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The Toughest Test in Cycling

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Re: The Toughest Test in Cycling

#11

Post by bp999 »

paulgerhardt wrote: post #5
KerrickStaley wrote: post #4

The fastest bikes in the world aren't uprights, they're recumbents with streamlined fairings. The world-record holder is this one (although for a distance of 200 meters rather than a time of 1 hour): http://www.gizmag.com/human-powered-speed-record-2013/29103/ The UCI bans recumbents in all racing competitions however: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recumbent_bicycle

I suppose that really depends on what your definition of "fastest bike" is. Recumbents have gotten to 80mph - maybe topping out at 100mph. Eric Barone took his mountain bike to 130 by riding down a mountain. Matt Hoffman got a bit faster than that by jumping out of an airplane with his. François Gissy got a bit faster than that by strapping a few rockets on – 207mph. The UCI didn't bother to recognize this records ei…

For reference sprinters like Mark Cavendish often reach speeds of 70 to 80kph (43mph to 49mph) in the final 200 metres of a road race.

http://www.stuff.tv/features/tour-de-france-contender-mark-c...

Re: The Toughest Test in Cycling

#12

Post by thwest »

KerrickStaley wrote: post #4

The fastest bikes in the world aren't uprights, they're recumbents with streamlined fairings. The world-record holder is this one (although for a distance of 200 meters rather than a time of 1 hour): http://www.gizmag.com/human-powered-speed-record-2013/29103/ The UCI bans recumbents in all racing competitions however: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recumbent_bicycle

I would be interested in seeing recumbents used in individual time trials perhaps. However, they seem to be significantly less nimble which is flat out dangerous in the peloton. Their wheel base is longer, so I wonder if a peloton might actually be slowed by being spread farther apart. Also they are absolute trash for climbing.

Re: The Toughest Test in Cycling

#13

Post by paulgerhardt »

sib wrote: post #7
paulgerhardt wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I suppose that really depends on what your definition of "fastest bike" is. Recumbents have gotten to 80mph - maybe topping out at 100mph. Eric Barone took his mountain bike to 130 by riding down a mountain. Matt Hoffman got a bit faster than that by jumping out of an airplane with his. François Gissy got a bit faster than that by strapping a few rockets on – 207mph. The UCI didn't bother to recognize this records ei…

I'd suggest that it's pretty simple to separate into "on [net] level ground [with no more than a trivial amount of slope at any point], powered only by a single human" vs others...

My lighthearted point above was to illustrate these records fall on a spectrum of perceived legitimateness. There is no "real" top speed - there are only qualifications of one sort or another. But I'll rise to the challenge.

On your above conditions the fasted record was set by Bruce Bursford who reached a top speed of 207.9mph on a treadmill (which I should note, tops out Mr. Gissy's record above.)

Re: The Toughest Test in Cycling

#14

Post by MikeKusold »

lavamantis wrote: post #3

Right at the beginning of my obsession with cycling, I read about this record and it's most fascinating challenger: Graeme Obree. Nicknamed "The Flying Scotsman", he made his own bicycles out of washing machine parts and invented a few new riding positions before being banned by the UCI. Pretty interesting cat. http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/sportscotland/asportingnation/...

You may enjoy the film based on his life.

The Flying Scotsman

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0472268/

Re: The Toughest Test in Cycling

#15

Post by SeanLuke »

thwest wrote: post #12
KerrickStaley wrote: post #4

The fastest bikes in the world aren't uprights, they're recumbents with streamlined fairings. The world-record holder is this one (although for a distance of 200 meters rather than a time of 1 hour): http://www.gizmag.com/human-powered-speed-record-2013/29103/ The UCI bans recumbents in all racing competitions however: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recumbent_bicycle

I would be interested in seeing recumbents used in individual time trials perhaps. However, they seem to be significantly less nimble which is flat out dangerous in the peloton. Their wheel base is longer, so I wonder if a peloton might actually be slowed by being spread farther apart. Also they are absolute trash for climbing.

How about small-wheeled bikes? The Moulton AM, a heavy, steel, fully suspended bike with 17" wheels, set the flying 200m faired world record in 1986, and it still stands.

My understanding is that the current UCI rule which bans small-wheeled bikes (1.3.018) is a descendant of a rule specifically enacted to ban the Moulton. And not for safety reasons.

