Drag

Lift

The part of the wheel

that is out of the water

(most of it once the

wedge has built up)

encounters our old pal

air resistance, or drag.

The thrust from my tyre

needs to fight the air

resistance and the

water resistance for

me to make headway,

although the water

resistance is also my

friend in helping to

provide lift.

The same forces acting

on the wheel also act

on me and the rest of

the bike. Drag becomes

a major factor as the

rear wheel struggles

to provide the kind of

thrust that it could supply

when it has traction

on solid ground.