Obree to go for record
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Topic: Obree to go for record
Posted By: richforrest
Subject: Obree to go for record
Date Posted: 17 December 2011 at 5:20pm
So are we going to see Mr Obree coming along to any races anytime soon? 
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cycling/16231501.stm
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Replies:
Posted By: Yanto
Date Posted: 17 December 2011 at 5:32pm
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well he should need to get some practice in on a lowracer first! shouldn't he??
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Posted By: GeoffBird
Date Posted: 17 December 2011 at 11:00pm
Great to hear - surprised he hasn't done it earlier - best of luck Graeme! Good publicity for the sport too.
Not so impressed by the standards of BBC journalism:
"The trial will see Obree gather speed in a rocket-like transporter that
contains a flat bike and a protective membrane which he has been working
on for 15 years." (emphasis mine)
I'm not knocking a journalist for not being technically educated, but don't they have access to a dictionary?....or Google, for that matter??
I plugged some figures into my fave power calculator earlier in the year when Lee asked if 100mph was possible at Battle Mountain. I reckon it is theoretically possible, but you'd have to have a near perfect bike with some really good tyres and some luck on the day...and a really strong rider of course.
------------- Right Time - Right Place - Wrong Speed
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Posted By: legs_larry
Date Posted: 19 December 2011 at 12:34pm
ISTR seeing a slightly ropy still of an alleged record bike taken from
"Tomorrow's World" being published in the mag back when Grandpa
Kingsbury was in charge. Nothing ever came of it until 2001 when
something with similar design features, such as a 36" rear wheel and
enormous size, emerged in the guise of the Blueyonder.
Also, Graeme, if you do decide to come to BM, make sure you fetch up in the right state...
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a bit ov a lyv wyr by slof standirds
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Posted By: Dennis A
Date Posted: 31 May 2012 at 7:10pm
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Pictures of G Obrees prone were in this weeks Cycling Weekly with a interview on the bike to follow up on the 7 June.
Dennis
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Long Pig
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Posted By: blogwat
Date Posted: 07 June 2012 at 10:23am
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Hi Folks
here is a short video of Obree talking about the bike http://www.humansinvent.com/#!/7239/graeme-obree-hand-building-the-world%E2%80%99s-fastest-bicycle/" rel="nofollow - http://www.humansinvent.com/#!/7239/graeme-obree-hand-building-the-world%E2%80%99s-fastest-bicycle/ .
Jeff.
------------- when your up to your waist in aligators they forget to tell you you've got to clear the swamp
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Posted By: bazz
Date Posted: 28 June 2012 at 3:37pm
How Do All 
There is a new video of the Obree machine with an almost complete drive train, looks like he is going linear with the pedal set up. kinda reminds me of a the Flying Scotsman 
http://vimeo.com/44814746" rel="nofollow - http://vimeo.com/44814746
Take care, Barry 
------------- https://www.theknottybear.co.uk//" rel="nofollow - https://www.theknottybear.co.uk//
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Posted By: LeeW
Date Posted: 28 June 2012 at 7:32pm
Hmmm, not sure about that. looks like the pedal comes to a complete stop at the end of each stroke which is not good for efficiency as you are constantly having to accelerate your feet. Miles has tried all kinds of linear drive and has gone back to using rotary cranks.
------------- Current fleet: Milan SL MK2 #027, Fujin SL II, Beany!
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Posted By: graydog
Date Posted: 28 June 2012 at 9:50pm
he's looking fit!!! don't under-estimate that linking as it is!!! packed in the right space it could be better then going round.
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Posted By: SteveArmstrong
Date Posted: 28 June 2012 at 11:11pm
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That slider crank arm has a rather nice curve to it, I suppose its to give him knee clearance.
blogwat wrote:
Hi Folks
here is a short video of Obree talking about the bike http://www.humansinvent.com/#!/7239/graeme-obree-hand-building-the-world%E2%80%99s-fastest-bicycle/" rel="nofollow - http://www.humansinvent.com/#!/7239/graeme-obree-hand-building-the-world%E2%80%99s-fastest-bicycle/ .
