Comments on: A 6-pound road bike

By: Logan

Logan — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 14:31:49 +0000

At first glance, I thought it was locked to the structure with that massive chain. That would have been funny if it was: 6-lb. bike, 40-lb. lock…

By: Mando

Mando — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 19:32:14 +0000

I just came from the event where the 82.8mph speed record was set, There is something to be said about dropping the weight of that bike because it would have a big effect on how quickly it could get up to speed, I was on a team that was racing an 85 pound streamlined recumbent and it was the 4th fastest bike at the event. It’s top legal speed was 71.9mph. It was beating bikes that weighed half that. some riders in lighter bikes would complain about slight wind gusts, our rider would say “what wind?” that machine was like a freight train slipping through the wind. On one of the first days he was sailing the bike in heavy crosswinds and held 69mph for over half the 5 mile course.
Andy…you should build one and race it at the Human Powered Speed Challenge in Battle Mountain Nevada. It’s addictive…I was hooked 5 years ago and been back every year since then.

By: 6-Pound Road Bike | Cycling | Keefer Madness

6-Pound Road Bike | Cycling | Keefer Madness — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 14:50:04 +0000

[...] 6-Pound Road Bike September 30th, 2010 | Category: Cycling [...]

By: James T

James T — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 12:23:56 +0000

Thanks Richard. I think you meant to say "dropping the bike’s weight to zero" in that last sentence, right?

By: Richard Masoner

Richard Masoner — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 18:57:29 +0000

Wind resistance goes up with the square of the speed, while weight effects the rolling resistance, which goes up just a little bit faster than linearly, when there’s no slope.

Let’s pretend the 82 MPH cyclist pushed out 1000 watts for his effort. At that speed, dropping the bike’s speed to zero gets him about another 1 MPH. See http://www.analyticcycling.com/ForcesPower_Page.html

By: Brandonias

Brandonias — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 18:31:34 +0000

Gosh darn!!

By: Andy

Andy — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 00:39:00 +0000

The amazing part is that this is still a more or less conventional, rideable, geared bike with brakes. It it was a fixed gear bike, you could eliminate brifters, brakes, all cables and housing, and the gears except one ring and sprocket.

I’d love to see someone apply these materials and ideas to a recumbent to and beat the speed record. The video of the 82mph bike on human power only, on <2/3% slope, made it look like it was still a rather heavy bike, but that the guy's power and the crazy aerodynamics of a faired recumbent was what made the difference. Drop the weight in half and possibly there would be potential for a 100mph bike.