Urban Transportation Contest and other stuff

Urban Transportation Contest 2015

                                               

    

Wally Kiehler on/in his Lightning F-40 won the urban transportation contest. He's shown here during the flying start sprint, where his speed through the 200-foot timing trap was 34.01 mph, third best in the streetliner class.  (Jun Nogami photo)

   By Paul Pancella 

After missing the Michigan Human Powered Vehicle Rally for two years, I returned to Waterford to run the Urban Transportation Contest on June 13.

My thanks to Mike Eliasohn and others who kept the concept going in my absence.

I was happy to find enthusiastic participation this time around. We had nine official entries, along with a couple of others who tried their hand at some of the tasks without getting an official score. Here are the nine, by vehicle number:

140 – UTC veteran Wally Kiehler (Grosse Pointe Woods) competed once again with his fully-faired Lightning F-40.

157 – Bruce Gordon (Buchanan) with a 2010 Greenspeed Glyde, the only velomobile owner I could convince to participate.

313 – Brian George (Redford Township) on his upright GT Timberline touring bike, which he rode to the event from his home 30 miles away (and back home again on Sunday).

369 – Tom Zeller (Bloomington, Ind.) on another upright, a Specialized hybrid.

388 – Jim Iwaskow (Richmond Hill, Ont.), campaigning with a Challenge Jester low racer.

599 – Young Cecilia Kowalik, age 12, (Deerfield, Ill.) on her Sunset low racer

614 – Veronica Dang (Toronto),  riding a Hase Kettwiesel delta-format tricycle

945 – Daryl Hanger (Greenwood, Ind.) on a lower tadpole trike, a 2013 Catrike Trail.

981 – Linnae Hinterseher (Farmington Hills) with another tadpole trike, an HP Velotechnik Scorpion.

The winner once again was Wally Kiehler by a convincing margin. Wally’s F-40 did not place first in any single category (except tied with Bruce for best weather protection), but excels in this competition by scoring well in many. I believe that this shows the strength of the Lightning design as a good compromise for practical human power.

Second place was the upright touring rig entered by Brian George. This vehicle did better than the F-40 in some categories (smaller turn radius and better braking) but could not overcome poor aerodynamics (tested by coast-down distance) and the superior comfort of the recumbent seat. And as entered, Brian’s rig was actually heavier than the faired F-40! 

Jackrabbit Jim Iwaskow worked hard to pull his Challenge bike into third place, just beating out Tom Zeller on the other diamond-frame. Again, the coast-down helped (only the fully faired vehicles coasted farther, as expected) along with light weight and a fast grocery run.

Thanks once again to all the contestants, and we’ll see you next year.

The table below gives the final scores for each entry, in finishing order.

rank	entry	score
1	140	61.0	Wally Kiehler
2	313	57.7	Brian George
3	388	53.8	Jim Iwaskow
4	369	52.3	Tom Zellers
5	945	51.2	Daryl Hanger
6	599	48.7	Cecilia Kowalik
7	981	48.5	Linnae Hinterseher
8	614	47.6	Veronica Dang
9	157	43.6	Bruce Gordon

Brian George rode 30 miles from his home in Redford Township to the rally and despite the rain Sunday and the offer of a ride for him and his bike, chose to pedal home.  He finished second in the urban transportation contest on his GT Timberline mountain bike. As of the rally, he had ridden it about 4,000 miles this year, including a 1,157-mile two-week Easter trip to Florida. "It was 18 degrees when I left Michigan." (He and the bike got a ride home from Florida.)  In the bags are, "Everything you can think of to live," including a tent, sleeping bag and chair. Solar panels on top of the rear bags keep his phone, MP3 player and stereo charged. Weight of the bike and everything he carries totals about 115 pounds.  (Dave Mendrea photo)

                      A sport subclass?

                                 By Mike Eliasohn

At the MHPVA annual meeting Feb. 28, we discussed Charles Brown's suggestion for creation of a sport subclass to the stock class. To qualify, riders' eyes would have to be at least 42 inches from the ground.
His thinking is that such riders are safer when riding in traffic, since they are more visible to motorists than lower bikes/riders, but have an unfair disadvantage when racing when compared to the low racers.
We decided at the meeting to measure the eye height of riders at this year's rally, then decide whether it would be worthwhile to implement the sport subclass at the 2016 rally. Terry Gerweck, who did the technical inspections, measured the eye heights of all the riders. 
Since Charles' proposal only pertains to a sport subclass to the stock class, I only looked at the measurements for the stock class riders. Of the 15 stock class entries, six had an eye height of 42 or more inches. Of those, three were upright bikes, at 62 inches (two) and 57 inches. A Bachetta CA2 (I think that's a high racer) was at 47 inches and two Cruzbikes were at 42 inches. (The third Cruzbike was Larry Oslund at 40.5 inches, who finished fourth in the stock class.)
Of the top five in the stock class, only Daryl Hanger on a Cruzbike, who finished fifth, was at 42 inches or higher. Next in the sport subclass – had we had it – would have been Eric Winn (7th overall in the stock class) on a Cruzbike, and third would have been Alex Rankin (9th overall) on an upright.
The winner of the stock class was Mike Mowett on his Morciglio (very) low racer, who had the lowest eye height, 27.5 inches. Second was Florian Kowalik on an M5 M-Racer, 36 inches, and third was Dennis Grelk on his homebuilt low racer, 30 inches.
So at the 2016 winter meeting, we will have to decide whether to implement the sport subclass at that year's rally.
It should be noted that the HPRA race directors at their meeting in January 2015 rejected the sport subclass proposal. So if we implement it at the 2016 Michigan rally, it will only apply to the rally. HPRA stock class points would be compiled and prize money paid as normal, but we also could award prize money to the top finishers in the sport subclass.

