32nd annual Michigan HPV Rally - June 18-19, 2016

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, then under "recumbent racing," click on "Human Powered Race America," then on "racing rules." 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.


The Michigan HPV Rally is continuing, but the Michigan HPV Association is going out of business (see article below).  So to help empty the MHPVA treasury, the entry fee is only $10 for the weekend (both days), per entrant, even for those racing more than one vehicle. Register in advance by going to http://register.bostonandpop.com or at the rally.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. Again, to help empty the MHPVA treasury, prize money is being boosted this year.

Schedule of events (tentative, subject to change):
SATURDAY, June 18
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.
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, visithttp://www.waterfordhills.com/downloads/facilitymap.pdf orhttp://www.mapmyride.com/routes/fullscreen/179549320/ 
For additional information, contact: Mike Mowett, 313-574-0340 or mowett@aol.com, or Mike Eliasohn, 269-281-0797 or mikethebike2325@comcast.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, 810-632-7177, 61 rooms. About 18 miles west.
Waterford – Comfort Inn, 7076 Highland Road (M-59), 248-666-8555, 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 248-674-3434, 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 andrecreation," then "make a reservation.
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., Holly, northeast of Holly, 248-634-9811.
PRIVATE CAMPGROUNDS (www.michcampgrounds.com): Detroit Sportsmen's Congress Horseshoe Lake Campground, 1050 E. Oakwood Road, Oxford, 248-628-3859, e-mail dscoffice@gmail.com, www.d-s-c.org

The last MHPVA annual meeting - March 5, 2016

In conjunction with the MHPVA's last annual meeting, former President Mike Mowett prepared and presented Lifetime Achievement Award certificates to long-time members.  Front row, from left, Terry Gerweck, Monroe; Rick Wianecki, Okemos; Mike Eliasohn, St. Joseph; Bill Frey, Grosse Pointe Farms; and John Simon, Portland.  Back row, John Foltz, Hassett; Wally Kiehler, Grosse Pointe Woods; Mike Mowett, Detroit; Bob Krzewinski, Ypsilanti; and Gaylord Hill, Adrian.  Thank you, Mike!  (Photo by Roger Zielinski)

By Mike Eliasohn, immediate past president

What was anticipated to be the last annual meeting of the Michigan Human Powered Vehicle Association was, with a vote by those present that it terminate its existence as a non-profit organization effective Sept. 30, 2016.
The date is when our current annual registration with the state expires.
However, the Michigan Human Powered Vehicle Rally will continue for the foreseeable future, as will this blog and the website.  The 32nd annual rally will be June 18-19, again at the Waterford Hills sports car racing track in Clarkston.  Mike Mowett is the race director and details will appear on the blog and website soon.
But no more annual meeting and no more election of officers, though if someone wants to organize an informal winter gathering in future years, presumably in the Lansing-Detroit-Ann Arbor area, please do.
As previously discussed in this blog, the officers and board members of the MHPVA were "getting up in age," and there wasn't a younger generation who wanted to take over.  Plus, the Michigan HPV Rally could continue without the existence of a formal organization, as long was there is someone willing to be in charge.  (Thank you, Mike.)
Thirteen people attended the meeting in Erickson Hall on the Michigan State University campus.  Our thanks to Tim Potter, MSU Bikes manager, for making the arrangements
Three people brought bikes for "show and tell," which can be seen in the photos.
The first item of discussion was what to do with the $1,781.13 in the treasury.
After much discussion, it was decided, with no dissenting votes, to use that money to do the following for the 2016 rally:
+ Pay the track rental fee and HPRA insurance fee, expected to be $600 and $110 respectively. (Separate vote.)
+ Reduce the entry fee to $10 for the weekend.  In recent years, it has been $30 for both days, $20 for one day.  (Separate vote.)
+ Use all of the entry fee money for prize money, to be matched by the same amount from the treasury, to a maximum total of $600.(Separate vote.)
+ Whatever remains after that from the treasury will be given to Human Powered Race America for maintenance of timing equipment, which is used at all HPRA events. (Separate vote.)
There was discussion about possibly setting aside some money from the treasury to pay the track rental and insurance fees for the 2017 rally, but Mike Mowett, likely to also be the rally director next year, declined.  "I almost would rather have no money to manage," he said. That is, next year he will pay for the insurance in advance, then be reimbursed from entry fees.  Barring a change, the track rental fee can be paid during the rally, directly from the entry fees.

