WC2024 - World HPV Championships - a folly to far ?

[DannyC]

No pictures as nothing has changed [ yet ] however seat moved forward 2" front derailleur working , as Nexus 7 defaults to low gear that means I can ride it around with those 3,
So brakes working and off we go , not drama ' hey it's just a Python after all ' , couple laps around the estate nice and quite good handling and turning circle adequate [ i.e much more nimble than a tadpole [ sorry DannyC not intended for you ].
next up need IGH cabled up and working then look at changing seat ...
Wish I could find the speedo for it , that would be good.
Monday looks within reach at moment.

Paul

As I recall, other speedo's are available. Just glue a magnet somewhere suitable if the standard things can't fit.

 

[Dale Rider]

I use Cateye Strada Cadence. It's wired-cable, which suits my carbon bodied trike as wireless signals wouldn't get through. The cables are long enough for recumbents, important. It's easy (old school) to use rather than modern cluttered versions that are really for bikes. It's old and mostly out of stock, so cheapish and shows up second hand at a good price. I've just bought a new one ( I have two) for £35.00. There is one going on eBay for £25 at the moment. Good luck. Model is CC-RD200

CATEYE [STRADA CADENCE]

STRADA CADENCE[CC-RD200]

www.cateye.com

 

[stormbird]

So post #58 set myself a challenge a run to mum's Monday or it is scrapped .....

and here we are ready for a go.
Nexus 7 works - check
Brake works - check
Front mech works - check
creaking from rear found & fixed - check [ see below ]

If it is successful then it needs to be made race ready , some open tubes need wooden bungs making and I need a chain ring protector and somewhere for the race numbers and timing tags to be mounted.

Maybe a fairing ? see below.

Rear not at minimum width , 18" tyre centres

Enlisting the help of a neighbour he discovered the creaking and general sponginess when the trike was rocked/crossed camber was down to the 2 bolts not holding the rear axle in tight enough , I wanted it removable for slowly reducing the width to see how narrow it could go and still be safe ?

No time for that now so narrow axle fitted it can go down to 16" width if I feel I need it , however currently running @ 18" so welded up original clamp and 2 braces added [ would that make it belt and braces ? ]

So how wide is that actually ?

Sorry for white bit of wood , card has a drawing of the seat in the middle and the 2 outer lines follow my body contours , so if we allowed say 1.5" more per side it looks like the wheels could be enclosed in a fairing ?

Manipulate this for bit fatter and shorter should do it , with the wheels poking out the bottom


All for now Paul

 

[stormbird]

So I needed to bite the bullet - D-Day is here to paraphrase ' go out on it or go home '

So yes I left Mansfield this is about 1.5 miles from where I live.

Next into the ' badlands '

Now 5 miles from home , stopped for a scenic shot , hard to tell wheels are 20" and 2 x 16" they look much bigger.

Normally mum would come out and take a picture with me sat on any new device however she is suffering from Sciatica and could not make it out or stand to use the camera , so give her a wave...

So no real dramas however it is very very lively when the surface is rough I though a couple of times it was bouncing so much it might tip over however it stayed upright. Speed is hard to judge , it is certainly higher gear than my other Pythons and I was able to pedal down hills I had to previously free wheel down however until a speedo is fitted who knows.

It shouldn't tip over ? it is quite low !

Couple of times when I had to stop turning across camber I tried gently to rock it and it seemed well planted , unfortunately any speed is going to change it's behavior when cornering I need to find a bend I can take at speed , the only one on this route has reverse camber and so I treat it with respect.

Small snagging list and short list of stuff to do to get it passed scrutineer , they will be attended to over the next few days.

Another ride Wednesday should be possible Paul

 

[stormbird]

So the gremlins strike again , oh and I am a prawn !

So installing a speedo , how hard can it be ?
It is set up for one that is currently AWOL , however I have 2 new ones identical to the missing one ?
#1 has no battery
#2 has a battery that is flat
#3 both use different batteries and NOT the common CR32 that I have a sheet of grrrrrrrrrrrrr

DannyC of this parish set me a wireless one thinking that is the answer to a maidens prayers [ strange saying that ? ]
Well it might be if I had some slender front forks show on the picture to install the sensor on , however I have the rear of a kids 20" wheeled MTB and some generous 1" tubing. The only place that is remotely near the wheel spokes are the seat stays and they have the brakes mounted on them.
Almost every place I tried on the bike part where it could mount , due to it's bulk it was not possible to get enough room for the magnet.
Eventually I move to the 1" tubes at the rear near the pivot and putting the magnet close to the nipple got it to work.

Hurray you say maybe he will stop winging now .....

Well the prawn bit rears it's ugly head , I could not understand why I was having difficulty getting my feet in the toe clips and after the ride to mum's my knees were twinging a bit , not usual at all.

Mulling over how it was set up I measured front of seat to BB on current Python , as DannyC will confirm I rode that in the Netherlands for over 10 hours one day with no problems , 29" set up low racer the same.

Hold on a minute current ride has 155mm cranks and low racer has 170mm cranks wow nearly 3/4" to far for my legs.

So i have swapped the 170mm for some 155mm however that has down geared it to 24T - 32T - 42T and I can't get in the 42T as the crank offset is to great and the front mech does not want to go over that far.

So whilst I now know my speed I don't have the right gearing , I have a plan I have some 155mm alloy cranks with 2 steel rings where the rivet holes in the steel spider perfectly match the mounting holes for ali Stronglight rings where I have a choice of 50T - 48T - 38T - 34T - 26T so I will try either a 50T - 38T 26T or a 48T - 38T 26T.

Mums tomorrow a low gear event then crank building.

Paul

 

[undertoad]

I like the photo of Mum - It looks like she's saying, "Now you be careful on that thing, Paul!"

 

[stormbird]

I like the photo of Mum - It looks like she's saying, "Now you be careful on that thing, Paul!"

Yes a bit of a ' not again ' moment.

Paul

 

[stormbird]

So the wireless speedo is working oddly ?
It seems happy up to about 15.5mph and then it seems like it is frightened [ it is at the front of the low racer ] it tells me I am doing 5-7mph then 0mph once my speed drops back to 15mph it starts working again ?
Not time to look at it yet , however I do know it is very very difficult to attach a magnet with only 1 screw to a very shiny stainless spoke , may try a wrap of masking tape then the magnet and a drop of hot glue if it seems to have cured it.

Readings:-
ODO 13.69 miles [ Google reckons <14 miles
DST 13.69 miles [ only done one run ]
MXS 56.9 mph [ I missed that bit ]
AVS 8.3 mph [ it's the hills you know ]
TM 1:38 hrs:mins

Definitely odd !

Paul

 

[stormbird]

OK late update 3rd trip to mum's with wired speedo , which doesn't seem to be scared of speeds greater than 15mph ! Saw 22mph , however only going down hill !

This one confirms home to mum's is 8 miles and mum's to home shorter route if 6 miles , 14 miles in total so currently done 42 miles. 2 incidents where I had it on 2 wheels both caused by ' environment problems ' and not situations encountered on race tracks they were easily corrected without we leaving the seat and it did not roll over so looking good so far

I needs some 155mm cranks with at least a 28t-38t-48t rings.
This is what I have to work with :-

So have enough rings [ 36t will be an advantage up the hills around here ] on the right is a alloy crank with a steel spider I can weld to.

This is what I have built for testing [ needs better bolts ] with either lock nuts or Locktight tried to pedal it off the drive wow this feels weird what have I done ?

Original crank in black new one in silver ! DOH

Soon fixed and I can get the 36t and the 48t however I can't get to the smallest ring despite adjusting the stop right out , I think I have the ring spacing wrong and they are about 5mm to close to the mech post , just a matter of fiddling with some washers [ I hope ] still don't need smallest ring for racing ...

Still lots to do , however getting better every ride , and it has not let me down yet.

Paul

 

[stormbird]

Another trip out today resulting in 58 miles ridden so hope to top 70 on Wednesday.

To conform to the racing rules I needed 2 things not normally considered on a leisure machine:-

First is a chain protector so I chewed this out of some plywood and gave it a couple of coats of emulsion to brighten it up , that was indoor paint so lets hope it doesn't rain !

Now the rules about displaying numbers and timing tags say :-

If your HPV does not have an appropriate surface, consider constructing a ‘fin’ from cardboard/plastic and
adhesive tape to attach it to.

Think I nailed that ?
Need to paint the front white part either magnolia or maybe a fern green if either of the old tins actually work ....

Total package :-

Next up need some M6 & M8 lock nuts and go over it with a fine tooth comb checking all tight and lock nutted up.

Paul

 

[Popshot]

180 degrees on that crank and you are displaying a French flag. Possibly a similar display on the other side of the fin too.

 

[stormbird]

...and if I'm laid on my side ? the Dutch flag ?

A roundel would have been better however I was sure it was beyond my skills and the quality of the masking tape !

Paul

 

[stormbird]

So I am back and the trike survived and did all that was asked of it.

This is part of the overall ratings table :-

So these were the top 6

This was another Zombie builder with his modified Warrior - Prototad he did very well.

I have be miss classed as driving the Royce Blue car which I only used for the 1hr event.
However NOT last phew 9 below me.

So first event Saturday Standing start 100m - uphill very hard for the 2 wheelers and anything weighty

Top 6 again

And here is me beating 9 others - unbelievable - however so SLOWWWW

Next a 300m run up to a timed 100m downhill

Top 6 again

As predicted I ran out of gears before I hit the finish line so a poor performance.

After lunch there was a 1 hour race , turns out my lack of power , the hills and the limited gearing of the pedal car made this very hard work.

Sunday started with a 1 lap TT , there are currently no results available for that

Afternoon a 3 hour endurance race , seems the trike is the best option so off we go.

Top 6 again

and me 99th wow beating 14 !

I had 2 x 5 minute breaks to take on water and food , maybe without them I may have beaten the guy in 98th place.
Without the breaks there was every possibility I would not finish as the weather was very unsuitable for a 3 hr race close to 28C for most of the race.

There was loads of great machines there and lots of people to talk to , another 6 pedal cars and lots of the BHPC people I have met over the years.

Apparently I was captured in motion at the end of this great video :-

Far left

Now something odd happened at the end of the 3 hr race and it was captured on video , normally a bell sounds for the leader having done the 3 hours and him and everyone behind him has to do one more lap.
He was so much quicker than me he got the bell and did his last lap over taking me before I got the bell [ he is in the white fully faired 2 wheeler ] so they see him coming and put the bell down and pick up the chequred flag for the race to finish. I roll over the line 9 seconds after him and my race is over

Paul