This is a well-thought out recumbent bike that has a lot of cool features. Since aerodynamic efficiency seems to be a design priority of this bike, I think there are still a few changes that could be made in this area. With both wheels having exposed spokes, they will each generate a lot of rotational drag, even with the front wheel partially enclosed within its fairing. Also, the vent slot for the front disc rotor compromises the aero performance of the wheel fairing, and the cooling effectiveness of the front disc rotor is severely compromised by restricting the airflow it receives. A more effective solution for the front wheel fairing might be to make the fairing narrower and fit between the fork blades with the disc rotor outside of it. That way, no drag-inducing vent holes are needed, and the rotor will be fully exposed for maximum cooling effectiveness on long descents. This configuration would work especially well if the front fork has narrow aero-shaped blades with a wide spacing. Even still, the wheel spokes will be acting as a fan inside the fairing, generating aerodynamic braking torque. So a further drag reduction can be achieved by installing wheel covers over the spokes. These covers can be made of lightweight plastic sheet and attach to the rim and the hub flanges. The rear wheel would also benefit from these covers. Another aspect I would consider is the crank length. The crank length dictates the size of the pedaling box. Switching to a shorter crank lowers the rider's knees at every point in the pedal circle, so the front wind fairing can be mounted lower on the bike, provided that the handlebar is mounted lower via a different stem. As a result the seat can be reclined further while still maintaining forward visibility over the fairing. All of these changes will reduce the CdA of the machine. Laboratory testing has shown that human power production does not start to drop off until the crank length goes shorter than about 145 mm, so there is great potential for gains to be made from shortening the cranks. Also, there is no such thing as too low of a center of mass, on any road vehicle. Less load transfer during braking is always better, is it subjects the front wheel and fork to lower stresses, and it allows both tyres to share more evenly in the braking load. Remember, on the descent, the load is already transferring forward just from the gradient alone. And the Earthglider, being a low racer, already has a substantial static front static weight bias. If one is really serious about aerodynamics, then a body sock could be attached via Velcro between the nosecone and the tailbox, similar to the Lightning F-40. Not only would this make the Earthglider even faster, but it would provide a greater degree of protection from the elements.
Thank you, John for your very detailed and qualified comments. They are very much appreciated. As far as I can see you are right with all aspects mentioned. For a further development or a new development these criteria should be considered by the builder in an early stadium. For now I have to deal with the Earthglider as it is and I will change only little details to improve the gearing f.e.
I think it was back in 2018 when I had the opportunity to testride Uli Sommer's peronal Earthglider at the Spezialradmesse in Germersheim. I recall it as the absolutely most comfortable recumbent bikes I have ever ridden, let alone bikes in general. Unfortunately, at that time I didn't have the liquidity to order one, and about one year later when I had the money and wanted to order he apparently had ditched the project. It was only 2-3 years after that when I learned that he actually hadn't ditched the project. And now I have too many very fine recumbents to fit yet another one in my available space. I hope Uli Sommer does well and keeps building these extraodinary well designed (except the aesthetics of the rear fairing) recumbent bikes!
The Earthglider seems to be a very good recumbent bike indeed. Well thought through. I feel like an electric assist to help only to take of and when going uphill would be a great complement to this bike. It is obviously faster than 25km/h on flat anyways :) (I'm a DF rider for my everyday needs in a relatively hilly countryside area of France and when I carry things, I struggle to climb. Imho, besides car traffic, that's what stops bicycles in general to become an usual mode of transportation for most people)
Couldn't agree more. Next step would probably be the implementation of a solar charging option and integrated sunprotection, then i can't imagine much more that a bike would be missing compared to a car.
The designer, Ulrich Sommer, hasn't had the intension of implementing an electric assist. But if you are interested in buying an Earthglider you should contact Ulrich Sommer personally to ask if he is willing to add an electric assist to the bike for you.
@@torpedyellow Well, if I had the money to go for it, I'd probably ask for that. Till then, I'll stay with my 3rd hand DF :) This design is great already for flat-ish areas, and I have no doubt there will be some demand for e-assist from people in more hilly areas as there aren't many alternatives for a good everyday-practical recumbent with e-assist. Even with a very light bike, for everyday transportation you always have some work gear, clothes, a laptop etc. which add weight and make the e-assist a "requirement" for most people. I wish Ulrich Sommer to have a great success with the Earthglider :)
The amount of braking power needed to lift the rear wheel off the ground would cause the front brake to lock and the tire to slide. Doing a stoppie on a motorcycle is hard enough and the contact patch of a front motorcycle tire is many times greater than a recumbent. Lower center of gravity always improves braking. Don’t lock your brakes. That is the way to achieve maximum braking. Fun video.
