Marci's embarrasing revelation!!!!! (re: tailwind conversion and speed)

Ok, here goes.... I am very embarrassed to report that the speed information I posted on my
converted tailwind (its now a 26 inch rear wheel/ 451mm 20" front wheel) was incorrect!!!!! I posted
results of my speed testing and stated that the Saber would "blow the doors off of the converted
tailwind." Well, to my embarassment, the computer on the tailwind was set very low! I didn't even
realize this until one day on my typical route, I looked at the distance on my computer at a point
which I know is about 10 miles and the tailwind's speedometer said, 8.3 miles traveled. Wow, a
revalation, the speedometer had been set wrong. And, I had this set at a bike shop. Sooooo, I took
the bike back in and had them correctly set it up. Now, after several tests on the Saber and the
converted tailwind, I am happy to report that the tailwind is indeed pretty fast. I did two
identical rides, one on each bike. I gave my full effort and these are the average speeds for the 2
rides. Keep in mind, these rides include many hills so the average speeds are somewhat low. the
Saber averaged 15.8 mph for the 18 mile route. The Tailwind conversion averaged 15.3 for the 18 mile
route. So, to conclude, the tailwind is just slighly slower than the Saber. However, the tailwind is
a much more freindly bike, no high BB, just a real easy to ride bike. I think I may choose to ride
the converted tailwind on my next century ride. The tailwind has the front fairing and the Saber is
unfaired. Marci

 

OH, OH, I can see a Saber for sale in Marci's future! Ben fox "Marci Taylor" <[email protected]>
wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Ok, here goes.... I am very embarrassed to report that the speed information I posted on my
> converted tailwind (its now a 26 inch rear wheel/ 451mm 20" front wheel) was incorrect!!!!! I
> posted results of my speed testing and stated that the Saber would "blow the doors off of the
> converted tailwind." Well, to my embarassment, the computer on the tailwind was set very low! I
> didn't even realize this until one day on my typical route, I looked at the distance on my
> computer at a point which I know is about 10 miles and the tailwind's speedometer said, 8.3 miles
> traveled. Wow, a revalation, the speedometer had been set wrong. And, I had this set at a bike
> shop. Sooooo, I took the bike back in and had them correctly set it up. Now, after several tests
> on the Saber and the converted tailwind, I am happy to report that the tailwind is indeed pretty
> fast. I did two identical rides, one on each bike. I gave my full effort and these are the average
> speeds for the 2 rides. Keep in mind, these rides include many hills so the average speeds are
> somewhat low. the Saber averaged 15.8 mph for the 18 mile route. The Tailwind conversion averaged
> 15.3 for the 18 mile route. So, to conclude, the tailwind is just slighly slower than the Saber.
> However, the tailwind is a much more freindly bike, no high BB, just a real easy to ride bike. I
> think I may choose to ride the converted tailwind on my next century ride. The tailwind has the
> front fairing and the Saber is unfaired. Marci

 

"Ben Fox" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> OH, OH, I can see a Saber for sale in Marci's future! Ben fox

No way. The Saber is sooo cool. It is a keeper for now anyway. And for me to have a bike this long,
is unusual. The Saber is so fast and very cool. I would choose it over any other recumbent period if
I didn't get that slight hint of toe numbness. If that goes, then the Saber would stay as my number
1 choice. But, the tailwind is now the bike that I ride most often becuase I don't get any numbness
in toes or feet (and no recumbo butt either). Marci
> "Marci Taylor" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Ok, here goes.... I am very embarrassed to report that the speed information I posted on my
> > converted tailwind (its now a 26 inch rear wheel/ 451mm 20" front wheel) was incorrect!!!!! I
> > posted results of my speed testing and stated that the Saber would "blow the doors off of the
> > converted tailwind." Well, to my embarassment, the computer on the tailwind was set very low! I
> > didn't even realize this until one day on my typical route, I looked at the distance on my
> > computer at a point which I know is about 10 miles and the tailwind's speedometer said, 8.3
> > miles traveled. Wow, a revalation, the speedometer had been set wrong. And, I had this set at a
> > bike shop. Sooooo, I took the bike back in and had them correctly set it up. Now, after several
> > tests on the Saber and the converted tailwind, I am happy to report that the tailwind is indeed
> > pretty fast. I did two identical rides, one on each bike. I gave my full effort and these are
> > the average speeds for the 2 rides. Keep in mind, these rides include many hills so the average
> > speeds are somewhat low. the Saber averaged 15.8 mph for the 18 mile route. The Tailwind
> > conversion averaged 15.3 for the 18 mile route. So, to conclude, the tailwind is just slighly
> > slower than the Saber. However, the tailwind is a much more freindly bike, no high BB, just a
> > real easy to ride bike. I think I may choose to ride the converted tailwind on my next century
> > ride. The tailwind has the front fairing and the Saber is unfaired. Marci

