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John Howard's land speed record
wrote:
On Sat, 06 Feb 2010 17:35:34 -0700, wrote: On 06 Feb 2010 23:57:23 GMT, Jobst Brandt wrote: I take it the people commenting on his ride are newcomers to wreck.bike. I saw the "bicycle" (two wheels) at InterBike when it was news. The bicycle had a gear ratio so high it could not be pedaled forward at any speed on a smooth flat surface. It had compound gear, basically a 52-13 (4x) times 52-13 (4x), an 16:1 ratio. The bicycle was towed up to the maximum speed Howard's cadence could follow and to make sure he didn't drift off into the wind eddies, his bicycle had the engine throttle on the hand grip so he could maintain minimum distance to the limit roller in the wind screen. To me the whole thing was an advertising sham, and many people believed every bit of it. http://www.canosoarus.com/08LSRbicycle/LSR%20Bike01.htm This has all been discussed here on this newsgroup at length. Where've you been? Jobst Brandt Dear Jobst, Er, where have you been? As has been previously and repeatedly explained to you . . . A) No, the land speed bikes are not impossible to pedal forward on flat surfaces: http://www.canosoarus.com/08LSRbicycle/LSR%20Bike02.htm That's a 138 mph land speed record bicycle being pedaled forward around a parking lot. B) No, Howard was not towed up to "the maximu speed" that hiss "cadencee could follow"--he was towed up to only 60 mph before he disengaged the tow cable and accelerated about 90 mph in the draft to 152 mph. C) No, it wasn't a 52x13 double reduction. Howard used a 70x13 and 52x16 double reduction, for a 17.5 overall sprocket ratio. Anyone who has "Racing the Wind" and "Pushing the Limits" can verify these previously points, which have appeared in threads that you stubbornly ignore. Cheers, Carl Fogel Just a handy place to hang this. The riders who didn't break land speed records are much harder to find. Here's the bike used an attempt that I'd never heard of: http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m...peed_bike2.jpg It's the black double-reduction bike in front of Letourneur's monster-sprocket 1941 record bike. As the Bicycle Museum of America sign says, 135 mph in 1982. before Howard. Look closely--paired Rolf spokes, front and rear, and upside-down motorcycle-style front suspension. I doubt those are paired spokes. More likely to be shadows from a camera flash. It was apparently developed at MIT and run at Bonneville, but was about 3 mph short of Abbott's 1973 record 138 mph. The rider was Aurelio "Ernie" Gallegos--you can see "EG" in the reinforcing plate behind the steering tube. Regrettably, the Bicycle Museum doesn't believe in direct links, but if you go here, click on S, click on the right-arrow-button a few times, and select "Speed Bike," you'll see some text to scroll up and down and can go left and right through 6 small photos: http://www.bicyclemuseum.com/alpha.htm Alas, no details about pace car or towing. The astonishing 560" rollout, higher than Howard or Rompelberg, is possible. The solid front sprocket looks like a custom 60+ tooth, while the big middle sprocket looks like a standard 52 or 53. A 62x13 and a 53x12 will produce 560 inches on a 2124mm 700c--the double reduction land speed bikes usually use gears of four different sizes. (Howard used 70x13 and 52x16, and Rompelberg used 70x13 and 60x15, both with smaller diameter tires.) Ernie switched to a more sensible bicycle in Vermont: http://www.rutlandherald.com/apps/pb...81/1002/NEWS01 Cheers, Carl Fogel |
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John Howard's land speed record
On Thu, 11 Feb 2010 22:43:39 -0600, z wrote:
wrote: Look closely--paired Rolf spokes, front and rear, and upside-down motorcycle-style front suspension. I doubt those are paired spokes. More likely to be shadows from a camera flash. Dear Z, You may be right . . . On the rear, the apparent pairing is much less convincing when I look at it with your idea in mind. But they still look like paired spokes when enlarged on the front: http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m...peed_bike2.jpg No apparent shadows on the same background from the frame tubes. Nor, at first glance, do any shadows appear on the same white background behind the blue-rim Rolf with wider twin spokes right next to the front wheel. But maybe there are doubled shadows on the pegboard behind the blue Rolf at about 11 o'clock? That would support the idea of impressive shadowing. If you're right, it's a 14-spoke front wheel (with suspension!) at 135 mph. Cheers, Carl Fogel |
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