wings and drag, a thought provoked by earlier discussions

[Anthony Docimo <keenir@hotmail.com>]

I was thinking about some of the discussions of this past week, and I had a 
thought....
(let me know if I misunderstood the comment that spawned this)

I made an island-dwelling species for a Primeval/Dr Who fanfic - the 
Bicyclers (mostly because it sounds better than "the Geese")

Author's Notes:  the Bicyclers are an outgrowth of my own speculation?based 
on comments on the dinosaur discussion group, about how half-formed 
feathered wings are a little help in running, but you run into problems with 
the forces of drag.  But to me, that would only be a problem if one 
feather-armed dinosaur was running by itself.  That?s when I thought of 
human bicyclers arrayed in a goose-like rows, where the drag is mostly on 
the one in the lead, but the followers enjoy a smooth ride.


part of the story:
Four men labored away in the depths of the town bicycle repair shop here, a 
short drive from the cliffs of Dover in the town of Ryfeld.  In addition to 
the odors of chain grease, leather-smoothing oils, mildew in the room 
corners, and human sweat, there was also the aroma of chili peppers and 
fresh ham.

Three feathered dinosaurs on leashes were the source of that aroma.  Lying 
listlessly, they were not even prisoners.  They were captives, trapped in 
long-plumed bodies, leashed by the ones whose bodies they?d been thrown into 
? the ones who were presently occupying their human bodies, tinkering with a 
piece of technology mankind would not develop for another millennia, if 
ever.

The true owners of the feathered bodies called themselves by the oldest name 
of their race, a sound not unlike that of water spurting down an iron 
gutter, a trio of consonants humans have trouble with.  Suffice to call them 
the Bicyclers, for that is what they did.  The human bodies they were 
borrowing were unbalanced and had too many fingers, but comfort was restored 
once they were atop a bicycle, wind in their face.

...
The bikers were almost upon them, and certain excentricities were 
noticeable.  The bikes were being steered by a thumb gripping the handle, 
with the rest of the hand behind the handlebar, out of the way.  The lead 
biker would drop back sometimes, and another biker would take the lead.  
?Like geese,? Ace noted.


thoughts?  comments?  suggestions?

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