Terry Gerweck brought/rode his latest creation, Just Chillin.   He built it from two Next brand bicycles, parts from a trailer for hauling kids, including the two curved rear stays,  and miscellaneous "supplies" from his "stash. " He's ridden it on several club rides/pub crawls of up to 15 miles.  And, no, the little pink saddle with stars from a little girl's bike isn't comfortable "for my decidedly not little girl arse," Terry wrote, but it 's a color match for the rest of the bike.

There were two items of discussion regarding this year's rally, not involving money. 
First was ex-Michiganian 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 was 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 compared to the low racers.We decided at the 2015 annual meeting to measure the eye height of riders at the 2015 rally, then decide at this year's meeting whether it would be worthwhile to implement the sport subclass at the 2016 rally. 
Of the 15 stock class entries in 2015, six had an eye height of 42 or more inches. Of those, three were upright bikes, two at 62 inches and one at 57 inches. A Bachetta high racer (I think) was at 47 inches and two Cruzbikes were at 42 inches. 
Of the top five finishers in the stock class, only Daryl Hanger on a Cruzbike, who finished 5th, was at 42 inches or higher. The next two in the sport subclass – had we had it – would have finished 7th overall on a Cruzbike, and 9th overall on an upright.The winner of the stock class was Mike Mowett on his Morciglio M1 low racer, who had the lowest eye height, 27.5 inches. Second was at 36 inches and third was at 30 inches.
But after discussion March 5, the consensus – without voting – was to leave things as-is, that is, no sport subclass. There was lack of enthusiasm for Charles' idea. One person said no one who rides/races a bike that would qualify for the sport class has complained of an unfair disadvantage, so why bother?  Sorry, Charles.
The other discussion regarding the rally was whether to change any of the events.  The consensus was since the MHPVA no longer will be running the show, it's up to Mike Mowett to decide which events to include and the schedule.

Mike Mowett brought his John Morcigio built M1 low racer, on which he won the stock class at the 2015 Michigan HPV Rally over 15 other entries.  But he also rode Terry Gerweck's Just Chillin'  through (below) and around the obstacle course.

Finally, it was time for the vote. The motion was to end the MHPVA's status as a non-profit Michigan corporation as of Sept. 30, 2016, when the current registration with the state ends. Bill Frey made the motion, Mike Mowett seconded it, and it was passed unanimously.  Bill pointed out that the state will keep the registration on file for two years after that. If we don't pay the annual registration fee during that period, then the MHPVA officially will disappear as of Oct. 1, 2018.
The MHPVA was formed as a chapter of the International Human Powered Vehicle Association in July 1984, following the second annual Midwest Human Powered Vehicle Rally, organized by Terry Gerweck and Mike Eliasohn in Monroe. (The rally was eventually renamed the Michigan HPV Rally. It was been held every year since 1983, except for 1989, when we conducted the International Human Powered Speed Championships, and 2009, when we conducted the Michigan Human Powered Speed Challenge.)

Mike Eliasohn brought "Sloppy," his rat rod freak bike to the meeting. These photos were taken Dec. 12, 2015, outside Cycle-Re-Cycle, the non-profit bicycle shop in Benton Harbor, just after assembly was completed.  It's built from the front half of one frame and the back half of another, stretched about 10.5 inches with two sections of bicycle frame tubing.  Cutting, grinding and welding was done by Mike Voth, owner of Precision Welding & Repair, south of St. Joseph. The original goal was a bike that would look cool with whitewall tires. Eventually it may be painted one color and get new tires. (Wheels are 24-inch.)