Jeff. |
This is an interesting window into his thinking.
"The most aerodynamic shape for anything is a tear-drop shape, that's a known".
I'll admit that I'm very attracted to the lovely synergy between the tear-drop shape and the prone position but perhaps he feels that the current non tear-drop shaped record bikes have come about because of the cultural dominance of the recumbent over the prone position rather than as a result of the laid back's perceived aerodynamic advantage. It makes me wonder if he's really looked at much current fairing design. I did a quick aerodynamic comparison of two naca 6 aerofoil sections on the program Javafoil. Firstly, a prone freindly tear-drop shaped foil (widest point 30% of total bike length from the front) and secondly, as perhaps Obree might be thinking, an "its all gone a bit pear-shaped" foil (widest point 70% from the front). At a ball park reynolds number of 5 million, the drag coefficients were 0.017 for the tear-drop and a rather sweet 0.003 for our pear-drop. As expected this very simplistic 2D model says the recumbent position with it's lower drag coeffiecient is the better choice, but then who knows? Eivie has done just fine head first and perhaps the result of the finished 3D fairing and Mr. Obree and umpteen other teeny factors may conspire to lead him to victory. I think it's only good to see other bike configurations being explored. Go Graham!
------------- When you pull the cats tail, you get the whole cat.
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Posted By: GeoffBird
Date Posted: 29 June 2012 at 12:16am
It should be remembered that most NACA profiles are wing-sections. In other words, profiles intended to be extruded. If you correct the profile for the same pressure distribution for a 3D shape (or revolved section) you get a maximum thickness much further back. I'd say a low frontal area bike is more like a revolved profile than an extruded one.
Also, the position of the 'pedal-box' on a prone bike means they don't tend to end up very teardrop-shaped anyway.
------------- Right Time - Right Place - Wrong Speed
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Posted By: AlanGoodman
Date Posted: 03 July 2012 at 1:43pm
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OMFG as the kids would say...
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Posted By: graydog
Date Posted: 03 July 2012 at 7:26pm
just hope he does not start turning up at bhpc races! gonna kill the feild! see off twitter delft has a problem or two... :-( let's hope they can sort things
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Posted By: AlanGoodman
Date Posted: 03 July 2012 at 8:24pm
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And here it is in action... http://vimeo.com/45034602" rel="nofollow - http://vimeo.com/45034602
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Posted By: bazz
Date Posted: 03 July 2012 at 8:35pm
that's really cool to see it working, cheers for sharing Alan.
------------- https://www.theknottybear.co.uk//" rel="nofollow - https://www.theknottybear.co.uk//
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Posted By: AlanGoodman
Date Posted: 03 July 2012 at 9:07pm
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Is it only me that is reminded of Burt Munro? If you haven't seen "The World's Fastest Indian" it's well worth a look...
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Posted By: Yanto
Date Posted: 03 July 2012 at 9:16pm
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Yes there are similarities now you mention it, doesn't his bike still hold a record? You are referring to the film with Hanibal Lectur in it aren't you?
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Posted By: AlanGoodman
Date Posted: 03 July 2012 at 9:22pm
Yep! That's him... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burt_Munro" rel="nofollow - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burt_Munro
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Posted By: GeoffBird
Date Posted: 03 July 2012 at 10:09pm
Thanks for the vid Alan. That transmission does look a bit clunky doesn't it. Keeps his feet very close together though.
------------- Right Time - Right Place - Wrong Speed
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Posted By: blogwat
Date Posted: 04 July 2012 at 9:22am
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Hi Folks
fair play to the man he is giving it a go although his breathing sounds a bit limited but I'm sure with practice and some refinements things should get better thanks for sharing Alan intersting to see his developement.
Jeff.
