Earlier quoted context omitted.
Anything you choose will be cumbersome because you can't create friction on the water (well...), your ability to move is based on your ability to move water around you. There are solutions that leverage a pair of catamarans and a track system, or a prop. These tend to move very slowly, much slower than a canoe or kayak. The water wheel style systems seem to move faster, but you can just get a pedal kayak and will be…
I've always wondered why nobody has created something that looks like a catamaran with two rowing shells and a road bike on top directly connected to a prop. That would have minimal drag, an optimal body positioning for using leg muscle strength, and would be fun and intuitive to pilot (facing forwards, feels like biking, etc). The obvious downside is that height above water may be an issue so the catamaran would hav…
'Underwater bicycle' propels swimmers forward at superhuman speed
171–180 of 285 posts
Re: 'Underwater bicycle' propels swimmers forward at superhuman speed
#172Earlier quoted context omitted.
Sure, but a person paddling isn't hydrofoiling, right? They're using their arms instead of legs and contending with tons of additional friction/drag. I see this as being akin to bicycling, since it uses the same muscles.
Here's what I am getting at... https://youtu.be/SDX3Hz2gsas A guy on one of these doing the minimum speed. He doesn't look like he's casually pedaling, no? It's probably harder to maintain 6mph than you might think.
Eh, it's hard to tell power output from pedaling cadence unless it's a fixed gear ratio. Most people pedal between 70-100 rpm regardless of the watts they're producing.
Re: 'Underwater bicycle' propels swimmers forward at superhuman speed
#173Earlier quoted context omitted.
That looks absolutely amazing. Super cool that you can maintain elevation at less than 6 MPH — I was expecting it to be closer to 10 or 15 MPH.
6mph is nothing to sneeze at on the water, in terms of the power it takes to sustain that kind of speed. A person paddling can't sustain 6mph for very long, if they get there at all.
6 mph is a gentle paddle in a rowing shell, albeit using an additional set of muscles.
Re: 'Underwater bicycle' propels swimmers forward at superhuman speed
#174Earlier quoted context omitted.
Ah shit your right, I had in mind 500 (yard) Free. 500 meters in under five is very good, but still attainable by the upper tier of highschool swimmers I think. I could reliably do 500 yards in under five and was a "B relay" tier on my team.
The almost-meter Yard has got to pack its bags and go home soon. What is it even doing at this point other than causing naked numeral confusion.
A lot (most?) of American school pools are built to the yard, so it's going to stick around for a long time I'm afraid.
Re: 'Underwater bicycle' propels swimmers forward at superhuman speed
#175Earlier quoted context omitted.
> I swim because I enjoy it, not because I'm trying to get somewhere fast. I run because I enjoy it, not because I’m trying to get somewhere fast. But I also bike because I enjoy it, not because I’m trying to get somewhere fast. You seem to assume that because this thing is faster, it must automatically be less enjoyable. That’s not the case for bikes, why should it be the case here? In my opinion it sounds fun, and…
Maybe not necessarily "faster" but there is an idea that adding any kind of technology should be avoided for recreational activities. For example, you can mountain bike with a fully-suspended e-bike, or you can struggle with a hardtail or even a road bike. Different kinds of fun, but in the former you'll wonder if it's the technology doing all the work.
there is an idea that adding any kind of technology should be avoided for recreational activities
How do you draw the line at "any kind of technology"? Isn't the bike itself "technology"? How about pneumatic tires? Or computer designed tread for optimal traction? Is a bike suspension too much technology? How about electric assist that can help you up a hill but won't propel the bike without you pedaling along with it?
Re: 'Underwater bicycle' propels swimmers forward at superhuman speed
#176Earlier quoted context omitted.
