Michigan Human Powered Speed Challenge

DOUG PERTNER of St. Claire Shores rode his Predator – an Optima Baron with homemade fairing – 100 miles in 4 hours, 3 minutes and 52 seconds, during the 6-hour event on Sunday. His average speed was 24.6 mph.

ARTICLE AND PHOTOS by MIKE ELIASOHN, MHPVA VICE PRESIDENT

The Michigan Human Powered Speed Challenge July 17-19 at the Ford Motor Co. Michigan Proving Grounds near Romeo was a big success. Several world records were set and more than 50 competitors came from the United States and Canada, of course, plus the Netherlands, France and Slovenia.
(The count, according to MHPVA treasurer Bill Frey was 54 riders and 50 HPVs, plus four Electrathon electric vehicles. Some riders rode more than one vehicle and some vehicles had more than one rider.)
Complete results, plus lots of photos and videos, are at www.recumbents.com, then under "Recumbent racing," click on "2009 Ford 1 hour challenge."
All competition was on the 5-mile oval at the proving grounds. World records set were:
DISTANCE IN ONE HOUR:
Women: Barbara Buatois, France - women: 51.1 miles on Friday in the Varna Tempest, then on Sunday, she broke her two-day-old record with 52.2 miles. She continued on for 100 km (62 miles) and set a record for the distance of 50.3 mph.
Men: Sam Whittingham on Sunday, 56.3 miles. He continued on for 100 km (62 miles) and set a record for the distance of 54.2 mph. Sam and Barbara rode the same Varna Tempest, designed and built by Georgi Georgiev. He and Sam are from British Columbia, Canada.
DISTANCE IN SIX HOURS (Sunday)- Women: Ellen Van Vugt, Netherlands, 187.1 miles. During the six hours, she also set a record of 35.6 mph for 100 miles. Men: Hans Wessels, Netherlands, 233.3 miles for six hours and 100 miles at 39.1 mph.
ARM POWER – During the mass start 1-hour race on Saturday, Greg Weslake from Canada set a record of 20.6 miles in his hand-cranked steamlined tricycle.
ELECTRATHON – Vehicles are powered by electric motors and limited to two car batteries totaling 67 pounds. C. Michael Lewis of Portland, Maine, set a record Sunday of 62.1 miles in an hour on Sunday, breaking the record he set last year of 58 miles. (Michael also did the artwork for the Speed Challenge T-shirts and other things.)

Some non-record performances of note:
Damjan Zabovnik of Slovenia in his head-first, feet-last Eivie streamliner (he sees through a mirror) lost his one-hour record to Sam Whittingham, but did have the top speed in the 200-meter sprints on Saturday, 66.2 mph. Unfortunately, the wind was blowing too fast for that to be a record. He was the only one of the world-class competitors to run in the sprints. Second fastest was Sean Costin of Arlington Heights, Ill., on his NoCom, 44 mph. Sean also had fast time for the standing start quarter-mile, 28.24 seconds, but the wind speed was high for that to be a record.
Rick Gritters of Pella, Iowa, in his homebuilt streamliner, won the one-hour mass start road race on Saturday at a speed of 39.5 mph.
Despite rain on Friday evening and on Saturday, we got all the scheduled events in except for the tricycle race planned for Sunday, though finding space to conduct it would have been a problem. Some of the 1-hour record runs had to be postponed until Saturday or Sunday. A planned coast-down event was cancelled prior to the start of the Challenge because of lack of time. To much to do, too little time.


ROBERT TEREGAN and stoker Merlin Elsner, both of Warren, rode the entire six hours Sunday on Bob's Rans Screamer. They rode 19 laps for a total of 95 miles.


JOHN MORCIGLIO of Waterford raced his latest carbon fiber creation at the Speed Challenge. In the one-hour mass start race, he rode 25.2 miles. He also makes carbon fiber bikes for customers. (www.thundervoltman.com or call 248-499-9915)


TEDD WHEELER of Reed City in his Aleweder velomobile pedaled 23.3 miles in Saturday's mass start event and in Sunday's 6-hour, rode 65 miles in 3 hours and 4 minutes, for an average speed of 21.1 mph.

Here's some comments from MHPVA President Mike Mowett (with editing by Mike E.), who had the idea for and organized the Speed Challenge. Working as an engineer for Ford gave him access to the officials who had to approve the event:

I want to thank everyone who worked to make this event a success. Without an incredible amount of dedication and efforts on the part of many people, this event couldn't have been the success it was.
I cannot believe that an idea I pitched to my management at Ford 10 months ago, just before many of us left to attend the World Human Powered Speed Challenge at Battle Mountain, Nev., would turn into a major international event where 13 records for human powered and Electrathon vehicles were bettered (some twice!). Eleven records in all were set for human power by the end of the weekend and numerous people did their personal bests. Final records are subject to review by the International HPV Association Records Committee.


WALLY KIEHLER (in front) of Grosse Pointe Woods and Bob Krezewinski of Ypsilanti rode their Lightning R-40s during the 6-hour event on Sunday, but started late and no times were recorded. During the mass start 1-hour on Saturday, Wally averaged 22.3 mph.