       Congratulations, Bob Krzewinski

To those of us in the recumbent community, Bob Krzewinski is a recumbent cycle rider, racer and advocate; founder/editor/everything of the Wolver-Bents Recumbent Cyclists (www.wolverbents.homestead.com), organizer of recumbent cycle rallies and rides and the MHPVA's webmaster.

But he's also very active in the cycling community at large, for which he received the League of Michigan Bicyclists' Bicycle Advocate Award on May 20 in Lansing.  Our apologies for not reporting this until now.  (And if you are not an LMB member, please consider joining to support cycling in Michigan – www.LMB.org.)
The following is from the LMB website and magazine, Michigan Bicyclist.

Bob Krzewinski holds the Bicycle Advocate Award, presented by League of Michigan Bicyclists Executive Director John Lindenmayer. (LMB photo)

Bob is a dedicated advocate for equitable transportation options. Bob, 61, has been a Ypsilanti resident since 1985, a US Navy veteran (1973-79) and is a retired 30-year airline captain. 
He has a legacy of organizations that he has either founded or helped them increase bicycling access and safety in Michigan: board member and secretary of the Washtenaw Biking and Walking Coalition (he co-founded the organization), founder of the Wolver-Bent Recumbent Cyclists, founder and current board member and chair of Friends of the Border To Border Trail, member of the Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission, Greenways Advisory Committee, chair of the City of Ypsilanti Non-Motorized Advisory Committee, secretary to City of Ypsilanti Parks and Recreation Commission and coordinator of Ypsilanti Bike-Bus-Walk Week.
He also is a member of various bicycle-related groups, including: League of Michigan Bicyclists, Michigan Trails and Greenway Alliance, Rails To Trails Conservancy, League of American Bicyclists and Bike Ypsi. He is also working to garner a bicycle-friendly city award for the City of Ypsilanti. 
If that wasn’t enough, this year, Bob became a volunteer for Programs to Educate All Cyclists (PEAC), and regularly attends mechanic nights. The staff at PEAC say his expertise and dedication have been irreplaceable to the mechanic team!  

31st annual Michigan Human Powered Vehicle Rally

MHPVA vice-president and rally organizer Mike Mowett of St. Clair Shores on his John Morciglio-built M1 finished first of the 16 stock class entries.  He's shown here during the flying start sprint. His speed was 40.11 mph.

Note: Complete results and more photos can be seen at www.recumbents.com, then under "recumbent racing," click on "HPRA racing results and pictures."

By MIKE ELIASOHN, MHPVA president (photos by the author unless otherwise noted)

The 31st annual Michigan HPV Rally drew an excellent turnout of 42 competitors, coming from as far as Iowa, Tennessee, North Carolina and Toronto, and ranging in age from 8 to 78.
It also was notable for the presence of three Cruzbikes (front wheel drive, moving bottom bracket and fast!) and five velomobiles (for the unknowing, fully faired three-wheelers intended for street use, as well as competition).
The rally was scheduled June 13 and 14, but with rain forecast for Sunday, we moved the flying start sprints through the 200-foot timing trap (the top speed event) from Sunday morning to late Saturday afternoon.  Also that day were the two one-hour time trials, hill climb/coast down and the urban transportation contest.

Amanda and Dan Zolyniak of Toronto competed at the 2014 rally with the streamliner they built.  Since then, they built this carbon fiber low racer, on which Amanda won the women's class.  (There was only one other competitor, but Amanda likely would have won had there been several competitors.) Her speed in the flying start sprint was 32.78 mph.  (Dave Mendrea photo)

The rain came on Sunday, so the scheduled two road races and tricycle race were not conducted. At about 9 a.m., we conducted the awards ceremony and everyone then went home. It was the first time in the 31 years of the rally that a full-day's events were washed out.
Cash prizes were presented to the top three in each class except for the stock class, which because of the large number of competitors, the top five took home some money. Here's the top three or five:
Streamliner (5 entries):  1) Dan Zolyniak, Toronto, Ont., Mistral built by him and his wife, Amanda, 225 points, 2 -tie) Dennis Grelk, Donnellson, Iowa, Barracuda built by Warren Beauchamp, and Calvin Moes, University of Toronto Vortex, 220.
Streetliner (6 entries):  1) Michael Hinterseher, Farmington Hills, Milan SL velomobile, 230; 2) Wally Kiehler, Grosse Point Woods, Lightning F-40 (the only non-velomobile in the class), 205; 3) Bruce Gordon, Buchanan, Greenspeed Glyde, 189.

Florian Kowalik, 16, of Deerfield, Ill., in his first year competing against adults, finished a close second in the stock class on his M5 M-Racer. In the flying start sprint, he went 38.96 mph.

