This video captures the work agony and joy of Battle Mountain better than any I’ve seen in years. What this team did going from a front wheel driven bike with non traditional hub centered steering to a completely different rear wheel driven bike with fork steering, within 4 days, on borrowed parts, so far from home (with hundreds of miles of driving involved just to acquire some parts since “out in a desert” is INCREDIBLE. I was there in 2019, but not staying at the same motel and Unaware of all that was going on with this team until the last couple days meetings and races. I remember the faster French team’s professor gladly giving up his spot to them for their efforts, wanting to see them run, deservingly so. And as a participant in this great event I can relate to the all night work. But to finally get in those successful rides = pure joy.
We only heard rumors of the dramatic, involved work going on at the motel on the other end of town. Thanks for putting up the video. Redesigning and fabricating the steering and drivetrain without the luxury of your shop at home in such a short time was incredible. Every team had a story, some were crazier than others!
Just popped up on my suggested videos and happily watched it (again). It was a great effort and probably still most altered bike at BM. Hope to see you in 21!
You guys are failing to understand the primary lesson of aerodynamic bicycling: the tail. The Welsh & Mongolian & Dakota bowmen affixed feather fletching in order to *CONTROL DRAG*, NOT to eliminate it with an extremely low cda (which just produces high speed instability). Add a long tail for straight rides, shorter tail for manueverability, rely less on mechanical steering since that has both mechanical and metabolic costs. Seriously folks, experiment with tail forms & flow textures in crosswinds, gusts, rain etc. Anyone who says tails in racing recumbents aren't important should be ignored, ask any archer.
Did you ever work out what the steering issue was? Presumably the 2020 bike will go back to fwd/steering as it’s much more efficient when it works? Good luck!
![F.HERO Ft. JSPKK x ลำไย ไหทองคำ x M-PEE - ไม่สนิทบิดหมด (Thai Riders Anthem) [Official MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kPJZ0UihBfk/mqdefault.jpg)
This video captures the work agony and joy of Battle Mountain better than any I’ve seen in years. What this team did going from a front wheel driven bike with non traditional hub centered steering to a completely different rear wheel driven bike with fork steering, within 4 days, on borrowed parts, so far from home (with hundreds of miles of driving involved just to acquire some parts since “out in a desert” is INCREDIBLE. I was there in 2019, but not staying at the same motel and Unaware of all that was going on with this team until the last couple days meetings and races. I remember the faster French team’s professor gladly giving up his spot to them for their efforts, wanting to see them run, deservingly so. And as a participant in this great event I can relate to the all night work. But to finally get in those successful rides = pure joy.
We only heard rumors of the dramatic, involved work going on at the motel on the other end of town. Thanks for putting up the video. Redesigning and fabricating the steering and drivetrain without the luxury of your shop at home in such a short time was incredible. Every team had a story, some were crazier than others!
Watching this video a year later immediately after watching the 2018 Soup Dragon video is very entertaining and enlightening!
Nice work, very laminar. Good luck at BM 2022.
Just popped up on my suggested videos and happily watched it (again). It was a great effort and probably still most altered bike at BM. Hope to see you in 21!
Great to see you out there again and make such a good run with so many changes Russ!! Way to go!
You guys are failing to understand the primary lesson of aerodynamic bicycling: the tail. The Welsh & Mongolian & Dakota bowmen affixed feather fletching in order to *CONTROL DRAG*, NOT to eliminate it with an extremely low cda (which just produces high speed instability). Add a long tail for straight rides, shorter tail for manueverability, rely less on mechanical steering since that has both mechanical and metabolic costs. Seriously folks, experiment with tail forms & flow textures in crosswinds, gusts, rain etc. Anyone who says tails in racing recumbents aren't important should be ignored, ask any archer.
Awesome!
Nice video Russ, as you say at the end if only you'd started with that configuration.
Thanks. The issue is UK test venues - we just didn't have the opportunity to get it over 35mph in the UK.
Did you ever work out what the steering issue was? Presumably the 2020 bike will go back to fwd/steering as it’s much more efficient when it works? Good luck!
The worst engineering mistake is axiomas based thinking...