Cruzbike Streamliner

Frito Bandito

Frito Bandito

Zen MBB Master
As some of you may know my brother and I are building a Streamliner so it got me to thinking if there would ever be a Cruzbike Streamliner. I have seen front wheel drive Streamliners but I am not sure of the feasibility of an MBB one. Typically, Streamliners seem to be more of a straight line HPV designed for top end speed, but could there ever be a limited production run of a CB model that sacrifices a bit of top end speed for usability on large tracks. Beano, Snoopy, Notso and a few others are great for shorter circuits and can hold their own on larger ones, but am I the only one who would love a FWB MBB Streamliner that can compete with those?

Thoughts on how it could be done?
 
H

Henri

scatter brain
To put a moving bottom bracket into a shell, you'd have to have it massively wide to allow for the movement inside or have the front move with the steering. With all that width, would you still have enough benefits from the shell? And with all that mass and windswept surface area connected to the steering, it would handle worse.

I don't expedt limited steering in existing streamliners to be a problem of the concept itself. For one I've seen videos of them used on race tracks. And if you want to give them tighter turning at the sacrifice of a bit if speed, you just can. (Don't use a direct chain to the front wheel and make it a bit wider for the steering and the bottom hole a bit bigger to allow the front wheel to turn.)
 
Frito Bandito

Frito Bandito

Zen MBB Master
IIRC some of the fastest bikes have somewhere between 1-5 degrees of steering clearance. If this is correct, then maybe giving the MBB platform something like 6-8 degrees, or maybe even a bit more. This would of course make the body wider and a different shape but adding a fairing would or should still allow for over 100kph speeds, no?
This is Bill Wightman's faired V20
Screen Shot 2023-05-01 at 15.37.12.png
What I am thinking of is lower, maybe dual 20" wheels, front and aft articulating fairings with a clear canopy top instead of a head bubble.
 
LarryOz

LarryOz

Cruzeum Curator & Sigma Wrangler
Frito Bandito said:
What I am thinking of is lower, maybe dual 20" wheels,
Click to expand...
remember all fastest wheels and tires are only for the 700 size - so speed will be lost moving to 20" wheels and tires
I have often though of making a streamliner shell for my V20 - maybe a winter project for me too!
 
IyhelM

IyhelM

Active Member
Re. tires, I think most Battle Mountain machines run 20" wheels; there at least some Michelin tires designed for record breaking speeds but I’m not sure how easy they are to procure.
 
Frito Bandito

Frito Bandito

Zen MBB Master
IyhelM said:
Re. tires, I think most Battle Mountain machines run 20" wheels; there at least some Michelin tires designed for record breaking speeds but I’m not sure how easy they are to procure.
Click to expand...
Yep. The blue Michelin ones seem to be the goto tires. I saw on Facebook or Instagram that someone had a whole box (406) of them in stock at last month's event.
Here in Japan the Minivelo scene is big so finding Schwalbe Pro ones in 406 20x1-1/8" is easy, maybe even 1-1/4" too if Schwalbe even makes those.

The Super Moto is 20x2.40.
www.schwalbetires.com

Super Moto | DD, RaceGuard | Black-Reflex | 20x2.40 | Addix | 11159523

A REAL EYE-CATCHER FOR YOUR E-BIKE! With its dynamic profile, this design-oriented tire is strongly reminiscent of the look that has proven itself in motorsport for a long time. Equipped with the ADDIX compound, the Super Moto impresses with excellent ro…
www.schwalbetires.com www.schwalbetires.com

The old time popular Kojak comes in 20x1.35" which might be ok.
www.schwalbetires.com

Kojak | RaceGuard | Black | 20x1.35 | Addix | 11600046.02

NO COMPROMISES. Its home is the road. Although the fast, sporty, tread-less slick weighs just 295 g (35-559) it still has a RaceGuard protection belt and reflective labels.
www.schwalbetires.com www.schwalbetires.com



I just saw Continental Contact Urbans in 20x1-1/4" as well, but I'd have to do a bit more searching for anything in the 1-1/2" range which is I think probably as narrow as anyone would want to go. Ok, just found that Conti makes the Contact Urban 20" in 1.25", 1.6" and 2.0. That tire is a touring tire but it appears to be the one with the lowest rolling resistance, and the E50 Contact Urban is better than the standard model.

CONTACT Urban: Cycling on the City Pulse

Premium mobility for design enthusiasts. Urban tread pattern packed with the latest technology. The perfect symbiosis between light-rolling and puncture protection reflected in this specialized tire designed for the city jungle.
www.continental-tires.com www.continental-tires.com


As for 20" 451 tires, the pickings are slim. The 451 slightly larger diameter is more appealing to me, there just doesn't seem to be any good tires to choose from.
As for wheels, JP Industry is coming out with 20" wheels in 406 and 451 in both rim and disc brakes that look like the bees knees. Rated for 90kg.
1.png
 
Frito Bandito

Frito Bandito

Zen MBB Master
LarryOz said:
remember all fastest wheels and tires are only for the 700 size - so speed will be lost moving to 20" wheels and tires
I have often though of making a streamliner shell for my V20 - maybe a winter project for me too!
Click to expand...
It does sound fun. A V20 or V20c with 20" wheels would look a bit strange bare, and probably with a step thru fairing as well. But once it is moving...
 
H

Henri

scatter brain
Frito Bandito said:
The old time popular Kojak comes in 20x1.35" which might be ok.
Click to expand...
Kojak is known for being light for a touring tire, and not doing anything else well. I think other than that Michelin Blue Flange and Schwalbe Pro One TT Record Edition, maybe the new Variant Schwalbe Pro One Super Race and the GreenSpeed Scorcher are popular for race and record setting applications.
 
Frito Bandito

Frito Bandito

Zen MBB Master
Henri said:
Kojak is known for being light for a touring tire, and not doing anything else well. I think other than that Michelin Blue Flange and Schwalbe Pro One TT Record Edition, maybe the new Variant Schwalbe Pro One Super Race and the GreenSpeed Scorcher are popular for race and record setting applications
Click to expand...
The Scorchers slipped my mind Henri, thanks.
 
Frito Bandito

Frito Bandito

Zen MBB Master
Terrarium said:
Dumb idea for you but why have the mid section and MBB section connected by a gap closed with latex accordion.
Click to expand...
I think you meant "why not..."? If so, I think that is a good option. Some pros of that is that it is easily removable and allows for the boom to move freely, and allows for what I think are the best aero benefits. A solid shell would of course be nice, but it would have to allow for the boom to swing. How much? Well, it depends on how sharply you want to turn.
 
McWheels

McWheels

Off the long run
Having seen Slash's Beano a couple of times, it's FWD but twist-chain rather than MBB. The front wheel doesn't have a lot of space to turn but the argument being it's not having to navigate badly designed cycling prevention infrastructure as a daily driver.

I've also seen zip-up nylon full fairings that do much the same job with only the head sticking out. No good for record setting at Battle Mountain but for slightly more generalist racing I can see the benefit.
 
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