Getting to Wichita Falls

Thursday Robyn and I loaded up the minivan with the Quest and Catrike Expedition and headed to Wichita Falls to stay with Gary and Gay Bradford in Iowa Park.

After a nice relaxing meal Thursday evening Friday morning saw us getting up bright and early to start getting Gary’s stable of bikes ready for people to ride. I rode so many recumbents Friday morning I don’t know if I can remember them all!

Bike-E, Bacchetta CA2.0, Longbikes tandem, Rans Screemer tandem, Cartike 700, Bacchetta Cafe - I’m sure that there were a couple more but my mind went foggy after the first couple of hours of riding.

Packet Pickup - Vendor Show

Early afternoon most others start arriving and we head into Wichita Falls to pick up our registration packets. The place is definitely hopping with most of the 15,000 riders streaming through in the afternoon to also get their packets.

If you have never been to HHH100 before make sure to visit the vendor booth’s inside Thursday afternoon. There must be a few hundred vendors selling everything you could imagine that is even remotely bicycle related.

I picked up several little doodads I’m been wanting - you know, those things you just have to have but are too lazy to get unless they are just sitting right there in front of you.

But the thing I really wanted was the cryogenic unit. It is some kind of stand up thingy that you walk into and it covers you up all the way to your neck. I’m not sure how it works but it seems to freeze the lower part of you body for just a brief few minutes rejuvenating your entire being. They showed a lady entering the unit about my age and then coming out a few minutes later looking 20 years younger. I figure I’ll need about 4 hours in the thing then I’m golden to go hang around the buff 20 year old triathletes.

Robyn and I make the local news channel at the vendor show. We get our 15 seconds of fame around the 56 second mark.

Friday Night Spaghetti Diner

After a fantastic spaghetti diner at the Bradford B&B we spent the early evening loading up all the vehicles with bikes, trikes, the Quest and the big four wheeler. Shoes, helmets, water bottles, every must go in the vehicles tonight because we have to leave bright and early in the morning to get to the starting area by 6:30am and we don’t want to be fumbling around in the dark at 5am in the morning trying to get everything together.

It was predicted to be a typical summer day for the HHH100 - in the low 100s for temperature and winds of 10 to 15 mph directly for the south making for a difficult headwind the last last 10 to 20 miles.

It sure is hard to sleep the night before the ride knowing that Saturday will probably really be ‘Fry-day’.

The Start!

The ride starts just at daybreak. We got to the parking area a little late but were able to thread our way up to the front area where the recumbents were stagging. Talked to lots of other recumbent riders I knew. Jim Reeves from RBent we just ahead of me when I finally parked and he came back to talk to me. A friend of Karl Murdock came by to say high before the start. Lots of people walked up and took pictures of the quest.

I think I was the only velomobile and I did not see any F-40s either.

Before I could get everything set inside the Quest they were already starting the ride.

I’ve only had the Quest about 3 weeks now and had put just over 550 miles on it, so I thought that I had everything sorted out ride wise. But, alas, just a couple of miles into the ride I notice several issues that I would need to sort out in order to have a successful ride.

First, I left my un-thawed sports mix back in the cooler in the minivan. Bummer, I pulled the frozen bottle out of the back storage area of the Quest, took the top off to let it thaw out, but it still took about 2 and 1/2 hours to thaw enough that I could start drinking the sports mix. I ended up immediately also pulling out my emergency packets of high energy chews and endurolyte pills which I started downing on a regular basis to make sure I consumed enough calories to not bonk.

The second problem was that I crimped my camelbak hose when I was inserting it into the 64 oz vacuum insulated stainless steel beer growler. Lots of iced down liquid but nothing coming through the straw. I slowed down midway to Iowa Park to to unscrew the top of the growler and pull the camelbak hose out of the top which is when I discovered the crimped hose. I had filled the growler to the brim so liquid was sloshing all over while I’m rolling down the road at 18 to 20 mph, weaving all over the place, trying to straighten the hose out. No deal, the bottom of the growler was one big frozen block of ice and the the hose could not be inserted into the growler without being kinked. Well, I had another backup 50 oz vacuum insulated stainless steel packed into the back of the Quest so I swapped tops on the two growlers and only used the smaller growler for the rest of the ride. The big 60 oz growler still had a block of ice in the bottom of it three days later. Notice the reoccurring theme here - the Quest can hold lot of stuff.

