The Mysterious 150 Mph Porsche & Bicycle



CAMPYBOB

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Sep 12, 2005
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I've followed a few of the record attempts over the years, but I honestly do not recall the attempt of Jean Claude Rude or the Martini Porsche.

Can anyone shed any information on this cyclist or his attempt on the land speed record (drafting/paced) attempt?

http://flatsixes.com/porsche-culture/porsche-factoids/land-speed-record-bicycle-rude/

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They even made a scale model of the Porsche 935 & bike!

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The article mentions J-C Rude might have been killed by a train (shades of P-R pelotons ducking under grade crossing guards?!?!) during a second attempt on the record. WTH? A record attempt at 150 MPH over a RR track sounds to insane to be contemplated...

If smashing the rails at 150 MPH on sew-up at 150 PSI don't kill you...the perfectly timed 5:40 Bullet Train running on-schedule from Lyon to Baden-Baden and Gooden-Gooden just might! Ya think???

That's a, "Hold mein bier und vatch dis!" moment if I ever heard of one!

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Dr. Al Abbott...one of the record holders around 1973 at 138-140 MPH. Note the small diameter wheels.

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Noted road cyclist John Howard later went over 150 MPH...also on smaller wheels.

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It's da aerodyna...er....******' magnets! How do they work?

[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvmvxAcT_Yc[/media]
 
This article seems to hint at J-C Rude experimenting with the effects of suddenly getting hit with a wall of air...such as what might happen if he dropped away from his pace vehicle and suddenly was hit by the air and turbulence of losing the slipstream.

So...he decided to pedal TOWARDS and oncoming train and somehow was struck by it?

http://www.gtspirit.com/2012/10/14/bizarre-record-attempt-with-a-porsche-and-a-bike/

"Jean Claude started an investigation on his own to experience the effect of a sudden increase in air resistance, which would occur if he would drop out of the Porsche’s slipstream. He decided that the best way to experience the wall of air was to cycle alongside a railway track and to feel the air displaced by an oncoming train. Instead of being hit by a wall of air, Jean Claude Rude was apparently hit by the train. Ironically a quite rude ending for Rude."
 
Apparently, J-C Rude also set a tandem LSR in 1979...so he lived a few years beyond his initial solo record attempt.

This was the tandem used for the record...Campagnolo Super Leggera pedals?

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The run and more mystery:

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Little is published about the stoker. Purportedly, he was blind. And why J-C Rude is wearing a full-face motorcycle crash helmet while the stoker wears just a leather hair net???

He must be blind because the hair net is on...BACKWARDS! Bizarre.

There's a big WTF? Was this a test run? The stoker isn't even on the drops!
 
MotownBikeBoy said:
So what is the physics behind the small wheel diameter thst allows for higher velocity?

I am guessing lower center of gravity and lower profile for drafting purposes otherwise I perceive it as a disadvantage.
 
Another view of the commemorative model Porsche 935 and J-C Rude by Spark:

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Another bicycle used by J-C Rude. The placard is dated 1978-1980.

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Not much ground clearance to that chain ring.
 
Day-amn! I found this pic while searching around for info on J-C Rude...

I sho needs me some GT-40 to haul my TREK around! Especially if painted in Gulf-John Wyer colors!

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I'm in love...and that had better be Campagnolo stuff on the roof...

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Alfred Letourner's 1941 record bike, a Schwinn Paramount built by the legendary Emil Wastyn.

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Almost 109 MPH on wooden rims!

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The driver is the famous Ronnie Householder...pacing Letourner on his Schwinn Paramount:

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Lucifer, himself! The 'Red Devil', Alfred Letourner (Letourneur, LeTourner, LeTourneur).

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Fred Rompelberg, the current record holder, in action on the Bonneville Salt Flats.

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Fred's 44-pound Colnago as built by the late Dave Tesch.

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The wheels are 18" diameter with speed rated motorcycle tires. The brake is a shimaNO unit. The fork is Italian, however. Note the Tesch decal applied to the fork....possibly a Marzocchi. Tesch built bikes for Dave Moulton and for the American Masi shop in California. Tesch also worked as a builder for TREK.

Oh...the seat is a Brooks, since we've had so many saddle threads on CF lately.
 
Dang this is very interesting to see! I remember seeing a video of a rocket being attached to a bike and that beat a Lamborghini in less than 2 seconds. I forgot the top speed but its on YouTube somewhere.
 
CAMPYBOB said:
Day-amn! I found this pic while searching around for info on J-C Rude...

I sho needs me some GT-40 to haul my TREK around! Especially if painted in Gulf-John Wyer colors!

18nmib112enaejpg.jpg



I'm in love...and that had better be Campagnolo stuff on the roof...

18nmibwlngdeajpg.jpg

It is Shimano and why are you following me and making photos?
 
Jose Meiffret at over 128 MPH.

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Shame about butchering that 300 SL Gullwing though...
 
MotownBikeBoy said:
So what is the physics behind the small wheel diameter thst allows for higher velocity?

Smaller diameter wheels are stronger and can "maybe" deal with the loads at 100 kmh (or something stupid like that :D )...

Think motorbikes, BMX bikes, downhill bikes and mountain bikes.
 

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