Cycling Equipment · Public discussion

How many pounds of thrust to keep a bike moving?

Started by Bruce W.1 · · Last activity · 13 posts · 6,386 views

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Cycling Equipment
Published
4 May 2005
Last activity
6 May 2005
Original author
Bruce W.1
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  1. I was thinking of putting a small turbine engine on my road bicycle,
    just for grins. How many pounds of thrust do you think would be needed
    to maintain 20 mph?

    There's a bunch of tiny jet engines for RC airplanes with from 10 to 50
    lbs of thrust. Here's one:
    http://www.franktiano.com/t-750.htm

    Here's a video of the mother of all RC airplanes:
    http://www.mcgirt.net/RC/VIDEOS/Giant_B52/B52_flight2.wmv

  2. Bruce W.1 said:

    I was thinking of putting a small turbine engine on my road bicycle,
    just for grins. How many pounds of thrust do you think would be


    needed

    Quoted message said:

    to maintain 20 mph?

    There's a bunch of tiny jet engines for RC airplanes with from 10 to


    50

    Quoted message said:

    lbs of thrust. Here's one:
    http://www.franktiano.com/t-750.htm

    Here's a video of the mother of all RC airplanes:
    http://www.mcgirt.net/RC/VIDEOS/Giant_B52/B52_flight2.wmv

    It's been done. Vision Recumbents put a 15 pound thrust engine on the
    back of one of their bikes, and it pushed the bike to 30 mph. Loud
    mother, too. Pictures and movies of it in action here:
    http://www.outsideconnection.com/gallant/hpv/vision/

    Jeff

  3. Bruce W.1 said:

    I was thinking of putting a small turbine engine on my road bicycle,
    just for grins. How many pounds of thrust do you think would be
    needed to maintain 20 mph?

    About 5 lbsf.

    Quoted message said:

    There's a bunch of tiny jet engines for RC airplanes with from 10 to
    50 lbs of thrust. Here's one:
    http://www.franktiano.com/t-750.htm

    That one has 95N thrust. At 10m/s (22mph) that is 950 watts, quite a
    bit more than any cyclist. Your duty is clear.

    http://members.aye.net/~gharris/blog/shopmod07.jpg

  4. Quoted message said:

    It's been done. Vision Recumbents put a 15 pound thrust engine on the
    back of one of their bikes, and it pushed the bike to 30 mph. Loud
    mother, too. Pictures and movies of it in action here:
    http://www.outsideconnection.com/gallant/hpv/vision/

    Jeff

    My vote for best link of the day. Week. Month. Maybe year. This is better
    than hamsterdance.com or whatever it is.

    --Mike Jacoubowsky
    Chain Reaction Bicycles
    www.ChainReaction.com
    Redwood City & Los Altos, CA USA

  5. Bruce W.1 said:

    I was thinking of putting a small turbine engine on my road bicycle,
    just for grins. How many pounds of thrust do you think would be needed
    to maintain 20 mph?

    There's a bunch of tiny jet engines for RC airplanes with from 10 to 50
    lbs of thrust. Here's one:
    http://www.franktiano.com/t-750.htm

    Here's a video of the mother of all RC airplanes:
    http://www.mcgirt.net/RC/VIDEOS/Giant_B52/B52_flight2.wmv

    Dear Bruce,

    At $2795 plus shipping plus tax plus earmuffs plus public
    nuisance fine plus fuel at 11 ounces per minute, it will be
    an expensive grin.

    Slightly off-topic, but why do they come up with 24 pounds
    as equal to 95 newtons? Everywhere that I looked, 95 newtons
    converts to about 21.36 pounds (9% lower than the claimed 24
    pounds), while 5 newtons ends up as 1.124 pounds (12% higher
    than the claimed 1.0 pounds).

    http://www.onlineconversion.com/weight_all.htm

    Are they using troy newtons, imperial pounds, nautical
    thrust, or what? Am I just missing something obvious?

    Persnicketily,

    Carl Fogel

  6. "Bruce W.1" wrote" (clip) How many pounds of thrust do you think would be
    needed to maintain 20 mph? (clip)
    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
    I assumed that 1/4 HP would do it. That's 550/4=137.5 ft lb/sec. 20 MPH =
    29 ft/sec. Power = force x velocity, so the force comes out 137.5/29= under
    5 lb thrust. A rider developing 1/4 HP has to provide the power train
    losses, which the jet engine bypasses. OTOH, my figure of 1/4 HP is just a
    wild-ass guess. I imagine there must be SOME combination of rider, bike,
    clothing, riding position, etc, that would consume about that amount of
    power at about that speed.

  7. Bruce W.1 said:

    I was thinking of putting a small turbine engine on my road bicycle,
    just for grins. How many pounds of thrust do you think would be needed
    to maintain 20 mph?

