Comments on: Ben King’s Trek-Livestrong Madone

By: Nick Hein

Nick Hein — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 02:45:28 +0000

Couldn’t have said it better myself. Seeing them is a transformative experience – although they make little sound and they aren’t visually overwhelming, they are inspirational in profound ways. Make sure you ask for test rides.

By: James T

James T — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 13:12:27 +0000

Nick, Thanks for the link to the Battle Mountain results and pictures. The 2010 WHPSC was brought up in the comments section of my previous post about the time trial bikes. As I said in that post, it is certainly an indisputable fact that full fairing recumbents are by far the fastest bikes in the world on flat ground. I don’t mention HPVs on this blog frequently, simply because I do not have any first hand experience with them. I do have a strong interest though. Maybe I need to get out to Battle Mountain next year to talk to some of the builders and see some of those machines in action.

By: Nick Hein

Nick Hein — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 14:23:35 +0000

Please don’t forget to mention that the bikes you described are the fastest ONLY in their highly-restricted and arcane racing category. Ironically, your post came in the week before the unrestricted fastest bikes were to demonstrate their stuff at Battle Mountain in the Human-Power World Speed Championships:
http://www.wisil.recumbents.com/wisil/whpsc2010/speedchallenge.htm
As it appears the timetrial bikes in your article use streamlining on every exposed part of the bike except the rider (the source of 95% or more of total drag) it hardly seems HPVs should be excluded from mention anymore. The Battle Mountain races are now over, although the previous record of 83mph wasn’t beaten, the womens’ record was (75mph) and there are now dozens of riders in the 60, 70 and 80mph club – a club that unfaired diamond frame riders have yet to enter. But records and races are one thing, bike transportation is another – and that is where streamlined HPV’s really deserve mention because the same fairing that streamlines the rider also shelters the rider from weather. Many HPVs have been inspired by the Battle Mountain bikes that are now getting their riders places under their own power, in any weather at any time of day or year. Thanks for the great coverage otherwise.