New Bicycle Land Speed Record 184mph

[Louis]

^^^^^^ Yup - only one gear.

As she suggests, IMO they really need to figure out how to do it with several gears. That way you don't have to be physically "towed," and only use the car for aero reasons.

[fiamme red]

http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/...917-story.html

[CSKeller]

So amazing!!! Incredible feat!! I was fortunate to see Denise and John Howard give a presentation on their path to the speed record at last year's Ride the Rockies. So great their dreams became reality!!

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

[fiamme red]

Allan Abbott 1973 Bonneville Salt Flats Bicycle Speed Record: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUmabVbz0ys. Single huge chainring!

[pbarry]

Originally Posted by fiamme red

Allan Abbott 1973 Bonneville Salt Flats Bicycle Speed Record: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUmabVbz0ys. Single huge chainring!

Great stuff! Inspired me as a youngster to go out and ride hard. Drafting behind Coors trucks leaving the brewery in Golden was a thrill. Thought about Abbott, (and Dave Stoller), while keeping my eyes glued on the tractor trailer's brake lights..

[paredown]

Originally Posted by pbarry

Great stuff! Inspired me as a youngster to go out and ride hard. Drafting behind Coors trucks leaving the brewery in Golden was a thrill. Thought about Abbott, (and Dave Stoller), while keeping my eyes glued on the tractor trailer's brake lights..

Ahhhh--truck training! Our coach said 'pick a truck with a flat back!'.

[Mark McM]

Originally Posted by fiamme red

From You Need to Slide Instead of Tumble: An Interview with Denise Mueller-Korenek:

I think this description misses a variety of things regarding the physics of speed records. Firstly, riding a highly geared bike is not similar to trying to start a car in overdrive, because the characteristics of the motor are vastly different. It takes a lot of torque to turn a big gear, and an internal combustion engine does not develop full torque at zero speed - it generally requires a few thousand rpm. Conversely, the human "engine" can develop full torque at zero speed. If the human doesn't have the torque to turn the pedals from zero speed, then they can't turn the pedals at a higher speed, either. Also not mentioned is where the majority of the drive power comes from for bicycle speed record attempts (hint: It doesn't come from the rider). The wind fairing on the pace car does more than just reduce or eliminate wind drag on the rider - it generates an eddy current in the air that acts to push the rider forward. One reason to tow the rider up to speed is that the wind fairing needs some speed before it starts generating an eddy current strong enough to propel the rider.

[fiamme red]

Originally Posted by Mark McM

I think this description misses a variety of things regarding the physics of speed records. Firstly, riding a highly geared bike is not similar to trying to start a car in overdrive, because the characteristics of the motor are vastly different. It takes a lot of torque to turn a big gear, and an internal combustion engine does not develop full torque at zero speed - it generally requires a few thousand rpm. Conversely, the human "engine" can develop full torque at zero speed. If the human doesn't have the torque to turn the pedals from zero speed, then they can't turn the pedals at a higher speed, either. Also not mentioned is where the majority of the drive power comes from for bicycle speed record attempts (hint: It doesn't come from the rider). The wind fairing on the pace car does more than just reduce or eliminate wind drag on the rider - it generates an eddy current in the air that acts to push the rider forward. One reason to tow the rider up to speed is that the wind fairing needs some speed before it starts generating an eddy current strong enough to propel the rider.

Jobst in the early days of bicycle newsgroups (when it was just rec.bicycles) used to argue that land speed records were all about the skill of staying upright and at a constant distance from the fairing, not at all about the generation of power.

https://groups.google.com/d/msg/rec....E/myLjisXsDxwJ

Anyone who has ridden in a convertible car with the top down will recall that your hair, if any, gets blown forward over your face. It should be evident, 1) that with a suitable wind screen, air can be turned around to blow in the direction of travel, 2) that records are set behind windscreens that are designed to turn air around are used to push the rider, 3) that these record breakers often must brake to avoid being pushed into the pacing vehicle, 4) that the power required to spin bicycle wheels in still air at these record speeds generally exceeds human ability by a large degree (see John Howard's land speed record).

I am not impressed mainly because this record misrepresents bicycling effort and is more a test of not falling off the bike than athletic performance. I find it similarly significant to swallowing live
goldfish for the record.

[Mark McM]

Originally Posted by fiamme red

Jobst in the early days of bicycle newsgroups (when it was just rec.bicycles) used to argue that land speed records were all about the skill of staying upright and at a constant distance from the fairing, not at all about the generation of power.

https://groups.google.com/d/msg/rec....E/myLjisXsDxwJ

And there's nothing wrong with that. Downhill ski races are powered by gravity, but nobody doubts the athleticism (strength, timing, balance, etc.) of the competitors.

[redir]

Gosh, I can't imagine hitting the pavement at that speed! :d

At least she was wearing a helmet

[fiamme red]

Here's an article by Clifford Graves about José Meiffret's "Date With Death": https://cycling.ahands.org/bicycling/datewithdeath.html.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAW946UQ1fU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8MAqmklHwg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKXeipLGXZc

Meiffret got up to speed on his own with a huge effort, and only then moved behind the fairing.

I love the enormous TA chainring. Still, his gearing was much lower than allowed by a double-reduction system, and his legs were spinning very fast.

By the way, you can see close-ups of John Howard's record-setting bike here: http://www.copakeauction.com/land-sp...ll-april-2017/.

[ptourkin]

Originally Posted by fiamme red

Jobst in the early days of bicycle newsgroups (when it was just rec.bicycles) used to argue that land speed records were all about the skill of staying upright and at a constant distance from the fairing, not at all about the generation of power.

https://groups.google.com/d/msg/rec....E/myLjisXsDxwJ

Not arguing with Jobst on that but having ridden on the track with Denise and John and seen her winning pro 1-2 crits despite being twice as old as some of the field, I can attest that she generates a **** load of power, too.

[Mark McM]

Originally Posted by fiamme red

Here's an article by Clifford Graves about José Meiffret's "Date With Death": https://cycling.ahands.org/bicycling/datewithdeath.html.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAW946UQ1fU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8MAqmklHwg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKXeipLGXZc

Meiffret got up to speed on his own with a huge effort, and only then moved behind the fairing.

The article linked says that he was pushed by a motorcycle to 50 mph, and then transitioned over to the pace car with the fairing.

The linked videos don't show a motorcycle, but it does show the rider starting out on his own, and then moving over to the pace car. It appears that he moves behind the pace car at much less than 50mph. Also, it shows that just after moving behind the pace car, the rider reaches forward and grabs onto the car with his hand, and then gets pulled along by the pace car.

[fiamme red]

Originally Posted by Mark McM

The article linked says that he was pushed by a motorcycle to 50 mph, and then transitioned over to the pace car with the fairing.

The linked videos don't show a motorcycle, but it does show the rider starting out on his own, and then moving over to the pace car. It appears that he moves behind the pace car at much less than 50mph. Also, it shows that just after moving behind the pace car, the rider reaches forward and grabs onto the car with his hand, and then gets pulled along by the pace car.

Is he riding a fixed-gear? It looks as if he stops pedaling briefly at least twice. Here's one instance:

https://youtu.be/gAW946UQ1fU?t=4m30s (starting at 4:34)

Never mind, it looks clearly not to be a fixed-gear. I'd think that for very high RPM, a fixed-gear would be easier than a single-speed with freewheel.

[likebikes]

184 mph and all she had was a single vbrake to slow her down at the end?