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| Picture by SN |
Hi
This post follows directly on from my last one - even though it all took place a year ago, this story hasn't been published on my blog, instead it went to the OzHPV magazine Huff. But there are some good pictures here so I think that they should see more daylight. Or whatever the right word for computer exposure is. I'll stop rabbiting on now!
From Huff: "For a while I had been planning a trip overseas and wanted to attend the World Human Powered Vehicle Championships. This year they were in northern Italy and I was considering at least visiting if not competing. However health issues got in the way and the time was too tight to visit the championships by the time I could book to go. However I see all the British Human Power Club news on Facebook, and looked up their events. There was one in Hull which fitted in well with my schedule. I was already visiting the Netherlands and I found it was possible to travel from Rotterdam to Hull by overnight ferry, and I took that option.
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Riding to Ennerdale (Pic SN) |
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Racing at Ennerdale (Pic JW) |
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The BHPC races were at the Ennerdale Sports Centre on the northern edge of Hull, and my now – handlebar mounted smartphone got me there without any problems. I’d worked out how to carry a backpack on the bike and had some food provisions so was well set up for the Saturday of the 2 day race meeting. On arrival a crew of recumbent riders had assembled, mainly with station wagons or vans with bikes, trikes, velomobiles and streamliner bikes squeezed inside. There's quite a family feel about the races and some teams were generational with one dad and his sons in shark-themed streamliner bikes and another father-daughter group racing a Russell Bridge streamliner. One rider had a fast low racer by the late Mike Burrows with a fastidiously restored and repaired tailbox. He said that this was the last relatively simple streamliner Mike had made - later ones had more complicated indirect steering. There was a vintage Greenspeed GLR there as well. At first I thought it was home made but it had just been widened by its owner to accommodate him.
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Greenspeed GLR a long way from home (Pic SN) |
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Judith Swallow – very gutsy (Pic JW) |
Actual racing was two 45 minute road races and a 1.1 kilometer time trial. It rained a lot during the day and the only shelter was under tailgates, umbrellas and in vans and trailers. I was the only one who had arrived by bike and at the end of the day needed to shower, dry off, and dry all my clothes.
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| Dave and his..... (Pic JW) |
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| very fine upright trike (Pic SN) |
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Streamliner racing (Pic JW) |
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Streamliner racing (Pic SN) |
Sunday saw a fresh batch of riders including Russell Bridge and Barney Hale who have both been on the American Laidback Bike Report series. Russell makes streamliners from scratch, and like Mike Burrows before him has moved his bikes on to other BHPC riders. He names his bikes after Charles Schulz peanuts series and has models including Snoopy and Woodstock. Sunday's races consisted of a 90-minute rice followed by a time trial. The weather was threatening again and I didn't push it hard in the road race, taking a break of 40 minutes in the middle. This was in contrast to Steve (Slash!) Sleigh, who at 60 won all the distance races of the weekend. His friendly rivals for speed include Russell Bridge who finished just behind him in the 90 minute race. Also racing were Judith Swallow and her partner Dave who is from Brisbane. Judith is an Audax legend and rides, races and Audaxs on upright and recumbent trikes – disability has forced her off bikes but she is extremely gutsy and continues to ride. For this meet, Judith rode a recumbent trike and Dave a very nice, suitcase packable upright trike. I also sheltered in their van for a while!
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Streamliner racing |
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Barney Hale with corflute mudguard next to a Windcheetah |
One of the spectators took a few photos of me going around on my camera. I took photos too, and also chatted to the main camera person for the day, Jack Watson. Later Russell Bridge and Barney Hale set up and ran Russell’s camera speedbike over the longest straight of the course. Alas, I lingered and chatted for too long at Ennerdale, and copped rain on the way back to the hostel. Once again I was thoroughly soaked. I was quite relieved to pack the bike up at the end of the day and leave Hull the next morning for a home away from home, my brother’s place in Folkestone.
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Steve Sleigh’s Beano is tiny and has a complex looking drive setup |
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.......... but it can really go (Pics SN) |
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Burrows Ratracer Cadillac |
Steve Sleigh and Russell Bridge feature in the Global Cycling network video about fast bikes at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tW1bjsOuk8s and at the time of writing are in Battle Mountain for the World Human Powered Speed Challenge. They are way faster than me and rock stars of the HPV world. Thanks to Jack Watson for permission to use his photos and to BHPC for organising the Ennerdale Weekend. The next WHPVA world championships will be held in Holland – very close for the English HPV mob, and many were planning to attend, see https://www.facebook.com/groups/433368653698615/ ."
Postscript: The Holland WHPVA championships have now been and gone and I still didn't make it to them. Maybe next year. There is a much richer all-comers recumbent cycling scene in the UK compared to Australia with multiple meets at various tracks throughout the warmer months. In Australia we struggle to organize one meet, but I am trying and have been organizing an open design cycling event for Coleraine in Western Victoria from October 31 to November 2. If you've followed my Instagram you'd know its open for business!
Here are the the important links:
Facebook full Event Description
Regards Steve Nurse
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