Australia and New Zealand · Public discussion

Fastest Bike in the Shop

Started by Glenn Druery · · Last activity · 8 posts · 2,533 views

This thread is locked and is currently read-only.

Thread navigation

Jump through the discussion

Go to the original post, the replies on this page, or the latest preserved contribution.

Thread details

What we know about this thread

Original section
Australia and New Zealand
Published
16 April 2003
Last activity
24 April 2003
Original author
Glenn Druery
Posts
8
Discussion status
Public discussion
Total views
2,533
Views / 30 days
0

The navigation and discussion metadata provide context. Posts remain in their original chronological order.

Showing posts 1–8 of 8
Posts remain in their original chronological order.

Text size
  1. Found this on a U.S. bike site.

    Glenn .

    Fastest Bike in the Shop

    If it's a typical US bike shop, the answer to this question will not be a low racer recumbent.
    Despite the market for ultra-fast, expensive bikes in the US, low racers are nowhere to be found.
    They are essentially non existent in the vast majority of bike shops.

    I'll bet you race cars to rubles that 90%+ of the fast, expensive upright bikes being sold in the US
    will never be ridden in a race that would ban a low racer. We also know that low racers are quite
    comfortable to ride for long distances, and that they generate a great deal of interest (from the

    This whole "Grudge Match Race" idea was simply an exercise: Why are low racers overlooked
    completely, when they are superior machines? I have to believe that there is a large, untapped
    potential market for low racers in the US. Even if 10% of the shops in the US bought exactly 1
    carbon lowracer and hung it on the wall, that would break all sales records by a long stretch. Then,
    when a customer asks a salesperson "which bike is the fastest," the answer would be obvious. They
    would point to the carbon lowracer on the wall, which just screams "exotic race-only."

    Exotic carbon + radical design + expensive + "fastest bike" mystique = sold

    Doesn't "be the first guy in your club to own one of these babies" work for low racers?

    -Barry

  2. "Glenn Druery" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
    "]news:[email hidden]...
    | Found this on a U.S. bike site.
    |
    | Glenn .
    |
    |
    | Fastest Bike in the Shop
    |
    | If it's a typical US bike shop, the answer to this question will not be a low racer recumbent.
    | Despite the market for ultra-fast, expensive bikes
    in
    | the US, low racers are nowhere to be found. They are essentially non existent in the vast majority
    | of bike shops.
    |
    | I'll bet you race cars to rubles that 90%+ of the fast, expensive upright bikes being sold in the
    | US will never be ridden in a race that would ban a low racer. We also know that low racers are
    | quite comfortable to ride for long distances, and that they generate a great deal of interest
    | (from the

    |
    | This whole "Grudge Match Race" idea was simply an exercise: Why are low racers overlooked
    | completely, when they are superior machines? I have to believe that there is a large,
    | untapped potential market for low racers in the US. Even if 10% of the shops in the US bought
    | exactly 1 carbon
    lowracer
    | and hung it on the wall, that would break all sales records by a long stretch. Then, when a
    | customer asks a salesperson "which bike is the fastest," the answer would be obvious. They would
    | point to the carbon lowracer on the wall, which just screams "exotic race-only."
    |
    | Exotic carbon + radical design + expensive + "fastest bike" mystique =
    sold
    |
    | Doesn't "be the first guy in your club to own one of these babies" work
    for
    | low racers?
    |
    | -Barry

    When you say fastest bike, does that include hill climbs as well or just flat roads. From what I've
    seen these "low racers" don't race up hills too well.

    Marty

  3. I'm selling a bike at the moment, had a bloke (tyrekicker) come & look at it. He asked me how fast
    does it go, I told him, really fast over a cliff" :-)

    It's all relative, but I'm glad he wasn't one of mine :-)

    John L.

    Blind Freddy' (spam) said:


    When you say fastest bike, does that include hill climbs as well or just flat roads. From what I've
    seen these "low racers" don't race up hills too well.