Annual meeting March 5, 2016 (part II)

By Mike Eliasohn, MHPVA president


The annual meeting of the Michigan Human Powered Vehicle Association will be Saturday, March 5,  in the Erickson Hall Kiva Room, 620 Farm Lane, on the Michigan State University campus, starting at 1 p.m. More details can be read in the entry on this blog below the article by Charles Brown, posted Dec. 21. 
Our treasurer, Bill Frey, has e-mailed notice of the meeting to members and lapsed members for whom he still had an e-mail address.  (Thank you, Bill.)
If you want to join the lunch gathering for board members and anyone else who wants to come, please be at the International Center Foodcourt about 11:30-11:45. 

As mentioned in the Dec. 21 post, this likely will be the final meeting of the MHPVA, unless some people volunteer to become president and treasurer and possibly fill some other positions on the board.  

Regardless, the Michigan Human Powered Vehicle Rally will continue, at least this year (June 18-19), and hopefully future years.

Following is some information from Bill regarding ending of the MHPVA in accordance with our bylaws and articles of incorporation.  I (Mike) have added a few comments or added information in parentheses.

Officially the MHPVA will exist until it is dissolved. We are currently paid up (with the state of Michigan) through September 2016.  If we stop filing and paying the annual fee and do nothing else, it is my understanding that MHPVA will dissolve automatically about October 1,  2018, two years after the filing and fee payments are stopped.

There are other ways to dissolve in a more proactive way, but the automatic way may be the easiest process, and would make it easier to make the transition to a "club."

Our articles of incorporation state: No assets of the corporation shall inure to the benefit of any private individual, organization or corporation. In the event of the dissolution of the corporation, the assets shall be distributed to an organization qualified under Section 501(c)(3)of the Internal Revenue Code." (A 501(c)(3)is a tax-exempt charitable organization.)

As I read this, as long as the MHPVA exists we can use our money for rally expenses and any other expenses, including throwing a party if the MHPVA Board chooses to throw a party. We can also choose to make donations to other 501(c)(3) organizations, such as the League of Michigan Bicyclists and/or others.

Since we are (apparently) committed to phasing out having the non-profit corporation (the MHPVA) run the Michigan HPV Rally, but some Board members plan to continue it this year  and maybe future years, here is a proposal for how we can make best use of our treasury while making the transition to a "club" that is neither a 501(c)(3) organization nor a Michigan Non-Profit Corporation:

1. At the 2016 annual meeting, we form a "club" that will be in charge of running the 2016 and any future rallies. Perhaps someone can suggest a name for this "club." It probably should have at least two officers: President/race director and treasurer. 

2. Separately, MHPVA would elect a slate of new directors or keep its current directors to temporarily manage MHPVA's money until the treasury is drawn down to zero.  Some of those continuing on the MHPVA Board could also serve as officers of the new "club" if desired.

3. MHPVA and the new "club" will cosponsor the 2016 Rally and will pay the fixed costs (track rental and insurance fees and possibly an amount for prizes) up front.

4. The "club" will organize the rally, decide on what registration fees shall be charged, and collect and manage whatever money is collected for its own purposes.

5. MHPVA will collect no more money, but its acting board of directors may decide to spend its remaining money on another event or make donations to one or more 501(c)(3) organizations until no money is left. Then MHPVA will be left to "fade away."

(Mike E.:  An alternative to having an informal club run future Michigan HPV Rallies is to have an individual do it, and thus not have a need for the club and choosing officers.
The Michigan HPV Rally is the only Human Powered Race America sanctioned event run by a club.  The others are run by individuals, who pay the insurance, track rental fee and other up-front expenses, then reimburse themselves from the entry fees collected.
But, if we go that route, we need to have someone willing every year to reserve the track and pay the rental fee, set the date, pay for insurance, recruit other volunteers, keep track of the money, etc. If no one is willing to do that, that means this year's rally, the 32nd annual, will be the last one.)

Some creations by Charles Brown (old and new)

      Editor's note: Charles Brown is an ex-Michiganian. He and his wife, Blue, moved from Ann Arbpr to Clearwater, Fla., in August 1994, and on cold days like this (Jan. 17, 2015), he sends us warm thoughts.