    There's a bunch of tiny jet engines for RC airplanes with from 10 to 50
    lbs of thrust. Here's one:
    http://www.franktiano.com/t-750.htm

    Here's a video of the mother of all RC airplanes:
    http://www.mcgirt.net/RC/VIDEOS/Giant_B52/B52_flight2.wmv

    Real jet-powered vehicle experimenters build their *own* engines.

    http://www.aardvark.co.nz/pjet/

    And a gas turbine is useful for more than just generating thrust; it
    can also cool your beer while making painful amounts of noise!

    http://www.asciimation.co.nz/beer/

    --
    Typoes are a feature, not a bug.
    Some gardening required to reply via email.
    Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

  8. Bruce W.1 said:

    I was thinking of putting a small turbine engine on my road bicycle,
    just for grins. How many pounds of thrust do you think would be needed
    to maintain 20 mph?

    I'm not sure, but I know it takes a lot more thrust that you get from
    a medium-size leaf blower (gas powered). I expected to be pushed to
    at least 5-6mph (8-10km/h) but alas, it barely moved me at all. All
    noise, no thrust.

    Now all I am left to do with it is to blow leaves. Harumph.

    Mark Hickey
    Habanero Cycles
    http://www.habcycles.com
    Home of the $695 ti frame

  9. quote='JeffWills'Bruce W.1 said:

    I was thinking of putting a small turbine engine on my road bicycle,
    just for grins. How many pounds of thrust do you think would be


    needed

    Quoted message said:

    to maintain 20 mph?

    There's a bunch of tiny jet engines for RC airplanes with from 10 to


    50

    Quoted message said:

    lbs of thrust. Here's one:
    http://www.franktiano.com/t-750.htm

    Here's a video of the mother of all RC airplanes:
    http://www.mcgirt.net/RC/VIDEOS/Giant_B52/B52_flight2.wmv

    It's been done. Vision Recumbents put a 15 pound thrust engine on the
    back of one of their bikes, and it pushed the bike to 30 mph. Loud
    mother, too. Pictures and movies of it in action here:
    http://www.outsideconnection.com/gallant/hpv/vision/

    Jeff[/QUOTE]

    Any idea on what happenned to the Jet Sabre in the ATP-Vision auction?

    Tim Arfons (son of Art Arfons) used this 90 hp JFS 100 13A turbine in powering a bar stool over 40 mph powered http://www.turbinegroup.com/page2.html to get into the Guiness book for the fastest barstool. This company makes the race track dryers you see at major oval/drag racing events.

    Here is the jet powered Penny Farthing page:
    pennyfarthing.dabsol.co.ukpulse je.htm

    .

  10. Bruce W.1 said:

    I was thinking of putting a small turbine engine on my road bicycle,
    just for grins. How many pounds of thrust do you think would be
    needed to maintain 20 mph?

    There's a bunch of tiny jet engines for RC airplanes with from 10 to
    50 lbs of thrust. Here's one:
    http://www.franktiano.com/t-750.htm

    Here's a video of the mother of all RC airplanes:
    http://www.mcgirt.net/RC/VIDEOS/Giant_B52/B52_flight2.wmv

    A Several of years ago one Paul Ford fitted a jet engine to a Windcheetah
    recumbent trike. 50 mph and 180 dB... Pic at:

    URL:http://www.micro-jet.freeserve.co.uk/jetbike.htm

    --
    Dave Larrington - <http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/>
    Whatever it is, I'd like it in mango & passion fruit, please.

  11. Quoted message said:

    Dear Mike,

    Typically jet engines are listed at around 140 dB. It takes
    a rocket launch to reach 180 dB.

    http://www.800nonoise.com/tutorial_noiselist.htm

    Carl Fogel

    Carl: There is reason to believe that list is seriously flawed. For example,
    it says that you can safely listen to a screaming child (90db) for 8 hours.
    Find me one such person.

    --Mike Jacoubowsky
    Chain Reaction Bicycles
    www.ChainReaction.com
    Redwood City & Los Altos, CA USA

  12. Mike Jacoubowsky said:
    Quoted message said:

    A Several of years ago one Paul Ford fitted a jet engine to a
    Windcheetah recumbent trike. 50 mph and 180 dB... Pic at:

    180 db???!!! I don't think it was the exhaust that was propelling it
    forward, it was the sound!

    Are you sure about that noise figure? That seems high enough to almost
    vaporize anything nearby.

    I merely quote, Sirrah!

    --
    Dave Larrington - <http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/>
    If you want a bicycle, buy a bicycle. If you want something that
    folds, buy a deckchair.

  13. Bruce W.1 said:

    I was thinking of putting a small turbine engine on my road bicycle,
    just for grins. How many pounds of thrust do you think would be needed
    to maintain 20 mph?

    If you assume the power requirement is 180W, then about 4.5lbs.

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