Good video here of lining up at the start, meeting lots of other recumbent riders and the first several miles of the ride (sub-titled Jane!).

The Pelotons

The fast riders form groups to try to achieve certain timing goals.

Of course, the fastest riders are going as fast as they can. At HHH this usually results in a ride of around 4 hours. You can pretty much plan on a 25 mph pace for these really fast riders and then figure out where you are going to be on the course when pass you going at a blinding speed. There is at least 50 to 60 riders in this group. Very impressive as they pass your. Last year they passed me at when I was at the 22 mile mark. This year they passed me at the 23 mile mark. Maybe I’m a little faster this year at the start :) As the group is going by Ron Swift on his Carbent leans out the side of the pack and says hi! I talked to Ron Swift (who finished first?) after the ride and he finished in 4 hours and 6 minutes just ahead of professional rider Ricardo Hincapie.

The next big peloton group to pass you are the ones trying for a sub-five hour 100 mile time. This is a pace of 20 mph (for 5 hours!), and again like clockwork you can work out the math to determine where they are going to pass you. This group passed me at the 27 mile mark and there in the middle of the pack my neighbor Justin Eggemeyer leans out and yells hi!

HHH100 High Speed in a Quest

The first 31 miles of ride are slightly uphill with a couple of long accents where lots of riders passed me. But starting after mile 31 it was my turn to have some fun.

Here I’m doing pretty much 30+ mph for several miles passing lots of really good riders like they are standing still.

The last few minutes of the video show me cruising slowly through one of the rest stops. The ride is always the best supported ride in the state of Texas.

HHH100 High Speed 2

This is probably the only time I’ll ever pass Mark Leuck on his Baron. I’m on a slight downhill run with my speed varying between 20 and 40 mph and at 2:40 into the video come upon a group of riders where I notice a low-racer also overtaking them on the left.

I can tell that it is Mark because he is wearing his signature Prison garb. Because the uprights are strung out across the road I have to stop peddling and I run up onto the rear of Mark, who is also held up, I have to apply the brakes and slow down to 29 mph until there is a slight opening on the extreme left.

Needles to say the group was very surprised when both Mark and I blew by them. Mark was on a 20 mph average for the ride so I know this group thought they were hot stuff. Really, on the slight downhill, they were no match for a Baron low-racer and a Quest.

Hell’s Gate Shortcut

Since I was missing one bottle of sports drink I decided that I should not do the 100 mile and instead take the Hell’s Gate Shortcut which ends up returning to meet up with the 50 mile route and making the total mileage for my ride about 72 miles. If you don’t get to the gate by 12:30 pm they force you to take the shortcut anyway so that you can actually finish the ride at a reasonable hour.

When I tried to go through the gate two hours early the policeman was very surprised, but after a little hand waving on my part he eventually let me though. Three or four miles later I rejoined all the riders who were riding the 50 mile route.

Billy and Tyler

Soon after joining up with the 50 miles I catch up with Billy Younts riding his Musashi and Tyler (Bradford?) riding a Catrike 700. Tyler had just realized that he had dropped his phone somewhere prior and was coming to the conclusion that even if he turned around he would never be able to find the phone. Bummer.

Sheppard Air Force Base

Part of my motivation for taking the cutoff was that the 100 mile route does not go through Sheppard Air Force Base. Last year I missed the AFB because I did the full 100 miles. This year was able to go through the base and take some good video.

They have jets lined up and down the taxiway with the pilots available to answer your questions and take pictures with you.

Of course the pilots were a big hit with the women.

The four wheeler was a big hit also:

Here is some video of entering the base, riding through the jets. And then at the end of the base route was the best part - they have airmen lined up in a gauntlet cheering you on as you ride through!

Make sure you view the last 30 seconds of the video!

Finishing the HHH

It was now over 100 degrees and everyone had been riding for almost 4 hours. The route was heading directly into a 15 mph headwind and you can tell the 50 milers were really suffering.

I’m on the last few miles of my 72 mile route - the wind does not affect the Quest at all.