Stock (16 entries):  1) Mike Mowett, St. Clair Shores, Morciglio M1, 215; 2) Florian Kowalik, Deerfield, Ill., M-5 M-Racer, 212; 3) Dennis Grelk, homebuilt carbon fiber low racer, 207; 4) Larry Oslund, Hendersonville, N.C., Cruzbike Vendetta, 194; 5) Daryl Hanger, Greenwood, Ind., Cruzbike; 165.
Women (2 entries):  1) Amanda Zolyniak, Toronto, Ont. Raptor carbon fiber low racer built by her and husband Dan, 240; 2) Veronica Pang, Toronto, Hase tricycle (two wheels in rear).
Tricycle (4 entries):  1) Jeff Hunn, North Manchester, Ind., BlackMax tilting tricycle built by Tim Hicks, 235; 2) Daryl Hanger, Catrike, 225; 3) Linanne Hinerseher, Farmington Hills, Scorpion HP, 100.

Genevieve Kowalik, 10, on her Rick Gritters-built low racer bested three of her siblings and one non-Kowalik to win the junior class. Her speed in the flying start sprint, 29.45 mph.

Junior (5 entries):  1) Genevieve Kowalik, age 10, Deerfield, Ill., Gritters low racer, 220; 2) Cecelia Kowalik, 12, Earth Cycles Sunset, 215; 3) Mathias Kowalik, 14, M5 low racer, 210. 

                          Discussion about future of MHPVA

Following the dinner break, the scheduled informal meeting was held to discuss the future of the Michigan HPV Association and the Michigan HPV Rally.
I (Mike E.) started  by saying I, as president, and Bill Frey, as treasurer, accepted our positions at the annual meeting in February with reluctance. We both held those jobs previously for many years and now in our early 70s, feel it's time for others to take over.
I also mentioned  that it's possible for the Michigan HPV Rally to continue without the MHPVA, provided at least one person is willing to be the organizer. All of the other Human Powered Race - America events are organized by individuals, not by groups similar to the MHPVA.

Michael Hinterseher of Farmington Hills in his Milan SL won the streetliner class despite finishing third in the one-hour time trial after crashing late in the event.  The rear inner tube blew, he lost control and the Milan flipped onto its right side. "I was skidding quite a while on my side," he said, which left "skid marks" on the fairing. A new inner tube was installed and Michael won the hill climb, coast-down and flying start sprint at 40.11 mph. (Dave Mendrea photo taken before the crash)

Some comment or  answers to questions:  Bill Frey: The MHPVA is incorporated, which requires a $20 annual payment to the state. If the MHPVA dissolves, the money in the treasury must be donated to non-profit organizations. It cannot be divided among the members. However, it isn't necessary for the MHPVA to remain a non-profit organization to continue. We pay $600 over two days to the Waterford Hills organization for use of the track.
Garrie Hill: Insurance for the rally costs us $53 per day. There have been zero claims from any of the HPRA events. The cost per event will increase if there are fewer events to insure. The individuals who organize the other HPRA events are usually reimbursed for their expenses from entry fees after the event is over.
Bruce Gordon:  $10 of the rally entry fee goes to the League of Michigan Bicyclists. Part of the "problem" is many of the competitors at the rally don't come to the MHPVA annual meeting each winter and many people who come to the meeting don't participate in the rally.
Terry Gerweck:  Wait until the next annual meeting. Then if some new people don't step forward to assume leadership roles, dissolve the MHPVA.
And that likely is what we will do. If others don't want to "take over the ship," we will dissolve. If the MHPVA continues in some form, we may need to revise the bylaws.
Regardless, the consensus seemed to be the Michigan HPV Rally should continue for the foreseeable future, with or without the MHPVA.  Everyone seemed to be having such a good time that it would a shame to let the rally die.

Larry Oslund came from Hendersonville, N.C., to compete on his Cruzbike Vendetta. He finished fourth in the stock class. In May, he won the men's division of Calvin's Challenge in Ohio, pedaling 264 miles in 12 hours.

