Re: 120 mph +

[Mike Mulholland <meyeke@netinc.ca>]

>Date: Mon, 08 Mar 1999 05:28:54
>To: Paul Heneghan <paul.heneghan@bbc.co.uk>
>From: Mike Mulholland <meyeke@netinc.ca>
>Subject: Re: 120 mph +
>
>
>paul, the speed was achieved down a mountainside in northern quebec. i know
my speed because i passed the lead car of the race which was doing 70 mph.
the biggest exhileration was the wind noise which started as a roar (normal)
but at speed was a shriek. the other point was not to stiffen up with
fear...at speed your body is a shock absorber for the road undulations and
if you stiffen up you rapidly go out of control due to the undamped
oscillations. at that speed the wheels only tend to touch the ground now and
then as they fly over the undulations in road surface. the most stress was
when i noticed that the road turned at the bottom of the hill...a problem
because you can't use your brakes at those speeds because they can induce
unwanted oscillations in the wheels which are then passed on to  the frame.
when braking you are also a less perfect shock absorber. btw turning is done
by leaning.
>hth 
>
>
>At 09:32 AM 3/8/99 -0000, you wrote:
>>From: Mike Mulholland <meyeke@netinc.ca>
>>>as i approach my 60 th birthday in a few days...i can think back over some
>>>of the many risks i've taken in my life....driving fast, bicycle racing and
>>>exceeding 70mph downhill on a 20lb bike with glued-on tires. . . 
>>
>>Now that's impressive.  The fastest I've ever gone on a bike is 40mph (down
>>hill of course) and then I ran out of gears.  My largest gear is about 100".
>>I would need an enormous chain wheel (90 teeth) to go at speeds like 70mph.
>>A two in one hill would help . . . 
>>
>>Paul
>>
>>
>
mike
86 5kcdtq, tap chip sjm spring
84 5ks
84 5ksw
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