D
David Cambon
Guest
Short Wheel-Base vs Easy Racer
Sorry for bringing this topic up again but I have seen a lot of discussion on this newsgroup that is
not all that clear. For the sake of newbies a few things should be clarified by you level-headed and
objective scientific types who read this list.
By SWB I mean all the highracers (eg Bacchetta Aero, Vision Saber etc) and all the non-lowracer
SWB's with the smaller front wheel (eg Burley HepCat, Lightning P-38, Rans V-Rex, Turner T-Lite,
Bachetta Giro, TerraCycle Terraza, Vision R40, Angletech etc).
By Easy Racer I mean the Tour Easy, GRR, TiGRR and all clones of that configuration made by
other people.
There has been a lot of foaming-at-the-mouth, drooling and just plain ga-ga over the new crop of
Bacchettas. I want one too so don't start flaming me just yet. That Bacchetta mesh seat is more
comfortable than my furniture at home. I love those bars too. However, the basic idea is not new.
Just go to Europe and have a look for yourself. The Bacchetta Aero even comes with Bram Moens seat
from the Netherlands.
The problem I have is the people on this list who are running out and buying a Bacchetta (or its
ilk) based on completely unscientific observations that have been posted on this group. I wouldn't
toss your TiGRR onto the composter based on what you have seen here.
You can't just go and try out a couple of bikes and declare one unequivocally faster based on your
"feelings" or even a trip around your test loop. There are many factors that determine the speed of
a bicycle. Yes, one factor is the coefficient of drag. Another factor is the cyclist! SWB's and
LWB's use different positions and physiological attributes. Each position takes time to acclimate
to. Some people apparently don't acclimate to sky-high bottom-brackets (I like the HepCat, for
instance, because it has a lower bottom-bracket).
I now submit myself for a manly third-degree flaming by saying this: some of you fat old guys ride
differently than skinny superathletes. A super-fit thin guy with no real job can make different
bikes go fast than a pasty-faced outta-shape desk jockey. There is also the issue of real-world
cycling conditions. Most people do not ride at a steady pace of 25mph (as some of the people on this
group seem to be doing). Most people actually ride slower - where wind resistance is much less
important.
Here's my 2 cents worth: I ride all types of bikes. My preference around here (in the Coast
Mountains of British Columbia) is a LWB because of the high-speed descents where it possible to hit
tremendous speeds for long periods of time (eg speed-trapped at 126kph). The LWB just feels better
than any SWB at speed. I am acclimated to both SWB's and LWB's. I am a strong, fast rider who weighs
225 pounds and I drop like a stone on descents. On flat ground riding all day I am faster on an
unfaired LWB than I am on a SWB. The explanation is not obvious. The LWB (a Recumbonie) is
undoubtedly more laterally flexy than a Tour Easy GRR and heavier too. However, the seat is lower so
it could be slightly more aerodynamically efficient (but I doubt that really makes any difference).
I also prefer the lower LWB pedals in stop-and-go city traffic. On the other hand, many SWB's fit
into transit bus racks (which the transit buses have around here).
I'd do a more scientific test with an Easy Racer but they are not readily available in this part of
the world.
Anyway, c'mon smarty-people, get your responses in!
Sorry for bringing this topic up again but I have seen a lot of discussion on this newsgroup that is
not all that clear. For the sake of newbies a few things should be clarified by you level-headed and
objective scientific types who read this list.
By SWB I mean all the highracers (eg Bacchetta Aero, Vision Saber etc) and all the non-lowracer
SWB's with the smaller front wheel (eg Burley HepCat, Lightning P-38, Rans V-Rex, Turner T-Lite,
Bachetta Giro, TerraCycle Terraza, Vision R40, Angletech etc).
By Easy Racer I mean the Tour Easy, GRR, TiGRR and all clones of that configuration made by
other people.
There has been a lot of foaming-at-the-mouth, drooling and just plain ga-ga over the new crop of
Bacchettas. I want one too so don't start flaming me just yet. That Bacchetta mesh seat is more
comfortable than my furniture at home. I love those bars too. However, the basic idea is not new.
Just go to Europe and have a look for yourself. The Bacchetta Aero even comes with Bram Moens seat
from the Netherlands.
The problem I have is the people on this list who are running out and buying a Bacchetta (or its
ilk) based on completely unscientific observations that have been posted on this group. I wouldn't
toss your TiGRR onto the composter based on what you have seen here.
You can't just go and try out a couple of bikes and declare one unequivocally faster based on your
"feelings" or even a trip around your test loop. There are many factors that determine the speed of
a bicycle. Yes, one factor is the coefficient of drag. Another factor is the cyclist! SWB's and
LWB's use different positions and physiological attributes. Each position takes time to acclimate
to. Some people apparently don't acclimate to sky-high bottom-brackets (I like the HepCat, for
instance, because it has a lower bottom-bracket).
I now submit myself for a manly third-degree flaming by saying this: some of you fat old guys ride
differently than skinny superathletes. A super-fit thin guy with no real job can make different
bikes go fast than a pasty-faced outta-shape desk jockey. There is also the issue of real-world
cycling conditions. Most people do not ride at a steady pace of 25mph (as some of the people on this
group seem to be doing). Most people actually ride slower - where wind resistance is much less
important.
Here's my 2 cents worth: I ride all types of bikes. My preference around here (in the Coast
Mountains of British Columbia) is a LWB because of the high-speed descents where it possible to hit
tremendous speeds for long periods of time (eg speed-trapped at 126kph). The LWB just feels better
than any SWB at speed. I am acclimated to both SWB's and LWB's. I am a strong, fast rider who weighs
225 pounds and I drop like a stone on descents. On flat ground riding all day I am faster on an
unfaired LWB than I am on a SWB. The explanation is not obvious. The LWB (a Recumbonie) is
undoubtedly more laterally flexy than a Tour Easy GRR and heavier too. However, the seat is lower so
it could be slightly more aerodynamically efficient (but I doubt that really makes any difference).
I also prefer the lower LWB pedals in stop-and-go city traffic. On the other hand, many SWB's fit
into transit bus racks (which the transit buses have around here).
I'd do a more scientific test with an Easy Racer but they are not readily available in this part of
the world.
Anyway, c'mon smarty-people, get your responses in!