How Tall is Pete in FRHD?

How Tall is Pete in FRHD?
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Hey guys. So FieryBowser made a track a while back demonstrating calculations for how tall the Rider (named Pete after the creator of Free Rider) is in FRHD. He came up with 152 cm or about 5 feet, which is hard to believe. He used the acceleration due to gravity on Earth (9.8 m/s) to come up with Pete's velocity when it falls, which is related to the grid in the editor. He estimated that one grid square (200x200 units or 20x20 ten-unit squares) was 4.34m which isn't accurate as there is a terminal velocity in FRHD (around 178.2 units/second) meaning the acceleration due to gravity is not constant, making it difficult to relatively approximate what one unit or one grid square equals to in metres. Similarly, the weight of Pete is unknown, making this problem much more difficult.

So I thought, why not use the measurements of bikes in real life to figure out Pete's height! Below is a step-by-step guide to how I came up with the numbers I did as well as justification and extra information. I will be using the MTB as our reference for our calculations as let's consider the height of Pete on BMX and MTB to be the same.
Here is FieryBowser's track for anyone interested: How tall is the rider?

Rim size and bike length

MTBs come in two rim sizes, 27.5 and 29 inches. We will be using both numbers in our calculations. Most MTBs are over 170cm in length (back wheel to front wheel) with some being 180cm. We will be using the largest value (180cm).

Calculating the length of one unit

By holding "Ctrl" in the editor when drawing a line, it shows the length of the line in units (10 grid). To measure the rim size, I made a line from the inside edge of the tyre to the other inside edge (when measuring rim sizes you don't measure from the edge of the tyre to the other edge, only the rim).
The rim size was 2.3 units (I gave the rim 0.1 extra on the left to compensate for the rim not showing in FRHD due to the tyre being completely black)

• If the rims were 29 inches, one unit = 29 / 2.3 = 12.60 inches (rounded down from 12.608 to compensate for any inaccuracies)
• If the rims were 27.5 inches, one unit = 27.5 / 2.3 = 11.95 inches (rounded down again)

The bike length is 7.1 units. No changes in measurements required

• If the bike length was 180 cm, one unit = 180 / 7.1 = 25.35 cm

Calculating the height of Pete in units

This is the tricky part. It is not only hard to calculate the height of Pete using lines, but he appears to change height. When Pete is pedalling, its legs change length. So I calculated Pete's height by measuring from the head to the crotch, the crotch to the knee, and the knee to the heel when he isn't moving and mid-pedal when the leg is extended.

I experimented many times and got consistent values of around 6.6 units when cycling and one value of 6.18 when standing still

1. Standing Still 2. Cycling


I also experimented with when Pete died and was hanging by the neck and the hands. Hanging by the neck severely stretched Pete, producing a height well over 7 units which was inaccurate. So I decided to measure him hanging by the hands and include 3 values. Before that, I measured the length of Pete's foot to be 0.5 units as when he hangs, the feet hang at 90 degrees or in line with the legs, making them not visible. So for the 2 values calculated, I subtracted 0.5 units to compensate for this. I measured from the top of the head to the shorter leg hanging, and the top of the head to the longer leg hanging. I also decided to have another value of the short leg calculation without subtracting the length of the foot so everything averages out better (which I will do later)

• Top of the head to the longer leg: 5.5 units
• Top of the head to the shorter leg: 5.1 units
• Top of the head to the shorter leg including foot: 5.6 units

Averaging Values and Height Calculations

Now that I have 5 distinct values of Pete's height in units, I averaged them to find the perfect middle ground:

• 6.6 + 6.18 + 5.5 + 5.1 + 5.6 = 28.98 units
• 28.98 / 5 = 5.796 units

I can now use this number to determine Pete's actual height metrically by multiplying it by the inch conversions of one unit:

• 29 inch rims: 12.6 x 5.796 = 73.0296 inches = 185.495 cm
• 27.5 inch rims: 11.95 x 5.796 = 69.2622 inches = 175.926 cm
• Average of both: (175.926 + 185.495) / 2 = 180.711 cm or 5 foot 11.15 inches

I can now use the centimetre conversion for the bike length to find the height of Pete in that sense of average height in units:

• 25.35 x 5.796 = 146.929 cm

This number is even smaller than FieryBowser's calculation, indicating that the bike frame in FRHD is largely not to scale and that this is a massive outlier. The rims represent a more accurate object to relate to.