I'll never get a velomobile, mainly because they're expensive and hard to store, but I also love the speed and agility of low racers. Three wheels struggle with rough terrain with three tracks of contact, and it's impossible to keep right of traffic on narrow roads.
i love the fairings on this, really adds a great look to the whole bike ! for the front chainring, on my homebuilt highracer, i rarely have to move from the large ring, even for the steeper hills i go up, there's enough range with my cassette.
I live in a hilly area where I have to go a minimum 8% climb to get out of town before I reach the nice and mountaneous countryside. And because a recumbent bike is not so stable in very low speeds I need to have a gearing that allows to pedal with not too much effort and 60 to 70 revs while climbing these hills. Otherwise I fear I would need some space going left and right to keep my balance. And in my reagion there are many ignorant car drivers overtaking cyclists very close and that would endanger me too much.
@@SonicFields Certain compromises in design have to be excepted if you want to use a bike for touring purposes. In so far I agree with your opinion. But as long as I cannot switch bikes just because there is a hill in my way on a traffic loaded road, every bike I use has to be capable of that as well. And with every type of bike I have had so far, not the tinkerring around was the solution but giving it some careful considerations that lead me finally to some minor modifications which have met my demands reasonably. You do not have to except everything as it is or as it comes from the dealer. There is always room for improvement.
Perhaps consider a fabric front fairing and wheel cover stretched over a very lightweight frame, using similar idea to Lightning F-22/F-40 recumbents built in USA. This would give most of the benefits of the fairings with much lower weight. Even the rear box could become a skeleton frame covered with tight fabric, and it would still serve the same function.
I didn't realise this before but it looks like the improvement of the Magellan from "Velodreamer"(on YT). This also already had the weather protection.
What a great bike! I have a recumbent bike as well, however I find the euromesh seat to be too narrow and cannot get comfortable on it. I'd like to design something wider (like a Recurve seat or something)
Has Ulrich Sommer given any indication that he plans to build more Earthglider bicycles? If he has, what do you suppose another Earthglider would cost its future owner?
My help suggestion is to anchor the rear shock's coil SPRING to its seat top & bottom. Simply & quickly done using 8mm plastic fastening ties. The modification will surely sit the rear down under braking and or general handling performance.
Very beautiful and cool bike. I'm sure it would scream down hills and be fast on the flats. One wonders about its weight, however, when going up hills. Most years I do a week long cycle tour in the mountains called Ride the Rockies and one sees very, very few recumbents on that ride. Out of 2,000 total riders there might be 7 or 8 on recumbents and most of those would be using Bacchetta short wheelbase titanium models. One other personal issue I would have with a recumbent, especially of this sort, would be transporting it. I can put my two upright bikes plus a week's worth of camping gear and other supplies into the back of my Honda Fit (das heißt Honda Jazz in Deutschland). I don't think I could fit this recumbent inside my vehicle and it looks too heavy and awkward to go on a roof rack. I assume it would need a dedicated trailer.
That‘s true. This bike is not made to compete with MTBs and easy transpotation was no design criteria. The Earthglider has his field of application where it is excellent. No bike design is good for everything.
Nice design😁. Have you looked at Miles Kingsbury's Kingcycle? With front and rear fairings and wheel discs. I used to average 40.233 kph on our very hilly roads. I completed 80467 kilometers on it before I had a stroke and lost my ability to balance a bike.
Vermutlich meinen Sie die Allroundverkleidung "shark" des Alltagsliegers von Radnabel. www.radnabel.com/verkleidungen/shark/ Ja, da gebe ich Ihnen recht. Das kannte ich noch nicht. Ist ja echt lustig so ein Ganzkörper-Fahrer-Fahrrad-Kondom. Nicht das, was ich als Wetterschutz im Sinn hatte, wenn ich an ein schnelles Tourenrad denke, aber es ist prinzipiell ein Liegerad mit Wetterschutz. Somit kann der Earthglider den Titel "einziges" in dieser Kategorie leider nicht für sich in Anspruch nehmen.
The V indentation in the middle of the top of the plexiglass is an unnecessary affectation. Worst case scenario, it's going to dump rain water on your lap. It should be flipped upwards to provide aerodymanic lift over the rider's head. I've never seen anyone consider a hydraulic or shaft drive system on a recumbent to reduce all that chain, would one work? They're used in industry.