This event was a success because we had a core group of people who stepped up when needed. All the past races and big events gave many people experience in running things at the Michigan HP Speed Challenge. An incredible amount of work went into this event before, during and afterwards. There was countless e-mails, phone calls and meetings held to make this event a reality.
There are dozens of individuals I'd like to thank, who were invaluable in making this event a reality, including:
PLANNING COMMITTEE – Bill Frey, Mike Eliasohn, Mike Mowett, Sean Costin, Al and Alice Krause, C. Michael Lewis, Garrie Hill, Don Smith.
TIMING and RECORDS MEASUREMENT – Paul Pancella, Garrie Hill, Jun Nogami, Jim Karnes, Luke Gilbert, Warren Beauchamp,
Scott Wilson, Mike Mowett.
SUPER VOLUNTEERS – Tedd, Donna and Trent Wheeler; Brian Martin; Charlie Doran Jr.; Chris and Dora Cortez; and many others, including the names above.
T-SHIRTS – C. Michael Lewis (design) and Mike Eliasohn (sales).
WEB PAGE – Warren Beauchamp.
FORD STAFF – Mark Mikolaiczik, Michigan Proving Grounds manager; Kevin Halsted, MPG external customer manager; Rick Willemsen, section supervisor; Vickie Jaje, MPG supervisor; Bill Gipperich, MPG test coordinator; Mark Hockenberry, Ford manager; Jim Downs, Ford supervisor; Sharon Vostal, Christina Mullins, and Oscar Monroy, Ford employees; and the staff and security people at the proving grounds.
Without Sean Costin and Garrie Hill stepping up to the plate to run the events, we would not have had a successful event.
There are no immediate plans to have this event again year. I do not think it would be feasible financially to hold it year after year. Like the Olympics, a record setting event is good every few years or so.
Next year, the Michigan Human Powered Vehicle Association likely will again conduct the Michigan Human Powered Vehicle Rally – the 26th annual – at the 1.4-mile Waterford Hills race track.
The Michigan Human Powered Speed Challenge was the second major event conducted by the MHPVA, the first being the the International Human Powered Speed Championships in 1989 at the 2-mile Michigan International Speedway. I am proud to have been a participant at the first in 1989, which got me very inspired to be a part of the HPV movement, and now
as a race organizer 20 years later.


BILL FREY of Grosse Pointe Farms took time out from his extensive volunteer activities at the Challenge to ride his Easy Racer Fold Rush with homemade tailbox during part of the 6-hour. He rode five laps (25 miles) at an average speed of 16.1 mph.

Bryant Tucker 100 - Northbrook, Ill., June 13, 2009

Photos and captions by Mike Eliasohn


THE RACES AT NORTHBROOK and the next day in Kenosha, Wis., were both on velodromes, so Tedd Wheeler of Reed City raced his Bianchi fixed gear track bike. In the stock class at Northbrook, he finished 9th in the 50-lap race at an average speed of 20.6 mph; in the 200-meter time trial, 5th at 29.02 mph.


AT THE MHPVA WINTER MEETING in February, John Morciglio of Waterford showed the carbon fiber low racer he custom built for Alan Arial of Illinois. Here's Alan on the bike at Northbrook. In the 50-lap stock class race, he finished third at an average speed of 25.21 mph.


MHPVA PRESIDENT MIKE MOWETT, no longer "upright Mike," on his Baron. In the stock class at Northbrook, he finished fourth in the 50-lap race at 24.74 mph and in the 200 meters, 31.82 mph. Mike, next time, for safety's sake, helmet straight on your head, not tilted back.


TWO VIEWS of the leaning tricycle built and raced by Tim Hicks of Barrie, Ontario. He won the 20-lap tricycle race at an average speed of 23.54 mph, and again on Sunday in Kenosha. For more information on his very innovative trike, go to his Web site:www.fleettrikes.com, then click on "BlackMax."






AFTER Tim Hicks won both tricycle races at the HPRA races in Indiana April 25-26, Dennis Grelk of Donnellson, Iowa, built his own leaning trike. The rear axle assembly, with drum brakes (Tim uses disk brakes) bolts onto one of Dennis' home-built front-wheel-drive low racers. He finished fourth at Northbrook, switched the axle to a different bike for Sunday, then finished second at Kenosha.

Three homebuilts from Zeeland

JERRY MEYAARD'S first EZ Clone, which is his personal bike. He also made the seat.



By MIKE ELIASOHN (photos by Jerry Meyaard)

When Jerry Meyaard showed up at work riding his homebuilt recumbent bicycle, two of his co-workers wanted one.
So he recently completed building bike No. 3, with plans for No. 4.
The Zeeland resident said he first got interested in recumbents about 11 to 12 years ago when a neighbor won a Linear in a raffle. (Linears were/are manufactured aluminum frame long wheelbase recumbents, most with under-seat steering.) Meyaard bought the bike from the neighbor, but, “I just wasn't comfortable.”
After that, he said, he thought about building a recumbent with above-seat steering and looked for plans. In the summer of 2008 he finally found what he wanted on the Internet, www.recycledrecumbent.com, which has two designs similar to the manufactured Tour Easy. The plans are free.
The first three bikes are EZ Clones, which are made (mostly) from two cut-up steel frame road bikes. Jerry said plans to make No. 4 using the more complex Mach 2 design, which uses one cut-up frame.
The EZ Clone design gives a choice of using a 16- or 20-inch front wheel. Meyaard has used 16-inchers. The Mach 2 requires a 20-inch front wheel. Both designs use a 26-inch or 27-inch/700c back wheel.
His next recumbent may have a disk brake in the rear. “I do think it could use a better brake (than a caliper),” he said.
Jerry's first EZ Clone was welded by his nephew, Keith Brown, builder of the Bike-N-Bar (see story below) and son of Kelvin Brown, who now owns the previously mentioned Linear. Jerry's brother-in-law, Ken Breuker, has welded the bikes built since then.
Meyaard, 60, said he weighs 270 pounds, so his Clone obviously is strong.
When he pedaled his creation to his job at Zeeland Wood Turning Works Inc., two co-workers wanted copies. So bike No. 2 and 3 went to the co-workers. Jerry said after he builds bike No. 4, he plans to sell his first bike.


THE SECOND EZ-CLONE, built for a co-worker, who bought a seat used on Sun EZ recumbents. The seats can be purchased without having to buy a whole bike.

