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12 & 24 hours events

Printed From: BHPC Website
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Forum Name: Etc
Forum Description: Any other racing-related topics
URL: https://forum.bhpc.org.uk/forum_posts.asp?TID=4016
Printed Date: 28 March 2024 at 2:49pm
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Topic: 12 & 24 hours events
Posted By: Hedgehog
Subject: 12 & 24 hours events
Date Posted: 09 August 2010 at 11:58pm
What 12 and 24 hour events are open to recumbents or velomobiles in the UK ?
 
I did approach the Surrey 24 hour and was told quite emphatically that these were not bicycles and I should contact British Cycling to get my head straightened out.  Clearly it is British Cycling that need straightening out but then who am I to argue with them.  It also appears our stand sit-up and beg cyclists can't cope with recumbents or velomobiles - what a sorry state we are in.
 
Yet in Europe they seem a bit more relaxed about the whole thing.
 
 



Replies:
Posted By: Adrian Setter
Date Posted: 10 August 2010 at 9:17am
Other than the BPCC Shenington event I'm not aware of anything staged regularly that's a race.  That is of course  for pedal cars only and, if I understand the way it works, whilst taking place over a 24 hour period, doesn't involve 24 hours of continuous racing.
 
If what you're after is the challenge of endurance rides at a brisk pace, there's always Audax, where recumbents have long been welcome.
 


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Challenge Hurricane - MicWic Delta (Front half) - Burrows Ratracer


Posted By: jes@gcre
Date Posted: 10 August 2010 at 9:22am

The race starts at midday Saturday, ends at midday Sunday and doesn't stop in between times.

So I would call that 24 hours of continuous racing!


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Racing is life...
Anything which happens before or afterwards is just standing around waiting to race....


Posted By: Adrian Setter
Date Posted: 10 August 2010 at 10:16am
Originally posted by jes@gcre jes@gcre wrote:

The race starts at midday Saturday, ends at midday Sunday and doesn't stop in between times.

So I would call that 24 hours of continuous racing!
 
Apologies.  I thought there was a break at some time during the night. 


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Challenge Hurricane - MicWic Delta (Front half) - Burrows Ratracer


Posted By: jes@gcre
Date Posted: 10 August 2010 at 10:35am

No.

Well, the under 14's stop for 6 hours so they effectively race a 12 and a 6 hour event.
This is due to safety concerns over very young driver's becoming a danger on the track if they have been up all night so it works well to give them a good break.
 
http://www.shenington24.com/ - http://www.shenington24.com  is where all the information is kept.


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Racing is life...
Anything which happens before or afterwards is just standing around waiting to race....


Posted By: fards
Date Posted: 10 August 2010 at 12:25pm
I've been contemplating organising a 24hour race for next year (late spring) as a "do something daft" as I'm turning 40. Stern Smile

Having mooted some ideas around I think it may be possible, but I'd obviously like others to get involved as well.. 

any other thoughts on this please contribute:-

One suggestion(seemingly good) is to use fowlmead as it's close enough for our french cousins to pop over to take part (they seem to enjoy longer races) and most of the other europeans as well.. 
I've never been, so I don't know, but as there's camping next door it sounds fairly feasible.
 
to have either a solo race or a two person race, where both riders complete equal time, however they must be in completely different classes of machines.. and the faster rider is balanced out by a slower rider.
The spirit being for example : a streamliner and an unfaired trike  but not a streamliner and a velomobile :P
Sticky bikes permitted as long as a) solo means a single gear ! B) duo they must have someone in a different BHPC class to them...
track to be pretty much unlit, so bikes to have lights (unless in a pair and one does all the night laps)

any thoughts, offers of assistance, condemnation as sheer stupidity etc ?


Posted By: Andhar
Date Posted: 10 August 2010 at 12:52pm
As probably one of the few, if the only member of the BHPC who has raced solo over 24hrs i can offer some thoughts. I did the Mersey Roads 24Hr TT in 2001. I rode a distance of 358miles. this was on a standard road bike with aero bars and aero wheels.
The CTT, formely the RTTC does not allow recumbents in their events. Open BCF events are also a no no. Closed club events can be ridden at the discrection of the club. i have ridden club TT's here in Aberdeen, though not for  awhile due to negative comments.
When I did the Mersey event we had a back up team of the Donaldsons, essential to allow you just to think about riding your bike and concentrate on doing a good ride.
My training consisted of lots of miles and ten hour rides(yes really, though I was single with no kids at the time). My club mate who did 390 miles just commuted 40 miles a day, but also was a former 1st cat rider.
24 hour riding isnt for everyone, but I really glad that I did one. And you will have agreat sense of achievement afterwards.
 


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Andrew Harrington


Posted By: LeeW
Date Posted: 10 August 2010 at 1:24pm
I have wondered about maybe trying a 24h ride at some point but I don't think my knees could cope with it.
As far as I know, in a 24 hour pedal car race the PC0 riders can only ride for 18 hours so not really a 24 hour race for them.