The first design of the plexiglas fairing was formed as you suggest it should be.. But it turned out that the view on to the road in front of the driver was too restricted by the fairing. Test rides in the rain prove that the indentation has no negative effect if the raincape is fixed properly with Velcro on it.
Shaft drives are no option for bicycle drive trains. Theo are too expensive, too heavy and habe way too much energy losses compared to a chain-driven bike.
what about starting off at t junctions. low racers are totally unstable at low speed, esp if you have to turn. imo, they need pop out stabilizers like on streamliner bikes
I would make it an ebike .then it becomes an excellent commuter and the weight would not be an issue. Then I can reach 65 km/h with a chinese 1000w motor. I know the UE idiots would limit the ebike to 25 km/h ... but who cares?then, no chainwheel changer. it is very unreliable system regardless of who makes it. My mtb still goes 40 km/h with 10 speeds. Maybe side wheels would be nice when you go slow and stop at the Verkehrsampel...(i love german). then pmeumatic shocks .Lighter and more confortable.
I think a lot of people would be interested in the fairing and tail box as add-ons to their existing frames.
This is a well-thought out recumbent bike that has a lot of cool features. Since aerodynamic efficiency seems to be a design priority of this bike, I think there are still a few changes that could be made in this area.
With both wheels having exposed spokes, they will each generate a lot of rotational drag, even with the front wheel partially enclosed within its fairing. Also, the vent slot for the front disc rotor compromises the aero performance of the wheel fairing, and the cooling effectiveness of the front disc rotor is severely compromised by restricting the airflow it receives.
A more effective solution for the front wheel fairing might be to make the fairing narrower and fit between the fork blades with the disc rotor outside of it. That way, no drag-inducing vent holes are needed, and the rotor will be fully exposed for maximum cooling effectiveness on long descents. This configuration would work especially well if the front fork has narrow aero-shaped blades with a wide spacing. Even still, the wheel spokes will be acting as a fan inside the fairing, generating aerodynamic braking torque. So a further drag reduction can be achieved by installing wheel covers over the spokes. These covers can be made of lightweight plastic sheet and attach to the rim and the hub flanges. The rear wheel would also benefit from these covers.
Another aspect I would consider is the crank length. The crank length dictates the size of the pedaling box. Switching to a shorter crank lowers the rider's knees at every point in the pedal circle, so the front wind fairing can be mounted lower on the bike, provided that the handlebar is mounted lower via a different stem. As a result the seat can be reclined further while still maintaining forward visibility over the fairing. All of these changes will reduce the CdA of the machine. Laboratory testing has shown that human power production does not start to drop off until the crank length goes shorter than about 145 mm, so there is great potential for gains to be made from shortening the cranks.
Also, there is no such thing as too low of a center of mass, on any road vehicle. Less load transfer during braking is always better, is it subjects the front wheel and fork to lower stresses, and it allows both tyres to share more evenly in the braking load. Remember, on the descent, the load is already transferring forward just from the gradient alone. And the Earthglider, being a low racer, already has a substantial static front static weight bias.
If one is really serious about aerodynamics, then a body sock could be attached via Velcro between the nosecone and the tailbox, similar to the Lightning F-40. Not only would this make the Earthglider even faster, but it would provide a greater degree of protection from the elements.
Thank you, John for your very detailed and qualified comments. They are very much appreciated. As far as I can see you are right with all aspects mentioned. For a further development or a new development these criteria should be considered by the builder in an early stadium. For now I have to deal with the Earthglider as it is and I will change only little details to improve the gearing f.e.
I think it was back in 2018 when I had the opportunity to testride Uli Sommer's peronal Earthglider at the Spezialradmesse in Germersheim. I recall it as the absolutely most comfortable recumbent bikes I have ever ridden, let alone bikes in general. Unfortunately, at that time I didn't have the liquidity to order one, and about one year later when I had the money and wanted to order he apparently had ditched the project. It was only 2-3 years after that when I learned that he actually hadn't ditched the project. And now I have too many very fine recumbents to fit yet another one in my available space.
I hope Uli Sommer does well and keeps building these extraodinary well designed (except the aesthetics of the rear fairing) recumbent bikes!
gotta get it into mass production! looks awesome!
Similar application much like electrom, love it
Wow. Amazing bike.
The Earthglider seems to be a very good recumbent bike indeed. Well thought through.
I feel like an electric assist to help only to take of and when going uphill would be a great complement to this bike. It is obviously faster than 25km/h on flat anyways :)
(I'm a DF rider for my everyday needs in a relatively hilly countryside area of France and when I carry things, I struggle to climb. Imho, besides car traffic, that's what stops bicycles in general to become an usual mode of transportation for most people)
Couldn't agree more. Next step would probably be the implementation of a solar charging option and integrated sunprotection, then i can't imagine much more that a bike would be missing compared to a car.