He said he used a grinder at work to grind some metal pieces to fit. Last Christmas, he got a Sawzall reciprocating electric saw and a hand held grinder, both handy for recumbent building.
Incidentally, don't look for Meyaard to eventually try building a wood recumbent. “When I get home, I don't want anything to do with sawdust,” he said.
In addition to riding his creation 1 mile to work, Jerry said he also likes to go on early Sunday morning rides.
One attraction of building recumbents: “People ask you if you made that,” he said. “It gives you a good feeling.”


THE THIRD EZ-CLONE, also built for a co-worker, and with a different homemade seat.

Ride and imbibe

KEITH BROWN (left), with his father, Kelvin, and his Bike-N-Bar, powered by four riders on each side. There's five seats on each side, but there wasn't space to install a crank for the rearmost passengers.

By MIKE ELIASOHN

Some cyclists like to have a beer after their ride.
Keith Brown's Bike-N-Bar enables cyclists to have a beer (or non-alcoholic beverage) while they're pedaling. And they don't even have to worry about steering straight.
The Holland resident's creation has 10 seats, eight of which include pedals.
The chains from the eight cranksets run to a driveshaft that runs to a differential/rear axle from a Ford pickup.
The driver is “behind the bar,” so to speak, so doesn't pedal. There's usually also a bartender there.
“I built it in my parents' garage,” Brown said prior to the Bike-N-Bar, powered by family members and relatives, taking part in the Blossomtime Grand Floral Parade in St. Joseph and Benton Harbor on May 2. Construction took about a year, finishing in April 2008. His father, Kelvin Brown, helped.
Keith's sole “blueprint” was a photo off the Internet of a similar creation in Amsterdam in the Netherlands (as opposed to Holland in Michigan.). After that, “I started guessing.”
The only bicycle parts are the one-piece steel cranks, chains and freewheels, all purchased new. There's a freewheel on the driveshaft for each crank, so each pedaler can stop pedaling. The chains on the left side are twisted into a figure-8 so people on the left side of bar can still pedal in a forward motion.
Brown made all of the front end components except the rack and pinion steering, which is from a Ford Mustang II.
There's an adjustable tensioner for each chain and the position is adjustable for each seat. Brown made chainguards from plywood for each chain. The upholstered seats are shaped like bicycle saddles, but were custom made for the Nike-N-Bar.



EACH OF the eight cranks run to this driveshaft, which connects via a universal joint to the rear axle/differential from a Ford pickup truck. The only brake is this disk brake is from a Honda motorcycle.

The frame is made from 1-1/2 by 4-inch rectangular steel tubing. The wheels and tires are automobile “emergency spares.”
The sole brake consists of a disk brake from a Honda motorcycle mounted on the driveshaft. Crossing the St. Joseph River from St. Joseph into Benton Harbor means going downhill, then up over the bridge, then downhill again. Despite that and 12 people on board, Brown said, “the brake held great” and they got up the hills okay.
A marine deep cycle battery powers headlights, taillights and lights under the canopy.
Brown guesses his creation weighs at least 600 pounds.
In addition to parades, the Bike-N-Bar is available for rent and Brown has had it at weddings, parties, 50th birthday parties and other events. If interested, e-mail Bikenbar@yahoo.com or call 616-405-6779.
Brown, 24, does engineering work and maintenance at Agritek Industries in Holland, which is letting him use its facilities for his new project. He's building a motorcycle three-wheeler, with the two wheels in front and power from a 900cc Honda motorcycle engine.



THE BIKE-N-BAR, with 12 people on board, in the May 2 Blossomtime Grand Floral Parade in downtown St. Joseph (shown) and Benton Harbor.

MHPVA annual meeting - Feb. 21, 2009

JOHN MORCIGLIO of Waterford brought two carbon fiber low racers he built. He's climbing on (or laying down on) a bike he built for Illinois HPV racer Alan Arial. He built the bike he is holding for his wife, still missing some key parts, but as of the meeting, it was for sale. It's not as low as Arial's bike. John built his first bike in February 2008. "Hopefully I can keep on building bikes for a living," he said. John also makes disk wheel covers, forks and handlebars. If interested, go to www.thundervoltman.com or call 248-499-9915.















By MIKE ELIASOHN, vice president

Despite terrible driving conditions, 15 people were brave enough (or foolish enough) to come to the Michigan Human Powered Vehicle Association annual meeting Feb. 21 in Erickson Kiva on the Michigan State University campus in East Lansing.
Prior to the start of the meeting, Tim Potter, coordinator of the MSU Bikes program, gave a tour of the program's shop in nearby Bessey Hall. (www.bikes.msu.edu) Our thanks to Tim for arranging use of the meeting room.
There was extensive discussion of the Ford Human Powered Speed Challenge, to be conducted by the MHPVA July 17-19 on the 5-mile oval at the Ford Motor Co. proving grounds near Romeo, instead of our usual Michigan HPV Rally at the Waterford Hills sports car racing track. Recumbents.com Webmaster Warren Beauchamp has created a special Web site for the event, so all information about the event is/will be posted there: www.recumbents.com/home.asp?URL=wisil/fordchallenge2009
All officers were reelected: President: Mike Mowett, St. Clair Shores; vice-president, Mike Eliasohn, St. Joseph; secretary, Paul Pancella, Kalamazoo; treasurer, Bill Frey, Grosse Pointe Farms; and directors-at-large, Paul Bruneau, Portage; and Don Smith, Sterling Heights.



PRIOR to the start of the annual meeting, MSU Bikes coordinator Tim Potter (center), gave a tour of the program's shop. Reconditioned bikes are available for sale or rent, parts are for sale and repairs made. Donation of bikes and parts is welcomed. (www.bikes.msu.edu)



WALLY KIEHLER of Grosse Pointe Woods brought his new carbon fiber Lightning R84. Weight, once the the chain and cables were installed, is under 25 pounds. As of the meeting, Wally was debating whether to transfer the full fairing from his Lightning F40 to the R84. Catrike Speed in the background belongs to Chris Evans.

