Building a recumbent bike

[mi7d1]

<snip>

Just a few current records held by pedal powered recumbents. 1 hr. unfaired - 29 miles. 1 hr. faired - 53 + miles (on a 70# faired Varna, at the Nissan test track in Az, warm!!), top speed - 83 mph, again a 70# Varna using a 5 mile run in to a 200 yd. speed trap, done twice into wind, with wind. These records are held by cream of the crop recumbent riders, the 1 hr. faired record was set by the owner of Easy Racers, "Fast" Freddy Markham, a former US Olympic Team rider - at over 50 years of age!

A couple of corrections minor they might be:

LAND - MENS 1 HOUR RECORD - STANDING START (Single Rider)

Date 12 July 2008
Distance (miles) 54.136
Distance (km) 87.123
Type -18
Elevation (m) 109
Name Eivie II
Designer Eivie Team
Rider Damjan Zabovnik

9/18/08PM Battle Mountain, Nevada
Sam Whittingham
Varna Diablo III
Builder/designer Georgiev
Canadian
200m Time 5.434
Speed 82.33mph
Speed 132.50kph
Wind speed 0.12 M/s
Legal winds? Yes

I was at the WHPSC in Battle Mountain, NV to witness the new world record for the flying 200m. Sam Whittingham road 80.47mph in the morning (video on my vimeo account, see sig for url) and 82.33mph in the evening on the same day for the new record.

 

[Geebee]

Full plans instructions and advice on LWB recumbents http://www.recycledrecumbent.com/

 

[Mathurin]

Ah yeah, the popular mechanics groundhugger.
But ffs don't use aerospokes...

 

[recumbent]

That Popular Mechanics bike looks very unstable (laterally) everything is secured to a single small diameter lower tube. Even the rear triangle is secured only at one end to the maintube, the other is attached to the top of the seat.

Badly engineered, but looks cool. It's No wonder we don't see any of those on the street.

 

[John in CR]

That Popular Mechanics bike looks very unstable (laterally) everything is secured to a single small diameter lower tube. Even the rear triangle is secured only at one end to the maintube, the other is attached to the top of the seat.

Badly engineered, but looks cool. It's No wonder we don't see any of those on the street.

Are bikes subject to sufficient lateral forces for that to make a difference? It would seem a lot more rigid than bike tires and wheels are the the lateral direction. I'm liking the idea of the composite version for my build, but my primary concern is avoiding any slop in that steering linkage at the headset.

John

 

[recumbent]

The composite version of the bike looks more ridgid and astheticaly pleasing than the "PM" weak noodle design

 

[etard]

Oh please, will somebody build an electric composite groundhugger!!?? Put the battery up front in the triangle, prewire everything inside the foam core, and put some sleek LED headlights up front and taillights in the back for safety.

Jon,
Have you researched the actual materials? They quote $300 for the frame, is this correct? Why couldn't you do a bottom of seat steering system?

 

[John in CR]

Oh please, will somebody build an electric composite groundhugger!!?? Put the battery up front in the triangle, prewire everything inside the foam core, and put some sleek LED headlights up front and taillights in the back for safety.

Jon,
Have you researched the actual materials? They quote $300 for the frame, is this correct? Why couldn't you do a bottom of seat steering system?

I need to do a quick and dirty one with recycled frame parts first, to see how riding that low works out in real life. I haven't looked into materials, I'd go epoxy and mostly fiberglass instead, with some carbon to reinforce the points of stress. I'd take even more creative license than just hiding the wires and build in battery compartments too.

John

 

[gtadmin]

Definately some cool lookin designs on the market to choose from.

The steering is too close to the rider, and seats too low on the carbon/fibreglass model "etard" posted for us. Easy to correct, but curious to know how it handles.

Why is the seat too low? What difference does seat height make?

 

[USAEBIKECO]

e recumbents are such a good idea. Thats my next build. I can see the police stopping me though.