Just got back from the HPV World Championships at Cycle
Vision in the Netherlands.
The UK contingent in the racing was somewhat thin - just Rob
and Nick Green on the track (unless anyone knows different
of course) and Sherri Donaldson (an Aussie lurking among the
Brits) doing the English commentary.
Rob participated in the quarter mile drag racing, and the
one-hour and three-hour races (yes he's mad. Fortunately it
was overcast on Saturday when the three-hour race happened).
His racing machine may be seen here:-
cubekiq.student.utwente.nlWK CV 6 6 20Open ↗
04/image047.h tml
He was also entered in the Criterium and the multitrack
races, but unfortunately the crit track and Rob's fairing
proved to be incompatible
- on his first practice lap there was a mighty Thump and a
bending of aluminium, so those races were sadly abandoned
lest the fairing become Utterly Knackered, somewhat like
its owner after finishing the three hour race.
Mr Green exited the three-hour race after an hour and a half
or so inna-sideways-stylee, but fortunately there was no
major damage, either to him or to his Wooden Fish on Wheels
(which is of course, neither Wooden, nor a Fish) and they
were reunited for the one-hour race the next day. The name
of a certain Mr Fleming (another BHPC-type person) was
called for this race, but unless he has perfected the
entirely invisible bike, he wasn't there.
The results aren't up yet, but no doubt will arrive soon.
I spent much of the time manning the Greenspeed stand in the
trade tent. Unfortunately, owing to a last minute change of
plans by the site owners, this was located about a ten
minute walk away from the startline for the track events,
which must have been frustrating for the organisers. When
not racing, Rob spent his time helping me on the stand and
drooling over the Flevobike Versatile on the stand opposite.
(flevobike.nlindexmodellen.htmlOpen ↗).
Also unfortunately the GT3 folding trike that was supposed
to be the centrepiece of the stand only made it as far as
the Fedex warehouse in Amsterdam. We were Not Pleased, but
at least German Eslava from Cab-Bike had one on his demo
stand, so all was not utterly lost.
The campsite at 't Oppertje was pretty much taken over by
International Darksiders - by Saturday night they were using
a shoehorn to fit more tents in - and the atmosphere was
very nice and friendly, although I got bitten by mosquitoes
a Several of times (boo! hiss!). Going *upstairs* to the
lake was a somewhat surreal experience too....
Rumour has it that there may not be a Cycle Vision next
year, or at least not in Lelystad - the organisers are
understandably desirous of a rest and are thining of
dropping it back to every two years, possibly with other
countries hosting it in the alternate years.
--
Carol Westcountry Recumbents wrhpv.comwrhpv.comOpen ↗ Feet first
on three wheels.