Bernie schreiber - the Rocket Bike man
Here is a story about an interesting project that was initiated by Bernie Schreiber some 20 years ago. It was written for Retrotrials.com by the swiss man Francois Gissy. You will learn a little about why Francois is involved soon.
Francois told me about this story just after i published the 2014 Bernie Schreiber interview earlier this year. When i heard it i had a very very very faint recollection that i had heard something about this but could recall anything. Now im being honest with you. I wonder how many of you have heard this story or better still could have remembered it without RT reminding you. It was lost in the mists of time , to be forgotten by everyone apart from those involved.
In fact the story is so ridiculous that if you were told this at a trial you'd think your mate was crazy :). Even Bernie didnt mention it when i met him in Switzerland earlier this year. That's until Retrotrials got hold of this excellent story from Francois :).
It was so crazy that i emailed Bernie to make sure Francois wasnt some crazy guy ......and Bernie replied ........
"Yep! That's my crazy days in France and introduction to Switzerland".
Francois told me about this story just after i published the 2014 Bernie Schreiber interview earlier this year. When i heard it i had a very very very faint recollection that i had heard something about this but could recall anything. Now im being honest with you. I wonder how many of you have heard this story or better still could have remembered it without RT reminding you. It was lost in the mists of time , to be forgotten by everyone apart from those involved.
In fact the story is so ridiculous that if you were told this at a trial you'd think your mate was crazy :). Even Bernie didnt mention it when i met him in Switzerland earlier this year. That's until Retrotrials got hold of this excellent story from Francois :).
It was so crazy that i emailed Bernie to make sure Francois wasnt some crazy guy ......and Bernie replied ........
"Yep! That's my crazy days in France and introduction to Switzerland".
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All that Jet lag and high altitude must have done something. Bernie --- you are officially nuts !!
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lets just recap on bernie's incredible career in trials
Bernie won the Scottish Six days Trial in 1982.
Bernie has won the Trial de Espania 8 times. That's more than any other rider in the history of the trial.
Bernie is America's only World observed Trials Champion in the history of the sport .
Bernie is the only trials rider ever to be inducted into the AMA motorcycle Hall of Fame.
Bernie won the U.S. National Trials Championships in 1978, 1982, 1983 and 1987.
Kick start winner 1979,1982 and 1983
Bernie has won the Trial de Espania 8 times. That's more than any other rider in the history of the trial.
Bernie is America's only World observed Trials Champion in the history of the sport .
Bernie is the only trials rider ever to be inducted into the AMA motorcycle Hall of Fame.
Bernie won the U.S. National Trials Championships in 1978, 1982, 1983 and 1987.
Kick start winner 1979,1982 and 1983
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Bernie was the World Observed trials Champion in 1979 and was the youngest rider at the time to have accomplished this .
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS from 1977 - 1987 1977 - 7 1978 - 3 1979 - 1 1980 - 2 1981 - 6 1982 - 2 1983 - 2 1984 - 3 1986 - 7 1987 - 20 Bernie competed in the World Championship for 10 years . Out of the 109 World Trial competitions Bernie competed in he was placed on the podium 48 times with 20 seperate wins. Bernie was Bultaco's last World Champion. |
Bernie schreiber - the Rocket Bike man photo bruce brown productions
Bernie schreiber - the Rocket Bike man
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Bernie schreiber - the Rocket Bike man.photo solo moto
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Statistics, figures and standings
Bernie schreiber - the Rocket Bike man
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60 podiums
64 podiums 48 podiums 53 podiums 58 podiums 54 podiums 40 podiums 22 podiums 122 World Trials
134 World Trials 109 World Trials 118 Euro trials 125 Euro trials 131 World Trials 121 World Trials 92 World Trials Compared with his peers -
Eddy Lejeune 33 wins Thierry Michaud 23 wins Bernie Schreiber 20 wins Rathmell 18wins ML.Lampkin 18 wins Vesterinen 17 wins Ulf Karlson 15 wins Giles Burgat 5 wins Its all Pretty impressive - hey !
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So , here you have it .....the crazy retro story that was very nearly forgotten
Ok ..... picture the moment in time. It is 1994 and Bernie is living with the Burgat's in France having finished his Trials competition career some years before.
Now ---over to Francois to tell the story
During the early nineties, Bernie Schreiber has created a brand of high end mountain bikes, KAMIKAZE. The motto was “Kamikaze Speed Machines”.
