33rd Michigan HPV Rally - June 24-25, 2017

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Complete results can be seen at
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1UOutnK4BuuSRhtnJA0zaetAfdU7ACQbHpyddqk4dO7o/pubhtml

Many more photos can be seen at jnyyz.wordpress.com, the blog of Jun Nogami, faculty adviser to the University of Toronto HPV team.  Scroll down to entries for June 23, 24 and 25.

Photos by Rob Lloyd are at  https://www.flickr.com/gp/146396513@N07/i46n13

Mark and Sally Archibald, riding a tandem that Mark built,  were the only competitors in the multi-rider class, but still competed in all the events for HPRA points, plus the urban transportation contest.   Mark is a professor of mechanical engineering at Grove City College and adviser to its HPV team.

Text and photos by Mike Eliasohn

The 33rd annual Michigan Human Powered Vehicle Rally June 24-25– the 30th at the Waterford Hills sports car racing track in Clarkston – drew a big turnout, despite several regulars being absent.

    There were 40 competitors, coming from as far as Massachusetts, Tennessee and Iowa, as well as Michigan and nearby states, plus Ontario.

First-time competitor Mike Denninger drove about 810 miles from Bedford, Mass., which Ishtey Amminger and his father, Peter, drove slightly farther, from Memphis, Tenn. And since Ishtey is 14, Peter did the driving.

The youngest (and first-time) competitor was Conor Moorhead, 11, of Terre Haute, Ind., while the oldest was long-time competitor Rich Myers, 80, of Xenia, Ohio.

The University of Toronto was back for the eighth year with 10 riders, four streamliners (one of them a “camera bike” they only brought for testing) and two manufactured low-racers.

Lining up for the Sunday morning road race. The front row consists of Ted Peer, Ankeny, Iowa, DF velomobile; Dennis Grelk, Donnellson, Iowa, Barracuda streamliner, and Michael and Linnae Hinterseher, Farmington Hills, in a Milan SL and four-wheel Quattro Velo respectively.  

Grove City College, from Grove City, Pa., was at the rally for the first time, with eight people – four students, two recent graduates and HPV team adviser and professor of mechanical engineering Mark Archibald and his wife, Sally. Two students competed on student-built bikes; one recent grad competed on his own (upright) bikes; and the Archibalds competed on the tandem Mark built several years ago.

Mark said GCC has had an HPV team for “probably” 12 years. “We built a few bikes before we raced anywhere,” at American Society of Mechanical Engineers HPV competitions and elsewhere.

Michael Moorhead, riding a Performer, and son Conor, on a Motobecane Mirage, came from Terre Haute, Ind. At 11, Conor was the youngest competitor.  Michael is an associate professor of mechanical engineering at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and adviser to its HPV team, which won the American Society of Mechanical Engineers HPV competition in April with a leaning tricycle.  With students doing summer internships all over, it's difficult to get them together to participate at the Michigan HPV Rally or other events, he said.

Tedd and Donna Wheeler of Reed City organized and ran the rally for the first time. Other helpers included Bruce Gordon of Buchanan, who handled the online registration, ran the timing equipment and compiled and posted the results and Terry Gerweck of Monroe, who did the technical inspections and other tasks. Some of the Grove City College and University of Toronto students also helped. (Apologies to any other helpers we missed.)

Following are the top three competitors in each class:

Streamliners (7 entries) – 1), Dan Zolyniak, Toronto, Ont.,340 points; 2) Dennis Grelk, Donnellson, Iowa, 335; 3) John Simon, Portland, 260.

Streetliner (3 entries, all velomobiles) – 1) Michael Hinterseher, Farmington Hills, Milan SL velomobile; 2) Ted Peer, Ankeny, Iowa, DF velomobile, ; 3) Linnae Hinterseher, Farmington Hills, Quattro Velo.

Stock (18 entries) – 1) Dennis Grelk, homebuilt low racer, 340; 2) Ron Wyatt, Venetia, Pa., Lightning R84, 283; Samuel Mills, Tyrone, Pa., Specialized, 266.

Women (4 entries) – 1) Amanda Zolyniak, Toronto, homebuilt Raptor low racer, 180; 2) Amanda Bolen, Grove City College, 160; 3) Laura Reiner, GCC, 145.

Tricycles (4 entries) – 1) Bruce Gordon, Buchanan, Greenspeed SLR, 350; 2) Dennis Grelk, Hase Kettwiesel, 3) Eric Penn, Detroit, HP Velotechnik Gekko, 105.

Junior (2 entries) – 1) Ishtey Amminger, Memphis, Tenn., Rotator Tiger, 360; 2) Conor Moorhead, Terre Haute, Ind., Motobecane Mirage, 275.