Make sure you watch the video at the 1:50 mark to hear all the people yelling out about the Quest. (captioned)

Finished!

At the end I’m still feeling pretty good! Lots of people asking questions. Robyn meets me and takes this photo.

Ron Swift’s Carbent

I met up with Ron after the ride and we trading sitting on each other’s bikes.

Ron in the Quest. Ron finished the 100 miles 20 minutes faster than I finished the much shorter 73.9 miler!

Me on Ron’s Carbent. (Maybe it’s not all about the bike?)

By the numbers:

My longest ride so far in the Quest.

Strava:

http://www.strava.com/activities/184915279

Garmin:

http://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/573115534

Rode to Salado for breakfast this morning. Winds were out of the south 20 mph gusting to 28 mph. Heading north from Georgetown to Salado was a blast - slightly downhill, wind at my back. Coming back from Salado directly into the wind was not as much fun.

Stopped at the Salado Stagecoach Inn cafe for a small breakfast.

Risse Shock

Yesterday the Risse Shock I ordered arrived in the mail.

Took about 15 minutes to replace the standard shock that shipped with the Quest when it was new 4 years ago.

Wow! What a difference this makes in the ride! No more yo-yo-ing when peddling hard. The Quest really tracks around corners now and the rear wheel just sticks to the ground like it is glued there.

If you don’t have one of these on your Quest you really need one.

Strava:

http://www.strava.com/activities/182467493

Garmin:

http://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/569051693

Short, easy ride today to work out last minute issues with riding in HHH100 next Saturday.

Cannot use the Keen sandals - too big - my feet tops either hit the front top sides or the bottom heel hits.

64 oz beer growler is better than the camelbak. When it is really hot the ice cold liquid from the stainless steel insulated growler is fantastic.

Got a lot of bugs on the outside of the Quest from the Cove House Classic ride - I’m going to have to wash and wax the Quest again tomorrow.

Strava:

http://www.strava.com/activities/181573777

Garmin:

http://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/567407816

Saturday morning Robyn and I got up early and drove to Copperas Cove for the Cove House Classic.

Robyn did the modified 10 mile ride and I started out doing the 100k but quickly switched to the 50 mile route.

It was pretty hot already at the start of the ride - about 80 degrees. Before the ride was over the temperatures where just over a 100 degrees.

Lots of people asking questions about the Quest. Under 13 year old - “I want to ride the banana bike!”

Still trying to work out the kinks before HHH100.

Just before the ride start Robyn and I looking really fresh. Everything is all loaded up and ready to roll.

Start of the ride. Earlier in the week they had just chip-sealed the road. I mean really big stuff, newly laid down, with lots of loose gravel.

They modified all the routes to get off of the chip seal as quickly as possible (3 miles later).

Last year this was my first organized ride on the F-40. I made the mistake of lining up at the front of the pack. Everyone else lined up 20 yards behind me! I spent the first 5 miles riding the brakes because the motorcycle police escort did not want to leave everyone behind.

This year I was smarter. I lined up at the very back of the starting area. Again everyone lined up behind me - outside of the starting area! Finally the announcer said for everyone to move up to the beginning of the start area. I just sat there and waited for everyone to move past me.

I was almost the last one out of the starting area and got some good video of coasting by most of the slower riders.

The rough chip seal made really loud rumbling of the Quest. However, the Quest suspension on all three wheels made for a really smooth ride.

You’ll see me quickly take the middle lane and ride by most other riders in the first three miles.

Except for hills, this is what it is like riding the Quest with other uprights.

Pulling out of the parking lot you’ll see Robyn on her green Expedition on the right and a guy on a hand-cycle on the left.

About three miles in only the really fast riders are still in front of me. We turn right off of the chip seal and on to a really smooth road.

I quickly accelerate up to 30 to 40 mph and start passing even the really fast riders.

Around 9:30 am the temperatures get up the the high 90s. It is pretty tough climbing some of the longer, steeper hills. The Quest has a pretty low gear. After the ride, some of the riders mentioned getting off and walking up some of the steeper sections. For once, with the Quest, I did not have to get off and walk, I was able to crawl slowly up the hill at about 5 mph, spinning 70 rpm (because I did not have enough strength to spin any faster).