Then again I don't remember my knees feeling too bad after the cyclevision 6 hour.

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Current fleet: Milan SL MK2 #027, Fujin SL II, Beany!



Posted By: Hedgehog
Date Posted: 10 August 2010 at 3:27pm
BPCC Shenington does not seem to be an option as the BPCC requires 4 wheels in their rule book and velomobiles only have 3 wheels.
 
I guess its Europe or some of the 24 hour events in the USA.


Posted By: jes@gcre
Date Posted: 10 August 2010 at 3:28pm
Yes, I had forgotten about the solo drivers.
Can't remember where that rule came from but it does apply*.
We didn't actually have any solos out of the 39 entries this year so it hadn't registered.
 
Pedal cars is basically a team sport whereas HPV racing is an individual one. But we cater for individuals who wish to race through the "PC0" class.
 
Jes
 
*Of course, if you aren't bothered about solo championship points or prizes, you can just enter as a PC1 "team" and run with just 1 driver I guess.


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Racing is life...
Anything which happens before or afterwards is just standing around waiting to race....


Posted By: Adrian Setter
Date Posted: 10 August 2010 at 4:30pm
Originally posted by LeeW LeeW wrote:

As far as I know, in a 24 hour pedal car race the PC0 riders can only ride for 18 hours so not really a 24 hour race for them.
 
That'll be where I got the idea of the compulsory break from, then - talking to Derrick


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Challenge Hurricane - MicWic Delta (Front half) - Burrows Ratracer


Posted By: peterc
Date Posted: 10 August 2010 at 5:05pm
Well technically HPVs

The Le Mans 24Hr roller race* has a number of team "classes", most of the UK people do it in a team of 10 skaters doing single lap relays, but UK teams have entered both the Duo with 2 people per team and the Solo, 1 person for full 24Hrs.

I understand it become about mental state very early on, and don't expect to be able to

*Inline speed skates. we use the Bugatti circuit, usually a few weeks after the cars do their thing. 4pm start on the Saturday and 4pm finish on the Sunday. Most laps wins, timings by chip.


Posted By: jes@gcre
Date Posted: 10 August 2010 at 5:43pm
Sounds fantastic if you are into skating.
 
Big hills though!


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Racing is life...
Anything which happens before or afterwards is just standing around waiting to race....


Posted By: martinbguk
Date Posted: 10 August 2010 at 6:18pm
Even the real cars don't do it with one driver!
3 drivers per car is the norm with hour stints each (fuel capacity is the limiting factor here, or indeed, there). 
For bikes / velomobiles where they are setup for the individual (mostly)  a tag team relay, with riders using their own bikes, would seem the ideal situation with the requirement to hand over the timing tag making a reliable hand over so riders don't jump the gun.


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HRSO2 No 59

www.mbg-recumbent-racing.blogspot.com


Posted By: Neil F
Date Posted: 15 August 2010 at 10:21am
FYI, the Mersey Roads 24 hour National Championship is the only Race Across America (RAAM) qualifying event in the UK. So if you want to go for an open roads 24 hour then this is the one to target. IMHO apply and say that you are using this as a RAAM Qualifying race and if there are any problems get the RAAM organisers to fight your cause. They seem to have been very impressed with Barbara Batois and her performance this year and recumbents, normally as teams, have competed there many times. So give the Mersey Roads a good and keep the Forum upto date on your successes.

BTW, as this is open roads normal vehicle laws apply (lights, brakes, start/stop unaided, signals, etc.)


Posted By: Neil F
Date Posted: 15 August 2010 at 12:32pm
Fards,
one thought for you would be to use an RAF airfield, if you can find a helpful Station Commander. Unless there is a local flying/gliding club based there there will be little activity at a weekend and some lighting (taxi lights) could be availible to at least light the edge of the track. I doubt that much in the way of other facilities (toilets, showers, etc) could be availible due to Security.

Also the RAF frequently put a team into RAAM and so if the timing is good then possibly a 24 hour could be good trainign for them too.

Happy to discuss ideas.


Posted By: fards
Date Posted: 15 August 2010 at 9:48pm
yeah I was going to chat about it at DM.

I did think about the RAF base near me, cosford, that also is home to the Raf PT dept (or was, I lost track of the changes), so a a good venue from that side of things, but not so good for visiting continentals if we can get them interested.. 
the raam qualifier is an interesting one though, hadn't thought about that... 


Posted By: richforrest
Date Posted: 16 August 2010 at 11:34am
I'm sure I read somewhere that the Mersey Roads was also run with the UMCA which just so happens to have elected a recumbent rider as president.


Posted By: Neil F
Date Posted: 16 August 2010 at 1:40pm
The UMCA (Ultra Marathon Cycling Association) was was, until about a year ago, the owner of the Intellectual property for RAAM and were the body responsible for accrediting the qualifying events. So with the Mersey Roads a RAAM event it would have been approved by the UMCA.



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