------------- when your up to your waist in aligators they forget to tell you you've got to clear the swamp
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Posted By: SteveArmstrong
Date Posted: 06 July 2012 at 2:58pm
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That's a great vid, Alan. There looks to be a fair amount of space between the lowest point his knee comes down to and the bottom of the frame. Delft produced a prone bike a few years ago with quite a compact arrangement. No linear drive though.

There's a heap of photo's here,
http://www.myvoice.nl/ligfiets/ProneBike/album.php" rel="nofollow - http://www.myvoice.nl/ligfiets/ProneBike/album.php
Obree is working with Glasgow School of Art on the fairing fabrication. I see they have an Engineering MEng program, so I wonder if they are doing any modelling too?
GeoffBird wrote:
If you correct the profile for the same pressure distribution for a 3D shape (or revolved section) you get a maximum thickness much further back. |
So would we expect to see a lower Cd for a 3D revolved profile than it's flat 2D counterpart?
------------- When you pull the cats tail, you get the whole cat.
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Posted By: legs_larry
Date Posted: 09 September 2012 at 8:39pm
Guess what? He's not coming. Neither, for that matter, is Sam Whittingham but on the other hand Russian nutter Sergei Dashevski is here. The motel parking lot is filling up with bikes in various states of disassembly; I will be bunging some pics up on flickr in due course - http://www.flickr.com/photos/mr_larrington/" rel="nofollow - http://www.flickr.com/photos/mr_larrington/
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a bit ov a lyv wyr by slof standirds
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Posted By: SteveArmstrong
Date Posted: 09 September 2012 at 10:57pm
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I eagerly await your photies with a cup of tea and biscuit at the ready. During the interlude, here's a video of Mr. Dashevski,
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1973451123393111255" rel="nofollow - http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1973451123393111255
------------- When you pull the cats tail, you get the whole cat.
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Posted By: legs_larry
Date Posted: 10 September 2012 at 12:11am
27 photos now uploaded - Jonathan is also uploading some but I'm not sure where...That's Sergei's old bike, Kuban Sun. The one he has here is called Bowstring and has eaten its bottom bracket bearings. I've only glimpsed it through a car window so still don't know what it looks like.
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a bit ov a lyv wyr by slof standirds
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Posted By: legs_larry
Date Posted: 10 September 2012 at 9:57pm
Qualifying runs from the 2.5 mile point this morning. Jan-Marcel van Dijken in the newly-camera-ised Cygnus set a short course record in excess of 68 mph, a feat almost by Gareth Hanks in the Trisled team's trike entry Completely Overzealous. If this is confirmed then it's a new trike record.
Bad news is that a crosswind blew Eric Ware in the Wedge off the road. Apparently the bike is quite badly damaged, though I haven't seen it yet.
Some start line photos just uploaded.
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a bit ov a lyv wyr by slof standirds
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Posted By: legs_larry
Date Posted: 11 September 2012 at 5:27am
Update on the Wedge - the top came off when Eric crashed; he has a damaged knee and a badly grazed back. The top is badly damaged, the tub less so but still scratched up, the chainset is damaged and the cross-tube to which the front end of the subframe attaches has been torn out. In spite of which, spanner-wielder Mark Anderson reckons it fixable.
Too windy tonight for anything meaningful but eleven of the twelve starters went over 60 mph anyway. Sebastiaan Bowier flipped end-over-end when a tyre let go on VeloX2 somewhere north of 70. The bike was fitted wit seat belts after a previous crash and he's unhurt. David Verbroekken also lost a tyre at speed and went through the traps with the rear of the fairing dragging on the ground before crashing. Gareth Hanks exceeded 69 mph, as did TomAmick and Phil Plath in Glowworm, Larry Lem's back-to-back tandem. The trike record is not officially recognised but the tandem one is and both were well ahead of the previous marks. Hoping for better weather tomorrow.
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a bit ov a lyv wyr by slof standirds
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Posted By: Yanto
Date Posted: 11 September 2012 at 8:34pm
Brilliant - keep the info coming
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Posted By: Richard Ballant
Date Posted: 11 September 2012 at 8:50pm
Zowie!