Bernie Schreiber had in mind the quest for the highest speed achievable with a mountain bike. In 1994, he created a prototype using the base of a trials motorbike which was transformed into a bicycle
Now ---over to Francois to tell the story
During the early nineties, Bernie Schreiber has created a brand of high end mountain bikes, KAMIKAZE. The motto was “Kamikaze Speed Machines”.
Bernie Schreiber had in mind the quest for the highest speed achievable with a mountain bike. In 1994, he created a prototype using the base of a trials motorbike which was transformed into a bicycle
Bernie schreiber - the Rocket Bike man
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Bernie schreiber - the Rocket Bike man
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The purpose of this machine was to be used on a snowy steep slope in order to reach the fastest speed as possible. In March 1994, the Kamikaze team went at Les Arcs in the French Alps where there is a famous speed skiing track very suitable for the speed record attempt.
Riding downhill is relying on a gravity engine. The steeper the slope is, the faster the bicycle will go. Also, the heavier the bicycle is, the faster it can potentially go. Of course, for a same slope and a same weight, the more aerodynamic are the bicycle and its rider, the faster they will go. In reality it is about compromises: a steep slope is important and the aerodynamic of the bicycle plus the pilot is also very important. Concerning the weight, it is helpful to not be too lightweight, but be too heavy would also be a problem. The wheels could sink in the snow and the braking of the bicycle going downhill at full speed could also be problematic.
Riding downhill is relying on a gravity engine. The steeper the slope is, the faster the bicycle will go. Also, the heavier the bicycle is, the faster it can potentially go. Of course, for a same slope and a same weight, the more aerodynamic are the bicycle and its rider, the faster they will go. In reality it is about compromises: a steep slope is important and the aerodynamic of the bicycle plus the pilot is also very important. Concerning the weight, it is helpful to not be too lightweight, but be too heavy would also be a problem. The wheels could sink in the snow and the braking of the bicycle going downhill at full speed could also be problematic.
Bernie's snow speed bike was based upon the rolling chassis of a Yamaha TYZ 250, heavily modified as you can see to include pedals. You can see Bernie here prepping the bike.
Bernie schreiber - the Rocket Bike man
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Bernie schreiber - the Rocket Bike man
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You can almost see the terror in Christophe Donini's eyes as Bernie helps him into position on the steep speed sking slope. Its just before he sets off of the Kamikaze bike.
Bernie schreiber - the Rocket Bike man
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Bernie schreiber - the Rocket Bike man
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The pilot, Christophe Donini, set a world speed record with 160 km/h with this Kamikaze prototype.
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But Bernie wanted to go faster and he realised that doing it on snow , just wasnt going to work much better..
Schreiber came up with a very interesting (and a bit crazy) idea which would be to use a small rocket thruster to push the bike forward on flat grounds, instead of using the gravity and therefore the need of a very inclined slope. With a rocket engine under the saddle, it would be possible to attempt a speed record on an airfield runway, a racetrack or even on a closed road, which would offer much more possibilities regarding the location. It is also easier for the teams of TV broadcasters to come to an airfield compared to a high altitude speed skiing track. To design the suitable rocket propulsion unit for the Kamikaze bike, Bernie Schreiber has contacted the Swiss engineer Arnold Neracher of Exotic Thermo Engineering. A few months after, the rocket-propelled mountain bike was ready. |
After the snow speed project Bernie wanted to get the land speed record for a push bike and immediately set to work.
Bernie schreiber - the Rocket Bike man
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Yves Rossi
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Swiss engineer Arnold Neracher of Exotic Thermo Engineering has been nicknamed the Swiss Rocketman.
He is most famous as in 2006 he made an unveiling which looks set to put rocketbelts seriously on the map in the near future when he unveils a rocketbelt that will fly for a full six minutes. Neracher recently set a record for rocketbelt flight duration when one of his designs flew for a full minute, more than double the traditional maximum, but earlier this week he confirmed that he is constructing a rocketbelt that will fly for six minutes. Neracher is currently testing the new machine under tethered flight conditions with pilot Yves Rossi but did not confirm whether the video posted on his site was the machine he expected to fly for six minutes. A Swiss medical and chemical engineering consultant, Neracher has been working on rocket engines for two decades and even makes his own hydrogen peroxide fuel – it is his knowledge of exotic fuels which is believed to be the secret to the flight duration. |
Bernie schreiber - the Rocket Bike man
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Bernie schreiber - the Rocket Bike man
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Some more of Arnold Neracher scientific inventions
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Now , if you have any idea about these things the please let me know ;)
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