     To us old-timers, Charles is best known for the wood-frame recumbents he built, some of which are shown below. But in more recent years, he's been building frames from cheap steel, doing the welding on the patio of his first-floor apartment (there's no apartments or patios above him), using a $300 mig welder he bought at a home improvement store.

     He makes sure his next-door neighbors are gone when he does the cutting, pounding, etc., inside his apartment. 

     Charles has taken his many years of experience in building recumbent bicycles and put them on "paper," so to speak.  Go to www.recumbents.com, as as of when this is being posted, "Charles Brown Recumbent Design" is the lead item.  It's divided into four sections:  Frame design, steering and ride, air drag and a very comprehensive summary with lots of charts.

    I found in my "Charles Brown" file two cartoons he drew, but I never used, so I added those.

—Mike Eliasohn, editor

Mortimer, by Charles Meredith Brown

This is the most recent bicycle I've constructed, in 2014. Mike E. has been asking me for a while to write something about this bike for the blog. This one? It is not technically very innovative, just a long wheelbase bike with the seat lowered to 13" above the ground.

Other people tell me this is the best- looking bicycle I've built in a while. I agree. The triangulation is pretty good. If you look carefully, the idler is well- braced by the trusswork. I think many other people's idler mounts should be more solidly constructed - even some big-name manufacturers. More on my reasoning behind it can be found on "recumbents.com".

It's fun and comfortable to ride. I've found the air drag could be made lower by raising the feet and laying the seat back, which is where my thinking is now days.

The 'Moonlight' series of bicycles

by Charles Meredith Brown

I like long wheelbase bikes a lot. I think short wheelbase bikes, when equipped with light, high-performance tires, have too rough a ride.

Disadvantages with traditional long wheelbase bikes, as I see it, are the air drag is too high, and there isn't enough weight on the front wheel, so it slides out more easily than it should.
I started to think, if the whole rider position were rotated back to reduce air drag, space opens up under the cranks so you can push the front wheel back. Leaning back the seat means the back wheel has to move back to make room for it, so moving both wheels backwards relative to the rider puts more weight on the front wheel. The result would have speed, sharp cornering, and the smooth long wheelbase ride.

I've been futzing around on this design since 1994, trying different variations, wheel sizes, indirect steering systems, etc.

Here are pictures of several of the bikes. Almost all used the monotube frame design. The reason for this is that most of the frames are made of wood! Wood has an Achilles' heel of being flexible in torsion, so most successful wooden recumbent frames are monotubes of large diameter, hollow construction to cure this. 
 I did not own a camera for a long time, so many interesting bikes are not shown here.  Several used indirect steering.  I learned good-quality ball joints purchased from Wicks Aircraft (www.wicksaircraft.com) made a hugh difference, with much less lost motion in the steering.

This is Charles during the last Michigan HPV Rally he competed at, in June 1994.  The frame is a box structure, with thin plywood sides and half-inch thick wood top and bottom. Except for the tapers at the ends, the "box" measures 3 inches wide and 5 inches deep. The box runs to the right side of the rear wheel  and tapers to a solid fiberglass dropout. The left side stays were made of solid white pine.  The bike weighed only 26 pounds.   It was designed for a 16-inch front wheel, but there's a 20-inch wheel in the picture to squeeze a little more speed out of it for the race, which was okay as long as Charles was careful in tight turns.  

This one has a varnished wood frame and tailcone and was designed around a light, high-performance 16 x 1 front wheel produced for racing wheelchairs, using a Primo tire and Sun Metal rim.  The wheel was surprisingly durable in this use.  The hole  in the back of the seat was the storage compartment - just stuff in your things and go!  My bikes were used for commuting, so I had to be able to carry a few things.  The seat back was some stiff cloth webbing wrapped tightly in a one-piece spiral around two uprights.  This was uncomfortable at first, but slowly it shaped itself to my back and became quite nice, while still providing something stiff to press against.  The bike accelerated and climbed hills well, helped by minimizing how much the chain changed direction at the idler and a light, stiff frame.

