Month: December 2020
Velomobile shifting diagrams
I made these to illustrate the difference between shifting a Rohloff vs. conventional derailleur/cassette system in a velomobile going at speed. According to Doug Davis at Bicycle Evolution, some novice velonauts desire Rohloffs because they offer a very wide gear range, but the larger gaps between gears make them less efficient at speed. He has data about watts and gear inches and rotations per minute, but I merely tried to convey the drama of having to upshift too fast in a 60+ pound tub:
For contrast, the illustration below represents a more narrowly spaced conventional rear cassette setup, like what I have on my Mango:
Maybe we’ll talk about this, and other recumbent nerd stuff, on the next Laidback Bike Report.
The Dress That Looks Like a Tree
14 hours before Winter Solstice, my friend Mike Barkley took these photos of me in the Dress-That-Looks-Like-A-Tree, next to the Tree that looks like the Dress-That-Looks-Like-A-Tree, in the woods at Allerton Park. It was pretty freaking cold, just barely 40°F, and I had pedaled my velomobile 30 miles there in a headwind. We suffered for Art/Fashion!
Banner Yet Wave
Animating waves does not come naturally to me. I covet the skills of animators who do them well, so when I recently found myself staring at the animated gifs of Felix Colgrave, I thought, “I wish I could do that.” Then I thought – hey, maybe I can. Thus, using repeating waves as guidelines:
I made this:
It may not look like much to you, but for me, it is an achievement, promising more interesting possibilities to come.
