Designs that Win the Race
By Chester R. Kyle, INNOVATION Magazine (Spring 2000).
Although Georgi Georgiev is not as well known as Moulton or McCready, he is a brilliant designer who is extremely successful in what he does. Trained as an industrial designer and sculptor in his native Bulgaria, he emigrated to Canada in 1973 and bought a foundry, casting bronze for other sculptors. He became fascinated by human-powered vehicles and patented several bicycle designs and drive mechanisms. In doing so, he found that he was much more interested in creating his own objects than in casting others' art works. In the 1980s he moved to British Columbia and set a machine shop to make prototypes for his inventions.
During the past decade, Georgiev has developed the fastest bicycles and tricycles in the world. His machines hold eight world records, including the highest speed at 200 meters, the highest speed at 100 meters and the highest speed for a handicapped( arm powered) bicycle at 200 meters In competition his machines are simply the best. In 1998 handicapped athletes riding Georgiev's hand-cranked tricycles won marathons in Boston and Chicago.
Riders of Georgiev machines pedal comfortably lying back in a recumbent position. The tricycles have front wheel drives and are steered by tilting the crank. The brakes are on the hand grip so that handicapped athletes can control the tricycle without removing their hands from the crank. Georgiev sell his handcrafted tricycles throughout the world. His completely streamlined vehicles for able-bodied athletes are works of art. Georgievs front-wheeled drive bicycle, the Varna, has a smooth streamlined shell completely enclosing the bicycle and the rider; it resembles a jet aircraft more than a bicycle. The design removes more than 80 percent of wind resistance, making high speed seem effortless. The worlds best professional cycle endurance athlete on the most advanced traditional racing bicycle can ride for one hour at 56 .f375 km/hr (35 mph). Sam Whittingham of Canada an unranked amateur cyclist holds the world unlimited hour record of 79.136 km/hr (49 mph) Varna. For short spurts of 200 meter Whittingham can ride the Varna at top speed of 100 kph (62 mph). Traveling at freeway speeds is an everyday event for Georgievs bicycles!
Because the bicycle industry operates on a small scale in comparison to the Automobile industry, it is possible for ingenious individuals to overcome traditional concepts and significantly improve bicycle design. Moulton, McCready and Georgiev are outstanding innovators who make the world of bicyclists a little easier, a little faster and a little brighter.