------------- Richard Ballantine
Chairman
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Posted By: GeoffBird
Date Posted: 11 September 2012 at 10:07pm
SteveArmstrong wrote: " GeoffBird wrote: If
you correct the profile for the same pressure distribution for a 3D
shape (or revolved section) you get a maximum thickness much further
back.
So would we expect to see a lower Cd for a 3D revolved profile than it's flat 2D counterpart?"
Dunno 
------------- Right Time - Right Place - Wrong Speed
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Posted By: SteveArmstrong
Date Posted: 11 September 2012 at 11:02pm
GeoffBird wrote:
So would we expect to see a lower Cd for a 3D revolved profile than it's flat 2D counterpart?"
Dunno 
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I tracked down the answer, and it's a yes (I'd acutally read it before  ). For those interested it can be found under '3D relieving effect' p.104 in Goro Tamai's The Leading Edge (amongst other places I'm sure).
I hope there is a good story behind Sergei's honorary title of 'Nutter'. Loving the photo's. Nice to see a tandem there.
------------- When you pull the cats tail, you get the whole cat.
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Posted By: legs_larry
Date Posted: 12 September 2012 at 5:43am
The wind was a bit manky at first this evening but died down for the
final group. I don't have the full results to hand but Gareth Hanks
definitely has the unofficial trike record with a >69 mph run. Tom
Amick and Phil Plath pushed the tandem record over 70 in Glowworm, and
it's Tom's birthday as well. And Jan-Marcel van Dijken went over 77 mph
in Cygnus.
Monday's full results, which need some reformatting - are at http://www.wisil.recumbents.com/wisil/whpsc2012/results.htm" rel="nofollow - http://www.wisil.recumbents.com/wisil/whpsc2012/results.htm
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a bit ov a lyv wyr by slof standirds
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Posted By: SteveArmstrong
Date Posted: 13 September 2012 at 12:23am
That super seven looks intriguing. I can't see it on the results page yet.
------------- When you pull the cats tail, you get the whole cat.
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Posted By: legs_larry
Date Posted: 13 September 2012 at 5:02am
Wednesday am results are available on http://jnyyz.wordpress.com/2012/09/12/bm2012-wednesday-am/" rel="nofollow - Jun Nogami's blog
Just back from the evening runs. A fast day, with only one rider under
60 mph. Flat calm at 17:15 but we don't start running until half an
hour later, by which time the breeze had got up. Its didn't stop Jan
Bos from hitting 76+ in the VeloX2 but the wind was too high for all
riders in the first bunch of five. All subsequent runs had legal
winds. Highlights included the fastest run of the week thus far; 80.12
mph for Sebastiaan Bowier in the VeloX2, another 77+ pass for Jan-Marcel
van Dijken in Cygnus and two new official records, for at the IHPVA
board meeting this arvo, trikes became an official category. Which
means that Gareth Hanks' 70.1 is Offishul
The other record fell to the same bike with a different crew; Larry Lem
and Phil Plath powering Glowworm to 71.6 mph in spite of Captain Lem
dropping it at the start.
Twice.
The tem from IUT Annecy appear to be hell-bent on mass suicide.
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a bit ov a lyv wyr by slof standirds
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Posted By: legs_larry
Date Posted: 13 September 2012 at 8:07pm
Back from the Thursday morning runs. Glorious day once it started to warm up. Three runs on the short course and twelve on the long; only one of each had illegal wind, Confusion reigned back at the Super 8 afterwards when Thomas van Schaik was credited with one improbably low speed after another, but fortunately no-one told him as we'd be in need of four or five new timing officials. When his true speed - 73.85 mph - was announced at the post-race debrief, everyone went wild. Thomas has been in the high 69s for the past two years and made us laugh a lot. It couldn't have happened to a nicer bloke
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a bit ov a lyv wyr by slof standirds
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Posted By: legs_larry
Date Posted: 14 September 2012 at 6:00am
Sebastiaan "only" did a 79.4 this evening; times were mostly slower even though the wind was much the same as yesterday and it was a fair bit hotter. Barbara Buatois reverted to the tried and trusted Varna Tempest as "it's got better gears, better bearings and we know it works" and improved to 73 and a bit. Gareth Hanks improved the trike record to 70.73 and for the third time in as many nights thetandem record went - Tom Amick was back in charge of the Glowworm as he and Phil Plath clocked 72.26. Larry is having his final bid for glory tomorrow...
