rbent Forum - Print Page

rbent Forum
https://rbentonline.org/YaBB.pl
General Category >> rbent Lobby >> HPC event at PIR (Oregon)
https://rbentonline.org/YaBB.pl?num=1243335869

Message started by duncanjames on May 26^th, 2009, 6:04am

Title: HPC event at PIR (Oregon)
Post by duncanjames on May 26^th, 2009, 6:04am

I know it isn't local to you all but I went to the Human Powered Challenge in Portland this past weekend and had a blast. I have never been in a time trial or a mass start road race before. I participated in the stock TT, 200m sprint and the 1 hour mass start road race. I had a LOT of fun and really enjoyed the competition.

The road race was the most memorable. I accelerated off the line pretty quickly and soon found myself riding straight into a head wind. Rob English blew by me right off the bat in his Hachi lowracer. Michael Wolfe (M5 lowracer) and Phil P (Ti Aero) passed me as well and apparently dueled the entire race. I ducked behind two faired LWB to get some relief from fighting the headwinds myself and stuck with Jeff Willis and Todd Marley for 4-5 laps that way. I know the Kohans passed me early on but I don't remember the first pass, I didn't see them again until lap 10 or so. Keith Kohan was riding Dana's Carbent Raven for this event which his son Alex attributes to his eventual win of the personal competition between the two of them on this event. They stuck together for the entire race working as a team. When they rocketed by me in lap 10 I managed to stick to them for 1/2 a lap (1 mile) on the backside but as we made the turn into the wind on the straightaway I couldn't hold it.

After Jeff Willis bonked from not eating and riding too much with the Velomobile crew in town I had to ride solo. I just kept a target in front of me the whole time and used it to goad me into catching them. I found myself unable to stick to Michael Wolfe and Phil as they were just too fast when they came around and Rob English was just tearing up the track, setting the bar high for the rest of us. He did 15 laps in 1h 1m or so. My eventual time was 13 laps in 1h 3m, though I don't have the official results yet.

I found the event great fun and highly addicting. I know I will be looking for more time trials to compete in and looking to travel to any HPRA events held in the country. I didn't even consider racing until I read the incredible report of the RBent teams in 24h Texas Time Trials during 2008. Great fun and the competition is highly addicting.

I took a lot of pictures and my wife did as well. http://www.flickr.com/photos/watson_house/sets/72157618612562069/
Events that got photographed includes:
Stock/Super Stock Time Trial
Streamliner/Superstreet Time Trial
200m sprints all categories but lightly photographed as I raced that event as well.
the Autocross 3 man relay event, a maneuverability and handling test.

Title: Re: HPC event at PIR (Oregon)
Post by aikigreg on May 26^th, 2009, 8:59am

I totally agree, Duncan. I originally went to an HPV event because it was an excuse to see my friend and family back home, and it would give me the opportunity to see and potentially try out a lot of different recumbent bikes - I had been looking at buying a different bike but had nowhere to try them. Watching all the streamliners and then some of the super-bentmen like Dennis Grelk racing was pretty awe-inspiring, and actually placing well at the events I entered helped me enjoy it even further.

That. comboned with Bud talking here locally about the Texas Time trials just a few months later made me get the racing bug. It's why I'm being crazy and attempting RAO this year.

Are you still thinking about coming down for the Texas Time Trials?

I need to restart my work in bringing an HPV event down here to Texas. TMS isn't real helpful but I need to try them again. There's another racetrack I've only just discovered near where I work that would do very well also.

Title: Re: HPC event at PIR (Oregon)
Post by Bud_Bent on May 26^th, 2009, 9:04am

Good report, Duncan.

Title: Re: HPC event at PIR (Oregon)
Post by irodguy on May 26^th, 2009, 9:15am

Wow that's pretty cool, done plenty of autocrossing etc in sports cars, can't imagine a handling test like that on my X-Stream would be on the ground cursing no doubt.

Title: Re: HPC event at PIR (Oregon)
Post by duncanjames on May 26^th, 2009, 4:08pm

aikigreg wrote:

Are you still thinking about coming down for the Texas Time Trials?

Yes. I need to work out details but I do want to come down.

The autocross event was a blast. My three man team was a rans stratus xp, my raptobike, and a cruzbike stilvo. We did pretty well and it was a blast. You should have seen the Velo do the event, he was up on two wheels most of the time.

Title: Re: HPC event at PIR (Oregon)
Post by FlyingLaZBoy on May 26^th, 2009, 5:24pm

Wow, good fun!!! [smiley=thumbsup.gif]