Big Moe's bikes – the last chapter (for now)

OrangeAppeal after Dave replaced the ape hanger handlebars with remote link steering and made other changes.








By DAVID MOELLER, Linden, Mich.


At the end of the last installment, we left Big Moe contemplating how to progress with his all wood "DragonWood" creation. While waiting for parts, etc., I ended up reworking my last project, "OrangeAppeal."
Originally, I had used ape hanger handlebars and although the looked kinda neat, they were not real practical. I moved the handlebars back on the frame and connected them to the front steering post with a connecting rod.
I replaced the rear cassette with a 7-speed internal hub and installed a front shifter, so I now have 21 speeds. A slight adjustment to the seat helped. I also made custom walnut handlebar grips.


DragonWood




DragonWood has a main frame made from a standard 2X8-inch plank. After cutting and joining (using Titebond yellow glue) to get the profile, there are join lines in various places. To insure sufficient strength, I felt I should add a outer lamination. I planed ash boards down to a half-inch and screwed them in place.
I intended to put lightening holes in several places, but reconsidered. Because of my X-seam (nominally 48 inches) and weight (300 pounds), I didn't want to gamble with structural failure.
Yes it is heavy. Originally I wanted a low racer but as things progressed I went with the dragon theme and opted to make a parade/fun ride vehicle. I can't wait to ride in a parade with other members of the Michigan Freak Bike Militia.
The fishbone seat back is very comfortable. I contoured it to fit my back and the openness will help keep my back cool. The custom made ash grips feel great. The dragon's eyes are multi-flashing lamps.
There's a six cog cassette on the rear. No shifter in front, but by using a derailleur tightener I can move the chain manually
on the front rings.
The length is 8 feet, 10 inches. (Editor: Part of the reason for the length is Dave is 6-foot-5.) Obviously not a speed bike. But
I don't know what I'm gonna do next. My list is down to three "next ones". Ride on!

THE LATEST FROM DAVE: Believe it or not, I've already torn down the OrangeAppeal. I'm trading the frame to a friend. I'm using all the parts on a long wheelbase racer. (A generic term considering my age and weight.) Lower and I hope faster than OrangeAppeal, which just didn't fit me right.
The racer is painted and awaits cables. It sits very well, much better than the OrangeAppeal, and is very low. I custom fit the seat back to fit my lower back. The frame is 1x2-inch steel tube. Again, very long, around 9 feet to fit me. As light as I can build it using street bike components and steel.
The ideas keep coming. I'm at the point where I have to replace something when I build cause I've got no more storage space.

Dave plans to bring the DragonWood, his new low racer, and if he can get it in or on his van, one of his trikes, to the Ann Arbor Classic Bicycle Show Sunday, April 26. (Worth attending by any bicycle "junkie." For more information: www.ann-arbor-bicycleshow.com)


DragonWood's eyes are multi-flashing lights.





Builder Dave Moeller says the fishbone seat back, contoured to fit his back, is very comfortable.







Dave Moeller is now making custom wood grips. These on the DragonWood are ash. He's made a dozen sets, which he's planning to sell at the Freak Bike Militia booth at the Ann Arbor Classic Bicycle Show April 26.

Three wheels (maybe two) & an old crank (cont'd)

By DAVID MOELLER

In March 2008, Mike Eliasohn was gracious enough to allow me to write an article for this blog about my adventures in bike building. (Mike: Actually, as editor of this blog, I asked Dave to write an article and he was gracious enough to write it.)
Recently, during some e-mail exchanges he asked if I would be interested in writing a follow-up of what I have been doing since. Because my ego is as large as I am, 6'5, 300 lbs, - here goes. For your edification and amusement, I am about to chronicle how I got here in just three years. If I were a younger man, you wouldn't be seeing these pictures because of my fear of losing macho points.
After 16 years with the Michigan Department of Corrections, I retired in December 2003, when I turned 62. We moved to Linden, south of Flint, and I built a 16-by-24-foot woodworking shop that had been a lifelong dream. I made walking sticks, chess sets, furniture, stools, pens, toy chests, sideboards, etc., etc. and was having a ball. My wife resumed quilting and I bought a longarm quilting machine and we make more than 20 quilts a year together.
Suddenly I realized that we had all the furniture we needed and I needed something else to make. Why not a wood bicycle? More on that later. I started to spend every night on the Internet. In the meantime, I had begun to ride my Fuji town bike which is now about 30 years old. I hadn't ridden in so long I was afraid to make a pedaled U-turn on my street.





Photos 1 and 2: Bike 1, June 2005. Ya gotta start somewhere. I found a standard size dirt bike and tried a wood extension for the pedals and then went to some pieces of EMT conduit and brazed with TWO Maap gas torches. That takes about 40 minutes per joint! I rode it up the street about a hundred yards and back and cut it up. A young man would have liked it, but this old fat man wasn't gonna ride this one. If you chuckled at this one, you're gonna fall down gasping for air when you see the next two.



Photo 3: Trike 1, August 2005. Took the rear end off a worn out granny trike (that is, an adult tricycle). Brazed a new sprocket to a collar and hooked this wobble wheel to the rear axle. This thing just oozes with engineering expertise, doesn't it! Still brazing. I didn't know why the chain kept falling off. Even the neighborhood cats were laughing at this one.



Photo 4 - Long wheelbase bike 1, Nov 2005. Actually, this one is not bad. I was getting there now. I laid it out acurately and took it to a 72-year-old professional welder and we lined it up right. My first remote steering, loose and wobbly, but it worked. Heavy and clumsy, but so was the rider. It worked. I took off the front parts and converted it into an exercise bike that is still being used in my basement.

