T.R | Title | User | Personal Name | Date | Lines |
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1888.1 | | RUTILE::MACFADYEN | On with the motley | Mon Mar 25 1991 08:33 | 18 |
| Your second paragraph sounds quite reminiscent of the US guy who is
building a "bike" with more computing power than the average DEC site.
He's very loquacious, and someone in this file is kindly dumping his
Emails into a topic called "Notes from the bikelab" or somesuch, which
is an interesting read although I don't see what it has to do with
clipless pedals or titanium frames. No matter.
Richard Ballantine is the whatsisname you're thinking of. His regular
platform these days is a magazine called "New Cyclist" which can be
found at WH Smith. Moving swiftly on, the people who produce New
Cyclist are also the importers of a recumbent called the Peer Gynt, and
I'm sure will send you some bumf on it. Write to: Neatwork, The Lees
Stables, Coldstream, Berwickshire. (I think it's Berwickshire...) New
Cyclist keen on recumbents, and usually has something on them in each
issue.
Rod
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1888.2 | On Bikelab and RAAM | UKCSSE::ROBINSON | Old wheelmen never die.... | Mon Mar 25 1991 09:00 | 17 |
| Re .1
> Your second paragraph sounds quite reminiscent of the US guy who is
>building a "bike" with more computing power than the average DEC site.
That's because it *IS* him, Rod. Steven K. Roberts no less. Note 1809
if you've got plenty of time, Dick.
That same program (Bicycle on BBC2) also had a piece about RAAM and
raised a question in my mind. Until seeing the program I'd assumed that
RAAM riders would be restricted in the number of hours per day they
could ride, otherwise it just becomes a question of how long you can go
without sleep. Not so, it seems. The winning lady last year averaged 21
hours riding per day .... for 9 days. Are there no restrictions at all?
How do they stop these guys riding off the road after day 5?
Chris
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1888.3 | | FAVAX::CRITZ | John Ellis to ride RAAM '91 | Mon Mar 25 1991 09:34 | 6 |
| RAAM officials can, if the need arises, require a rider
to rest for up to four hours. The need arises when a
rider is riding is such a way that he/she is endangering
him/herself.
Scott (On John Ellis' 1991 RAAM crew)
|
1888.4 | Some ride around the clock, others sleep. | NOVA::FISHER | It's Spring | Mon Mar 25 1991 09:40 | 8 |
| However, there is normally no limit to the number of hours a rider
may ride.
Nancy Raposo last year slep about 4 hrs a night and rode faster than
many so she was starting each day by passing riders who had passed her
during slepp time.
ed
|
1888.5 | tried it.... | CHEFS::CLEMENTSD | Public Sector and Telecomms | Mon Mar 25 1991 11:26 | 12 |
| getting back to the subject after a minor rathole.....;-)...... I found
the number for Neatwork (you got the spelling right, Chris) which is
0890 3456 and bumph is, even as I trype, winginging its way to me. Or
at least that's what the chap on the phone said.
Since we are into generating ratholes..... has Roy Cromack's UK 24 hr
record been broken yet? 508.something miles wasn't it? He used to be a
customer of Digital when I was the Account Manager for the Royal Air
Force College, Cranwell. Those were the days of REAL machines DECsystem
20's...or is that another rathole?
Dick.
|
1888.6 | Peer Gynts are dead expensive, by the way... | RUTILE::MACFADYEN | On with the motley | Mon Mar 25 1991 12:00 | 15 |
| > <<< Note 1888.5 by CHEFS::CLEMENTSD "Public Sector and Telecomms" >>>
>
> getting back to the subject after a minor rathole.....;-)...... I found
> the number for Neatwork (you got the spelling right, Chris)
Chris? Chris?
> Since we are into generating ratholes..... has Roy Cromack's UK 24 hr
> record been broken yet? 508.something miles wasn't it?
As of April last year, it hadn't. See my 1477.6.
