What, racing without an engine!

[Yanto]

This is probably not everybody's cup of tea, but it gives an insight as to something else I do.

 

A bit of background information: I ride something called a Velomobile, essentially it is a carbon fibre monocoque constructed recumbent trike, it is designed to be aerodynamic so making as much use of the limited power a human can produce, especially old fat ones like me.

 

The video is of a race with a few friends around Derby velodrome which is 250m long, the banking at the ends is 42.5 degrees, and it feels like it!

 

I'm racing the orange machine, the film is shot from the top of another machine, when you get bored, probably quite soon skip to 5 minutes to see a fully faired bike or "streamliner" have a bit of an off as he forgot the golden rule of velodrome racing which is overtake on the outside.

 

To give an idea of speeds I averaged 35 mph for two races, they chap in the brown streamliner lapping everybody averaged just under 40 mph. To save you watching to the end I did pass and lap the chap taking the video, in the first race I also beat him but lapped him a few times.

 

The second very short video is shot from the chap's machine that crashed.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=or-bQzMux9c&feature=youtu.be

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5HjMQ8N8YU&feature=youtu.be

 

 

Ian

[1959grantura]

Been a cyclist for years , signing on for Roubaix last year was in the velodrome and the first time I have seen one in the flesh , the banking is fricking mental ..I was shocked how steep and high it was.

[TAFKARM]

Those streamliners look ace!

[pistonbroke]

Fancy one of them for nipping to the pub 

[TAFKARM]

I'm not sure they're made with the build of the standard northern pub attender in mind...

[pistonbroke]

If only they ran on methane 

[XTR2Turbo]

Good stuff.  Are they home made machines?

[Nic Chase (NICO) - Shropshire & Mid-Wales AO]

Never seen that before. Looks exhausting!!

More info on the machines.