Re: The Toughest Test in Cycling

#16

Post by lavamantis »

eng_monkey wrote: post #6
lavamantis wrote: post #3

Right at the beginning of my obsession with cycling, I read about this record and it's most fascinating challenger: Graeme Obree. Nicknamed "The Flying Scotsman", he made his own bicycles out of washing machine parts and invented a few new riding positions before being banned by the UCI. Pretty interesting cat. http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/sportscotland/asportingnation/...

> he made his own bicycles out of washing machine parts Wasn't it just the bottom bracket that he reused from a washing machine?

Nice:

'Obree himself said: "My biggest regret of my career is mentioning to a journalist that there was a bit from a washing machine in my bike.

"Now forever I will be remembered as the washing machine guy."'

Re: The Toughest Test in Cycling

#17

Post by salmonellaeater »

Pxtl wrote: post #8
KerrickStaley wrote: post #4

The fastest bikes in the world aren't uprights, they're recumbents with streamlined fairings. The world-record holder is this one (although for a distance of 200 meters rather than a time of 1 hour): http://www.gizmag.com/human-powered-speed-record-2013/29103/ The UCI bans recumbents in all racing competitions however: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recumbent_bicycle

I'm not really interested in tech that can't be transferred out of the event, so it always bothers me that these events throw the baby out with the bath-water when they demand either pure traditionalism or alternately allow insanely impractical things like fairings. I'd love to see some kind of event that accomodates the challenges of real-life like wind and traffic, but still allows experimentation with bleeding-edg…

What would really improve consumer bicycle technology is a standardized testing schedule like the EPA's "city test"[1]. You can standardize a course, but how to standardize the rider to be similar to an average person? Perhaps a special pedal that measures or constrains the rider's power output.

[1] http://epa.gov/nvfel/testing/dynamometer.htm

Re: The Toughest Test in Cycling

#18

Post by eweise »

paulgerhardt wrote: post #13
sib wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd suggest that it's pretty simple to separate into "on [net] level ground [with no more than a trivial amount of slope at any point], powered only by a single human" vs others...

My lighthearted point above was to illustrate these records fall on a spectrum of perceived legitimateness. There is no "real" top speed - there are only qualifications of one sort or another. But I'll rise to the challenge. On your above conditions the fasted record was set by Bruce Bursford who reached a top speed of 207.9mph on a treadmill (which I should note, tops out Mr. Gissy's record above.)

That's amazing. I never get anywhere on a treadmill.

Re: The Toughest Test in Cycling

#19

Post by teslaberry »

paulgerhardt wrote: post #5
KerrickStaley wrote: post #4

The fastest bikes in the world aren't uprights, they're recumbents with streamlined fairings. The world-record holder is this one (although for a distance of 200 meters rather than a time of 1 hour): http://www.gizmag.com/human-powered-speed-record-2013/29103/ The UCI bans recumbents in all racing competitions however: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recumbent_bicycle

I suppose that really depends on what your definition of "fastest bike" is. Recumbents have gotten to 80mph - maybe topping out at 100mph. Eric Barone took his mountain bike to 130 by riding down a mountain. Matt Hoffman got a bit faster than that by jumping out of an airplane with his. François Gissy got a bit faster than that by strapping a few rockets on – 207mph. The UCI didn't bother to recognize this records ei…

i applaud you for your open mindedness.

as a lover of bikes, and of recumbents, i kind of get annoyed at the very predictable 'recumbents are the fastest most aerodynamic bikes' thing that you get alot from folks.

there might be many reasons the uci banned recumbents. but there is one primary reason recumbents never have and never will sell well; they are invisible in urban riding environment due to low seat height.

that and their problems with long chains, heavier weights, and poor climbing are all very good reasons to accept the generic superiority of the 20th century generic bicycle.

some things are so perfect, they cannot really be improved upon.

Re: The Toughest Test in Cycling

#20

Post by TheCondor »

caseyf7 wrote: post #9

For me, any record will need Fabian Cancellara's participation to be legit.

Wiggo's not legit? Big Swiss, especially a couple seasons back, seemed well designed for this record but he's not the time trialist he used to be. Wiggo won the world championship last year over a fiendish Tony Martin. Wiggins will set the record and then in a year or a few Martin, on a track bike fitted with a 58x11, will crush it.
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