Differient way of doing things

[R@ndom]

. Looking around this forum i see most people who ride recumbent bikes bought their bikes
. The bikes have two wheels and no canopy
. People don't attend recumbent races
In Australia we custim build three wheeled recumbent bikes with full carbon fibre frame and kevlar/fibreglass canopy with intrigrated coreflew roll bars. We also race these bikes all around the country in events set up for recumbent bikes. The races are normally 24 hour endurience races ridden by 8 riders in a team. there is normally around 250 entries in these races. Surely Australians arnt the only ones doing this?? here is a video of a testing day enjoy http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=5671099

[Leigh_caines]

You're makeing it sound like in Oz we have lots of recumbents...
wish it was so....
but around here there are mighty few to be found...
the only ones in my town got here because of me...
I wish there were more.

[MI7D1]

I myself ride a velomobile here in the USA and have only recently found out about the Peddle Prix in Australia. It was quite a surprise for me however when looking online for some design ideas I came up with nothing. The Aussies must keep their designs a closely guarded secret :rolleyes:

Bill
WAW042

[Wheelchairman]

. Looking around this forum i see most people who ride recumbent bikes bought their bikes
. The bikes have two wheels and no canopy
. People don't attend recumbent races
In Australia we custim build three wheeled recumbent bikes with full carbon fibre frame and kevlar/fibreglass canopy with intrigrated coreflew roll bars. We also race these bikes all around the country in events set up for recumbent bikes. The races are normally 24 hour endurience races ridden by 8 riders in a team. there is normally around 250 entries in these races. Surely Australians arnt the only ones doing this?? here is a video of a testing day enjoy http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=5671099Hiya. Up for a little meeting soon? We'll be having one in the near future to discuss sponsers, design ideas etc ;)

Sadly the yanks don't get into the trikes like we do. Fair enough though- a fairing isn't the most practical for the open road, esspecially when a high or low racer can produce speeds just as fast as our circuit pace (our open road pace is waaaay quicker, yet we don't race road).

You're makeing it sound like in Oz we have lots of recumbents...
wish it was so....
but around here there are mighty few to be found...
the only ones in my town got here because of me...
I wish there were more.Go to a 24 hr race and you'll be in heaven! Your nearest is in Maryborough, Queensland around September each year

I myself ride a velomobile here in the USA and have only recently found out about the Peddle Prix in Australia. It was quite a surprise for me however when looking online for some design ideas I came up with nothing. The Aussies must keep their designs a closely guarded secretWell yeah, if you wanna keep winning you gotta. Just to help you out though heres some links and info that may provide some ideas;

BLUESHIFT
http://www.expatsracing.com/gallery/Murray-Bridge-Pedal-Prix-2007/1/imgLg/DSC_0099.jpg

2007 AIPP Champs
Cro-Mo frame with lasercut "coroplast" fairing, blow-moulded windscreen, CAD designed, Weighs 23kg/50.7lbs
Blueshift website; http://www.geocities.com/blueshift04/
Blueshift gallery- shows detailed pics of construction of all their vehicles, some good ideas that may be handy http://www.geocities.com/blueshift04/gallery.html

PHANTOM P3
http://www.expatsracing.com/gallery/Casey-HPV-6-Hour-Race-2007/1/imgLg/DSC_0123.jpg
Carbon monocoque chassis and kevlar fairing, total weight 21kg/46.2 pounds
Phantom website- including forum where you can talk to some very talented chaps about velomobile and trike design; http://www.phantomp3.com/
Phantom gallery- many step by step pics of the construction process (carbon frames, mould construction etc) http://www.phantomp3.com/gallery/main.php

Tru-Blu
http://www.expatsracing.com/gallery/Murray-Bridge-Pedal-Prix-2007/1/imgLg/DSC_0121.jpg
3rd in 2007 AIPP
An Aluminium MR Components (http://www.mrrecumbenttrikes.com/) frame with a simple, commuter friendly "coroplast" fairing, estimated weight sub 20kg/44lbs

Trisled Racing
http://www.trisled.com.au/images/racing4.jpg
http://www.trisled.com.au/images/racing3.jpg
One of the most successful teams in Australia
Trisled Cro-Mo chassis on Trisled kevlar fairing, sub 20kg/44lbs package (and that's a production trike mind you)
Website, http://www.trisled.com.au/index.html

