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Conference noted::bicycle

Title: Bicycling
Notice:Bicycling for Fun
Moderator:JAMIN::WASSER
Created:Mon Apr 14 1986
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:3214
Total number of notes:31946

1308.0. "strange gadgets plus RAAM, all in one note" by VERVE::BUCHANAN (Bat) Mon Sep 11 1989 17:16

On my Sunday ride yesterday I met a couple local inventers at a common bike
stop.  Both guys were working on triathlon refinements.  The first had a home
made frame with an 85 degree seat tube, the small wheels (22 inch ?) front and
back with blade spokes and a straight fork (and I mean straight, not even a
bend where it comes out of the head tube).

The second guy had a gadget that allowed him to move his seat forwards and
backwards using a lever mounted on the handle bars.  You squeeze the lever and
the seat is pulled forwards.  It is spring loaded to aid in moving it back. 
You could move it a total of about 8 inches.  He claimed that when you get
streached out on the tri-bars you want to get as far forward as possible (the
same idea as the 85 degree seat tube on the other bike) but when you get off
the bars and sit up you want your seat back like on a normal road bike.  He
said he has a patent pending and has Dia-Comp interested in it.

RAAM
====

I can't find the note where someone was asking about the results, maybe it was
in CYCLE_RACING.  The results were:

Paul Solon, a 35 year old trial lawyer from Tiburon, CA, set a new record of 8
days, 8 hours and 45 minutes shaving 62 minutes off Pete Penseyres old record. 
He beat heavy favorite Mike Secrest by 31 miles.  Secrest's time was 8:13:30.
Third place went to Bob Breedlove of Iowa (no time given).  What is most
amazing about Breedlove was that he was using RAAM as the first half of his
attempt to break the double transcontinental record of approximately 21 days!
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1308.1MEMORY::GOODWINin a spasm of lucidity...Mon Sep 11 1989 17:4911
	This months TRIATHLETE magazine has a few new Triathlon bikes 
	featured. There were several bikes with seat tubes between 78
	and 90 degrees. One bike had straight forks with narrower front 
	hubs on a small front wheel with what looked like a 12" high
	stem. One bike shown is the Hamilton that uses 24" Sattui 
	tri-spoke wheel front and back. The claim is that the reduced 
	weight more than makes up for the increased rolling resistance 
	of the smaller wheel. 

	
1308.2Lower weight provides only a small contribution to sppedCESARE::JOHNSONMatt Johnson, DTN 871-7473Mon Sep 11 1989 19:265
    I don't buy the "reduced weight more than makes up for the increased
    rolling resistance" claim.  Maybe if you were climbing Mt. Washington,
    but on most Tris, you have to accelerate the extra weight only a 
    couple of times.  Once you're up to speed, it wouldn't matter if 
    the wheel weighed a ton -- you'd go just as fast.
1308.3VERVE::BUCHANANBatMon Sep 11 1989 23:3515
In addition to the guy I met yesterday I also saw two others at a century I was
riding about a month ago.  One was using two tri-spoke wheels, I didn't talk to
him.  I did talk to the other guy, who was also the frame builder.  He claims
that the wheels are easier to accelerate and climb with and that they offered
much less wind resistance.  He said the one big problem was that they offer a
punishing ride on rough road.

If they offer less less (or nearly as much) wind resistance as disks and weigh
much less they seem to be the wave of the future.

*********

After rereading my base note on the RAAM I double checked with the artical I
copied it from.  It was hard to believe that Secrest was only 31 miles behind
but finished nearly 5 hours later!  I know that feeling!
1308.4More RAAM info.BANZAI::FISHERTwice a BMB FinisherWed Oct 04 1989 10:2414
    Solon rode about half of RAAM with a neck brace.  He had to stop often
    to have it adjusted until one of his crew got the idea of using a bungy
    to hold it in place.
    
    A new trans-con record was also set by (forgot his name) a handicapped
    person who used his arms to pedal all the way across, it was around 32
    days.  This person also holds an asterisked worlds record for a bench
    press -- to have an unqualified worlds record you have to wear shoes.
    
    To "read all about it" and more send me mail with a mailstop, and I'll
    send a copy of the UMCA newsletter -- and info on how to join so you
    can get your own. :-)
    
    ed