Bike MS New Bern, NC 9/10-9/11 - First English Century on V20

[pedlpadl]

This event is a charity ride benefiting the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. They raise close to $2 million every year from about 2000 riders. It's a flat, rural course. I completed my first 100 mile ride on the V20.

I started in a group of about 70-80 riders. I was riding the only recumbent. It wasn't practical to hang off the back because of the accordion effect, or off the side because of people coming off the front and oncoming traffic, etc., so I rode in the pace line and took a couple of turns pulling. Some people were okay being behind me, some were not. I was careful to ask people if they wanted to go around. I got lots of questions. Mostly, 'Is it comfortable?' And boy, was it. In years past I'd finish the century and think, I don't want to see that saddle for two weeks. I'd see guys standing on their pedals to get off the saddle because their butt was killing them and remember doing the same. My neck was not 100% happy with the headrest, but everything else was fine. At the end my legs felt better than they ever had and I was thinking, I could go another 50 easy. Great bike, very comfortable, love it.

 

[LarryOz]

Way to go Mark - great ride report!

 

[Doug Kline]

Mark, congratulations on your first Cruzbike century. I have to completely agree on comfort. I did two back-to-back (Sat/Sun) centuries (210 miles) at the BikeMS with no pain other than leg fatigue. I’ve *never* been able to claim that on my Ridley.

The New Bern coastal area is flat, so my Vendetta was fast. I think my conditioning has me at about 80% of where I was last year, but the bike compensated. On Saturday I followed the lead group for 40 miles then decided to see if anyone wanted to draft off me. I hadn’t built up credibility so had no takers. So I just stayed out in front of the group, like a rabbit, and depending on who rotated up to the front every once in a while they tried to chase (I love my big ‘ol mirror) so I just matched speed until they peeled off. Speeds were getting up to 28mph which I could easily sustain longer than they could. Then when we turned into the wind I tried playing nice and had some drafting. I just maintained the 23.5mph average the group had going. By the time we got to the 64-mile rest stop I only had two left and they called it quits there. Oh well. I headed back in solo and was the first century rider in.

I read somewhere on the forum that if a car looks like it is going to buzz you, just give a little recumbent wobble. That worked great and I’m finally to a point I’m very comfortable riding solo.

On Sunday the guys that fashion themselves as racers wanted to do the century in under 4 hours. Most of them sat out Saturday to come out fresh. I followed that group for 40 miles before calling it quits. I decided that this bike allows me to ride at levels beyond with my ability (on flats) with people I don’t really like. At one point the group split in two and I jumped across to the lead group. Somebody in the gaped group managed to pull it back up so I got out of the way but was then getting squeezed into the next lane so I went up ahead and a mile later got stopped by a red light. That group came up and went right through the red in front of cars. I chased them down to watch them throwing water bottles into the weeds and dropping their Gu wrappers. Then we went up to a left turn which had a police officer sitting in a squad car (this event was well supported by the police). One of these self-centered-racers yelled at the officer for not stopping traffic. This was on 9/11 no less, and quite despicable. This was not my crowd. I left them at the 40-mile rest stop to seek nicer company. They only had a 25.4mph average going and hadn’t turned back into the wind yet, so they had no chance of making 4 hours no matter how reckless and rude they were.

 

[pedlpadl]

I just maintained the 23.5mph average the group had going. By the time we got to the 64-mile rest stop I only had two left and they called it quits there. Oh well. I headed back in solo and was the first century rider in.

I'm not in your league yet Doug. I was in a group doing 18-19. Maybe after ratz whips me into shape I can run with the big dogs.

I found this on the event photo site. You were probably finished before the photographers got set up.

 

[ReklinedRider]

I'm not in your league yet Doug. I was in a group doing 18-19. Maybe after ratz whips me into shape I can run with the big dogs.

I found this on the event photo site. You were probably finished before the photographers got set up.

View attachment 3324

Great photo! Nice head/neck rest too

 

[Doug Kline]

Maybe after ratz whips me into shape I can run with the big dogs.

I'm just a "big dog" on the flats. On the climbs, I'm much too big to be a "big dog". Cool photo, displaying the new TeamCBC jersey. I'll have to go look for photos. There were definitely cameras turned towards me.

 

[ratz]

Great photo! