A Personal History Of The Early Challenges 1993-1999
1990
The first ACT HPV Challenge was held in 1990, most events were in the car park of the Russell Offices in Canberra Australia.
That day I borrowed a Peer Gynt a long wheel base recumbent, standard with rubber block rear suspension and Magura hydraulic brakes, one of two brought down for the weekend by a bike shop in Sydney. The incredible comfort and stopping ability impressed me greatly. That day I discovered that recumbents don't need to stop pedaling round corners, and I discovered the limits of adhesion for the front 1 1/4" tyre it was fitted with. I think the long wheel base prevented a total lose, but not the change of direction.
The down hill coast was held on a disused section of the Federal Highway on the way into Canberra, the flying 200 metre sprint was held in fearsome headwinds and at times driving rain on Majura Lane next to Canberra Airport. For the sprint I used my mountain bike with slicks, drop bars and a Zipper fairing, I did fairly well, until one or two other competitors stopped practising! The road was not closed, witches hats were used to give us some degree of separation. Being a long straight stretch the strategy was to wait for a gap in the thin traffic there was.
1991
The event moved to the Canberra industrial suburb of Mitchell.
This was the year I found out how much difference a fairing can make.
The Down Hill Coast was held on a relatively gentle gradient, along Flemington Rd. Mitchell. Starting almost at the corner of with Lysaght St. Down the hill, Big Red, a fully faired recumbent had troubles getting started. The hill wasn't steep enough to roll fast enough to get balance easily. Once Big Red eventually go a good start I seem to recall it had to stop at the end of the road, a Tee intersection with Northbourne Ave, you couldn't go any further. There was another who did the same, once I get the records you will read the name.
Of course most didn't make it anywhere near that far. After the previous year using my mountain bike with the Zziper I thought I should use it again.
The course had an uphill section just after rounding the corner and crossing Sullivans Creek, once you got over the rise it was down, slightly, then up to Flemington Rd. I made it over Sullivans Creek and almost to the top of the rise. I recall coming fourth, being beaten by a lighter road bike with a Zziper and a heavier rider. He beat me by about 3 or 4 metres, it was close.
All the other unfaired vehicles, recumbent bicycles and trikes, road bikes etc, were some distance behind us. I was impressed by what a well designed piece of Lexan could do.
1992
The Challenge moved yet again, to its' current home. The Sutton Driver Training Complex, just out of Queanbeyan but inside the ACT.
I was there on my trusty blue mountain bike again, fitted with the same fairing. Not much R&D in this camp. Though I think I was using 1.5 inch slicks rather than 1.9 by now.
Getting back to the Down Hill Coast again, an event that doesn't rely on fitness (though some say blobness helps, but no I'm not) this year I experimented. I did trial runs with knees tucked in and parallel, yes, with knees tucked right in and posterior protruding off the back of the seat, ala downhill and head where the Zzipper instructions said and it was definitely faster according to the trip computer.
I guess the tail over the saddle became a tail fairing of sorts. The right spot was easy to get, wait for the feel of wind tearing at the bottom of the tee shirt.
I still got beaten by the fully faired vehicles and one tandem, though still outrolled all other comers.
This year was the first time I saw short wheel base recumbents cornering at insane angles. The criterium circuit at the track is not a series of straights with bends and corners. A better description is a series of bends, corners and hairpins in between up right bits, only just long enough for the strongly endowed or fitter to retake the lead from the more suicidally inclined (or so they seemed at the time).
Not being able to pedal around the corners was a real handicap with recumbents around.
Then there were the trikes, not only could they corner about as tight as a recumbent bike, on 2 of their 3 wheels, they could also do hairpins even faster. Most of the trikes there were Green Speeds with very nicely set up drum brakes on the front wheels. With a small amount of practice it was easy to do a 180 around a witches hat at speed. Distinctly unfair!
I recall the pilot of Big Red withdrawing from the second days events due to a fairly catastrophic run in with a concrete creek crossing at the bottom of a very fast hill. A slight amount of instability is all it takes at speed with a few bumps, just add water as the recipe says. He slid for some distance, losing bits of fairing and skin. He was practicing for the Road Race.