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a bit ov a lyv wyr by slof standirds
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Posted By: legs_larry
Date Posted: 14 September 2012 at 9:26pm
Aurélien Bonneteau set some kind of record by towing his sk8r d00d for a mile before getting to stay upright of his own accord. He then went over 60! They have converted it from a camera bike into, er, not a camera bike. Thom Ollinger did 56+, and was still doing it as he came into catch. We ran away apart from professional Australian Adrian Gotts, who managed to catch the thing before it fell over. The Cal Poly lads borrowed the speakers off John Jackson's Catrike and had bangin' choons all the way down the course. And Bluenose managed two consecutive runs without mishap. Should be a good one tonight if the weather holds.
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a bit ov a lyv wyr by slof standirds
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Posted By: Yanto
Date Posted: 14 September 2012 at 10:09pm
Loving the write ups but photo's need more photo's !
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Posted By: GeoffBird
Date Posted: 15 September 2012 at 12:04am
There are a lot of pictures here: http://www.wisil.recumbents.com/wisil/whpsc2012/results.htm" rel="nofollow - http://www.wisil.recumbents.com/wisil/whpsc2012/results.htm
Click on the days of the week. And more in the blog links.
Thanks for the reportage Dave.
------------- Right Time - Right Place - Wrong Speed
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Posted By: legs_larry
Date Posted: 15 September 2012 at 7:16am
I en't beene able to take many photos out on the course, partly because I was too crap at pressing the button when stationed at the ranch roads and partly because by the time you've parked the sweep car half the bikes have already gone and partly because when at catch, catching the bike and/or self-preservation are more important than getting a pictures. Especially if it's Thom Ollinger, who appeared to be doing about 40 mph too many when reaching us.
Brief update from Friday evening's runs...
- Sebastiaan elected not to run tonight, just like wot 'e doned last year.
- Sergei blew a tyre and went off the road; the top came off the bike and he's a bit abraded and has a nasty cut on his foot
- Jan-Marcel's GPS clocked him at 127 km/h but a cock-up with the timing system meant no time was recorded chiz.
- Ben Goodall, Ellen van Vugt and Sean Costin all clocked legal 70+ mph runs
- Gareth put the trike record over 71 mph
- Tom and Phil put the tandem record over 73 mph
- Aurélien did over 76 mph on his first run down the full course, but wind not legal
- Jan Bos did a legal 78.6 mph, putting him third on the all-time list behind the Whittingham and Sebastiaan
- Jay Henry (absent this year) just got engaged
- Aurélien was asked for ID whhen attempting to order BEER with his dinner tonight. He is at least 29. Git!
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a bit ov a lyv wyr by slof standirds
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Posted By: legs_larry
Date Posted: 15 September 2012 at 6:43pm
Seems it may be possible to get a reasonably accurate time for Jan-Marcel's run last night from the on-board video footage. Initial analysis suggests a speed in excess of 79 mph, though whatever figure is finally agreed on probably won't be officially official. Sergei elected not to run this morning due to his foot; probably very sensible as it was pretty windy for the entire time. Aurélien had another go but went down when released by his sk8r d00d - seems the bike needs to be doing about 25 mph before it becomes a workable proposition. Looks like a fish, moves like a fish, steers like a cow. We haven't had the debrief yet so I don;t have any speeds yet.
If this comes out as gibberish it's because my cheap-ass reading glasses are somewhere out in the desert.