Bendigo Youth Racing Inc
http://img162.imageshack.us/img162/8241/byrcasey2dj9.jpg
The most successful team in Australia since debut in 2003
Carbon spaceframe chassis in a kevlar/glass fairing, total weight 19kg/40lbs
Website, www.byrinc.com . No real info or detailed pics on the vehicle, yet I'd be happy to answer most questions :)

There are other teams, such as Team Ballistic (http://ballisticracing.blogspot.com/) and Ex Pats (http://www.expatsracing.com/) yet they don't have much info on how they build their vehicles

Hope that helps

Michael

[MI7D1]

Thanks for the links Wheelchairman. Those trikes are beautiful! I'll look further into the links after work. Here are a couple photos of my velomobile. It is a Walleweder or WAW.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1204/1465243840_d0142da748.jpg

The person in the photo is the owner of the Greenspeed GTO that was stoled and returned after four years later.





http://farm1.static.flickr.com/217/518719435_75a8b99af8.jpg

This photo is from a the 2007 Human Power Challenge in Portland Oregon USA Sadly I didn't race. I use my velomobile for commuting to work.

[GreenGrasshoppr]

Surely Australians arnt the only ones doing this??

Well in Canada we cut and polish our own stones, and throw them on an ice surface, while other people sweep the ice with brooms just ahead of the stone.

I don't see Australians doing it. :D

[countersTrike]

Sadly Matt, the yanks don't get into the trikes like we do.

So very true! I built my fiberglass/kevlar full fairing- closed with Lexan & Mylar foam insulation sandwich, carbon fiber/open cell foam seat after viewing Aero Rider in 1998 and Pedal Prix photos in 2003; from Europe and Australia starting in 2004. Still on the road daily.

Very true- I am the only California yank that I know of to march to a different drummer.

countersTrike

[BlazingPedals]

Not to say there's anything wrong with velomobiles or full fairings in general, but most recumbenteurs in the US consider a velomobile too expensive, too hard to store, too heavy, and too hard to transport. They might accept a 40-pound vehicle, but only where they don't want to pay more for light weight (i.e. it's really cheap.)

Speaking for myself, I have decided that I'd rather ride a stock-class bike (no fairings) and chose the lowracer platform because it's fast without the add-ons. I can/have ridden with a front fairing and/or a tailbox, but if I can get the speed to ride with my DF-riding buddies without them, that's my preference.

[Wheelchairman]

Here are a couple photos of my velomobile. It is a Walleweder or WAW.I was picturing a head out design. How practical do you find a fully enclosed HPV for communting? Do you have a boot space in there? :D

The person in the photo is the owner of the Greenspeed GTO that was stoled and returned after four years later.Excellent!!

So very true! I built my fiberglass/kevlar full fairing- closed with Lexan & Mylar foam insulation sandwich, carbon fiber/open cell foam seat after viewing Aero Rider in 1998 and Pedal Prix photos in 2003; from Europe and Australia starting in 2004. Still on the road daily.

Very true- I am the only California yank that I know of to march to a different drummer.Post some pics, counters! Sounds like an awesome homebuild.

Not to say there's anything wrong with velomobiles or full fairings in general, but most recumbenteurs in the US consider a velomobile too expensive, too hard to store, too heavy, and too hard to transport.All true
They might accept a 40-pound vehicle, but only where they don't want to pay more for light weight (i.e. it's really cheap.)Well we've went to a stupid level of detail to cut weight down to 20kg-ish mark. You wont see many sub 20kg velomobiles unless they're extremely fragile of construction (which ain't practical in the real world) or extremely expensive to produce (ditto).

[MI7D1]

I was picturing a head out design. How practical do you find a fully enclosed HPV for communting? Do you have a boot space in there? :D

The velomobile can be ridden with or without the top. Myself, I prefer to ride with the top on. I'm a bit introverted and with the top on allows me a bit more privacy. Since the photo I've added a full accomplishment of lights and have also tinted my windows. With the windows tinted I can watch people but they can't see me :) Boot space? well I can fit a couple of bags of groceries if I'm creative. :o

In regards to the GTO I purchased it at a yard sale and came to find out that it was stolen along with a VW Van back in May 2003. With the help of Ian Sims of Greenspeed, and the online recumbent community we found out who and where the owner was. He was contacted and the GTO was returned last Sunday. The GTO had been missing for 4 years and 4 months. The owner was quite surprised when I called him. Thanks to the internet we're able to track him down as he had moved and changed both his email and phone number.