Multi-rider (1 entry) – Mark and Sally Archibald, Grove City, Pa., homebuilt tandem, 360.

Following are the results of each HPRA points event, plus the urban transportation contest.

As usual, Dennis Grelk of Donnellson, Iowa, was a very busy competitor.  He won the stock class on this low racer that he built; finished second in the streamliner class in his Barracuda (built by Warren Beauchamp); and also raced a Hase Kettwiesel in the tricycle class.

Saturday events:

One-hour time trial: Streamliner – 1) Dennis Grelk, 2) Dan Zolyniak. Streetliner – 1) Michael Hinterseher, 2) Ted Peer. Stock – 1) Dennis Grelk, 2) Mike Mowett, Detroit. Women – 1) Amanda Zolyniak, 2) Christina Grelk, Donnellson, Iowa, recumbent tricycle – 1) Bruce Gordon, 2) Eric Penn. Junior – Ishtey Amminger, 2) Conner Moorhead. Multi-rider – 1) Mark/Sally Archibald.

The University of Toronto HPV team, at the rally for the eighth straight year, came with 10 people, four student-built streamliners (one of them for testing only) and two manufactured recumbent bikes. Team adviser Jun Nogami, professor and chairman of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, is in the orange shirt.

Hill climb: Streamliner – 1) John Simon, 2) Dan Z. Streetliner – 1) Michael H. (only entrant), . Stock – 1) Cyrus Furbush, Tecumseh, 2) Ron Wyatt. Women – no one competed. Tricycle – 1) Dennis Grelk, 2) Bruce Gordon.  Junior – 1) Ishtey A., 2) Conner M. Multi-rider – 1) Mark/Sally A.

Coast down: Streamliner– 1) Dan Z., 2) Dennis G.. Streetliner – 1) Michael H. (only entrant). Stock – 1) Dennis G., 2) Cyrus F. Women – no one competed. Tricycle – 1) Bruce G., 2) Dennis G. Junior – 1) Ishtey A., 2) Conner M. Multi-rider – 1) Mark/Sally A.

Hot lap (one lap of .44 mile course, not including hill): Streamliner – 1) Dan Z., 57.342 seconds, 2) Dennis G. Streetliner – 1) Michael H., 59.84, 2) Ted Peer. Stock – 1) Cyrus F., 50.886 (fastest overall), 2) Dennis G. Women – no one competed. Tricycle – 1) Gordon, 1:22.836, 2) Dennis G. Junior – 1) Ishtey A., 1:06.506, 2) Conner M. Multi-rider – 1) Mark/Sally A., 1:18.756.

At age 80, Rich Myers of Xenia, Ohio, was the oldest competitor.  He was racing a MiniMoby streamliner built many years ago by Terry Hreno.

Urban transportation contest (non-points event). There were only three competitors, whose scores were a compilation of where they placed in the hill climb and coast down, their time running an obstacle course and points awarded for practical features on their bikes, including fenders, lights, cargo carrying capacity, security against theft and carrying tools, tire pump and spare inner tube or patch kit. 1) Mark and Sally Archibald, homebuilt tandem, 27 points; 2) Wally Kiehler, Grosse Pointe Woods, Lightning P-38, 23; 3) Terry Gerweck, Monroe, homebuilt long wheelbase recumbent, 21.
Results weren't kept for the afternoon non-points "fun" events.

Rachel Bolen (shown here) and Laura Reiner were the two members of the Grove City College HPV team racing student-built recumbent bicycles.  Rachel finished second in the women's class and Laura was third.

Sunday events

200-foot flying start sprint: Streamlner – 1) Dan Z., 42.43 mph, 2) Dennis G. Streetliner – 1) Ted Peer, 36.62 mph, 2) Linnae Hinterseher, Farmington Hills, Quattro Velo.

Stock – 1) Dennis G., 38.79 mph, 2) Mike Mowett, 38.75 mph. Women – 1) Amanda Z., 30.61, 2) Rachel Bolen. Tricycle – 1) Bruce G., 26.94 mph, 2) Dennis G. Junior – 1) Ishtey A., 27.54 mph, 2) Conor M. Multi-rider – Mark/Sally A., 26.98 mph.

Both road races were on a .44 mile course (no hill).

Streamliners/streetliner (27 laps/11.88 miles)– Streamliners – 1) Dennis G., 25.108 mph average, 2) John Simon. Streetliner – 1) Michael H., 23.926 mph, 2) Ted Peer.

