John Howard's land speed record

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.

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

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

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