Bill
WAW042

[bookishboy]

Wheelchairman,

Just curious, are the roll-bars required by your league/association? It seems that the teams spend a great deal of effort/design on aerodynamics, and some of those roll-bars seem to clash with the aerodynamics of the fairings. I'm wondering if the height/width of the roll-bars are set by association rules.

[countersTrike]

Post some pics, counters! Sounds like an awesome homebuild.


Thanks Wheelchairman! I will someday, but I have the worst luck with photos. I sent most of them to Frappr (in 2006) since they were the only way I could send them. Someday I will get this computer to work right..... :)

2 of these Pods exist; we had a Left Coast Velomobile Gathering in 2005, and both were there. I will look for these photos. Mine looks like a torpedo out of water, and the other one (same "plug") was cut down to install on a Trice Micro.

countersTrike

[Wheelchairman]

In regards to the GTO I purchased it at a yard sale and came to find out that it was stolen along with a VW Van back in May 2003. With the help of Ian Sims of Greenspeed, and the online recumbent community we found out who and where the owner was. He was contacted and the GTO was returned last Sunday. The GTO had been missing for 4 years and 4 months. The owner was quite surprised when I called him. Thanks to the internet we're able to track him down as he had moved and changed both his email and phone number.Well I think it's safe to say that you're one of the good guys :) . Oh, and it's about time the internet did something good :lol:. So much misinformation and porn :mad:

Wheelchairman,

Just curious, are the roll-bars required by your league/association? It seems that the teams spend a great deal of effort/design on aerodynamics, and some of those roll-bars seem to clash with the aerodynamics of the fairings. I'm wondering if the height/width of the roll-bars are set by association rules.You are correct. Basically you need a rollbar over ones head, a rollbar to protect legs and side intrusion bars to protect abdomen. Rear rollbars have to be 150mm/5.5" above tallest rider's head and rear rollbar must be a minimum of half a metre wide at shoulder level. The little bars above the head-in cars in the above pictures is an "external rollbar". It's directly attached to the rollbar. It's a recent rule change (2004?) that has really sped up the field, allowing the inside rollbar to sit, basically, on your head. This means a fairing can sit 150mm lower at it's highest point if an external rollbar has been fitted!
Rollbar rules etc are annoying, and kind of stunt innovation abit, yet they're very much needed. There's no way a vehicle would make it through 24hrs without them. 220 vehicles on track means someone is always smashing into something. Hell, some people wouldn't be alive without them!

[MI7D1]

[QUOTE=countersTrike;5379735

2 of these Pods exist; we had a Left Coast Velomobile Gathering in 2005, and both were there. I will look for these photos. Mine looks like a torpedo out of water, and the other one (same "plug") was cut down to install on a Trice Micro.

countersTrike[/QUOTE]

Is this one of the Pods in this YouTube video from the LCVMG in 2006?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EB0QOjN4uBE

I've always admired the design and construction of the Pod


Bill
WAW042

[countersTrike]

Is this one of the Pods in this YouTube video from the LCVMG in 2006?\

Yes! The white one with the red stripe is one Pod. It is in southern California; and mine is there also (from northern California)- the dark green one is the other Pod- behind my yellow TerraTrike. It started raining, so the tops are Zzip Design Lexan fairings to keep rain out, and eventaully were permanently molded on along with a wind wing to shroud brake light and signals.

Gathering date is interesting. It said 2006 but I could have sworn it was 2005 (I was wrong again!), but a 2007 Gathering was held this year, so it must be 2006. Confuse all my folder dates.

CountersTrike

[Leigh_caines]

>Go to a 24 hr race and you'll be in heaven! Your nearest is in Maryborough, Queensland around September each year<

That is a fair way away but ok I'll find out when it's on and go take a look

[Wheelchairman]

That is a fair way away but ok I'll find out when it's on and go take a look
Here's the race's site with all info. Very new race- 5th year this year.
http://www.mtcqld.com.au/mtc/index.php

[Leigh_caines]

Thanks
will go
May even ride... will be a reson for another tour
Who needs a reson?