Welcome to the World
of
Tom Traylor's Unusual Hobbies

Hi, thanks for visiting my Web site and letting me show you some of the more unusual activities that have kept me active, especially now that I am retired and have more time to play.

Currently, most of my time is spent working on human powered vehicles but you'll also get to learn about some of the other hobbies that keep me busy and have kept me busy -- like radio-controlled live-steam-powered model boats and landsailing.

Oh! By the way, my Webmaster, otherwise known as my son-in-law Glenn, is experimenting with a pop-up Java script that shows a little descriptive box when your mouse pointer is over one of the pictures or a marked words of interest. So, check it out!


	My son, Dean, has been writing poetry since high school and when a friend of his, a United States Marine died, he was inspired to write a tribute that was later recognized in a poetry newsletter. It is called "A Marine's Immortal Silence." Even if poetry isn't your favorite reading you'll find his words will stir your emotions.

This site was built to be best viewed at a screen size of 800 x 600 and a small to medium sized text setting, a smaller screen size and larger text setting may make things look a little funny.

	Detailed bike plans are available (Contact and Ordering Information - All the information is still valid as of February 14, 2006)
	My Rotor Crank letter to RCN newsletter Imagine my surprise when I saw a new crank that looked like a crank I built 15 or more years ago!

	A Picture Gallery Of My Toys
	Carbon-Fiber, Monocoque-Framed, FWD Recumbent
	Live-Steam Powered Radio-Controlled Model Boats
	Critical Mass II
	Aluminum Monocoque Recumbents
	Combining landsailing and bicycles
	Front Wheel Drive - Is it practical?
	Aero Bar Design
	A Neat Little Race
	A New Boat An Update On The New Boat
	The Story Behind the Back-2-Back
	Steering geometry
	Read the FAQ
	Sign my Guestbook See the comments left by other visitors
	Links to sites I think are worth a visit Want to know about a flying steam engine? - Check out the new link!

Tom Traylor's Little Corner of the World of Human Powered Racing

First, a little background information. The organization that is responsible for the human powered races is the International Human Powered Vehicle Association (IHPVA). As their name says they are an international organization dedicated to the promotion of human powered vehicles -- from bicycles to boats to even airplanes and helicopters. The field of human powered vehicles got its re-start back in the early 70's with a Dr. Chester Kyle, a mechanical engineering professor at Long Beach State University and his aerodynamic trials down school building corridors.

I first got interested in this field about twenty years ago. I was looking for a new hobby, something to get me out of the house, something to use my years of shop skills on, and for a great way to get in some exercise. At the time there were very few commercial recumbent bicycles available at a reasonable price. So, I had to create my own recumbent bicycle, and earned a patent for its front-wheel drive mechanism along the way!

Since that time I have built over a dozen bikes, all recumbents, all front-wheel drive. And raced them all at some point, frequently against much younger competition. I have traveled thousands of miles in the motor home to participate in races.

This is a very demanding sport, both physically and mentally. As the human motor for my creations I have to stay in good physical shape, and that means daily bike rides of 30 to 40 miles, or even longer when I'm preparing for an upcoming race. Come race time you have to be mentally prepared to push yourself harder than you thought you could, because the competition is getting stiffer and faster with every race.

Of course, I couldn't let my wife stand on the sidelines, so I designed and built several recumbent tandems, the best one is the Back-2-Back bike. It's all carbon fiber with two-wheel independent drive. We have ridden this bike thousands of miles on rides, tours, and races. Sima has literally logged more backward miles on a bike than anyone on the planet.

From the recumbent bikes I went on to design, and hand-build, a couple of pedal-powered boats, one is a side-by-side, twin-hulled boat, with independent power drives.

Want more information? See my Bike Plans page for contact information.

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Last updated: March 30, 2008

Welcome to the World of Tom Traylor's Unusual Hobbies

Tom Traylor's Little Corner of the World of Human Powered Racing

Welcome to the World
of
Tom Traylor's Unusual Hobbies