StuAff
Silencing his legs regularly
- Location
- Portsmouth
I think it's the massive reduction in aerodynamic drag that does it* ok, so my actual fastest 'bent has dual 20" and a 26" at the back, but that is cheating.

I think it's the massive reduction in aerodynamic drag that does it* ok, so my actual fastest 'bent has dual 20" and a 26" at the back, but that is cheating.
Damn right. Though none of mine apply to this discussion (being upwrong) they are all of the above.I guess what I'm trying to say is that 'fast' needs the following:
- a bike you can trust.
- a bike you want to ride.
- a bike that is comfortable / practical enough to let you get the training miles in.
I'm not sure I agree, to be honest. My issue on longer rides has been that fast 'on-the-track' does not always convert to fast 'on-the-road'. For out and out speed, yes, a 700c rigid frame and/or low racer is the way to go*, but I'm finding prolonged on the road speed is a combination of confidence, comfort, vision, stability and predictability.
This might be rather good news for the OP, I feel. For example, yes, my encore (rigid 700c, extremely nice) is fast out of the gate. And were I a better rider, it'd still be fast 200 miles later. But as its rider I am limited by the lights I've put on her (battery powered), my attitude to her (she's far too pretty to get rained on), her rigidity (chipseal buzz fatigues me) and a general unfamiliarity (been a tough year to get out).
Compare this with my time on the 24" rear suspended Furai. The Furai is heavier, runs similarly skinny tyres at the same pressure (duranos), has a hub dynamo wired to front and rear, a large seatpack, etc. For a 200 mile ride, the lights will get me home at full beam, she's got proven reliability (well, now that we've got through a few cable tie related teething troubles), her suspension will soak up the worst of the road, and she's hugely sure footed. That seat pack will take lunch and a couple of drinks, as well as any tools I'm going to need. She's not as fast as the encore, but for the moment she'll take me further.
Now compare that with the classic 20/26 dual suspended Streetmachine. The SMGTe is heavier again (much heavier), runs wide tyres (marathons), has a hub dynamo, panniers, mudguards, etc. She's definitely not fast compared to the Furai, but she'll still keep up with most uprights (which considering how little I ride these days is proof that it is all about the bike). She gives me more miles than either of the others just because she's supremely robust.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that 'fast' needs the following:
- a bike you can trust.
- a bike you want to ride.
- a bike that is comfortable / practical enough to let you get the training miles in.
For me, that has meant the Furai is my real world fastest bike. Ground is nice and close, but high enough to feel visible. Gearing on a 24" wheel (triple on the front, 11-36 on the back) is low enough to climb anything I've thrown her at, and high enough to touch 50mph chasing @ianrauk into Devils Dyke. She was my commuter for years which meant the muscle memory was already there when @martint235 had an idea about riding to Wootton Bassett. Dual 24" meant I could head out for multi-day rides with a single spare tube, and the possibilities this opens up have given me plenty of opportunities to really test myself.
Am I faster on the encore? Yes. Might I become faster still when I finally get the time to take her out properly? Yes. Is the encore my fastest two wheeler? Yes. Is it the bike I'm fastest on? Not yet...
Oh, and regards tiller steering: I can't do it at all. Despite going through an SMGTe, Furai, Seiran, and a velomobile in 7 years, I'd not actually managed to control any overseat steered bike more than 2 pedal strokes until I acquired the Nazca Quetzal at the end of 2013. That only came with OSS, so rather forced my hand. I'm getting more accustomed to the feel now, and the encore represents my continued development in the field.
Every bike I've mentioned has disc brakes because, for me at least, how fast you can go is directly proportional to your confidence that you can stop.
Does that help at all?
* ok, so my actual fastest 'bent has dual 20" and a 26" at the back, but that is cheating.
I'm not sure I agree, to be honest. My issue on longer rides has been that fast 'on-the-track' does not always convert to fast 'on-the-road'. For out and out speed, yes, a 700c rigid frame and/or low racer is the way to go*, but I'm finding prolonged on the road speed is a combination of confidence, comfort, vision, stability and predictability.