This is OLYMA  (stands for On Your Left, Mr. [Lance] Armstrong!). The front wheel is unusually far back in the picture.  Many of my bikes ended up with a series of headset holes running down the frame as I tested different steering geometries, handlebar setups, and the like.

If you’re using almost any construction material other than wood, I recommend a truss structure as the design puts considerable vertical loads on the frame. This drawing shows how I’d build it if I were using metal tubes.

This bike's frame consists of a giant steel tube.  I had more steering tests to do on it, and this construction virtually eliminates torsional flex.

 I didn't write anything about this lime green bike 'cause I couldn't think of anything that really stood out about it.  

Dates set for annual meeting, HPV Rally

      The Michigan Human Powered Vehicle Association annual meeting will take place Saturday, March 5, on the Michigan State University campus.
      The 32nd annual Michigan Human Powered Vehicle Rally will be Saturday and Sunday, June 18-19, at the Waterford Hills sports car racing track in Clarkston.
      The meeting will be in the Erickson Hall Kiva Room, 620 Farm Lane. (Thanks to Tim Potter of MSU Bikes for making the arrangments.) We last met there on Feb. 21, 2009. The meeting will start at 1 p.m., beginning with show-and-tell, so if you have anything pedal-powered to show, please bring it.
     The meeting date was set, in part, because the 21st annual Quiet Water Symposium (www.quietwatersymposium.org) takes place that day in the MSU Pavilion, likely from 9-5:30, so there will be time to attend that event, plus the MHPVA meeting.
     Despite the "water" in the name, some bicycle organizations will be exhibiting at the symposium, so it might be worth attending, even if you are not a canoeist/kayaker/sailor, etc. Show-and-tell usually lasts at least a half-hour, so if you stay too long at the QWS, please still come to the meeting.
     The Kiva Room is on the ground floor, which will make it easy to bring bikes/trikes in and out for show-and-tell. 
     The International Center Foodcourt is a short walk away (less than 5 minutes). There's a coffee shop that also sells donuts, bagels and pastries. Board members and anyone else who want to meet beforehand for lunch should be there about 11:30-11:45. (But if you prefer to go to the QWS, please do, rather than meeting for lunch.) There’s also a Starbucks in Wells Hall, about the same distance away from Erickson Hall.
     Here’s a map link to Erickson Hall: http://maps.msu.edu/interactive/index.phplocation=eh Car and bicycle parking is available outside and is free on Saturdays.
     As we discussed at the 2015 annual meeting and HPV rally, the March 5 meeting will likely be the last for the MHPVA, that is, we will dissolve, unless some new people are willing to take over the organization.
     Both I and Bill Frey, our treasurer, are in our early 70s and have been involved with the MHPVA since the early days. At the last meeting, we volunteered to become president and treasurer again because no one else wanted the jobs, but did so with the understanding we would only do it for a year.
     If you want to read about our discussions regarding the future of the MHPVA – and please do – see the reports on the blog about the last annual meeting, posted March 9, 2015, and the Michigan HPV Rally, posted June 18, 2015.
     Bill Frey reminds us that the MHPVA is incorporated, so if it dissolves, the money in our treasury legally must be donated to non-profit organizations, so that will be a topic of discussion. It cannot be divided among the members, nor can we blow the money on a wild (or not-so-wild) party.
     An option would be for the MHPVA to continue as a less-formal club, but that would still require someone to be the leader, and we might also need a treasurer.
     For now, the MHPVA officers are: 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.
     If anyone reading this has thoughts about the future of the MHPVA, please e-mail me at mikethebike2325@comcast.net. 
     Even though the MHPVA may come to an end, the Michigan HPV Rally will continue as long as someone is willing to be in charge (thank you, Mike Mowett) and people want to compete. We will discuss the rally at our meeting, but chances are there will be few if any changes from past events. All the details will be published on this blog after the meeting.
     At the meeting, we also will be discussing ex-Michiganian Charles Brown's proposal for creation of a sport subclass to the stock class. You can read previous discussion on the blog, "A sport subclass?," posted July 11, 2015. 
     To qualify for the sport subclass, a riders' eyes would have to be at least 42 inches from the ground. Charles' 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.
    And speaking of Charles, he spent a lot of time researching, writing and making drawings for his thesis on recumbent design, which was recently posted on www.recumbents.com. It's divided into three parts: Frame design, steering and ride and air drag. It's somewhat technical, but worth reading, or at least looking at. – 