• If we average 146.929 and 180.711 we get a value of 163.82 cm or 5 foot 4.5 inches

Conclusion

Based on the method I used to calculate the height of Pete, there is no definite way or value to do so, the only certainty is the value of one unit based on conversions for inches and centimetres.

It is unrealistic that he is 185.495 cm or 6 foot 1 inch tall using the 29-inch rims method. Therefore, here are the 3 possible values of Pete's height:

BEST ESTIMATE
27.5-inch rims method: 175.926 cm or 5 foot 9.26 inches

Following the typical experimental method and the minimum value
Average of all methods used: 163.82 cm or 5 foot 4.5 inches

Average of rim method and the maximum value
27.5 and 29-inch method average: 180.711 cm or 5 foot 11.15 inches

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• To conclude, I estimated Pete to be 175.926 cm or 5 foot 9.26 inches tall and have an expected height between 163.82 cm or 5 foot 4.5 inches and 180.711 cm or 5 foot 11.15 inches.

• The average height of females globally is 160.02 cm or 5 foot 3 inches and for males, it's 171.45 cm or 5 foot 7.5 inches.

• If we average the minimum and maximum height estimates, it comes to 172.72 cm or 5 foot 8 inches which is 1.27 cm or exactly half an inch from the global average height for males.

• 5% of males globally are over 182.88 cm or 6 feet tall and 5.62% of 21-year-old females are over 175.926 cm or 5 foot 9.26 inches

If we average the Best Estimate and the average of the minimum and maximum height, we reach the FINAL ESTIMATE of Pete's height:

• 174.244 cm or 5 foot 8.63 inches

Therefore, with 100% certainty, I can say that Pete in FRHD:

• Under 182.88 cm or 6 feet tall
• Over 163.82 cm or 5 foot 4.5 inches tall
• Is around 172.72 cm or 5 foot 8 inches tall (174.244 cm or 5 foot 8.63 inches explicitly based on calculations)

 

really

 

Finally, the question has been answered! For years philosophers of FRHD have wondered, what is the height of this notorious rider we have been mindlessly playing as for years? I myself know the agony, spending countless sleepless nights, restlessly tossing and turning, with the same horrific idea in my head. What if, what if we never found out? Many people had given up on this crazy "dream" us FRHD players had had for generations. But, as the days stretched into weeks, into months, into years, many of the people once so enthralled with this question finally began to accept their ignorance, myself included. And although the question had finally been drawn to the back of my restless mind, it still never fully left. Then, when I saw the oh, so glorious track from FieryBowser, my mind was reignited. Time and time again I would pace my floors, wracking my insignificant brain in order to find the answer to this ageless question. Because, in my heart of hearts, I knew FieryBowser couldn't be correct, it just wasn't right. For 10 months I sat in pain, until this glorious morning of October 10th. Upon this day I opened up the FRHD forums, and was blessed by this player's presence. The one, the only, Thomas Placella. HE HAD DONE IT! He had answered the question through his own sharp wit, his own keen intellect, and, I might add, his own humble personality. And I can now rest easy, knowing that the FRHD player is of male gender, under 182.88 cm, over 163.82 cm, and around 172.72 cm tall. Everything has meaning now, all the loose ends are finally tied together.
I speak for the entire FRHD community when I say thank you. Sincerely, truly, thank you Thomas, for your contributions. I will die a happy man.

 

glad I'm taller than the best estimate

 

Amen brotha amen

 

POV: Tplacella