On Jun 11, 8:45 pm, Ben Goren
trumpetpower.com> wrote:> Father Haskell wrote:
>
>> Most highly evolved bike is a short wheel base, front wheel
>> drive recumbent. Front wheel drive cuts the chain length in
>> half, saves a ton of weight. *Very* eye-catching machine, if
>> nothing else.
>
> Chain length and weight isn't as much of a problem as you might
> think. I ride a Haluzak Leprechaun, which -- by itself -- weighs
> about as much as a typical mountain bike. And, by ``typical,'' I
> mean ``consumer-grade.'' With the fairing, lights, batteries,
> aerotrunk, tools, spare tubes, couple liters of water, work
> clothes, etc., etc., etc., the thing weighs a ton. But she's still
> awfully fast; I cruise in the upper teens to lower twenties (mph),
> and I (mostly) keep up with the fast pack in the Saturday morning
> breakfast rides. And I'm usually the only 'bent in the herd; most
> of the lead pack are on ultralightweight fiber or high-tech alloy
> bikes. Poor sods on wedgies....
Nice looking ride.
Compare to the Easy Racer LWB. That was two upright
frames brazed together, driven by two chains spliced
together -- HEAVY sucker. Full shell faired (I own a scrap
of the Kevlar from the Gold Rush), you could bust the 60
mph speed limit on the flying quarter mile, but it would
damn near kill you from overheating.
> There's a guy in town who occasionally (rarely) goes on the
> Saturday rides who rides a SWB FWD. He rides at the front of the
> pack.
>
> I haven't tried to really push myself on the new bike since the
> wreck, but I've (twice) topped out at 38 downhill before I
> chickened out -- still had plenty of power and gear to go much
> faster -- and I've hit low 30s in a less-than-all-out sprint on
> the flat.
>
> Of course, right now, with my arm in a sling post-surgery, I
> either take the bus or bum rides from people. Should be back on
> the bike in a few weeks, though...can't wait....
>
> Cheers,
>
> b&
>
> --
> EAC Memographer
> BAAWA Knight of Blasphemy
> ``All but God can prove this sentence true.''
>
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