Human-Powered Car Enjoyable Day

Sunday was hpv enjoyable day at Hellyer Velodrome in San Jose. That is organized by an area couple Carol and George Leone who do it as a labor of affection. They cost a charge for taking part nevertheless it barely covers their prices. We had a gorgeous late spring day for the event. The velodrome is about 15 miles from my home, so I rode my recumbent there, partly on the Coyote Creek path, and partly on roads with good bike lanes. We needed to enter through the again gate as a result of the trail from the primary entrance to Hellyer Park to the velodrome was nonetheless flooded.

I had a little bit of a tailwind so I received there in 53 minutes. Then we had been in a position to heat up on the velodrome monitor for about half an hour. It’s amusing how intimidating that is at first- the banking appears actually excessive for these of us who expertise driving on it solely annually. However after a few laps, your confidence comes again and it turns into actually enjoyable zooming on the monitor.

The primary occasion was a 200-meter time trial. We got a full lap to stand up to hurry then did the timed half. We might additionally reap the benefits of the banking by staying up excessive at first then swooping all the way down to the black line on the backside of the banking for the timed run. I loved this a terrific deal. I crashed doing this occasion just a few years in the past on a folding bike, partly as a result of it had small wheels and partly as a result of the place within the aero-bar handlebar extensions on an upright isn’t probably the most secure. This time I used to be on my recumbent, and the “aero” place is with the arms with their regular grip on the handlebars. So I felt way more safe.

There have been just a few extra group races after that. Resulting from my inexperience driving in a bunch on a monitor, these felt much less secure to me, and I’d promised my spouse I’d watch out, so I skipped most of them, having my lunch whereas I loved watching and filming them. My favourite was the “miss and out” race: On the finish of every lap, the final place rider is pulled from the race. This continues till there is just one rider left, who’s the winner. I uploaded a video of the tip of this race right here:

I couldn’t resist doing the “Medicare” race, nonetheless, open to members over 65, by which there have been 4 entrants. Two of the others had been fully-faired “velomobiles” and the opposite was a higher-performance recumbent than mine, way more reclined and aerodynamic. So I used to be not stunned to put lifeless final. But it surely was nice enjoyable. It’s attention-grabbing that unfaired bikes, being lighter, begin out way more rapidly than fully-faired ones, however their aero benefit rapidly takes over in order that they catch up rapidly. Being handed by one is thrilling as a result of they make a really distinct noise developing behind you after which a whooshing sound as they fly proper by.

After that race, I took off for residence, which took about 70 minutes this time because it was in opposition to a slight headwind. A most pleasurable outing. Thanks, Carol and George!