This might be rather good news for the OP, I feel. For example, yes, my encore (rigid 700c, extremely nice) is fast out of the gate. And were I a better rider, it'd still be fast 200 miles later. But as its rider I am limited by the lights I've put on her (battery powered), my attitude to her (she's far too pretty to get rained on), her rigidity (chipseal buzz fatigues me) and a general unfamiliarity (been a tough year to get out).
Compare this with my time on the 24" rear suspended Furai. The Furai is heavier, runs similarly skinny tyres at the same pressure (duranos), has a hub dynamo wired to front and rear, a large seatpack, etc. For a 200 mile ride, the lights will get me home at full beam, she's got proven reliability (well, now that we've got through a few cable tie related teething troubles), her suspension will soak up the worst of the road, and she's hugely sure footed. That seat pack will take lunch and a couple of drinks, as well as any tools I'm going to need. She's not as fast as the encore, but for the moment she'll take me further.
Now compare that with the classic 20/26 dual suspended Streetmachine. The SMGTe is heavier again (much heavier), runs wide tyres (marathons), has a hub dynamo, panniers, mudguards, etc. She's definitely not fast compared to the Furai, but she'll still keep up with most uprights (which considering how little I ride these days is proof that it is all about the bike). She gives me more miles than either of the others just because she's supremely robust.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that 'fast' needs the following:
- a bike you can trust.
- a bike you want to ride.
- a bike that is comfortable / practical enough to let you get the training miles in.
For me, that has meant the Furai is my real world fastest bike. Ground is nice and close, but high enough to feel visible. Gearing on a 24" wheel (triple on the front, 11-36 on the back) is low enough to climb anything I've thrown her at, and high enough to touch 50mph chasing @ianrauk into Devils Dyke. She was my commuter for years which meant the muscle memory was already there when @martint235 had an idea about riding to Wootton Bassett. Dual 24" meant I could head out for multi-day rides with a single spare tube, and the possibilities this opens up have given me plenty of opportunities to really test myself.
Am I faster on the encore? Yes. Might I become faster still when I finally get the time to take her out properly? Yes. Is the encore my fastest two wheeler? Yes. Is it the bike I'm fastest on? Not yet...
Oh, and regards tiller steering: I can't do it at all. Despite going through an SMGTe, Furai, Seiran, and a velomobile in 7 years, I'd not actually managed to control any overseat steered bike more than 2 pedal strokes until I acquired the Nazca Quetzal at the end of 2013. That only came with OSS, so rather forced my hand. I'm getting more accustomed to the feel now, and the encore represents my continued development in the field.
Every bike I've mentioned has disc brakes because, for me at least, how fast you can go is directly proportional to your confidence that you can stop.
Does that help at all?
* ok, so my actual fastest 'bent has dual 20" and a 26" at the back, but that is cheating.
Thanks
It's part of bike ownership's rich irony, I suppose. It is possible to get a "go anywhere, do everything" bike, but the associated costs and time required to curate such a steed mean there are places you won't take or ride it.
If I were restricted to a single bike (and I say that in the safety of this remaining purely hypothetical) I'd probably still go for the encore. I'd rack it up with panniers , pair it with 36 spoke 26" rubber, a wide range cassette and (this is allowed, right?) have a second wheel set on hand for the low spoke count aero 700 tight geared stuff.
Of course, best place to keep that spare 700c wheel set would be on another bike.. Maybe a Seiran. I mean, just to keep it out of the way, like... And to really make sure the panniers don't form a trip hazard when the encore is stripped down for racing, perhaps a Streetmachine too.. And... Well.. You can see where I'm going![]()
I'm not sure I agree, to be honest. My issue on longer rides has been that fast 'on-the-track' does not always convert to fast 'on-the-road'. For out and out speed, yes, a 700c rigid frame and/or low racer is the way to go*, but I'm finding prolonged on the road speed is a combination of confidence, comfort, vision, stability and predictability.