Outside of the heat the country side was beautiful!.

This picture is about 30 miles into the ride out in the middle of nowhere. Very pretty.

Because of the heat, and hills, I realized about the 25 mile mark that I was not going to be able to do the full 100k. Modify the plan - 50 mile route it is!

Even then, less than a mile from the end of the ride, I’m so tired I miss shift really badly and drop the chain. So I get out, put the Quest on its side, and put the chain back on the front chainring. Put the Quest upright, get back in, helmet back on, everything adjusted just right. The peddles just spin again! Bummer, the chain as also thrown off the back cassette also.

Ok, out of the Quest again, put the Quest on the side. Take the cover off the rear cassette area, put the chain back on the rear cassette.

Hey, I got an idea - lets spin the front peddles and make sure everything is working correctly before we upright the Quest and get back in!

I’m so tired now that I just slow peddle the last 8 tens of a mile to the finish.

Robyn has already finished awhile ago. Time to sit, gab about the ride and have a beer.

Strava:

http://www.strava.com/activities/181054838

Garmin:

http://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/566853483

An easy out and back ride today. 391 miles so far on the Quest this month.

Probably tomorrow Robyn and I will do the Cove House Classic in Copperas Cove.

Strava:

http://www.strava.com/activities/180549889

Garmin:

http://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/565597508

Another beautiful ride today. 65 miles @ 17.9 mph. A little hot towards the end, last hour and a half was over 100 degrees.

Looks like I’m ready for HHH100 this year. Although, I’m probably only going to do the 100K this year.

Stopped for some Gatorade at the Food Court strip center just south of Jarrell. Lots of people taking pictures of the Quest.

Never get tired of this view. Top of the hill at the junction of Ronald Reagan and IH35 looking back south on RR.

Strava:

http://www.strava.com/activities/179210075

Garmin:

http://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/564231726

Another nice ride with Greg and Alexis.

Greg decided to push things some. It was a lot of fun but now my legs are pretty sore.

The last 10 miles are mostly slightly downhill with just two medium climbs. I never could drop him. Every time I looked in my rear view mirror he was still there.

Ride by the numbers Strava:

http://www.strava.com/activities/179210075

Garmin:

http://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/563707492

Nice ride today with Alexis and Greg Gross who are here for a couple of days from Fort Worth.

Greg is faster than all get out, rides an M5, and has been encouraging me to try and retake the KOM I lost recently. Alexis is on a new Bacchetta CA 2 and is no slouch herself.

The Strava KOM Retake

So this morning (Sunday) we get up before sunrise and get the bikes ready to roll just as the sun comes up. The KOM segment is about 10 miles away which gives us a little over 30 minutes to warm up.

Temperatures started in the high 70s and before the ride was over we’d reach 113 on the black pavement.

At a decent pace we accomplish the 10 mile warm up and upon arriving at the start of the KOM segment Greg and I pull over to get everything ready to start the segment.

I get the Contour camera out and mount it to the side of my Giro Air Attach helmet. After the ride I find out the Contour camera’s storage card was full and I was not actually recording any video from the ride (bummer). I also put the Kayak style cockpit cover on for the first time while I’m in the Quest.

The Kayak style cockpit cover completely covers the hole in top of the Quest leaving just enough space for your head to stick out. The top of the cover overlapped the bottom of the shield on the Giro Air Attack helmet by about 1/2 inch. There is also about 1/2 inch of space all around the sides my helmet. Immediately after I start peddling the temps inside the Quest increase tremendously causing the shield to fog up. I'm constantly tilting my head back and peeking out the bottom of shield so that I can at least see something ahead.

We start the segment and Greg is right on my butt. I’m peddling for all I’m worth trying not to get embarrassed by Greg and his M5. The Kayak cover obscures the view of my garmin and I have no idea what speed I am going, what my cadence is, or even how much my heart rate is zooming through the roof. Through the fogged up helmet shield I can see Greg hanging right on my butt and I’m wondering why I’m having such a hard time breathing.

Although I don’t know it at the time, I find out later looking at Strava that the first 1.7 miles of the segment I average 30.4 miles per hour and I am behind the KOM leader (Ryan Coover) by 6 seconds.

