I thought this was really neat until I read the towing up to 100 mph part.
Why not tow up to 180 mph, release and pedal to increase to 184mph?
I guess it’s dangerous but the feat seems to be assembling all the toys more than pedaling the bike. That German Olympian track cyclist looked like he worked harder to power the toaster in that one video
Yeah I can’t imagine sitting up in the wind going that fast, damn.
I wonder what the specifics are for setting the world record? Maybe you’re only allowed a tow to 100 or something. I also wonder about how much overlap you are allowed to have, the front wheel of the bike was definitely forward of the rear edge of the fairing at times.
It seems like a LOT of optimization still could happen. That fairing on the back of the drag car is very crude. I can imagine a more advanced design that provides a better low-pressure area, less buffeting, less salt kicked up. And if overlap with the bike is allowed, what’s to stop having the car fairing extend all the way to the rear axle of the bike, effectively completely enclosing it?
backwards fork?
So tuckt. It would provide better high speed stability. Or maybe allowing you to get closer to the pace car.
Oh, I was mistaken, apparently towed up to 150mph before releasing:
This is also interesting, never heard of the Von Karman effect before:
Riding a bicycle in the slipstream of a vehicle has obvious wind-cutting benefits. At high speeds, air rushing off the vehicle can also create an air pocket that pushes the rider forward—a phenomenon known as the Von Karman effect, after the Hungarian physicist Theodore von Kármán.
I buy that. The low pressure zone is a bubble inside of turbulence. Riding in most convertibles blows your hair forward, not back.
second reason is correct. the pacer would also ride a specific type of moto where they stand the whole way, so they want to be super close to maximize the draft.
having the wheel tucked in like that is definitely less stable, which is why you see super long forks and small front wheels on land speed bikes… slacker is more stable at speed.
having the wheelbase be shorter is def. less stable
but a backwards-raked fork has way more over-stability from the excess trail, even if the HTA is steep too
the backwardness itself is helpful if you’re motorpaced behind a derny that has a roller for you to bump into, which is probably the case in that photo
It’s a stayer fork. Someone with a better understanding of geo and trail than myself should explain.