That pretty well brings me up to the Flowroller mentioned in the previous MHPVA blog article. While still doing online research, I saw my first wood frame bike and was ready to build when I saw the Flowroller by Robert Horn. Bought my own welder, bought the steel. Game on!
In September 2007, I converted the yellow DeltaWolf into a front-wheel-drive trike, bringing my trike count to 3. I couldn't resolve chain issues on the Wolf while trying to incorporate a 7-speed hub "transmission." The concept is OK, including dual rear disc brakes. It's just about as low as they can be too, That was my all-winter project. but I just don't like it. Movin' on.













Photo 5: In May 2008, I finished the OrangeAppeal. Single speed at this stage, but I can add shifters if I want. It was inspired by my first ride with the Michigan Freak Bike Militia. Built for fun and as a parade vehicle.

In July 2008, I bought, yah dats right, a Sun EZ-3 USX trike. (Editor: It's a manufactured two-wheels-in-the-rear recumbent tricycle with under-seat steering and a form of suspension with a pivot and shock absorber mid-frame.) Don't care what the pundits say! I love it. It's the comfort trike that gets me around town on errands and gives that exercise I need. July, 38 miles; August and September, over 100 miles; October, 82 miles (wife was in then hospital). November, she was still recovering and the weather went bad, but I still got in 37 miles, including two 10-mile runs. The last run was with the Michigan Freakbike Militia, my second ride with them, but that's another story. What a great group.



Photo 6: I built the grocery cart for the trike in November out of red oak and ash.

In October, I did a 8.5-mile ride with my son-in-law and his dad. We rode Indian Trails Park, northwest of Detroit. Flat and woodsy, with a 30 mph downhill at the start, which translates to a 5 mph uphill at the end. Son-in-law was on a high end trail bike and his dad was on a LeMond. I tried to keep up and did OK, but ran out of gears on the EZ-3. I may be 67 years old and overweight, but the little boy in me still wants to compete. I know I can't beat them, but I want something that will make them grunt a little.



Photo 7: Remember that wood bike reference earlier? Somewhere between all the other builds I tried a couple of wood-framed ideas, but they just didn't work out and never got on the ground. Take a look at the last photo. This is the Dragonwood. Wood frame, long and low, 21 speeds, incorporating the 7-speed hub from the delta trike and the seat from a previous wood bike attempt. More later. Stay tuned, this is a serial.

Northbrook, Ill. HPV races - July 13, 2008

MICHIGAN HPV ASSOCIATION President Mike Mowett of St. Clair Shores raced his Optima Baron at Northbrook. In the stock class,he finished 8th in the 200 meter sprint at a speed of 34.494 mph; in the 50-lap race, he finished 10th at an average speed of 23.559 mph. The Northbrook velodrome is 383 meters around. (Mike Eliasohn photos)


SO WHO'S DRIVING? It's Chris Burkhardt on the left who's steering; Bill Cook is the stoker. Cook owns Barcroft Cycles, but this tandem isn't one of his production bikes. They only raced in the 200 sprint, at a speed of 29.766 mph. A mechanical problem kept them out of the 50-lap race.



THE PANTHER streamliner built by Steve Spencer and his father, LaVerne, of Illinois, was still experiencing teething problems at Northbrook, but is technically very interesting. In the streamliner class, Steve finished third in the 200 meter sprints at 36.050 mph and, minus the top half of the canopy, was fourth in the 100 lap race at an average speed of 17.813 mph.

LAVERNE (at right, wearing straw hat) and Steve chose to use 700c x 23 (27-inch) wheels front and rear for minimal rolling resistance. The frame is chromoly steel tubing, TIG welded. The seat height is only 4 inches from the ground, and there's only about 1.25 inch of space between the bottom of the seat and the fairing, through which the chain has to run to the rear drive wheel. Front-wheel-drive was considered, Steve said, but he and his father decided that would make the drive train even more complicated.


In order to get a lower "hood line," instead of using a conventional front fork, LaVerne designed and machined this center pivot hub, which uses two bearings.















THE LAUNCH TECHNIQUE call's for Steve's wife, Teresa, on in-line skates, to hold the Panther upright until Steve has enough speed to pedal away. Unfortunately for Teresa, when Steve went down, which happened more than once, she also went down. (What some wives will do for their husbands.) Notice that until it's time to launch, there's a blower blowing air inside to keep Steve cool. See more about the Spencers' streamliner at www.wisil.recumbents.com/
wisil/spencer/panther.htm

Rick Gritters' (and others') big trip

RICK GRITTERS on his low racer, shown here on Blue Star Highway, north of St. Joseph, on Aug. 14, was quite a contrast compared to riders on regular bikes. He was riding here with Doug and Joy Lutke of Dorr, Mich. (Photos by Mike Eliasohn)




