Quote:
Originally Posted by sendler
Is the pointy nose really faster than an air foil nose in 90 mph air? Because there is a big draw back in handling side winds when there is that much overhang ahead of the front wheel. And it looks like the shape at the back narrows into a J form too quickly to maintain attachment. Is there a rule as to why the body had to be so short behind the rear wheel?
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Speed-bikes
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It looks like it would actually have lower drag in reverse.
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Aerovelo
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In these bikes, the widest spot is usually where the rider's shoulders are which is normally near the rear of the bike. So as I understand it, the front end of the bike is designed to provide laminar airflow as far back as possible and the short rear end is to minimize skin friction and help with pressure recovery. As you noticed the shape doesn't match the standard teardrop shape template so often used on this site. All I know is the results. These guys added over 3 mph to a record that had been increasing by maybe a half mile per hour every couple years for about a decade. The speeds are attained on less than 1 horsepower for the most part. There are a few very strong riders that can put out more power than that for a short time period.
The bikes aren't particularly stable and a good wind can easily send someone off into a ditch. But they are made for one thing... that's going fast in a straight line. Normally no one will ride if the wind is much more than 8 to 10 miles per hour. Too dangerous.
JJ