While Big Reds demise was dramatic the HPV Challenge has been instrumental over the years in illuminating problems and superiorities of different designs under trying conditions.
The Canberra Bicycle Museum generously brings along some of their collections of HPVs of varying vintages, from vintage Penny Farthings (supervised riding only) to more modern creations. One or two of these demonstrate interesting design problems at speed. An educational sight, regardless of the rider. Most are a ball of fun to ride.
I think this was my first sighting of the semi-recumbent tandem, a strange animal, though definately not lacking in speed or agility. Next year they actually came second outright in the flying 200 metre sprint, behind me. This is the one and only time I have won an event. I wasn't riding my mountain bike anymore, Same Speed had been born. Same Speed was a recumbent tandem.
Like many couples who go out for a ride, Lindsay and I have the common problem that one partner is ready to go just when the other decides to arrive.
Neither of us really wanted a normal tandem, having a clear view of my back is not my idea, or Lindsays, of a good day out. Then there was the problem of frame sizing. One day we sat down, legs in front, Lindsay sitting behind. The view seemed a little more panoramic.
Same Speed, built by Wayne Kotzur, was a really nice tandem to ride, all the stokers have remarked on the degree of comfort. There were even handrests provided, along with trip computer, mirror etc, though no pillow!! Definately no encouragment for sleeping while pedalling. The Ryan Recumbents photo sums up the general feeling.
1993-1999
Damien Clarke developed the computerised scoring system used at the HPV Challenge since 1994. Before that, results were collated on numerous pieces of paper, it took somewhat longer to work out who had done what.
Organisation for the Challenge is handled by Oz HPV Inc., the principle organiser is The Bikecologist, Wayne Kotzur, who was also the initiator of the Challenge in 1990.
Many resources are supplied by Pedal Power, the ACT recreational and cycling lobby group.
The Canberra Tradesmens' Union Club is another major sponsor.
Also via Canberra Tradesmens' Union Club, the Canberra Bicycle Museum is another major supplier of funding and resources. As well as preserving our past history, the museum encourages technological developments in the bicycle for a better future. The HPV Challenge?
Here we don't think of our HPVs as toys, we think of them as vehicles of practical use, you know the "V" part of HPV.
We all race together, not in closely defined classifications (we leave that to the diamond frame subset of cycling), and we all contest in over a dozen greatly varied events in the one weekend.
Its not just about the fastest top speed (quite insignificant out on tour or going to the shops). Different events favour different vehicle design styles so all in all it evens out, just as it does in real life on the way to the office! What's more we have fun and camaraderie, opponents (in the market place and in the races) share newly found secrets for the betterment of HPV design.
That's why its good to race here!
Oh yes, there is the cost, entry fee $30, one race $5
Another Opinion
If you want to have a fun weekend with other HPV people and their machines in Oz, this is THE place to be!
The accent in Canberra is on PRACTICAL vehicles, so the course is NOT flat! The first time I went there was a mad scramble to change racing clusters for MTB clusters! It is a lovely little 2.5km circuit. From the start line, the straight is about 500m, very slightly down hill, then there is a long sweeping curve, which tightens up quite suddenly, and at the same time gets steeper and steeper (puff puff), over the crest, it straightens out and drops quite quickly though a water splash, drops again to a sharp right hander, then left hand hairpin, a series of about 7 undulating curves, then dropping, picking up speed, to a tight right hand bend, and then a sweeping left hand 180 degree bend dropping quite fast, back on to the straight!
It does not matter what sort of a bike or trike or HPV you have, silly diamond frame or prone fully faired racer, you can bring it along and race it or just put it on display and watch. In fact you do not even need to own a HPV to race - there is usually a couple of spares. Spectators are welcome!
You do not need to be super fit to race or even win - accent is more on having a good time, talking to other HPVers, and, the best bit - trying other people's HPVs :-)
Ian Sims (Greenspeed)