– Mike Eliasohn, MHPVA president

HPV racing in Britain

A variety of vehicles raced at Fowlmead.  From left are Ian Perry in a DF velomobile; Mark Vowells on a Ken Rogers tricycle; and Magdalena Williams on a Challenge Fujin Tour.

Text by Mike Eliasohn; photos by Martin Purser

My friend, Martin Purser, who lives in England, sent me some photos he took at the British Human Power Club races Aug 8-9, 2015, at Fowlmead.
The BHPC is a very active organization, with 11 racing events in 2015, most at auto road racing tracks. Fowlmead was the only two-day event, the rest being one day.
At Fowlmead, several Tricycle Association members participated, including Martin and his wife, Alison, on their tandem trike. Most TA members ride upright trikes – think of a "10-speed" road bike, with two wheels in the rear (or just look at the photos). The Pursers, whom I've known since at least 1980, are both very active in the TA.
I found most of the information for the captions in issues of LaidBack Cyclist, the BHPC magazine. I (Mike) am a member of the BHPC and the TA, both of which publish quarterly magazines (unlike a California-based HPV organization I could name).  The winter 2015-16 issue of LaidBack Cyclist totals 54 pages, including an 18-page report on the World Human Powered Speed Challenge at Battle Mountain, Nev. The autumn 2015 issue of the TA Gazette is 56 pages.
I have some issues of both magazines I don't need to keep. If interested, please e-mail me at mikethebike2325@comcast.net.
The websites for the two organizations are www.bhpc.org.uk and www.tricycleassociation.org.uk.

Racers await the one-at-a-time start of the five-lap time trial on the short course (total of 4.05 miles) on Saturday. The longest race at Fowlmead, on Sunday, was 2 hours plus one lap of the long course (1.99 miles).

Tricycle Association President Geoff Booker (standing, wearing yellow jersey) sorts  out the teams for the mixed relay (upright tricycles and various HPVs) at Fowlmead. The teams were selected from aggregate times achieved by competitors in the time trial.

Well-known cycle designer, builder and author Mike Burrows on one of his carbon fiber creations.  He finished 4th overall on Saturday and 13th on Sunday.  The single blade fork is on the left side. The fourth edition of his book, Bicycle Design, was published this year.

Steve "Slash" Spade in Beano finished first overall on Saturday and Sunday at Fowlmead. He won the 2-hour + 1 lap race Sunday (63.7 miles) at an average speed of 31.3 mph. He also was BHPC 2015 season champion in the open class.  The other classes are partial-faired, unfaired, ladies, ladies partial-faired, street, sports, multi-track, faired multi-track and junior.

Brian Robertson in a Go-One Evo KS, made in Germany.  At Fowlmead, he was third overall on Saturday and Sunday.  He was BHPC season champion in the faired multi-track class.

John Lucian in Blue Wave finished 9th overall on Saturday and 8th on Sunday at Fowlmead.  He was second in the faired multi-track class for the season. The fairing appears to be "shrink wrap" aircraft fabric over a tubular (presumably) framework.  Rick Gritters of Iowa used the same technique for building a fairing for his two-wheel low racer.

Lez Young (Trykit) leads Sid Charlton (Ken Rogers), Geoff Booker (Trykit)  and Ian Mathews (in rear, Higgins) in this criterium, eventually won by Booker. In addition to being Tricycle Association president, Booker operates Trykit Conversions Ltd., making upright tricycles and conversion axles for mounting to two-wheeler frames. The other current manufacturers of high quality trikes in the U.K. are Longstaff Cycles (two wheels in the rear) and Roman Road Cycles (two wheels in front). The vast majority of TA members ride upright trikes with the two wheels in the rear.  