The designer, Ulrich Sommer, hasn't had the intension of implementing an electric assist. But if you are interested in buying an Earthglider you should contact Ulrich Sommer personally to ask if he is willing to add an electric assist to the bike for you.
@@torpedyellow Well, if I had the money to go for it, I'd probably ask for that. Till then, I'll stay with my 3rd hand DF :)
This design is great already for flat-ish areas, and I have no doubt there will be some demand for e-assist from people in more hilly areas as there aren't many alternatives for a good everyday-practical recumbent with e-assist. Even with a very light bike, for everyday transportation you always have some work gear, clothes, a laptop etc. which add weight and make the e-assist a "requirement" for most people.
I wish Ulrich Sommer to have a great success with the Earthglider :)
Nice looking machine, and good video - thanks. As you say lighter would be better, but that comes with costs or less features!
The amount of braking power needed to lift the rear wheel off the ground would cause the front brake to lock and the tire to slide. Doing a stoppie on a motorcycle is hard enough and the contact patch of a front motorcycle tire is many times greater than a recumbent.
Lower center of gravity always improves braking. Don’t lock your brakes. That is the way to achieve maximum braking.
Fun video.
Great example of how fast you can change directions in S bends on a low racer in the video. The fairing design also looks good. Great work!
Try shorter cranks? I have found it more comfortable than standard length cranks. Great looking machine. 👍👍
155mm ideal for this type of bike. Need a slightly smaller front ring, too.
It's like an open-air velomobile on two wheels!
I'll never get a velomobile, mainly because they're expensive and hard to store, but I also love the speed and agility of low racers. Three wheels struggle with rough terrain with three tracks of contact, and it's impossible to keep right of traffic on narrow roads.
Yepp, leaning into curves is more fun, totally with you on that… love the „body sock Light“ Idea… will look into that!
i love the fairings on this, really adds a great look to the whole bike !
for the front chainring, on my homebuilt highracer, i rarely have to move from the large ring, even for the steeper hills i go up, there's enough range with my cassette.
I live in a hilly area where I have to go a minimum 8% climb to get out of town before I reach the nice and mountaneous countryside. And because a recumbent bike is not so stable in very low speeds I need to have a gearing that allows to pedal with not too much effort and 60 to 70 revs while climbing these hills. Otherwise I fear I would need some space going left and right to keep my balance. And in my reagion there are many ignorant car drivers overtaking cyclists very close and that would endanger me too much.
@@SonicFields Certain compromises in design have to be excepted if you want to use a bike for touring purposes. In so far I agree with your opinion. But as long as I cannot switch bikes just because there is a hill in my way on a traffic loaded road, every bike I use has to be capable of that as well. And with every type of bike I have had so far, not the tinkerring around was the solution but giving it some careful considerations that lead me finally to some minor modifications which have met my demands reasonably.
You do not have to except everything as it is or as it comes from the dealer. There is always room for improvement.
Perhaps consider a fabric front fairing and wheel cover stretched over a very lightweight frame, using similar idea to Lightning F-22/F-40 recumbents built in USA. This would give most of the benefits of the fairings with much lower weight. Even the rear box could become a skeleton frame covered with tight fabric, and it would still serve the same function.
I didn't realise this before but it looks like the improvement of the Magellan from "Velodreamer"(on YT). This also already had the weather protection.
What a great bike! I have a recumbent bike as well, however I find the euromesh seat to be too narrow and cannot get comfortable on it. I'd like to design something wider (like a Recurve seat or something)
Serious alternative to a velomobile.
Has Ulrich Sommer given any indication that he plans to build more Earthglider bicycles? If he has, what do you suppose another Earthglider would cost its future owner?
I can‘t speak for Mr. Sommer.
Please contact hin directly for your request.
www.aurilion.de
My help suggestion is to anchor the rear shock's coil SPRING to its seat top & bottom. Simply & quickly done using 8mm plastic fastening ties. The modification will surely sit the rear down under braking and or general handling performance.
Sorry, but I haven't got it yet. I don't understand your suggestion.