    Marty

  4. John L <[email hidden]> wrote in message
    news:<[email hidden]>...

    Quoted message said:

    I'm selling a bike at the moment, had a bloke (tyrekicker) come & look at it. He asked me how fast
    does it go, I told him, really fast over a cliff" :-)

    It's all relative, but I'm glad he wasn't one of mine :-)

    John L.

    Be sure to tell potential buyers that the motor is not included...

    Ritch.

  5. Blind Freddy' ... said:

    |
    | Fastest Bike in the Shop
    |
    | If it's a typical US bike shop, the answer to this question will not be a low racer recumbent.
    | Despite the market for ultra-fast, expensive bikes
    in
    | the US, low racers are nowhere to be found. They are essentially non existent in the vast
    | majority of bike shops.

    Quoted message said:


    When you say fastest bike, does that include hill climbs as well or just flat roads. From what
    I've seen these "low racers" don't race up hills too well.

    Marty

    Possibly not quite as fast up the steeper hills, but what goes up, must come down! In the hands of a
    moderately experienced rider, they could cover an average commute or tour at the same speed (but
    with a little more comfort and less energy cost) than the average. But now we are starting to split
    hairs; once you start allowing that, we can all chip in with our special spin and win the argument
    by shifting the goalposts to suit ourselves.

    The point was that low racers (bike or trike) were said to be faster than diamond frames.

    Here is a link to the results of the 2001 HPV challenge in the UK.

    legslarry.crosswinds.netWorlds01.html

    There you will see
    * the 1 km time trial completed at 51.4 kmh
    * the 27.75 km criterium completed at 47.8 kmh
    * the 200m sprint completed at 73.5 kmh
    * the 2 hour road race at 55.9 kmh

    And here's a link to a great report of the 1999, 1,200 km Paris-Brest-Paris completed in 47 hours
    (supported) and in 69 hours (not supported) on low racers:

    sunsite.anu.edu.auaudax club parisien.htm

    How do these compare with diamond frames?

    Keith

  6. [email hidden] (Keith) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

    Quoted message said:
    Blind Freddy' ... said:

    |
    | Fastest Bike in the Shop
    |
    | If it's a typical US bike shop, the answer to this question will not be a low racer recumbent.
    | Despite the market for ultra-fast, expensive bikes


    in

    Quoted message said:

    | the US, low racers are nowhere to be found. They are essentially non existent in the vast
    | majority of bike shops.

    Quoted message said:


    When you say fastest bike, does that include hill climbs as well or just flat roads. From what
    I've seen these "low racers" don't race up hills too well.

    Marty

    Possibly not quite as fast up the steeper hills, but what goes up, must come down! In the hands of
    a moderately experienced rider, they could cover an average commute or tour at the same speed (but
    with a little more comfort and less energy cost) than the average. But now we are starting to
    split hairs; once you start allowing that, we can all chip in with our special spin and win the
    argument by shifting the goalposts to suit ourselves.

    The point was that low racers (bike or trike) were said to be faster than diamond frames.

    Here is a link to the results of the 2001 HPV challenge in the UK.

    legslarry.crosswinds.netWorlds01.html

    There you will see
    * the 1 km time trial completed at 51.4 kmh
    * the 27.75 km criterium completed at 47.8 kmh
    * the 200m sprint completed at 73.5 kmh
    * the 2 hour road race at 55.9 kmh

    And here's a link to a great report of the 1999, 1,200 km Paris-Brest-Paris completed in 47 hours
    (supported) and in 69 hours (not supported) on low racers:

    sunsite.anu.edu.auaudax club parisien.htm

    How do these compare with diamond frames?

