One for the bicycle geeks

[Old Hack]

Look closer; there aren't any pedals under his belly, just a gearwheel (or two gears actually) in between two bars.

I just did, thanks for that! So he'll have a chain to there, from his pedals when fitted, which will connect to teh real wheel.

Now that does make mroe sense!

[Mich the Tester]

I just did, thanks for that! So he'll have a chain to there, from his pedals when fitted, which will connect to teh real wheel.

Now that does make mroe sense!

Yep; I think what he'll have is a big gear or two at the back, with a chain powering the two smaller cogs on the front gear, and a chain from the big front cog to the back wheel, possibly with a derailleur on the back just like you see on racing bikes and mountain bikes. You can't make the speed with just one gear and chain; even if you could pedal an enormous 50cm wide gear, the cog would be so big it would cut through his gut, if you see what I mean.

[DaveB]

Yep; I think what he'll have is a big gear or two at the back, with a chain powering the two smaller cogs on the front gear, and a chain from the big front cog to the back wheel, possibly with a derailleur on the back just like you see on racing bikes and mountain bikes. You can't make the speed with just one gear and chain; even if you could pedal an enormous 50cm wide gear, the cog would be so big it would cut through his gut, if you see what I mean.

From the article:

To reach that speed, he will be pedalling in a gear, which is around three times bigger than the top gear on a road racing bike. The pedals turn a chain which drives one set of gears, which then transfer the power to the rear wheel through a second chain, doubling the pedal power of a conventional bike.
A single turn of the gear will propel his bike around 30ft – compared with around 10ft achieved by a road racer's top gear.
"You just roll it and go up through the gears. If you get into the top gear you are already doing 80mph," he said.