[python] Re: AW: Re: New Speed Record
- From: Rhisiart Gwilym <Rhisiart@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: python@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 15 Aug 2011 21:16:28 +0100
S'mae listees,
Finally cracked the braking problem on my trike version, by the very
obvious method of having a front brake, and one rear brake. Switching
to just one brake on the rear, oddly, seems to mean that it doesn't
lock and skid so readily. And the front brake of course gives serious
stopping power.
So, I'm riding around in traffic and off-road as well here, and
realising that this is a really nice trike. The more distance I do,
the more I discover things to like.
Have to say though that I wouldn't want it as a rigid-frame trike. As
it is, it imitates closely Erik Wannee's leanable training-trike, for
learning how to balance a Flevo bike. See here:
http://www.wannee.nl/hpv/oefentri/index.htm
Consequently, I can stay upright whatever camber or uneven surface
I'm on. Really necessary with some of the seriously rough canal
towpaths that I ride here.
Much more important, though, is the strong help to staying balanced
that you get from the rigid handlebars on the Wannee-style trike. I
can ride more extended distance on the road with hands off now, which
means that I'm balancing the front and middle parts of the trike just
like a bike. But it's still a whole lot less secure than riding with
hands on the bars. Then, riding is much more confidently stable --
all the time. I still have to swerve about too much with hands off to
be safe in traffic yet, just to stay balanced. I've yet to find that
calm, meditative state of the master Pythonaut.
But as a result of this progress with the training-trike rig, on my
third day out on it (with proper braking at last), I've been doing
downhill runs at what I estimate must be 40kph, maybe touching as
much as 48 on the steepest section. This is just coasting. At these
speeds, I hesitate to START pedalling mid-run, as the trike can get
suddenly frisky when I do, though there's almost no noticeable PSI.
On the other hand, if I pedal continuously right from the start of
the down gradient, it seems to be pretty steady, with no sudden
lurches.
This is seriously exhilarating. On these hills, there's no doubt that
I'm both coasting and pedalling a lot faster than my mountain bike
will go down the same slope.
I have plans in hand now for a two-part (front section and separate
rear-section) ultra-light fairing, or maybe it would be legitimate to
call it a real velo body, but articulating on the steering axis. Got
to do this if I'm going to continue riding right through the winter
on an all-weather Python. The aim is to get the weather-proofing of a
car, but without having a car.
Now that I know for sure that the trike, at least, is a serious go,
I'm completing the paint-job tomorrow, and then I'll post a You Tube
vid, with both riding-around shots, and some close-ups of the key
features of a Wannee-style leaning trike -- when I can find a friend
with a video camera, that is...
Hwyl, Rh
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