fisher@banzai.DEC (Ed Fisher, 381-2377) (06/28/85)
Regarding wheel weight and records: Wheel weight only matters during acceleration and deceleration. The hour record was set on a track, only one acceleration was needed. The heavy wheels are typically only used in time trial and track events because these events are usually flat. I think results obtained would be much different and quite unacceptable if one tried to use them in a criterium or road race where the riders speed up occassionally, as when coming out of corners or over the tops of hills or attempting a break. (DEC E-NET) BANZAI::FISHER
jhs@druri.UUCP (ShoreJ) (07/01/85)
{If these queries have been posted before, be patient: send money, not flames.}
Are there any commercially available means to add disks to your wheels? Seems
like it would be possible to add disks to existing wheels, providing there's
some reasonable way to fasten them securely (and without jeopardizing the basic
structural integrity of the wheels because of drilling through the rims, etc.).
Any comments/suggestions/sources?
Along related lines (aerodynamic ones :-)): Has anyone had experience with
the Zzipper fairing? Ads claim 20% drag reduction (at 20 mph?). A newer one
that I saw advertised in the latest Bicycling, the Aero(?), claims only 10%
reduction, has provision for a headlight mount, leaves the hands exposed to
the windstream, and appears stiffer (and, yes, I did see the graph provided
in the Scientific American article on bike aerodynamics last year).
What can I say, I'm a heretic and want to mount disks and/or fairing--on both
my tourer--a Libertas--and my Gios (gasp!) {mea culpa, mea culpa....}
Again, comments/suggestions/sources/experiences (most important, that last)?
Thanx.
Jeff Shore @ ..!druri!jhs
(303) 538-4195 or 457-4420
************************
"Ackph!" -- Bill the Cat
************************winters@uiucdcsb.Uiuc.ARPA (07/09/85)
To Jeff Shore @..!druri!jhs regarding disc wheels
several types of disc wheels are presently commercially available
but they are all very expensive at this time. some of these wheels
that are presently available are constructed of stretched kevlar or
spun aluminum(very heavy). my suggestion to you is a method that I
have recently perfected. go to the nearest Sears and buy a box of
storm window shrink plastic. take the tire off from your rim and
cut a piece of plastic about 4 in. larger dia. than the rim. next cut
a hole out for the hub but watch for excessive cuts because they will
propogate once the shrinking process begins. use the provided double
backed tape to tape around the rim and the hub making sure they are
clean(use alcohol). you are now ready to lay the plastic over the spokes
paying close attention to minimize any ripples. repeat this process on
the opposite side and then heat both sides with a hair dryer on high
heat. only one side of the valve area has to be cut away, but put a
complete hole thru to eliminate a low frequecy hum. this is a very
inexpensive method($5 to $10) but very effective. note that the
USCF will frown upon you and pull you from a race if you show up on
your Gios with this Fairing!!!!!!!
Brad Wagner
Champaign, ILjhs@druri.UUCP (ShoreJ) (07/10/85)
To Brad Wagner: First, thanx for the excellent advice on making inexpensive disks. A couple of folks asked me to pass info on to them so I'm sure your posting will be of interest to others. Regarding not showing up at USCF races with "disked" wheels: If *I* showed up at anything but a citizen's race, the USCF would herniate itself laughing. :-) But thanx for the thought. --Jeff Shore "Ackpht!"
ph28kc@sdcc12.UUCP (ph28kc) (07/12/85)
In article <16200115@uiucdcsb>, Brad Wagner writes: > Use the provided double > backed tape to tape around the rim and the hub making sure they are ^^^ Doesn't this effectively limit the use of the rims to track bikes ? I can't imagine that the tape on the rim flats could withstand being between brake shoe and rim during hard braking. Nonetheless I will definately be trying this on my thrasher track rims. Aside: the advent of disk wheels brings into play a whole range of artistic possibilities for the bicycle: spirals, spoked patterns, and patterns giving various optical effects can be painted on the surface of the disks. The possibilities for an optically screaming final sprint are mind blowing. Ken Cluff {decvax|dcdwest|ihnp4|ucbvax}!sdcsvax!sdcc3!sdcc12!ph28kc