, , ,  This past Sunday a new episode of one of my favorite
shows, the Discovery Channel’s MythBusters, aired with an
intriguing experiment. Adam and Jaime wanted to test whether or
not it was possible to ride a bicycle underwater.  Ever the
engineer, I wondered if I could back up their conclusion, that
riding a bike underwater was difficult but not impossible (given
a flat surface), with physics. Of course, I had to make a few
assumptions about coefficients of friction, weights, and
volumes, but I think my analysis still elucidates the general
principles at work.  What Jamie was fighting against in the
MythBusters episode mainly was the buoyant force. A body of
water will push up on you with the weight of water that your
volume displaces. But, theoretically, Jamie could have added
enough weight to his bike to overcome the buoyant force, and
make the traction underwater equivalent. However, at some point,
Jamie’s legs just wouldn’t be able to move so much weight around
(as he found out).  Hey, some people fac