                                           Event results
Following are the top two in each class in the events that were held:
1-hour time trial:  Streamliner – 1) Dennis Grelk, 22 laps, average speed 30.477 mph ; 2) Calvin Moes.  Streetliner – 1) Wally Kiehler, 15 laps/19.736 mph; 2) Tedd Wheeler, Reed City, Alleweder velomobile. Stock – 1) Larry Oslund, Hendersonville, N.C., Cruzbike Vendetta, 19 laps/25.958 mph; 2) Dennis Grelk.  Women – 1) Amanda Zolyniak,  16 laps/21.053 mph; 2) Veronica Pang.  Tricycles – 1) Jeff Hunn, 15 laps, 19.162 mph; 2) Daryl Hanger. Junior – Genevieve Kowalik, 12 laps, 15.774 mph; 2) Cecilia Kowalik.
Hill climb:  Streamliner – 1) Dan Zolyniak, 2) Dennis Grelk.  Streetliner – 1) Michael Hinterseher, 2) Tedd Wheeler.  Stock – 1) Florian Kowalik, 2) Mike Mowett.  Women – 1) Amanda Zolyniak, 2) Veronica Pang.  Tricycle – 1) Daryl Hanger, 2) Jeff Hunn.  Junior – 1) Cecilia Kowalik, 2) Ishtey Amminger, Memphis, Tenn., Hypercycle.
Coast-down:  Streamliner – 1) Calvin Moes, 2) Dan Zolyniak. Streetliner – 1) Michael Hinterseher, 2) Jeff Hunn.  Stock – 1) Dennis Grelk, 2) Florian Kowalik. Women – Amanda Zolyniak, 2) Veronica Pang. Tricycle – 1) Jeff Hunn, 2) Daryl Hanger. Junior – 1) Matthias Kowalik, M5 low racer, 2) Genevieve Kowalik.
Flying start sprint: Streamliner – 1) Dan Zolyniak, 45.76 mph, 2) tie; Dennis Grelk and Calvin Moes, 39.99 mph. Streetliner – 1) Michael Hinterseher, 40.11 mph, 2) Bruce Gordon, 34.09 mph.  Stock – 1) Mike Mowett, 40.11 mph, 2) Florian Kowalik, 38.96 mph.  Women – 1) Amanda Zolyniak, 32.78 mph, 2) Veronica Pang, 21.27 mph.  Tricycle – 1) Jeff Hunn, 30.37 mph, 2) Daryl Hanger, 30.10 mph.  Junior – 1) Mathias Kowalik, 33.02 mph, 2) Genevieve Kowalik, 29.45 mph.  (Note:  Due to the electronic timing equipment not functioning properly, timing was done with manually-operated stop watches, started when observer dropped his arm to signal when vehicle entered 200-foot timing trap.)

One on Sunday: Tom Buzzinett of Brighton came to the MHPVA winter meeting with the Baron low racer he bought in fall 2014.  Family obligations kept him away on Saturday, but he came to the rally Sunday, hoping to compete on the Baron. Despite the rain and no competition, he did get on the track, long enough to get wet and verify that canceling Sunday's events was a wise decision. Canceled were two road races and the tricycle race.

Peter Amminger and his son, Ishtey, work on Ishtey's Hypercycle. They came from Memphis, Tenn.  Peter bought the Hypercycle in the 1980s.  Ishtey, 12, finished fourth in the junior class. Hypercycles were entry-level recumbents in the early 1980s. Complete bikes sold in 1981 for $390 and frame kits for $180. (Car nuts: Notice the Jaguar F-Type in the background.)

Eric Winn of Brighton competed in the stock class on a Cruzbike Vendetta and in this Blue Velo Strada  in the streetliner class.  He said he bought the used Strada, made in 2010, last August in Whitehouse, Ohio, then pedaled it 85 miles home. He sometimes rides it 25 miles to work. He finished fifth of six entries in the streetliner class. His speed in the flying start sprint was 33.59 mph.

Preview: 31st annual Michigan HPV Rally - June 13-14, 2015

Action on Sunday morning at the 2014 rally.

The rally will be held at the Waterford Hills sports car racing track on the Oakland County Sportsmen's Club grounds in Clarkston, near Pontiac - the location since 1986.

The oldest such event in North America is open to riders of all human powered vehicles — recumbents, regular bicycles, tandems and handcycles.
There are classes for streamlined, unstreamlined cycles, tandems, women, youth and tricycles. The rally is conducted using Human Powered Race America rules (www.recumbents.com/hpra). Note: HPRA rules require all vehicles to have a mirror or mirrors enabling rear vision to both sides.
The track is 1.4 miles around, with nine turns and one hill. Sunday races use a shorter course without the hill.
Note: The information posted here is subject to change, so checking back on occasion is advised.
ENTRY FEES:  Register in advance and save money by going to http://register.bostonandpop.com. One day only, $30; both days, $40 (includes $10 MHPVA membership). "Day of race" registration is an additional $10. Additional vehicles raced by the same rider cost $10, whether for one or both days.  ($1 of each entry fee will go to the League of Michigan Bicyclists.)
For teams, defined as any group in which multiple riders may compete in the same vehicle over the course of the rally, every unique combination of rider and vehicle must register separately in order to participate in any event.  Every such combination will be charged $15 for the weekend and have its own unique number, consisting of the vehicle number (appropriate to the competition class) and a letter suffix.  Registrations must be complete and paid for by Saturday  morning for all participating combinations, to prevent a rider deciding just before the start of a race to participate.  It will be the team’s responsibility to prominently display the correct number on the vehicle for every event. 

For example, the same vehicle would display the number 305-A when raced by Joe Smith, then 305-B when raced by Celia Jones, even if it is in the same event (such as the sprints).   Then observers don’t have to record names at the starting grid.  All such numbers must be traceable to a registration sheet that has the proper rider name on it.  At the discretion of the treasurer or race director,  additional team registrations may be accepted on Sunday morning for that day's events.  

Test ride pass, $10, which includes MHPVA membership. Spectators free. Even if you don't want to compete, come and see some unusual and some very fast bicycles and tricycles. Prize money will be awarded to top finishers in each class.

