with the same pressure actually has an effect of higher pressure
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because a wider tyre with a higher air volume will have a higher casing tension.
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Basically the wider tyre will be harder because it needs more air to fill it and the contact patch, the bit of the tire touching the road, will be smaller and wider, decreasing the rolling resistance.
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But again this only holds true on a smooth surface.
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On an imperfect surface with the pressure corrected for the width to get the tire to the right hardness, the contact patch on the road for a wider tire will be shorter and wider than a narrow tire,
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decreasing the rolling resistance.
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Importantly the wider the tyre will have more versatility and the range of pressures you can actually use, allowing you to more easily correct for the roughness of the surface.
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Tyre construction.
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Obviously the tyre construction has an effect on rolling resistance.
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By using less material, less material can and will be deformed.
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And the more flexible the material is, such as the rubber compound, the less energy is lost through deformation.
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Generally, smoother treads have a lower rolling resistance than rougher treads
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and that is why almost all road
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and triathlon racing tires have very smooth tread patterns
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if any tread pattern at all interestingly actually in racing tires for the road the tread pattern
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that is there is actually not there for grip
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or water dispersion it's mostly there for aerodynamics
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because the tread pattern actually trips the laminar flow as
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that of that air that's hitting the tire to improve the aerodynamics So,
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should you consult a website like BicycleRollingResistance.com where they list all the tested rolling resistance of all tyres
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and simply choose the one from the top of the list?
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Well, yes and no. Yes, the tires on the top of that list will be the fastest.
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However, they're always compromises.
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Some of them may sacrifice durability for that extra speed and be more prone to punctures.
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Some of them may have a different compound that sacrifices comfort
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and grip and road feel and some may simply not work well with your wheel and bike setup.
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It's also worth pointing out that the difference between the top of
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that list of racing tires and the middle of
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that list of racing tires is about a two to three watt saving
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which is an almost imperceptible difference for most mere mortals.
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They will however have a significant difference in those racing tires over your standard training tires.
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So the answer is that the best tire for you depends on many factors
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but it is worth considering investing the $100 to $200 in a good pair of racing tyres.
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It may just be the cheapest watts you buy this season.
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One more thing before we go, you may be asking which is faster rolling resistance-wise, tubeless or clincher?
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Well, the speed of a tyre actually depends on its construction and not whether it's set up clincher or tubeless.
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So, a slow tubeless tyre will actually be slower than a fast clincher tyre.
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However, generally speaking, setup does have better rolling resistance than a tube setup.
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However, if you put a latex tube in a clincher, the rolling resistance is actually the same as tubeless.
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I hope you've enjoyed this video.
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Happy riding!
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 75 sentences and 1065 words to shadow. The speech runs for 5:59. The speaker talks at a natural 178 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. Only 76% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| tyre noun | /taɪə(ɹ)/ | The ring-shaped protective covering around a wheel which is usually made of rubber or plastic composite and is either pneumatic or solid. |
| tire verb | /ˈtaɪ̯ɚ/ | To become sleepy or weary. |
| tread verb | /tɹɛd/ | To step or walk (on or across something); to trample. |
| smooth adjective | /smuːð/ | Having a texture that lacks friction. Not rough. |
| upgrade verb | /əpˈɡɹeɪd/ | To improve, usually applied to technology, generally by complete replacement of one or more components. |
| inflation noun | /ɪnˈfleɪ.ʃən/ | An act, instance of, or state of expansion or increase in size, especially by injection of a gas or liquid. |
| narrow adjective | /ˈnæɹəʊ/ | Having a small width; not wide; having opposite edges or sides that are close, especially by comparison to length or depth. |
| tube noun | /tuːb/ | Anything that is hollow and cylindrical in shape. |
| sacrifice noun | /ˈsæk.ɹɪ.faɪs/ | Originally, the killing (and often burning) of a human being or an animal as an offering to a deity; later, also the offering of an object to a deity. |
| bearing noun | /ˈbɛɹɪŋ/ | A mechanical device that supports another part or reduces friction. |
| depend verb | /dɪˈpɛnd/ | To be contingent or conditioned; to have something as a necessary condition |
| patch noun | /pæt͡ʃ/ | A piece of cloth, or other suitable material, sewed or otherwise fixed upon a garment to repair or strengthen it, especially upon an old garment to cover a… |
| compound noun | /ˈkɑmpaʊnd/ | Anything made by combining several things. |
| decrease verb | /dɪˈkɹiːs/ | Of a quantity, to become smaller. |
| grip noun | /ˈɡɹɪp/ | A hold or way of holding, particularly with the hand. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| bounce off verb | To test (ideas) on someone. | |
| bring up to verb | To raise (something) so that it reaches a particular standard or minimum requirement. | |
| hold back verb | To act with reserve; to contain one's full measure or power. | |
| point out verb | To identify among a group of similar subjects, or in a scene where the subject might not be readily seen or noticed, with a gesture of the body. | |
| set up verb | /ˌsɛt ˈʌp/ | To make ready for use. |
Pronunciation to watch
- The “th” sounds: smooth /smuːð/, width /ˈwɪtθ/, triathlon /tɹaɪˈæθˌlɑn/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: inflation /ɪnˈfleɪ.ʃən/, essentially /ɪˈsɛnʃəli/, ratio /ˈɹeɪ.ʃoʊ/, tension /ˈtɛnʃən/, rotation /ɹoʊˈteɪʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: essentially /ɪˈsɛnʃəli/, importantly /ɪmˈpɔɹ.tənt.li/, acceleration /əkˌsɛl.əˈɹeɪ.ʃən/, aerodynamic /ˌɛəɹəʊdaɪˈnæmɪk/, deformation /ˌdɛfəˈmeɪʃən/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like tyre, tire, tread.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | is lost · is also expended · be overcome |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | has already become · you've enjoyed |
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.