Cycling UK Forum

Mick F wrote:That sounds a bit different to the way I understand it.
I was under the impression that Evens was an average speed over a set distance, not a specific instantaneous speed.

I think that may be the problem. You don't understand it

The Mechanic wrote:

Mick F wrote:... You don't understand it

Explain it in knots.

OK, here goes. A "knot is a speed of 1 nautical mile per hour. The problem comes in defining what is a nautical mile. Because the earth is not a perfect sphere but an oblate spheroid (flattened at the poles and bulging out at the equator) and a nautical mile is an arc of one minute of latitude measured at the earth's surface, the length of a nautical mile changes depending on latitude. For practical purposes a figure of 6080 feet is used as an average which is more than a statute mile, which is 5280 feet.

I guess that since no one really rides a bike on the sea, then the question of evens in knots is academic. However, 20mph is equivalent to 17.368 knots. 20 knots, on the other hand, is 23.03 mph. A new personal best.

There are at least three miles.
Statute - 1760yds
Nautical - divided into ten Cables of 608ft
Data - 2,000yds

A Data Mile is used for radar and sonar. It's based on the speed of light. From what I can remember, 6.1micro seconds per data mile. (or was that "there and back"?) My memory's going.

Obviously sonar pings don't go at the speed of light, but the sonars and radars are calibrated together so that an aircraft can be sent to drop a depth charge in the right place.

The Mechanic wrote: ... I guess that since no one really rides a bike on the sea, then the question of evens in knots is academic. However, 20mph is equivalent to 17.368 knots. 20 knots, on the other hand, is 23.03 mph. A new personal best.

Evens on a pedalo would be impressive in MPH or knots.

Prior to my first JOGLE, we'd been at sea for some weeks, so I used the cycling machine on board to at least keep my pedalling muscles going. Dunno what speed I was doing, but HMS Argyll could get up to 30knots.