Schedule of events (subject to change):

SATURDAY, June 13
Registration and technical inspection starts at 8 a.m.
One-hour time trial (streamliner, streetliner classes) - 9:30-10:30 a.m
One-hour time trial (stock, junior, women, tandem) - 11 a.m.-noon
Lunch
Hill climb/coast down (all classes) - 1:30-2:30 p.m.
LeMans start road races (or other event, depending on consensus of competitors)  - 3 p.m.
Urban transportation contest - in afternoon.  
6 p.m. (approximate) – Eat at local restaurants.
8 p.m. – Meeting to discuss future of Michigan HPV Association and Michigan HPV Rally.
SUNDAY
200-foot sprints, flying start (all classes) - 8:30-9:30 a.m.
Tricycle race - 10 a.m.
Road race 1 (faster vehicles, 20 laps, 12 miles, no hill) - 10:30 a.m.
Road race 2 (slower Vehicles, 15 laps, 9 miles, no hill) - 11 a.m.
Awards ceremony by 1 p.m. (hopefully).

Location: Oakland County Sportsmen's Club: 4770 Waterford Road, Clarkston,
MI 48346. For a map of the track, visit
http://www.waterfordhills.com/downloads/facilitymap.pdf or
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/fullscreen/179549320/ For additional information, contact: Mike Mowett, 586-863-3902 or
mowett@aol.com, or Mike Eliasohn, 269-982-4058 o rmikethebike@acd.net.

TO GET TO THE RALLY:
From I-75, get off at exit 91. Take M-15 south to Dixie Hwy. (US-24). Turn left, continuing south about 1 mile and turn left onto Waterford Road, then proceed to track.
If coming from the west, take U.S. 23 north (or south) to M-59 (Highland Road). Go east on M-59 to Airport Road, then left (north) to US-24. Turn left, then immediately right onto Waterford Road. Go about a half-mile to track.

PLACES TO STAY:

MOTELS (with approximate distances/direction from Waterford Hills track)

Clarkston - Clarkston Motor Inn, 6853 Dixie Hwy. (US-10), 248-625-1522, 12 rooms, 2 miles northeast.
Clarkston - Olde Mill Inn of Clarkston, 5835 Dixie Hwy., 248-623-0300. Across Dixie Highway from Waterford Road leading to track. This is the closest motel to the track.
Hartland - Best Western of Hartland, 10087 M-59 at US-23, 844-804-4607, 61 rooms. About 18 miles west.
Waterford – Comfort Inn, 7076 Highland Road (M-59), 844-840-9293, 111 rooms. About 3 miles southwest.
Waterford – Waterford Motel, 2201 Dixie Hwy. at Telegraph Road, 248-338-4061, 50 rooms. About 6 miles southeast.
Waterford – Holiday Inn Express, 4350 Pontiac Lake Road, 800-345-8082 or 888-465-4329, 83 rooms. About 7 miles southwest.
Whitmore Lake - Best Western of Whitmore Lake, 9897 Main St. (off US-23, exit 53), 734-449-2058, 61 rooms. About 33 miles southwest.

CAMPING

Free camping available overnight Friday and Saturday at the Waterford Hills Sportsman Club, site of the HPV rally, starting at 6 p.m. Friday. Restrooms, showers available and possibly electrical hookups.

STATE CAMPGROUNDS (www.michigan.gov/dnr, then click on "camping and
recreation," then "camping and harbor reservations." Reservation can be
made online.
Highland Recreation Area, 5200 E. Highland Road (M-59), White Lake, 248-889-3750. Two miles east of Highland.
Holly Recreation Area, 8100 Grand Road, Holly, 248-634-8811. Five miles east of Holly.
Ortonville Recreation Area, 5779 Hadley Road, Ortonville, 810-797-4439. Four miles northeast of Ortonville.
Pontiac Lake Recreation Area, 7800 Gale Road, Waterford, 248-666-1020. Closest to Waterford Hills track, about 4 miles west.

OAKLAND COUNTY:  Groveland Oaks County Park, 14555 Dixie Hwy., White Lake, northeast of Holly, 248-634-9811.

PRIVATE CAMPGROUNDS (www.michcampgrounds.com):  Detroit Sportsmen's Congress Horseshoe Lake Campground, 10150 E. Oakwood Road, Oxford, 248-628-3859, e-mail dscoffice@gmail.com, www.d-s-c.org

MHPVA annual meeting – changes & the future

David Middleton, WMU adjunct assistant professor of product design, talks about the Velo-Electric Sidecar, a project by three senior product design students. It's attached to a no-longer-produced Sun Sunray bike. There's an electric motor in the rear hub, a battery on the rear rack and inside the sidecar, a larger battery and space for groceries or other cargo.  Bottom photo: What makes the V-ES "trick" is that the upper strut can be unbolted, thus allowing the rider/bike to lean when cornering. But if roads are slippery, the strut can be attached to the bike to create a "solid" three-wheeler for extra stability.  (Photos by Mike Eliasohn unless indicated.)

The annual meeting of the Michigan Human Powered Vehicle Association took place Saturday, Feb. 28, in the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences building on the Western Michigan University Parkview Campus in Kalamazoo. Twelve people attended.

President Mike Mowett had to be at work, so was unable to attend. Vice President Mike Eliasohn presided in his absence. Following are the minutes from Secretary Paul Pancella, with editing and some other changes made by Mike E.