Ian Perry in a DF velomobile finished second overall on both days at Fowlmead.  He's also in the photo at the top of this story.  

Northbrook, Ill., HPV races - July 25-26, 2015

Words and photos by Mike Eliasohn

The annual human powered vehicle races took place July 25-26 at the velodrome in Northbrook, Ill.

In past years, Saturday racing was usually at Northbrook, then on Sunday, on the velodrome in Kenosha, Wis.  (A few times, it was the reverse.) However, the Kenosha oval is being repaved this year, so both days were at Northbrook.

It was hot and humid, so kudos to the racers who endured, especially those in the streamliners and velomobiles.

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

Tim Wright came all the way from Peach Tree City, Ga., with his front-wheel-drive low racer that he finished about a year ago. It was the first time he raced it. Of the 14 entries in the stock class, he finished 7th, with a best of 4th in the standing start kilometer. The frame is made of .060 inch aluminum sheet, cut to shape using a CNC water cutting jet at work. (Something you can't do if you work in a bank or law office.)  The pieces were then welded together. Wright said he should have used thicker aluminum, to reduce stress cracks. He also made the fork.

Both wheels are the larger 20-inch size (451mm).  There's a single chainring, so only seven speeds, with a crossover at the top of the front wheel. Wright said for his next bike, he's planning a more laid-back, hence more aerodynamic, seating position.

The slender rear stays can be seen in this photo.  The slot in the seat foam holds a cell phone. Wright hasn't weighed his low racer, but figures it's no more than 30 pounds.

Thom (standing) and Charlie Ollinger, from Dayton, Ohio,  with their latest creation, a front-wheel-drive moving bottom bracket design  (similar to a Cruzbike). Thom did the machining and his son did the welding.  The frame is made from 6061 aluminum aero shaped tubing, intended for airplane wing struts.  Both wheels are 700c. Charlie said weight is in the low 20s.   Charlie only competed on Sunday, finishing 4th in the stock class in the standing start kilometer and 6th in the 1-hour time trial.

The Ollingers' bike, with its aero-shaped tubing, lies next to Mike Mowett's John Morciglio-built M1.  Mike, of St. Clair Shores and MHPVA vice president, won the stock class class over 13 other competitors.

Sean Costin of Arlington Heights, Ill., immediately after winning the 100-lap race Saturday afternoon for the streamliner and streetliner classes. It was extremely hot and humid. which felt even worse for the eight  competitors in their fully enclosed vehicles. "I was ready to throw up," Sean said. "I was just exhausted." During the race, he said he was thinking, "It was these laps can't come fast enough."  Sean's son, Jonathan, 12, who competed in the junior class, holds the top half of the fairing.

Husband Dan Zolyniak attaches the drinking tube for wife Amanda before the start of the 50-lap race Saturday afternoon.  She was the only competitor in the women's class.  The Toronto, Ontario, couple built this carbon fiber low racer and the streamliner in which Dan won that class over four other competitors.  In the 50-lap race for stock class entries, Amanda finished 10th overall, completing 43 laps at an average speed of 23.621 mph. (When the first place competitor finishes his 50th lap, all other competitors finish the laps they are on and are done.)

Clifford Lofgren (shown here during the 25-lap race) and Adrian Kowalik, both age 6 and riding KMX trikes, were the youngest competitors. Clifford is the son of Eric and Charlotte Lofgren and grandson of Bruce and Linda Gordon, all of Buchanan, Mich. Clifford's father, on a Cannondale upright bike and grandfather, in his Greenspeed velomobile, also completed.  The oldest competitor, in his Mini Moby streamliner, was Rich Myers, 79,  of Xenia, Ohio.

Riders get ready for the start of the 50-lap race Saturday afternoon for stock class entries.  Eric Lofgren, standing by his upright Cannondale, is eye-level with the still-standing riders on their high racers – until they get started and are almost horizontal.