fast HPV

[spandex]

Ive been thinking what is the fastest hpv (not fully inclosed)

I think it is the Windcheetah by AVD.

 

[betty swollocks]

Nah: a two-wheeler like a Fujin would be my guess, or something with a similar configuration.
I want a Fujin and am currently stuffing all I can into my piggy bank.

 

[mcd]

Depends what you mean

For a cycling niche, there is a surprisingly large variety of HPVs. If "having your head poking out" qualifies as "not fully enclosed", the M5 Low Racer with the Record Fairing No. 8 would be hard to beat

At the 'naked' end of the enclosed scale, the fastest HPV would probably be something like the Velokraft NoCom

 

[NickM]

Well, not the Windcheetah - it has too many wheels. The best use of a third wheel is to stop a fully enclosed machine from falling over when it stops!

HPV racing does not conform to a systematic set of rules such as that imposed by the UCI on upright racing. Each country has its own system of machine categories, and its own specialities. For example, streamlined road racing bicycles like this have been done better in Britain than anywhere else; the Dutch like velomobiles; German-speakers like massive tail fairings (but still class their machines as "unfaired"), and Americans have a class for "faired, but you may not move any body panels to get in" which they call Super Street.

If you agree that "unfaired" can include a fairing behind the rider, I reckon that bikes with a big, close-fitting tail fairing like the Birk, Razz Fazz or Mike Burrow's one-off Ratracer Special are currently the fastest road racing bikes; if not, I concur with McD that very low "splitter" bikes like the Nocom and Cobra are the state of the art among machines that do corners. And you can buy one; whether you would want to ride them on public roads is another matter.

However... splitter frames could be construed as fairings - you see how difficult it is to impose catogories on a sport in which innovation is so important? If you insist on absolute unfaired purity, Sean Costin's (extremely low) Monkey Hand is very quick over 200 metres (it's shown 3/4 of the way down this page); and Rob English's Hachi is light, aero and allows a riding position which is possibly better for generating power than that of the very low bikes.

 

[andharwheel]

Having seen Rob race his Hachi in Holland I would say that its as fast or faster than some of the machines with tail-boxes. I know Rob is very fit, but so are some of the Dutch and Belgian racers. Mind you Ymte or Thomas Scott on the Razz Fazzs are pretty quick.

 

[NickM]

...Rob is very fit...

Yep - holder of the British hour record at a smidge under 50 miles, and done in terrible conditions, too.

...so are some of the Dutch and Belgian racers...

Indeed - Ymte Sijbrandij and Hans Wessels 100km at >50kph in a Quest, without looking particularly shattered afterwards, is pretty good going (at this year's Worlds).

It occurs to me that my reply above isn't much help if the OP is actually looking for a fast road bike. If you are, spandex, I can recommend the Challenge Fujin - possibly the SL I model with its aluminium seat, fitted with a Novosport tailbox. Something like this. It would be a practical roadgoing bike (rather than a racetrack-only machine), and at least as fast as any upright over mixed terrain.

 

[andharwheel]

That Fujin with the tail box is very tasty. I wonder if santa would bring me one............ Oh well only if I win the lottery.

 

[mcd]

Well, not the Windcheetah - it has too many wheels. The best use of a third wheel is to stop a fully enclosed machine from falling over when it stops!

or while it's still moving

While the Fujin SL isn't the fastest, I'd agree that it is one of the best light-weight fast recumbents on the road. A definite candidate if you want to get a recumbent instead of a road bike.

 

[spandex]

Yep - holder of the British hour record at a smidge under 50 miles, and done in terrible conditions, too.

Indeed - Ymte Sijbrandij and Hans Wessels 100km at >50kph in a Quest, without looking particularly shattered afterwards, is pretty good going (at this year's Worlds).

It occurs to me that my reply above isn't much help if the OP is actually looking for a fast road bike. If you are, spandex, I can recommend the Challenge Fujin - possibly the SL I model with its aluminium seat, fitted with a Novosport tailbox. Something like this. It would be a practical roadgoing bike (rather than a racetrack-only machine), and at least as fast as any upright over mixed terrain.

Im just dreaming this time last year i had 6 bikes, 2 tag a long kids bikes, 2 trailers for shoping and camping, 3 kayaks, 1 canoe and 2 long trailers to pull them . Now i just have 1 bike, 2 kayaks and 1 long trailer to keep me going.







its my wife you know............

 

[BentMikey]

Yes, I might be tempted to go Fujin with tailbox next time. I really notice the weight of the Hurricane up hills compared with my fixed wheel, there's a massive difference in climbing speed.