Michigan HPV Rally

The first item discussed was planning for the 31st annual rally June 13-14 at the Waterford Hills sports car racing track in Clarkston. 

Paul Pancella volunteered to run the urban transportation contest again on Saturday afternoon. 

There was strong sentiment against running the standing start 1-kilometer timed race and no one present advocated for it.  It was decided to replace it with a fun event that would potentially be easier to run and score (who finished first, second, etc., rather than having to time each competitor). It would be a fairly short race with a Le Mans-style start (riders running across the track and then climbing on or into their vehicles), with possibly some cargo carrying requirement and a mid-course mandatory pit stop.  Further details are to be determined and the finishing order may be incorporated into points for the UTC.  The rest of the event schedule will remain the same as in previous years.

We then discussed  Charles Brown's idea for creating a "sport" sub-class within the Human Powered Race America (HPRA) “stock” class that would favor vehicles which are more “streetable” than the low racers which now dominate the category. 
Charles' argument, expressed in a letter to Mike E., is the stock or unfaired class was created to encourage development of practical vehicles for use on the road, but, "This group is now being dominated by the lowracers, which enjoy an aerodynamic advantage over bicycles with a higher seating position." The higher seating position makes such "sport" bikes more visible to motorists, hence are safer.
Accordingly, Charles suggested to qualify for the sport class, riders eyes must be a minimum of 42 inches above the ground.  
The consensus was not to formally define and score such a subclass at Waterford this year, but to measure the height of a rider’s eyes above the ground on stock class entries during tech inspection.  Then we can see if there is a logical place to make a cutoff, how the potential qualifiers perform (if there are any) and gauge the level of interest among competitors  and use the information to decide whether to include a "sport" subclass in future years. (Note: After everyone got home, some got their tape measures and climbed on their bikes. Their eye height measurements were: Tour Easy, 49 in.; Lightning P-38, 48 in.; Ryan Vanguard, 53 in.; and a lowracer, 27 in.) 

Jake Meyers, who graduated from WMU in December, shows the Handi-Bike, a combination wheelchair/bicycle, he helped design as a student in product design engineer. Rather than conventional handrims attached to the wheels for propulsion, the Handi-Bike uses an elliptical drive system, with the user moving levers back and forth, one for each wheel, which also enables him or her to steer. The rear wheel is suspended. It's mounted to a beam, which can be slid inward to make it the Handi-Bike shorter when used inside.  Bottom photo:  Terry Gerweck holds the levers, which slide back and forth to drive the red sprockets, which are linked by chains to the hubs. There's individual drive for each wheel, so the system also can be used to steer, that is, propelling only the left wheel makes the Handi-Bike turn right and vice-versa.  (Paul Pancella photo)

Then we moved to a discussion of the rally’s fee structure and the problem of multi-rider/vehicle teams and riders sometimes "jumping in" just before the start of a race. 
Bruce Gordon said the 2014 rally broke even financially, but we should nevertheless consider raising entry fees.  The related issue of “team” entries occupied the bulk of the discussion time.  We resolved the following:

1)  For the normal competitor, every vehicle must be registered and pay the same fee as last year – $30 to compete on one day, $40 to compete on both days.  An individual racer may compete in multiple vehicles when the schedule and class structure allow (at the discretion of the race director), but each vehicle must have a paid registration and its own number, per HPRA requirements.

2) For the past few years, college and other teams were paying $100, regardless of the number of riders and vehicles. The change: For teams, defined as any group in which multiple riders may compete in the same vehicle over the course of the rally, every unique combination of rider and vehicle must register separately in order to participate in any event.  Every such combination will be charged $15 for the weekend and have its own unique number, consisting of the vehicle number (appropriate to the competition class) and a letter suffix.  Registrations must be complete and paid for by Saturday  morning for all participating combinations, to prevent a rider deciding just before the start of a race to participate.  It will be the team’s responsibility to prominently display the correct number on the vehicle for every event.  

For example, the same vehicle would display the number 305-A when raced by Joe Smith, then 305-B when raced by Celia Jones, even if it is in the same event (such as the sprints).   Then observers don’t have to record names at the starting grid.  All such numbers must be traceable to a registration sheet that has the proper rider name on it.  At the discretion of the treasurer or race director,  additional team registrations may be accepted on Sunday morning for that day's events.  Since this will be a change from recent practice, we need to publicize this widely ahead of time.

David Middleton of Kalamazoo also brought his Cruzbike Quest, which he bought last year. Wheels are 26 in/559mm and gearing is a SRAM Dual Drive, which combines a 3-speed hub with nine deraileur sprockets. It folds. Dave previously rode a mountain bike converted with a Cruzbike conversion kit into a front-wheel-drive recumbent. 

Since Bruce Gordon volunteered to do the work, members agreed to have advance registration available online, along with the option to pay ahead of time via PayPal.  The fees mentioned above apply only if the registration takes place in advance.  Any registration that takes place at Waterford will cost $10 more (regardless of whether it is for one or both days).  Advance payment is not required to avoid this extra $10 fee, only advance registration.  We did not discuss a specific deadline for advance registration; Bruce will have to determine what is reasonable and publicize it appropriately.  I (Paul) think we meant this extra $10 to apply to team entries as well, so that if a team anticipates all of its rider/vehicle combos, they only cost $15 each, but adding another one on Saturday morning would cost $25.  (Note: Although Bruce is no longer MHPVA treasurer, he did agree to being treasurer of the rally.)