Unfaired classes (First lap not counted because timer wasn’t turned on, so 26 laps/11.44 miles): Stock – 1) Dennis Grelk, 24.949 mph, 2) Mike M. Women – 1) Amanda Z., 19.116 mph, 2) Rachel B. Junior – 1) Ishtey A. (only competitor), 16.393 mph. Multi-rider – Mark/Sally A., 15.566 mph

Tricycle race (three laps of course on paddock roads, distance not measured): 1) Dennis G., Hase Kettwiesel, 2) Bruce G.

Mike Mowett of Detroit raced his John Morciglio-built M1 low racer to 6th in the stock class, then for fun also raced his Cervelo (below) in the 200-foot flying start sprints.  In that event, he went 38.76 mph on the M1.  On the Cervelo, his speed was about 32.5 mph. 

Ted Peer and his wife, Jill, drove from Ankeny, Iowa (about 1,200 miles round-trip) with his DF velomobile, made in the Netherlands. He finished second in the streetliner class.  Purchased in December 2015, he commutes to work in it, 25 miles there and 30 miles returning home. "I average 15 mph when I'm going to work," he said, which takes him about 1 hour and 45 minutes. 

Two nice homebuilts at the Michigan HPV Rally

Rob Lloyd of Whitmore Lake and his long-wheelbase recumbent. He started construction in December 2015 and rode it for the first time on Jan. 2, 2017.

Words and photos by Mike Eliasohn

There were two interesting homebuilt cycles at the 33^rd annual Michigan HPV Rally, both raced by their builders.

Mike Denninger drove all the way from Bedford, Mass. (about 1,640 miles round-trip) with his short-wheelbase creation. In contrast, Rob Lloyd came from Whitmore Lake, north of Ann Arbor, with his long wheelbase bike.

Mike Denninger of Bedford, Mass., started construction of his bike in October 2016 and finished in March 2017.

Both started with existing designs, which they then modified. Rob’s inspiration was the Rans Xstream, “but some things about the geometry I don’t like.” The Xsteam is a long-wheelbase (69.375 or 73.375 inches) wheelbase, with big (650c ) wheels at both ends and direct steering, with swept-back handlebars.

The result of that design, Rob said, is a lot of wheel flop, which he doesn’t care for. “I wanted more traditional geometry,” which he got with remote steering. His creation has a 68 degree head tube angle and 2 inches of trail.

Rob during the Sunday morning road race.

All of the chromoly tubing, purchased from Aircraft Spruce & Specialty (www.aircraftspruce.com), is .035 inch wall except for the bottom bracket (.028). He bought the seat from Power-On Cycling (www.poweroncycling.com), with the grooved foam padding coming from Don Smith of Chesterfield (airxxxwolf@yahoo.com). The carbon fiber fork was manufactured in China, purchased via eBay. “It had the rake I wanted, so I started with that.”

Rob said he started designing his bike in October 2015 and started construction around that Christmas. His first ride was on Jan. 2, 2017.

But his work on the bike has continued. As raced at Waterford Hills, it had its third set of handlebars and second version of rear seat stays. The first rear stays allowed a lot of horizontal seat flex, which affected the handling. “When I firmed up the seat, the handling got instantly better.”

Still to come are reducing the weight of some components and paint, though some at the rally thought Rob should clear-coat the frame, to show off his beautifully finished brazed joints. He said he used a combination of filing, grinding, sanding and a Dremel rotary tool to finish the joints. 

A closeup view of some of Rob's immaculately finished brazed frame joints.

The wheelbase is 68 inches. Weight is an estimated 35 pounds. Rob started with a 26/20 wheel combination, but wheels are now 700c in the rear and large size 20-inch (451) in the front. There’s disk brakes front and rear.

“This is the first bike I ever finished,” Rob said. He previously started building a prone-position bike.  

Mike Denninger talks to Wally Kiehler before the start of Saturday's hillclimb/coast down.

       Mike Denninger started with plans for the Atomic Zombie TomaHawk design (plans for it and other designs can be purchased at www.atomiczombie.com) and used the fabrication techniques outlined in the plans. But made changes in the geometry, in accordance with the writings of Steve Robson. (www.xcelco.on.ca/~stevbike)
The main frame is 1-1/2x3/4 inch, rectangular chromoly tubing, .049 wall, purchased from Aircraft Spruce & Specialty. Mike did his own MIG welding. "It's all fabricated in my basement and garage," he said.

The wheelbase is 44 inches and the weight is approximately 27 pounds.  Wheels are 26 inch (559 size) and 16 inch (349). The TomaHawk design uses a 20-inch front wheel, so one change Mike made was the smaller front wheel.  Paint is spray can orange.

 In the stock class, Rob finished 9^th and Mike was 13^th.