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Traveling at that speed for a long distance would be beyond human capabilities, wouldn't it? Super just means beyond, not way beyond. I blame Superman for this

Traveling at that speed for a long distance would be beyond human capabilities, wouldn't it? Super just means beyond, not way beyond. I blame Superman for this notion.

sandworm101 2y ago
Not really. Most serious lap swimmers can do a kilometer every 20 minutes sustainably, akin to a marathon runner's pace (Sprint pace would be 100m/minute, with 50m/minute being what you would see in the fast lane of most recreational pools). So 3.6 kph isn't all that different, maybe a little faster than average but I assume they were also using a better-than-average bicycle person when doing the test. There real advantage here is that you can use leg muscle. Distance swimming is all about upper body muscles, with legs being the afterburners only really used for sprinting. This machine would invert that arrangement.
- willcipriano 2y ago
  Perhaps the question must be then is Michael Phelps (or whoever) faster on it? If he or someone else breaks the record with it, he's going beyond human level speed. Until then this may only have the potential to do so. I imagine the first bikes were slower than the top runners of the time? I see potential for the idea.
  - sandworm101 2y ago
    >> is Michael Phelps (or whoever) faster on it? Nope. He would be horrible with this device. That would be like asking a champion sprinter to compete in a wheelchair race. He would be using totally different muscles, legs rather than arms, and get schooled by most everyone with a longer history. A champion bicycle rider would do better on this contraption than any champion swimmer. (Due to water's density, champion speed swimming is also 80% technique and body shape rather than muscle/cardio. So until the technique is developed, nobody would be "good" with this thing.)
    - iambateman 2y ago
      TBH I think Michael Phelps would do just fine with this. :D
- lupusreal 2y ago
  Not sure why you're downvoted. Five minutes for a 500 Free is a pretty typical time for boys on highschool swim teams.
  - sandworm101 2y ago
    It has been a while since I was a competitive swimmer (AAA+) but imho five minutes is a very good time for 500m. That would be faster than 95% of master swimmers at such distances, and well into the 0.01% of humans overall.
    - lupusreal 2y ago
      Ah shit your right, I had in mind 500 (yard) Free. 500 meters in under five is very good, but still attainable by the upper tier of highschool swimmers I think. I could reliably do 500 yards in under five and was a "B relay" tier on my team.
      - keybored 2y ago
        The almost-meter Yard has got to pack its bags and go home soon. What is it even doing at this point other than causing naked numeral confusion.
        lupusreal 2y ago
        A lot (most?) of American school pools are built to the yard, so it's going to stick around for a long time I'm afraid.
        _carbyau_ 2y ago
        My youthful swimming career was done in a 33+1/3rd metre swimming pool. I haven't found another one that length.
      - sandworm101 2y ago
        A couple things. 500m is not actually an event. The event is 400 meters, which is roughly 500 yards. And a yard pool will only be 25 yards, not 50. So yard times are "short course" and not really valid for serious competition. A 25-meter/yard pool has fewer turns making them faster, much faster in breaststroke. And a 500-yard in a 250meter pool will include one extra lap, one extra turn, than a 400m in a 25-meter pool. Short-course/yard times all seem faster than they really should be, regardless of distance conversions.
- dyauspitr 2y ago
  A mid tier marathon runner can do a mile every 20 mins, not a kilometer. It’s a significant difference.
  - sandworm101 2y ago
    I meant the effort required for the pace, not the literal speed. For a skilled swimmer, 20min per km can be maintained for a few hours, like a runner maintains marathon pace for a few hours.
  - mb7733 2y ago
    This is besides the point but a 20 minute mile is a typical walking pace, not anywhere near a mid tier marathon pace (regardless of the definition of mid tier). That would be an 8:40 marathon.

Traveling at that speed for a long distance would be beyond human capabilities, wouldn't it? Super just means beyond, not way beyond. I blame Superman for this notion.

sandworm101 2y ago

Not really. Most serious lap swimmers can do a kilometer every 20 minutes sustainably, akin to a marathon runner's pace (Sprint pace would be 100m/minute, with 50m/minute being what you would see in the fast lane of most recreational pools). So 3.6 kph isn't all that different, maybe a little faster than average but I assume they were also using a better-than-average bicycle person when doing the test. There real advantage here is that you can use leg muscle. Distance swimming is all about upper body muscles, with legs being the afterburners only really used for sprinting. This machine would invert that arrangement.

willcipriano 2y ago
Perhaps the question must be then is Michael Phelps (or whoever) faster on it? If he or someone else breaks the record with it, he's going beyond human level speed. Until then this may only have the potential to do so. I imagine the first bikes were slower than the top runners of the time? I see potential for the idea.
- sandworm101 2y ago
  >> is Michael Phelps (or whoever) faster on it? Nope. He would be horrible with this device. That would be like asking a champion sprinter to compete in a wheelchair race. He would be using totally different muscles, legs rather than arms, and get schooled by most everyone with a longer history. A champion bicycle rider would do better on this contraption than any champion swimmer. (Due to water's density, champion speed swimming is also 80% technique and body shape rather than muscle/cardio. So until the technique is developed, nobody would be "good" with this thing.)
  - iambateman 2y ago
    TBH I think Michael Phelps would do just fine with this. :D
lupusreal 2y ago
Not sure why you're downvoted. Five minutes for a 500 Free is a pretty typical time for boys on highschool swim teams.
- sandworm101 2y ago
  It has been a while since I was a competitive swimmer (AAA+) but imho five minutes is a very good time for 500m. That would be faster than 95% of master swimmers at such distances, and well into the 0.01% of humans overall.
  - lupusreal 2y ago
    Ah shit your right, I had in mind 500 (yard) Free. 500 meters in under five is very good, but still attainable by the upper tier of highschool swimmers I think. I could reliably do 500 yards in under five and was a "B relay" tier on my team.
    - keybored 2y ago
      The almost-meter Yard has got to pack its bags and go home soon. What is it even doing at this point other than causing naked numeral confusion.
      - lupusreal 2y ago
        A lot (most?) of American school pools are built to the yard, so it's going to stick around for a long time I'm afraid.
      - _carbyau_ 2y ago
        My youthful swimming career was done in a 33+1/3rd metre swimming pool. I haven't found another one that length.
    - sandworm101 2y ago
      A couple things. 500m is not actually an event. The event is 400 meters, which is roughly 500 yards. And a yard pool will only be 25 yards, not 50. So yard times are "short course" and not really valid for serious competition. A 25-meter/yard pool has fewer turns making them faster, much faster in breaststroke. And a 500-yard in a 250meter pool will include one extra lap, one extra turn, than a 400m in a 25-meter pool. Short-course/yard times all seem faster than they really should be, regardless of distance conversions.
dyauspitr 2y ago
A mid tier marathon runner can do a mile every 20 mins, not a kilometer. It’s a significant difference.
- sandworm101 2y ago
  I meant the effort required for the pace, not the literal speed. For a skilled swimmer, 20min per km can be maintained for a few hours, like a runner maintains marathon pace for a few hours.
- mb7733 2y ago
  This is besides the point but a 20 minute mile is a typical walking pace, not anywhere near a mid tier marathon pace (regardless of the definition of mid tier). That would be an 8:40 marathon.