Future of the MHPVA

We had extensive discussion about matters relating to leadership, finances, insurance, and the legal status of the Michigan HPVA now and in the future.  Being a chapter of the International Human Powered Vehicle Association, as specified in our articles of incorporation, seems to have lost any relevance it may have had, but we as an association still feel like more than just an event organizer for the HPRA series. 
The bylaws and articles of incorporation were written in 1989, before there was e-mail, so one needed update is that they currently require that notification of the annual meeting be mailed to members.

After a bit of communal soul-searching, we determined that there is no immediate crisis, and that we should continue more or less as we are.  Bob Krzewinski volunteered to study needed changes to the bylaws and articles of incorporation to modernize the requirements for communication or other things, and then pass them around to the other officers. Any changes will have to be approved by the board and/or the members.

MHPVA co-founder Terry Gerweck of Monroe showed his latest creation, an ice bike using an old Dan Hanebrink Design bike.  Self-taping screws were screwed into the tire to provide traction. Rather than attaching the ice boat blade directly to the fork, Terry attached it to a ski so that the front end will slide over any holes in the ice, rather than "wiping out." 

Elections 

Prior to the meeting, Mike Mowett, who was president since 2008, said he didn't want to be president any more and Bruce Gordon didn't want to continue as treasurer. So elected or re-elected were:

President, Mike Eliasohn, St. Joseph; vice president, Mike Mowett,  St. Clair Shores;secretary, Paul Pancella, Kalamazoo, treasurer, Bill Frey, Grosse Pointe Farms; and members at-large, Wally Kiehler, Grosse Pointe Woods, and Bob Krzewinski, Ypsilanti.

Note from Mike E.: I am a co-founder of the MHPVA and long-time president or vice-president and Bill Frey was treasurer for 12 years before Bruce became treasurer at the 2014 meeting. Both of us are in our 70s and, I think it's correct to say, both of us view our new positions as temporary.

Accordingly, there was discussion during the meeting about the future of the MHPVA, and whether it has a future. As expressed by Bill in his e-mailed summary of the meeting, we need to "take a serious look at whether the MHPVA and the rally are sustainable in future years, given the difficulty we have had to get new people more involved in the organization and on the board."

The Michigan HPV Rally is the only event on the Human Powered Race America schedule that is run by an organization, as opposed to individual race organizers, so it would be possible for the rally to continue – if one or two people are are willing to organize and run it each year. And instead of an annual meeting, there could continue to be an annual winter gathering, if desired and someone wants to organize it, and this blog also could continue.

John Foltz of Haslett brought his Baron, to show his latest modifications, a carbon fiber fork and a front disk brake caliper where both brake pads move, rather than one pad moving and the other being in a fixed position.

Tim Bazzinett of Brighton was riding his upright road bike when he got passed by someone on a low racer and he decided he had to own one. He bought his used Baron last fall and, "I've been riding it ever since." On a downhill, he reached 46.7 mph. "It was a thrill."

2015 meeting, rally dates set

The annual meeting of the Michigan Human Powered Vehicle Association will be Saturday, Feb. 28, in Kalamazoo, while the 31st annual Michigan HPV Rally will be Saturday and Sunday, June 13-14, at the Waterford Hills sports car racing track in Clarkston, the location since 1986.
The meeting will be in Room D-115 (tentatively) in the College of Engineering building, 4601 Campus Drive, on the Western Michigan University Parkview Campus. 
The location continues our rotation of recent years of meeting at WMU one year (the last meeting there was in 2012), the next year on or near the Michigan State University campus in East Lansing and the following year in the Ann Arbor-Detroit area.
MHPVA board members will meet at 11 a.m. for lunch, but all members are invited. We will meet at Sophia's House of Pancakes, 4700 Stadium Drive (north side of the road), about a half-mile east of U.S. 131, and close to Drake Road.
Then mingling and talking HPVs in the College of Engineering building will start at 12:15 p.m., with the meeting starting at 1 and hopefully ending no later than 4.
We will start the meeting with show-and-tell, so if you have something pedal-powered and interesting, please bring it.  Following will be discussion of the Michigan HPV Rally and other events and then election of officers and board members for one-year terms.  Currently serving are:   President, Mike Mowett, St. Clair Shores; vice president, Mike Eliasohn, St. Joseph; secretary, Paul Pancella, Kalamazoo; treasurer, Bruce Gordon, Buchanan; and members at-large, Wally Kiehler, Grosse Pointe Woods, and Bob Krzewinski, Ypsilanti.

Driving directions from I-94 – At exit #74, turn north on U.S. 131, go 2.8 miles, then follow the directions listed below for U.S. 131.

Driving directions from U.S. 131 – At exit #36A, turn east onto Stadium Drive, then turn right at first light, which is Drake Road. Continue on Drake through the next light (at Parkview Ave.) into the WMU Parkview Campus. You will now be on Campus Drive. 

