Bruce Gordon hosts HPVers in Buchanan

Get a group of HPVers together and they have to build something, even if it's from balloons. From left are Tony Alevand, Rich Myers, Warren Beauchamp, Chris Cortez and Jeff Hunn. (Bruce Gordon photo)

This seemingly never-ending winter paused long enough for HPVers suffering from cabin fever to gather at the home of Bruce and Linda Gordon in Buchanan in southwestern Michigan on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2014.
In addition to Michigan, people came from Wisconsin, Illinois and Ohio.
According to MHPVA President Mike Mowett, about 27 people were there, including all nine members of the Kowalik clan, Fran and Lisa Kowalik and their seven kids, from Deerfield, Ill. Genevieve, Cecilia and Florian, then 8, 10 and 14 respectively, competed at the 2013
Michigan HPV Rally.
Mike reports they brought with them the Varna Orpheus molds from Dave and Becky Balfour (from Marietta, Ill.), which Rich Myers of Xenia, Ohio, took with him to return to Garrie Hill in Granville, Ohio.
Dan Glatch from Franklin, Wis. brought a Lightning X-2 nosecone from Tyger Johnson, from the Rockford, Ill. area.  Coincidentally, Don Smith wanted to come to the meeting (but didn't) to talk to Garrie about getting the Lightning X-2 molds to use for a new bike.  Dan gave the nosecone to Mike to take to Don, who lives in Chesterfield.
The gathering also included a meeting of the Human Powered Race – America race directors. They decided to combine the stock and superstock classes because very few people were racing in superstock and they thought that combining the classes might stimulate some tailbox development.
The stock class did not allow any added streamlining except for wheel disks, while the superstock class allowed use of a front or rear fairing.
Thus what will continue to be called the stock class will allow use of a front or rear fairing.
Another rules change is that use of seat belts by riders in streamliners is now recommended.

Dave Johnson models Tyger Johnson's Lightning X-2 nosecone that Dan Glatch brought to the meeting and Mike Mowett took with him to deliver to Don Smith, who plans to use it for a new bike. (This could be made into a board game to teach geography: "Follow the Nosecone.")  (Mike Mowett photo)