By MIKE ELIASOHN, MHPVA vice president

Rick Gritters of Pella, Iowa, usually pedals about 4,000 miles a year – a lot more than most cyclists, it's safe to say.
But this year, he and a lot of other cyclists are pedaling 3,881 miles in only two months.
Rick is one of the fastest riders in Human Powered Race – America events in the Midwest, and races on bikes he built. He's also built several low racer recumbents for other racers.
But rather than racing, Rick is riding in the Sea to Sea: Ending the Cycle of Poverty tour conducted by the Christian Reformed Church in North America and the Reformed Church in America.
Riders started their long journey June 30 in Seattle and will finish Aug. 30 in Jersey City, N.J. The route is longer than most coast-to-coast trips because of the leg through Michigan, done because both churches have their headquarters in Grand Rapids. Overnight stops were in South Haven on Aug. 14, Grand Haven, Grand Rapids Laingsburg and Richmond (on Aug. 19), before crossing into Canada.
To aid in those two churches' programs to help end poverty worldwide, cyclists riding the entire 3,881 miles were asked to each raise at least $10,000, and those going part of the route, $4,000. Rick said the goal was to raise $1.5 million, but as of when I (Mike) met with him in South Haven Aug. 14, close to $2 million had been raised.
Rick's personal goal was $10,000, but he and another rider from Pella raised almost $28,000 combined. “It takes a lot of letter writing,” Rick said.
You can read about Rick's adventures along the way at www.rickgritters.blogspot.com, which has links to the Sea to Sea Web site and for making a contribution.
About 125 riders, including Rick, are making the entire trip. Others are riding part way. For instance, about 60 riders joined the group in Grand Rapids to ride the final leg to Jersey City.
Rick is riding one of his front-wheel-drive bikes he previously raced. For the tour, he made substantial changes. Both wheels are 20 inch/406 mm size. He replaced the original drive wheel with one using a Sturmey-Archer 8-speed hub gear. He added two sprockets for a total of three. That, plus two chainrings gives him a total of 48 speeds, and gearing good for a range of about 5 mph to 40 mph.
Despite some reservations about going up mountain passes, Rick said the bike did fine. The only time he's gotten off and walked was to cross some bridges with a rough surface. And downhill, of course, and on flat surfaces, if he wants to, “It just flies...”
Rick rebuilt his low racer from the down tube back, in order to raise the seat and to get a steeper head tube angle. To make the bike easier to transport, he made the bike a take-apart, the joint being where the down tube meets the main horizontal tube. Three bolts on each side hold the two parts together.
Although Rick rides a lot of miles each year, he said, “Basically, this is my first tour of any kind.”
Interestingly, to those of us who think recumbents are the ultimate in comfort, Rick said his low racer is one of only five recumbents being ridden the entire 3,881 miles – three two-wheelers, including the Rans Mike Mowett mentions below, and two tricycles.
Since riders only have to carry items they need during each day's ride, most of the bikes on the tour from what I observed are road bikes, not touring bikes.
The shortest daily distance on the Sea to Sea was 41 miles; the longest, 113 on two consecutive days, followed by 100 miles on the third day. The most climbing in one day was 5,723 feet, with the ride that day totaling 95 miles. Each Sunday is a rest day.
UPDATE: On Aug. 30, Rick and about 190 other cyclists completed the Sea to Sea Tour, though not everyone went the entire distance. Final statistics, from Rick' s blog: Total miles, about 4,100; tires changed, two; no falls or accidents; and the only mechanical problem some broken front wheel spokes.


RICK GRITTERS and his homebuilt low racer, at the Sea to Sea overnight stop at Baseline Middle School in South Haven on Aug. 14. As of then, and hopefully for the rest of his journey, he had few problems with the bike. "Just in case," spare tires and an extra front wheel are among the items he carried in the semi-truck trailer that transported riders' belongings.



By MIKE MOWETT, MHPVA president
(Editing and some comments added by Mike Eliasohn)

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Tonight, I had the opportunity to see Rick Gritters and the Sea to Sea: Ending the Cycle of Poverty group.
Rick's been in Michigan since Thursday, Aug. 14, and several Michiganders got to see and support him. Mike Eliasohn, our vice president and blog editor got to have dinner with him in South Haven on Thursday. The route came within a few blocks of Mike's apartment in St. Joseph.
John Foltz on his Baron rode with him Monday as the group neared Lansing. Don Smith on his Velokraft NoCom rode with him today on most of the leg. Tomorrow, the group crosses into Canada via a ferry across the St. Clair River.
The travelers were camped out this evening at Richmond High School f and I got there about 7:30 pm, as they were doing their nightly discussion/riders' meeting. I didn't get a chance to ride with Rick due to my work schedule.
An interesting announcements at the meeting were that you can't cross into Canada carrying potatoes or berries on your bicycle. The organizers cautioned against that.
Rick said more than half of the riders are Canadians. This past weekend, 60 new people joined the group for the final leg from Grand Rapids to the Atlantic coast. More than 200 riders are doing some or all the portions of the trip. About 125, including Rick, are riding the entire 3,881 miles from coast to coast. Rick said it is the largest group of bicyclists to ever cross the U.S. in an organized trip, bigger than even the RAAM event. About 10 people have dropped out so far for various reasons.
Rick gave me a booklet showing the route. The preparations that went into this ride were enormous by some individuals, including Ed Witvoet, who drove the entire route in February, logging all the mile markers, distances, elevation gains from his GPS, and checking in and making reservations/arrangements at each school or park they are staying at.
This big of a trip requires a lot of planning and commitment from the riders and the volunteers who are making it happen. At the riders' meeting, several speakers shared about why they are here and what led them in their life to go on this trip, considering it is for such a long time (up to two months). There was spiritual guidance involved, and the guidance of others.
People are from all over the country on this trip. Rick only really knew one person, before the trip, a gal from Pella, Iowa, but she had to drop out after hooking her handlebars on a brush or tree one day and crashing badly. In sharing more stories of how riders came to meet and know each other, some other amazing stories unfolded. Rick said he was out riding one day on a trail in Iowa, and came across a group of cyclists. In that group was a gal from California. Rick mentioned his trip, and she asked, "Is that the Sea to Sea trip?" She already knew about it, because her brother-in-law was going on it, and he wound up being with Rick in the same small-group nightly discussion group.
Tonight's featured topic was about a man named Mark, a Rans recumbent rider. He was a church pastor who put a considerable amount of his time and energy into making this trip happen, not only for himself and others. Unfortunately, Mark died suddenly of a heart attack in February, before he could go on the trip.
Two speakers spoke about him, and how he influenced them to go on the trip. One said he was contacted by Mark's wife to see if someone would be willing to ride his Rans recumbent on the trip, as sort of tribute to Mark. That was only a month before the trip, and the speaker was worried that everyone had their bikes already, and to switch to a new bike at the last moment was a risk few would take. After e-mails to the group, someone volunteered to ride the Rans, feeling greatly fulfilled to do so.
One rider received money from Mark's church to do the ride on a Friday, just before Mark had his heart attack on a Monday. The last speaker was Mark's wife, who gave a moving testimony about his life.
Rick told me it must be remembered the important thing about the Sea to Sea tour is not the ride but its mission to end poverty. The money the riders raised all goes to that purpose. (He said the goal was to raise $1.5 million, but close to $2 million has been raised so far.) The money needed to support the riders and the truck caravan came from corporate sponsors.
One semi-truck trailer Rick showed me houses a commercial kitchen, where workers traveling with the tour prepare breakfast and dinner for the riders and a lunch they carry with them to eat on the road.
Another semi trailer is filled with row upon row of shelves, filled top to bottom with white laundry baskets holding all the riders personnel belongings. Each rider gets two baskets. Non-breakable items, such as tents and sleeping bags, go in duffle bags which go in the trailer's center aisle. Each rider is allowed only 60 pounds of goods, counting their tent. (Among Rick's items are spare 20-inch/406mm tires and an extra front wheel.)
Such things like a portable public address system and folding tables and chairs also are transported and set up for the meetings each night.
Rick said 20 support staff are on the trip, with the motorized fleet including the aforementioned two semis, another semi truck carrying food, two motor homes and two 12-passenger vans. One trailer carries a portable toilet, for use at rest stops, which are set up about every 20-25 miles.
Rick is currently doing a tour of duty on the "sweep crew,” which has to clean up the campground or school property in the morning after the other riders depart. Everyone else has to be on the road by 9 a.m.
Members of the sweep crew rides check at rest stops with volunteers, who check in each rider as they pass through. Riders have gotten lost when going to stores and it may take hours to find them and get them back on the route. Each night, a sheet of paper is given to each rider, showing them the route for the next day.
There isn't a professional bicycle mechanic on the Sea to Sea, so Rick and some others have become the unofficial mechanics. While we were chatting, one lady asked him to check her tires. It seems most of their air pumps are worn out by now, according to Rick. I can imagine they were put to good use! (He said the group is averaging about 20 flat tires a day.)
Rick said he only had to change his front Schwalbe Stelvio tire, due to it getting damaged by something and then flatting. The rear tire is still going strong – with more than 3,000 miles on it since before the start of the trip. (He also uses Stelvios for racing.)
The weather was getting cold when I left. Rick said they had a lot of very hot days in the first half of
their trip, before about Missouri. Now the days are getting shorter and he says riders have to spend more time waiting for the sun to come up in the morning.
Photos I took are at:
http://s47.photobucket.com/albums/f152/uprightmike/Rick%20Gritters%20SeatoSea/