The College of Engineering and Applies Sciences building is at the rear of the campus, is  is the largest building and there is an adjacent large parking structure and a parking lot. Parking permits aren't required to park in the structure on Saturdays.
Anyone with vehicles or other heavy items to show can unload at the main entrance at the front of the building.  All doors to the building should be unlocked.

The 31st annual Michigan Human Powered Vehicle Rally will be June 13-14 at the Waterford Hills sports car racing track on the Oakland County Sportsmen's Club grounds,  4770 Waterford Road, Clarkston, near Pontiac (map link - https://google/maps/RrMBM). Free camping is available on Friday and Saturday nights.

The schedule of events will be decided at the annual meeting and then posted on the blog and website (www.mhpva.org), but no doubt will be similar to past rallies. For a track map, visit www.waterfordhills.com/facility.shtml. 

Recumbent Cycle-Con – Oct. 10-12, 2014

Fran Kowalik of Deerfield, Ill., well-known in HPV racing circles, on the new ICE Full Fat FS (full suspension), before pedaling it outside for a test ride. The Full Fat is the "civilian" version of the similar trike that Maria Leijerstam pedaled 396 miles from the edge of the Antarctic continent to the South Pole last December. The Full Fat will be available from the British trike maker for somewhere between $5,000 and $7,000. (www.icetrikes.co)

Words and photos by Mike Eliasohn

It was recumbent heaven for laid-back cycling enthusiasts who attended Recumbent Cycle-Con Oct. 12-14 in St. Charles, Ill., west of Chicago.
It was the third such event conducted by Recumbent and Tandem Rider Magazine (www.rtrmag.com). The first two, in 2011 and 2013, were in Pomona, Calif.  The 2015 RC-C will be in (or near) Cincinnati, Ohio.
The event drew about 17 manufacturers, plus a few recumbent dealers (as exhibitors) and makers of accessories, such as car carrier racks. Human Powered Race - America also had a display of racing bikes and trikes, organized by Warren Beauchamp.
The first day (Friday) was limited to "those in the business," while Saturday and Sunday were open to the public. Admission was $10 for "looking only," while those wanting to look and ride bikes and trikes on the test track paid $20.
There also were workshops, with some sessions limited to dealers, such as ways to increase their business, while others were of general interest, such as touring on recumbents and racing.
TerraTrike in Grand Rapids showed its new Traveler folding trike, but I neglected to take photos.(www.terratrike.com)  It goes on sale in January.
For more information about it and other bikes and trikes shown at Recumbent Cycle-Con, go to www.bentrider.bike. from which I got some of this information. (Bentrider editor Bryan Ball had a booth at the show.)
Recumbent and Tandem Rider publisher Charles Coyne and his wife, Janette Bijl, both said they found that Recumbent Cycle-Con draws people mostly within a 500-mile radius, which presumably precludes the event being held in the future on the East or West coasts. If you're shopping in the future for a recumbent, or simply want to see (and ride) what's available, the event is worth going to.

Sun Seeker had numerous bikes and trikes on display and available for test rides.  The blue trike is the new Eco Tad SX ($900) and behind it is the new Eco Delta SX ($830), with the two wheels in the rear. J and B Importers has rebranded its recumbents "Sun Seeker," to distinguish them from its "Sun" brand upright bikes and trikes. Most bike shops can order them. (www.sunseeker.bike)

The very flat test ride area outside the DuPage Expo Center consisted of a short straight, turn right, another short straight, followed by a U-turn, another short straight, turn left, then go back to the start, seen here. Test riders could pedal "whatever" from inside the building through the large overhead door opening onto the track.  The young lady at left is riding (I believe) a hand-cranked Greenspeed Hand Magnum.

Linear Recumbents debuted its Minear, designed for shorter riders. The front wheel is 16-inch; the rear, 20-inch.  It also introduced folding versions of its Roadster short-wheelbase and Limo long-wheelbase. The frames are aluminum and the bikes are built in New York state. (www.linearrecumbent.com)

Tim Brummer (yellow shirt) has headed Lightning Cycle Dynamics for at least 30 years.  Among the bikes he had at the show was the new Phantom II ($1,795), with improved frame and seat. It's available with a 16-inch front wheel and 160mm cranks for shorter riders, as well as a 20-inch front wheel and 170mm cranks for non-short riders.  (www.lightningbikes.com.)

Fred Watner of Louisville, Ky., tries the BerkelBike, sold by Rad Innovations in Granville, Vt. (www.rad-innovations.com).  The front wheel is driven by conventional foot cranks, as well as the handlebars, when "pedaled" forward. Braking is done by cranking the handlebars backwards. The handlebars also do the steering, of course. The BerkelBike is intended for people with disabilities, but also can be used by anyone who wants to strengthen their arm muscles, as well as their legs. There's a choice of 8- or 11-speed transmissions.

Another view of the Rad-Innovations display area. The Tri-Rad is in front, which would be ideal for anyone who wants a recumbent three-wheeler, but doesn't have much storage space. It sells for around $1,700.  Behind it is a tricycle, pedal-powered by the rider in the rear, with a platform in front for carrying a person in a wheelchair. In addition to cycles for people with disabilities, Rad-Innovations also is a distributor of Hase Bikes (which makes 2- and 3-wheelers, including some for people with disabilities) and Birdy folding bicycles.