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a bit ov a lyv wyr by slof standirds
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Posted By: legs_larry
Date Posted: 17 September 2012 at 4:03am
Bit of a let-down in the final session though there was much japery in the afternoon when Officer A-10 (that's how it's pronounced, anyway) showing up with his woo-woo going, pretending to arrest Sebastiaan and issuing speeding tickets to everyone who exceeded 70 mph. Thomas van Schaik had to have his amended as he hit a resounding 75.78 mph to make up for his disappointment of the past two years.
I'm now in Rawlins, WY and the rednecks next door have just stopped playing a mixture of country and Bon f****** Jovi at ear-splitting volume but this is not to say that the terrible oiks have falled silent. Cue some door-banging at 6 am tomorrow.
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a bit ov a lyv wyr by slof standirds
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Posted By: blogwat
Date Posted: 18 September 2012 at 8:46am
Dear mr Larrington
thank you for the great reporting from battle mountain and pictures always a pleasure. 
Jeff.
------------- when your up to your waist in aligators they forget to tell you you've got to clear the swamp
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Posted By: SteveArmstrong
Date Posted: 03 October 2012 at 1:47pm
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Obree has some sponsership...or is it wiggins?
http://www.skyscanner.net/news/skyscanner-sponsors-british-cycling-legend?utm_source=twitter_uk&utm_medium=social&utm_content=News&utm_campaign=SkyCycle" rel="nofollow - http://www.skyscanner.net/news/skyscanner-sponsors-british-cycling-legend?utm_source=twitter_uk&utm_medium=social&utm_content=News&utm_campaign=SkyCycle
------------- When you pull the cats tail, you get the whole cat.
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Posted By: AlanGoodman
Date Posted: 10 September 2013 at 8:01am
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Obree did 47MPH last night. Quickest was 78.
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Posted By: jes@gcre
Date Posted: 10 September 2013 at 10:40am
The "humans invent" website are covering it.
------------- Racing is life...
Anything which happens before or afterwards is just standing around waiting to race....
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Posted By: AlanGoodman
Date Posted: 10 September 2013 at 12:17pm
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He needs to find a lot more speed and sadly it seems he may be looking in the wrong place!! I think Slash would go quicker in the Bean and that goes round corners as well...
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Posted By: eddie
Date Posted: 10 September 2013 at 6:21pm
Also on the BBC today...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-24015622
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Posted By: JDub
Date Posted: 20 September 2013 at 2:12pm
Bluenose is a circuit racer and Todd (The helicopter man) did 78 in it. Graeme has the consolation of being the fastest prone ever.
------------- jdub... Got the T-shirt http://protobikes.org.uk/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/150386999@N02/
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Posted By: AlanGoodman
Date Posted: 20 September 2013 at 4:45pm
JDub wrote:
Bluenose is a circuit racer and Todd (The helicopter man) did 78 in it |
Wow!!! 
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Posted By: JDub
Date Posted: 21 October 2013 at 3:14pm
Here, rather late, are my pictures. http://s1127.photobucket.com/user/Protobikes/library/Battle%20Mountain%202013#/user/Protobikes/library/Battle%20Mountain%202013?sort=9&page=0&_suid=1382364721767026296201082794695" rel="nofollow - http://s1127.photobucket.com/user/Protobikes/library/Battle%20Mountain%202013#/user/Protobikes/library/Battle%20Mountain%202013?sort=9&page=0&_suid=1382364721767026296201082794695
------------- jdub... Got the T-shirt http://protobikes.org.uk/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/150386999@N02/
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Posted By: JDub
Date Posted: 12 December 2013 at 1:27pm
Graeme has a Kickstarter campaign to finish the movie
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/369066676/1304022325?token=e0e0ec2" rel="nofollow - http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/369066676/1304022325?token=e0e0ec2
------------- jdub... Got the T-shirt http://protobikes.org.uk/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/150386999@N02/
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Posted By: GeoffBird
Date Posted: 12 December 2013 at 1:55pm
He now seems to have reached his funding goal. He was £4,000+ short a couple of days ago!
------------- Right Time - Right Place - Wrong Speed
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