The next part of the segment is the best downhill section with a couple of small hills. I’m able to get the speed of the Quest up over 40 mph and rollerize the small hills never dropping below 20 mph. My max speed on the segment is 43.2 mph. I absolutely crush this 2.2 mile segment averaging 31.6 mph - about 17 seconds faster than Coover. I also achieve my fastest ever one mile split on this segment with a one mile 36.4 mph average covering the mile in 1 minute and 39 seconds.

Now comes the last 4 percent grade hill and my lungs are bursting and the legs are feeling like lead. I reach up and pull the lip of the kayak cover down to just below my chin. I no longer care about the aerodynamics, I need to breath some fresh (80 degree) air while climbing the hill. I’m getting slower and slower and thinking the game is over, at this speed I don’t stand a chance of getting the KOM back.

I’m a little disappointed with my performance climbing that last hill. At the end of the Strava segment I immediately pull over, rip the kayak cover off and start trying to take some deep breaths. Is my heart ever going to stop pounding? I won’t know how I did on the Strave segment until much later in the afternoon with I upload the data to the Strava website.

BOOM! I take the KOM from Ryan by one second!

This is list of things I need to do to the Quest to improve the aerodynamics.

This list has been gathered from several others on FB and BROL.

I’ll up date this list from time to time as I gather more information.

From Charles Snyder (Portland Oregon)

Too bad you don’t have a hood yet… : ) Cruising 40+ would be easy in the first half of the stretch. You should have your black rain cap, use it, it will be a bit warm, but results are comparable to a a hood. Seriously though…

I pedal out at about 45 mph, doing 120 rpms, so you have plenty of power available.

Your first challenge will be to accelerate to 30+ before hitting 2238 Street, or Williams drive. You have a climb, then a very short lead of a hill before you HAVE to be doing 30+. Maintain 35+ going downhill, this will allow you a little leeway when climbing back up the first hill. Second hill is a 4% grade or so, bang on that speed as much as you can and hold it as long as you can while climbing that second hill. If you can hit 45-50 mph, you’re golden. If at any time you do pedal out, tuck your head in as much as you can and coast. Get your feet and pedals inside the velo. This should help you get the speed you need to climb the last hill.

Be sure to wash and wax the velo. Wash in the insides of the wheel wells too. Even a little dirt will slow down a velo. If you can, lighten your load as much as possible. A follow van that can carry your extra water and tools would help. Don’t know your fueling plan, I generally use gel packets etc, and be sure to consume 2 while your climbing up the hill to the start point.

This may be a bit ghetto, but you can attain another mph or two by taping a piece of cardboard the length of rear well, closing in as much as you can without touching the wheel.

Willie Hunt I use a 100 watt hour LiIon pack 3s4p 12.6 volt fully charged.

Willie Hunt I’m using old SureFire Beast batteries that were taken out of service. However, you can buy ready made packs of all AmpHour ratings. I’d recommend www.hobbyking.com or www.batteryspace.com

Just ordered battery pack from https://www.batteryspace.com Order Number: 368065

Willie Hunt I used a “Unibit” to drill the holes: http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result?q=unibit

Had a good ride today. After a day of rest the legs were definitely humming.

Got the new garmin cadence sensor install on the Quest. No magnets! Completely eliminated all cadence spikes.

However my cadence is about 5 rpm lower - probably because it takes so long for me to accelerate and I spend significant time at lower rpms. I’ll have to try shifting only when the rpms go over 95 and see how that works.

I did a test of the climbing section of the Strave KOM I lost to the Cat 3 racer when he had a 21 mph tailwind gusting to 30 mph.

With no wind, up the climb, I came within 3 seconds of his time.

If I can keep up with him on the climbing section then I should be able to beat him on the downhills.

Greg Gross with his wicked fast M5 is coming over and early Sunday morning before it gets hot we are going to try and get the KOM back.

This is a 0.9 mile segment mostly uphill - but you get to accelerate up to max speed just before it starts. By the time I’m hitting the end I’m “crawling” along at 21 mph.

http://www.strava.com/segments/3453944?filter=overall

http://www.strava.com/activities/177281561

http://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/559992112