Very beautiful and cool bike. I'm sure it would scream down hills and be fast on the flats. One wonders about its weight, however, when going up hills. Most years I do a week long cycle tour in the mountains called Ride the Rockies and one sees very, very few recumbents on that ride. Out of 2,000 total riders there might be 7 or 8 on recumbents and most of those would be using Bacchetta short wheelbase titanium models. One other personal issue I would have with a recumbent, especially of this sort, would be transporting it. I can put my two upright bikes plus a week's worth of camping gear and other supplies into the back of my Honda Fit (das heißt Honda Jazz in Deutschland). I don't think I could fit this recumbent inside my vehicle and it looks too heavy and awkward to go on a roof rack. I assume it would need a dedicated trailer.
That‘s true. This bike is not made to compete with MTBs and easy transpotation was no design criteria. The Earthglider has his field of application where it is excellent. No bike design is good for everything.
Nice design😁. Have you looked at Miles Kingsbury's Kingcycle? With front and rear fairings and wheel discs. I used to average 40.233 kph on our very hilly roads. I completed 80467 kilometers on it before I had a stroke and lost my ability to balance a bike.
Very impressive ! Could you please provide a picture of your recumbent bike respectively a link to a picture to compare it with the Earthglider ?
Does adding one of the many standard see through plastic fairings to a recumbent bike make much difference by itself?
Have you tested about how much less aero drag there is without fairings, only rear faring or with both front and rear fairing?
Interested by any potential answer !
Also den Wetterschutz gibts auch bei anderen Rädern zB dem ATL classic.
Vermutlich meinen Sie die Allroundverkleidung "shark" des Alltagsliegers von Radnabel.
www.radnabel.com/verkleidungen/shark/
Ja, da gebe ich Ihnen recht. Das kannte ich noch nicht. Ist ja echt lustig so ein Ganzkörper-Fahrer-Fahrrad-Kondom. Nicht das, was ich als Wetterschutz im Sinn hatte, wenn ich an ein schnelles Tourenrad denke, aber es ist prinzipiell ein Liegerad mit Wetterschutz. Somit kann der Earthglider den Titel "einziges" in dieser Kategorie leider nicht für sich in Anspruch nehmen.
@@torpedyellow Kingcycle und das Lightning F40 hatten auch ne Aero-/Regensocke…
@@RazzFazz-Race Werden aber nicht mehr gebaut, zählen also nicht.😀
Wuerzburg?
Buy a DF velomobile and be done with it. That shifting poker thing is ridiculous
Uhhhh lets see the minimum turning circle...
Just like any regular bike without falling over.
The V indentation in the middle of the top of the plexiglass is an unnecessary affectation. Worst case scenario, it's going to dump rain water on your lap. It should be flipped upwards to provide aerodymanic lift over the rider's head. I've never seen anyone consider a hydraulic or shaft drive system on a recumbent to reduce all that chain, would one work? They're used in industry.
The first design of the plexiglas fairing was formed as you suggest it should be.. But it turned out that the view on to the road in front of the driver was too restricted by the fairing.
Test rides in the rain prove that the indentation has no negative effect if the raincape is fixed properly with Velcro on it.
Shaft drives are no option for bicycle drive trains. Theo are too expensive, too heavy and habe way too much energy losses compared to a chain-driven bike.
I interested in buying the windscreen and the other "aero"-stuff on this bike.
However a fast googling gave me no nothing..
what about starting off at t junctions. low racers are totally unstable at low speed, esp if you have to turn. imo, they need pop out stabilizers like on streamliner bikes
that is one hideous looking contraption. inspired by John Deere tractors ?
With both heel strike and the chain overlapping the front wheel to contend with, I see no way at all to make a sharp turn.
Might be a silly question, but could aerodynamics be achieved with a disk wheel up front instead of the wheel cover?
The wheel cover is to stop rain from covering your windshield as well.
Instead of a chain driven - shaft driven will be better!!
Heavy
no electrick XD..- well all feature.. mising..
N why not a three Wheeler!!!
I would make it an ebike .then it becomes an excellent commuter and the weight would not be an issue. Then I can reach 65 km/h with a chinese 1000w motor. I know the UE idiots would limit the ebike to 25 km/h ... but who cares?then, no chainwheel changer. it is very unreliable system regardless of who makes it. My mtb still goes 40 km/h with 10 speeds.
Maybe side wheels would be nice when you go slow and stop at the Verkehrsampel...(i love german). then pmeumatic shocks .Lighter and more confortable.
Tbh just to not have to deal with front wind on regular bike that sap all your energy would be enough
WHY?? 🤣🤦♂️
It’s not useful, it’s not safe in public traffic and the bike as well as the driver doesn’t look good. In fact, the bike is quire ugly! 👎👎
Aerodynamics brother.
Not safe in public traffic? Why?