Rod
|
1888.7 | Neat bikes | ULTRA::WITTENBERG | Uphill, Into the Wind | Mon Mar 25 1991 12:07 | 42 |
| I did a fair bit of research before buying my recumbent, which
arrived last month. Almost all the vendors I talked to are in the
States. If you want that list, I'll enter it here when I get a
chance.
Mike Burrows makes a recumbent tricycle which Richard Ballentine
(Richard's Bike Book) recommends highly. It's called the
WindCheetah SL, nicknamed Speedy. There's also a cheaper less
sophisticated recumbent trike called the Trice, also made in
England by Peter Ross. I don't have addresses for either of these.
Recumbents have several advantages over diamond framed bikes: Many
people find them more comfortable. There's much less strain on
your neck, less strain on the back, and the seat is much more
comfortable. It's also great to be able to see the sky while you
ride. I hadn't noticed how little of the sky I saw on my diamond
frame until I started riding the recumbent and could see most of
the sky. I'm seeing a lot more of the world and a lot less of my
front wheel.
Speed: Recumbents are much faster downhill, faster on flats, and
slower uphill than diamond frame bikes. Overall, they seem to be
faster, bu that's mainly dependent on the rider.
Neatness factor: They're neat, and a lot of fun. You find out what
the currently popular word is for interesting, as all the kids you
pass use it.
The problems are that they are all essentially custom, so you pay
a custom price (and get a custom bike), or you pay more for a
similar quality diamond bike. I chose to get a custom bike. The
long wheelbase versions (which I have) are significantly longer
than a diamond bike, so they can be harder to store. The good news
is that several manufacturers realise this, and make it easy to
fold the bikes up. My bike has quick release wheels, handlebars,
seat, and rear rack. To get it in my car, I remove the left
handlebar, front wheel, and rear rack. It then fits in the back of
my small station wagon about as easily as my diamond frame bike
does. The Linear's headset and chainstays both fold up (on quick
releases) to let the bike fit in a compact car's trunk.
--David
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1888.8 | | CHEFS::CLEMENTSD | Public Sector and Telecomms | Tue Mar 26 1991 03:36 | 15 |
| reply
Re my mistake, sorry Rod, how could I confuse you with Chris. I don't
even know what you look like.....;-)
I got the impression that these recumbents were expensive when I spoke
to the folks at Neatwork.
I was amazed to find that they treat "customers" the same way as
Digital does: get the punter talking and the first thing that happens
is the supplier **IMMEDIATELY** drops into their own internal language,
TLA's and other gobbledegook. It was like he was talking in Outer
Mongolian or Swahili or something....... But we really do do that
sort of thing ourselves to our customers, too.
Another rathole..... sigh.
|
1888.9 | Yep. | PAKORA::GGOODMAN | Number 1 in a field of 1 | Thu Mar 28 1991 17:52 | 8 |
|
Re.5's rathole
Roy Cormack's record still stands and he is only 1 of 3 men to have
broken that magical 500 mark.
Graham.
|
1888.10 | Switzerland has a "recumbent town" | FLYWAY::WIEDLER | gr�ezi | Tue Apr 02 1991 08:07 | 19 |
| I live in Winterthur, Switzerland - a town whith hundreds of
recumbents in the streets... The reason for the popularity of this
type of bike:
About 10 years ago, a guy who I know started to build these "exotic"
bikes - and now they are a little firm called FATEBA which produces
hundreds of recumbents every year. They are very good quality bikes, using
only top-quality parts. That's why they are not exactly cheap...
from SFr 2700 (ca. � 1100) upwards... I will probably buy one myself
sometime...
I don't know if they are known in bike magazines etc. The latest I
heard was: designer star Luigi Colani wants to design a special weather
"roof" or "shell" for the FATEBA recumbent.
If anybody wants information about FATEBA's recumbents, I can get some
brochures (send me mail: WIEDLER @ZUO) and find out about export.
Felix.
|