Cool looking machine, shame the maths doesn't quite make sense. The average rider can put out about 100 watts /.135 hp (Apparently on the right drugs Lance Armstrong could do short bursts of 350 watts /.47 hp). At 70 mph on the rolling dyno the Rat Racer is producing 2.8 HP at the wheel, on the road there would be air resistance and the additional friction of the front wheels to overcome as well, lets do an all up "guesstimate" of 3.5 hp (I'm sure in reality it would be more). So at 70 mph the rider would be contributing only 4.6% of the motive power?
I do love the concept though, if you added a Hayabusa engine things would get interesting! (You could still keep the Exercycle part for those who didn't have time to make it to the gym).
Edited to point out that charging the average 70 amp/hr car battery with pedal power would take 522 hours (at 100% efficiency).
gsimpson,
Sep 30, 12:13pm
A racing circuit would be cool. I raced straight human powered machines like this in early 90's in England for a works team. Lots of fun. Closed off city centres, velodromes etc. I could do over 40mph without any electric assist.
From what I can tell looking at other clips on the same machine, it is an electric bike and the peddling is simply for extending the range by charging as you go. It appears that in the states it is registered as a motorcycle which could add some extra licensing costs here. Looks smart though.
gsimpson,
Sep 30, 12:58pm
Will have to classified as a motorcycle. However if you keep power down to 300W and save on rolling resistance with slimmer tyres 80kmh should still be achievable. Power requirement goes up exponentially with speed so a significant power increase is required to go a little faster.
countrypete,
Sep 30, 1:08pm
Guy Martin achieved 100mph+ on a pushbike. Rode behind a truck with a specially made airdam to create a vacuum. There was a series on Choice TV where Guy broke a number of speed records (bike, human powered aircraft, sled etc)
gsimpson,
Sep 30, 1:19pm
Yes. Great series.
tamarillo,
Sep 30, 1:49pm
Help me out here. Is this thing powered partly by a charged battery? Or s all energy from pedal generation? I'm struggling with the idea that one can generate enough energy to make it usable by simple, sustainable, pedalling. Isn't that in defiance of basic laws of physics?
seadubya,
Sep 30, 1:57pm
It is fully battery powered, the pedals charge the battery to extend the range.
sr2,
Sep 30, 2:06pm
see #2
trogedon,
Sep 30, 5:47pm
I've done 93kph - but that was down a hill.
intrade,
Sep 30, 6:00pm
most e-bikes in europe go pritty fast. Marty said they are called Flyers them elecric push bikes you see every pensioner zip abouts on them electric bisicles ove there. smart also make a e-bike http://electricbikereview.com/smart/ebike/
purplegoat,
Oct 1, 3:00am
104 for me down tar hill south of Tokoroa . scared the bejesus out of me . lol . Guess I was lucky the tax collectors weren't out that day . haha
peja,
Oct 1, 3:58am
Max I've attained is about 50-60 downhill. I have the cpacity to go faster, just not the courage
tamarillo,
Oct 1, 5:04am
Thanks. It's cool, but not an invention.
noswalg,
Oct 1, 5:41am
I've done 107 down a hill on a snowboard, could've gone faster but was wisely talking myself out of it.
brapbrap8,
Oct 1, 7:20am
I have exceeded 100 down hill (speedo cut out at 99.9km). Have sat on 85km/h on the flat in an elite race with a decent tail wind, feels quite fast when you are only 6 inches from the wheel in front. High chance of it ending very badly, but that's the things you do when you are young and dumb.
trogedon,
Oct 1, 3:03pm
How did you know how fast you were going?
noswalg,
Oct 1, 3:48pm
GPS speedo app on my phone, also quite often take video on my phone using a dashcam app that displays the speed, next season I'll be using a TomTom Bandit camera which has GPS speed built in.
trogedon,
Oct 1, 5:42pm
Ok, I was thinking GPS. Does it do altitude for drop offs?
noswalg,
Apr 8, 3:20am
it does measure altitude but doesn't record it, only displays maximum speed reached and its a bit hard to look at my phone while dropping off something although have done a few vids like that.
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