 

Marci Taylor wrote:
>
> "Ben Fox" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> > OH, OH, I can see a Saber for sale in Marci's future! Ben fox
>
> No way. The Saber is sooo cool. It is a keeper for now anyway. And for me to have a bike this
> long, is unusual. The Saber is so fast and very cool. I would choose it over any other recumbent
> period if I didn't get that slight hint of toe numbness. If that goes, then the Saber would stay
> as my number 1 choice. But, the tailwind is now the bike that I ride most often becuase I don't
> get any numbness in toes or feet (and no recumbo butt either).

Marci,

So you have no plans to sells the Cro-Moly steel R-64 and buy a titanium alloy R-68?

Tom Sherman - Quad Cities USA (Illinois side) RANS "Wavewind" and Rocket, Earth Cycles Sunset and
Dragonflyer

 

Tom Sherman <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Marci Taylor wrote:
> >
> > "Ben Fox" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> > > OH, OH, I can see a Saber for sale in Marci's future! Ben fox
> >
> > No way. The Saber is sooo cool. It is a keeper for now anyway. And for me to have a bike this
> > long, is unusual. The Saber is so fast and very cool. I would choose it over any other recumbent
> > period if I didn't get that slight hint of toe numbness. If that goes, then the Saber would stay
> > as my number 1 choice. But, the tailwind is now the bike that I ride most often becuase I don't
> > get any numbness in toes or feet (and no recumbo butt either).
>
> Marci,
>
> So you have no plans to sells the Cro-Moly steel R-64 and buy a titanium alloy R-68? Hi Tom:
I would take a ti version in a heartbeat if I didn't get a touch of that darned numb toe thing. It's
an irritant on a longer ride. I am happy having the tailwind which offers total comfort with no numb
toes, and no recumbo butt and then I like the Saber for the shorter rides which are the fastest
rides. I think the two bikes offer great versatility. Marci
> Tom Sherman - Quad Cities USA (Illinois side) RANS "Wavewind" and Rocket, Earth Cycles Sunset and
> Dragonflyer

 

> >
> > > "Ben Fox" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Marci,
> >
> > So you have no plans to sells the Cro-Moly steel R-64 and buy a titanium alloy R-68? Hi Tom:
> I would take a ti version in a heartbeat if I didn't get a touch of that darned numb toe thing.
> It's an irritant on a longer ride. I am happy having the tailwind which offers total comfort with
> no numb toes, and no recumbo butt and then I like the Saber for the shorter rides which are the
> fastest rides. I think the two bikes offer great versatility. Marci
> > Tom Sherman - Quad Cities USA (Illinois side) RANS "Wavewind" and Rocket, Earth Cycles Sunset
> > and Dragonflyer

Marci, I appreciate your honesty and also the good natured ribbing of some of the commentators. I
read a post many weeks ago (author unknown) that said that if your reason for changing bikes is
solely for speed then you are on a path with no end. I agree now (I didn't before) with that poster.
I have "progressed" from BikeE to V-Rex to Barcroft Virginia, and while there was a nice jump in
performance between the first two I am now at a point where any large increase in speed is going to
have to come from the engine more so than the bike. I tried the Strada and a Wishbone (Dave
Balfour's bike where he can cruise in the 20's and even if I could stay up on it I wouldn't get near
that average) but any speed increase for me wasn't that great. For me, I think I have come to the
point where a new bike has to not only help me increase my speed but maintain my comfort level,
something I would have considered sacrificing before. So I was glad to hear you emphasize the
tricked out Tailwind even though it is .5 mph slower than the Sabre. That doesn't mean I can't keep
trying to improve performance (when I get my fairing I think I can keep up with Ben Fox's P-38).
And, of course, in the interim, I can always dream about beating Balfour in a century (I do the
metric, he does the real one). I just think now, after four plus years of recumbents, that I have
found the nice mix between speed, performance and comfort. Not that I wouldn't consider the next
"super bike" but I need that engine to power it. Happy riding.