THE DRIVETRAIN of Rick's bike consists of a Sturmey-Archer 8-speed hub, which he fitted with three sprockets, and dual chainrings, for a a total of 48 speeds. Since Rick uses the big chainring most of the time, shifting to the smaller chainring and back is done by hand; there's no front deraileur. The big chainring is on the inside, the opposite of normal, for better chain alignment. Notice that the bottom run of the chain runs directly from the chainring to the hub sprockets. Despite lack of an idler, Rick said the arrangement works fine.

Mich. Human Powered Vehicle Rally - June 21-22, 2008

DENNIS GRELK, shown here during the one-hour time trial in his Barracuda streamliner (built by Warren Beauchamp) won the streamliner class. He also won the stock class on his homebuilt low racer. (Photos by Mike Eliasohn)





By Mike Eliasohn, MHPVA vice president, and Mike Mowett, MHPVA president

The 25th annual Michigan Human Powered Vehicle Rally June 21-22, 2008, attracted 34 competitors to the Waterford Hills sports car racing track in Clarkston, the site since 1986. Several competitors entered more than one vehicle (and Dennis Grelk had three), so a total of 44 vehicles competed.
Of those, 28 competitors and 36 vehicles competed both days. Human Powered Race – America has added a tricycles-only class this year, which included a trikes-only race on Sunday, which no doubt was an incentive for some to compete both days.
In addition to Michigan, entrants came from Iowa, Maryland, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Ontario.
This being the 25th annual, the hope was there would be a record turnout, but that was not to be. (The record of 50 was in 2001) Nevertheless, there were several first-timers who hopefully will return and several “regulars” who weren't there, but hopefully will be in 2009. Obviously, the price of gasoline may have been a deterrent.
Points were first awarded in each individual event on a 60, 55, 50, 45, 42, 39, 36, 34, 32, 30, 29… etc basis. Then points were totaled to give one score per day. This was a new rule put into place this year by the HPRA race directors to hopefully balance the scoring a bit.
Here's the top two overall in each class according to the HPRA Points system, where each rider can get a maximum of 60 points per day. No tandems competed.
Streamliners (four entries): 1) Dennis Grelk, Donnellson, Iowa, Barracuda;, 120 points; 2) John Simon, Portland, Michigan, Moby, 115.
Superstreet (three entries): 1) Chris Burkhardt, Daisy, Md., Go-One velomobile owned by Garrie Hill, 120s; 2) Tedd Wheeler, Reed City, Easy Racers Javelin with homemade tailbox, 110.




CHRIS BURKHARDT, riding Garrie Hill's Go-One velomobile (made in Germany) won the SuperStreet class. It's shown here during the one-hour time trial, minus the canopy. The Go-One was very popular for test rides.




Superstock (one entry): Garrie Hill, Granville. Ohio, Barcroft Oregon, 60. (He didn't compete Sunday.)
Stock (20 entries) – 1) Dennis Grelk, homebuilt low racer, 120; 2) tie: Mike Mowett, St. Clair Shores, Optima Baron lowracer and Tim Hicks, Barrie, Ont., homebuilt lowracer, 100 each .
Junior (one entry) – Nick Myers, Holly, Trek upright bicycle, 120.