> I swim because I enjoy it, not because I'm trying to get somewhere fast. I run because I enjoy it, not because I’m trying to get somewhere fast. But I also bike because I enjoy it, not because I’m trying to get somewhere fast. You seem to assume that because this thing is faster, it must automatically be less enjoyable. That’s not the case for bikes, why should it be the case here? In my opinion it sounds fun, and…
Maybe not necessarily "faster" but there is an idea that adding any kind of technology should be avoided for recreational activities. For example, you can mountain bike with a fully-suspended e-bike, or you can struggle with a hardtail or even a road bike. Different kinds of fun, but in the former you'll wonder if it's the technology doing all the work.
> there is an idea that adding any kind of technology should be avoided for recreational activities.
That's a pretty weird idea.
Skis, snowboards, or snowshoes make traveling on snow, especially downhill, much more fun.
Bicycling, rollerblading, skateboarding (basically using anything with wheels) is very commonly considered more fun than running.
Most people who swim in cold water prefer using a wet suit rather than toughing it out.
And it's pretty fun to use a boat, surfboard, or scuba gear rather than be stuck swimming without any aids.
Re: 'Underwater bicycle' propels swimmers forward at superhuman speed
#177Earlier quoted context omitted.
> I swim because I enjoy it, not because I'm trying to get somewhere fast. I run because I enjoy it, not because I’m trying to get somewhere fast. But I also bike because I enjoy it, not because I’m trying to get somewhere fast. You seem to assume that because this thing is faster, it must automatically be less enjoyable. That’s not the case for bikes, why should it be the case here? In my opinion it sounds fun, and…
Maybe not necessarily "faster" but there is an idea that adding any kind of technology should be avoided for recreational activities. For example, you can mountain bike with a fully-suspended e-bike, or you can struggle with a hardtail or even a road bike. Different kinds of fun, but in the former you'll wonder if it's the technology doing all the work.
> Different kinds of fun, but in the former you'll wonder if it's the technology doing all the work.
"All the work" is useless hyperbol. There are things that simply can't be done on a road bike. There are things that can be done on a road bike without a significant loss of safety.
Sport technology can reduce the skill required for certain things, but it also tends to extend the envelope of what is possible. It is almost never correct to think of technology doing all the work but rather to think of it as an ability multiplier.
There are of course, times when it is beneficial to practice without a specific piece of equipment. Either for a challenge or/and to hone a specific sub skill.
Re: 'Underwater bicycle' propels swimmers forward at superhuman speed
#178Earlier quoted context omitted.
Here's what I am getting at... https://youtu.be/SDX3Hz2gsas A guy on one of these doing the minimum speed. He doesn't look like he's casually pedaling, no? It's probably harder to maintain 6mph than you might think.
Eh, it's hard to tell power output from pedaling cadence unless it's a fixed gear ratio. Most people pedal between 70-100 rpm regardless of the watts they're producing.
There are some clues in their body language. they appear to be straining. And the pedal movement looks a little jerky, as if the load is changing dynamically in relation to the effective flywheel/inertia of the system. Spinning a higher speeds with less torque is supposedly less tiring. So they might want to gear this down a bit and include a larger flywheel/inertia. Very impressive device tho. Maybe a hybrid approach with a solar panel for charging on the beach...
Re: 'Underwater bicycle' propels swimmers forward at superhuman speed
#179Holy shit.
What is apparent when you learn to try to swim is that the largest muscles in our body are rendered hugely irrelevant. I don't have exact number, but I'd guess at least 95% of potential power output of our running-optimized evolutionary muscular-skeletal design is wasted in swimming.
Maybe Phelps and others can beat that with decades of training from an early age, body shape advantages, long feet, and superior flexibility, but I'd guess they buy just 10% more advantage in power-> speed conversion from the legs.
Other examples are how much faster you can swim with flippers. I would actually like to see good swimmers who train to use full scuba flippers vs good swimmers with this bike contraption.
This is hilariously efficient compared to that.
Re: 'Underwater bicycle' propels swimmers forward at superhuman speed
#180Now just need a way to keep your head out of the water besides turning to the sides