Why are bicycles fitted with narrow seats
requiring the rider to bend over, when most
things that are designed for people to sit on
resemble chairs? As you might expect the answer
concerns events that happened long ago…
At the end of the Nineteenth century, the first
golden age of cycling, Challand’s Bicyclette
Normale was just another variation on the theme
of the bicycle; "Normale” referred to the sitting
position, which was normal, as you would sit
in a chair. Early in the Twentieth Century this
style of bicycle was reasonably popular.  Cyclists
competed in races on sit-down bikes until 1933,
when a "second rate" cyclist, Francis Faure, set
the hour record, beating the distance set by French
National Champion Maurice Richard. Obviously something
must be wrong. The governing body of cycle racing,
the UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale), retracted
Faure's record reasoning that he had an "unfair
mechanical advantage". Undeterred by this he continued
to race against the clock and became the first
man to ride 50 kilometres in an hour. The UCI's
decision, in conjunction with the spread of motor
vehicles, held back cycle development for 40 years.
It reduced design parameters to the development
of construction materials and refinements to gear
changing and braking technology and fixed the
rider in the classic upright position. During
the middle years of the Twentieth Century vehicle
design became obsessed with combustion engines,
cycle innovation was led primarily by sport
with little interest in developing technology
that wouldn't benefit a racing cyclist. In the
1970s a group of innovators from California
began designing, building and racing bicycles
based upon the normal sitting position. These
sleek beautiful machines enclosed the rider
in a streamlined fairing, enabling the vehicle
to slice through the wind as efficiently as
possible. The International Human Powered Vehicle
Association was founded; anyone could enter
any vehicle, as long as it was powered by a
human, or humans. The
quest for speed required maximum rider output
with minimum wind resistance. Sitting comfortably
enables the rider to put more effort into moving
and sitting back reduces her frontal area and
hence the air turbulence which gathers behind
any moving vehicle and holds it back.These
sleek aerodynamic designs weren't going to make the
trip to work easier or quicker; but they did influence
cycle development. The blitz of innovation that came
with the mountain bike - full suspension, Aluminium,
Carbon Fibre and too many gears - made it possible
to adapt record-breaking HPV's (Human Powered Vehicles)
into machines that could be mass-produced for street
use. The modern, practical, recumbent cycle arrived,
comfortable, efficient road worthy machines that enable
anyone to travel maybe further or faster but certainly
in greater comfort.   Today
there are
hundreds of manufacturers who design and build
bicycles ergonomically - as opposed to adhering
to UCI regulations - and annual global sales
are in the range of 100,000's. Designs range
from low-slung, racing machines to comfortable
cruisers that enable the rider to commute through
the most congested traffic with ease.
So
why doesn't everyone ride one? A recumbent cycle as
standard mode of transport is still a relatively new
concept. Ride a recumbent and you can expect to receive
some attention; unless you live in northern Europe
where cycling is more accepted and recumbents are
seen as an obvious advance on the traditional bicycle. As
history marches on and the general population grow
to accept cycling as a viable mode of transport then
the idea of a bicycle as comfortable as an armchair
becomes an obvious solution. But there's no need to
wait you have the opportunity to choose one now!
resources:Human Power The Forgotten Energy Schmitz Hadland Quartier Gallas Richard's 21st Century Bicycle Book Richard Ballantine Pan Publishing
relative links:The International Human Powered Vehicle Association http://www.ihpva.org/ The British Human Powered Vehicle Club http://www.bhpc.org.uk/ |