JULIE PITKO on her Challenge Fujin lowracer (top) tied with Dora Cortez for first place in the women's class. Dora is shown racing her Rick Gritters-built low racer at the July 13 HPV races on the velodrome in Northbrook, Ill.






Women (three entries) – 1) tie: Dora Cortez, Chicago, Rick Gritters-built lowracer; Julie Pitko, Sault Ste. Marie, Challenge Fujin lowracer, 115 each.
Tricycle (nine entries) – 1) Chris Burkhardt, Greenspeed SLR, 115; 2) Chris Cortez, Chicago, Greenspeed, 110.
A total of $405 in prize money was distributed, typically $25 for first place in class, $20 for second and $15 for third, provided there were participants in the class racing both days. Because the stock class had the most participants by far, the winner received $40 and prize money was paid down to sixth place ($10).
Here's the first place winners in the individual events, not including the two classes with one rider. Complete results are available at: http://www.recumbents.com/wisil/racing2008/Waterford2008Results.htm

SATURDAY: One-hour time trial: Streamliner – With John Simon dropping out due to a blown tire and Dennis Grelk due to a suspension part breaking, Warren Beauchamp of Elgin, Ill., was first with an average speed of 32.035 mph. Superstreet -- Bob Krzewinski, Ypsilanti, Lightning F40, 21.863 mph. Stock – Dennis Grelk, 27.442 mph. Women – Julie Pitko, 19.178 mph. Tricycles – Chris Burkhardt, 20.527 mph.
Hill climb – Streamliner – Dennis Grelk, 22.61 seconds. Superstreet – Bob Krzewinski, 23.85 sec. Stock – Dennis Grelk, 22.23 sec. Women – Jane Hunn, North Winchester, Ind., Specialized Sequoia upright bicycle, 29.09 sec. Tricycles – Tim Hicks, 22.05 sec.
Coast down – John Simon in his Moby once again coasted the farthest from the top of the hill, but the top four – all streamliners –– came to a stop within about 31 feet of each other. Dennis Grelk was second, Rich Myers of Xenia, Ohio, in his Moby was third and Warren Beauchamp was fourth. Superstreet – Bob Krzewinski; stock, Dennis Grelk; women, Dora Cortez; and tricycles, Chris Burkhardt.

SUNDAY: 200-foot sprints: Streamliners, Dennis Grelk, 43,71 mph, just ahead of John Simon at 43.43 mph. SuperStreet – Chris Burkhardt, Go-One velomobile, 35.05 mph. Stock – Dennis Grelk, 38.30 mph. Junior – Nick Myers, 28.89 mph. Women – Dora Cortez, 32.78 mph. Tricycles – Chris Burkhardt, Greenspeed SLR, 32.94 mph.
For the first-ever tricycle race, a special course 0.33 miles per lap was laid out for the 15-lap road race, with the emphasis on cornering. Nine trikes competed. Tim Hicks on his modified CatTrike was first at an average speed of 17.504 mph, followed by Chris Cortez on a Greenspeed, borrowed from Garrie Hill, 16.910 mph.
The final event was the 25-lap road race for the two-wheelers. This was the same course used in the past, about 1 kilometer in length, with S-turns and for the racers' benefit after a long weekend of racing, did not include the hill! Streamliners – John Simon, 29.210 mph, followed by Richard Myers. Dennis Grelk and Warren Beauchamp had to choose between racing their streamliners or stock class bikes and chose the latter. John was the only competitor to race 25 laps; after he finished, the race ended for all others the next time they crossed the finish line. Superstreet – Tedd Wheeler was the lone competitor, 18.461 mph (17 laps). Stock – Dennis Grelk, 26.149 mph (24 laps). Junior– Nick Myers, 16.845 mph (16 laps). Women – Julie Pitko, 19.619 mph (18 laps).



WARREN BEAUCHAMP on his Velokraft NoCom leads MHPVA President Mike Mowett on his Optima Baron during the one-hour time trial on Saturday.


Special mention should be made of Dennis Grelk, who came with his parents, Dwayne and Mary. Their normal 10-hour trip from and to Iowa took 12 hours because they had to detour far from their normal route to get to a bridge that was open across the flooded Mississippi River. In addition to Dennis' streamliner and stock class bike, they also brought urban transportation contest entries for him (a mountain bike fitted with an XtraCycle extension and Mary's Hase KettWiesel tricycle). Brad Bosworth also came from Iowa (the town of Nevada).
Oakland Press reporter Randal Yakey and photographer Jose Juarez were at the rally on Saturday and their article on Sunday, in time for some people who read it to come watch the morning's events. To see the article, plus a short video, go to www.theoaklandpress.com, click on “archives” at left and then on the date of the article, June 22.
Thanks to all those who helped conduct the event – Mike Mowett, Bill Frey, Warren Beauchamp, Garrie Hill, Luke Gilbert and Terry Gerweck. Apologies to anyone omitted. (Terry Gerweck and Mike Eliasohn started the Michigan HPV Rally, with the first two events held in Monroe.)
Thanks also to Reverse Gear (www.reversegearinc.com), a new maker of recumbent-specific clothing, based in Toronto. It donated a jersey worth $70-80. Sunday competitors participated in a drawing and the winner was Scott Forthoffer of St. Clair Shores. (Actually, Scott got a letter telling him how to contact the company. That way, the winner could get a jersey in his or her size.)







IN THE FIRST-EVER TRICYCLE RACE, Chris Burkhardt on his Greenspeed SLR leads Tim Hicks on a modified CatTrike. Tim finished first and Chris fourth in the 5-mile race. Chris Cortez on a Greenspeed was second. The trikes were leaving skid marks on this tight turn.