    Keith

    200m flying start - absolute record held by Curtis Harnett 9.865 s ( ~73km/h) 1km time trial 58.875
    s (`61.15km/h) (standing start) Arnaud Tournant road race and criterium - what do you compare it to?
    There have been 4 hour stages of the TdF where the average speed has been well over 50km/h (but also
    run predominantly downhill or with a strong tailwind) And Jan Ullrich amongst others has done
    predominantly flat 60km + time trials at an average speed of well over 50km/h Garry Allen

  7. "Garry Allen" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
    "]news:[email hidden]...
    | [email hidden] (Keith) wrote in message
    news:<[email hidden]>...
    | > "Blind Freddy" ... wrote in message news:
    | >
    | > > |
    | > > | Fastest Bike in the Shop
    | > > |
    | > > | If it's a typical US bike shop, the answer to this question will not
    be a
    | > > | low racer recumbent. Despite the market for ultra-fast, expensive
    bikes
    | > in
    | > > | the US, low racers are nowhere to be found. They are essentially
    non
    | > > | existent in the vast majority of bike shops.
    | >
    | > >
    | > > When you say fastest bike, does that include hill climbs as well or
    just
    | > > flat roads. From what I've seen these "low racers" don't race up hills too well.
    | > >
    | > > Marty
    | >
    | > Possibly not quite as fast up the steeper hills, but what goes up, must come down! In the hands
    | > of a moderately experienced rider, they could cover an average commute or tour at the same speed
    | > (but with a little more comfort and less energy cost) than the average. But now we are starting
    | > to split hairs; once you start allowing that, we can all chip in with our special spin and win
    | > the argument by shifting the goalposts to suit ourselves.
    | >
    | > The point was that low racers (bike or trike) were said to be faster than diamond frames.
    | >
    | > Here is a link to the results of the 2001 HPV challenge in the UK.
    | >
    | > legslarry.crosswinds.netWorlds01.html
    | >
    | > There you will see
    | > * the 1 km time trial completed at 51.4 kmh
    | > * the 27.75 km criterium completed at 47.8 kmh
    | > * the 200m sprint completed at 73.5 kmh
    | > * the 2 hour road race at 55.9 kmh
    | >
    | > And here's a link to a great report of the 1999, 1,200 km Paris-Brest-Paris completed in 47
    | > hours (supported) and in 69 hours (not supported) on low racers:
    | >
    | > sunsite.anu.edu.auaudax club parisien.htm
    | >
    | > How do these compare with diamond frames?
    | >
    | > Keith
    |
    | 200m flying start - absolute record held by Curtis Harnett 9.865 s ( ~73km/h) 1km time trial
    | 58.875 s (`61.15km/h) (standing start) Arnaud Tournant road race and criterium - what do you
    | compare it to? There have been 4 hour stages of the TdF where the average speed has been well over
    | 50km/h (but also run predominantly downhill or with a strong tailwind) And Jan Ullrich amongst
    | others has done predominantly flat 60km + time trials at an average speed of well over 50km/h
    | Garry Allen

    So why doesn't everyone have one if they're so good?

    Marty

  8. "Blind Freddy" <[email hidden](spam)> wrote in message
    news:<[email hidden]>...

    Quoted message said:

    "Garry Allen" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
    "]news:[email hidden]...
    | 200m flying start - absolute record held by Curtis Harnett 9.865 s ( ~73km/h) 1km time trial
    | 58.875 s (`61.15km/h) (standing start) Arnaud Tournant road race and criterium - what do you
    | compare it to? There have been 4 hour stages of the TdF where the average speed has been well
    | over 50km/h (but also run predominantly downhill or with a strong tailwind) And Jan Ullrich
    | amongst others has done predominantly flat 60km + time trials at an average speed of well over
    | 50km/h Garry Allen

    So why doesn't everyone have one if they're so good?

    Marty


    Most people who ride bicycles ride something that bears some sort of resemblance to the bikes these
    records were achieved on. Diamond framed track bikes with sprinters drop bars. Diamond framed
    pursuit track bikes with aero bars and disk wheels. Diamond framed road bikes with drop bars and
    index gearing (or even old diamond framed racing bikes with flip flop hubs riden by Fausto
    Coppi....and Hubert Oppermann) Diamond framed time trial bikes. All diamond framed. And they are all
    vaguely like the bikes you can buy in the bike shop down the road. Garry Allen Note that the times
    quoted above are from that well known enemy of all things good in the HPV world uci.chuci.ch

Active in the last 60 minutes

Active in this thread

0 users · 0 guests ·0 bots ·0 total

No signed-in users are active right now.

No known search crawlers active right now.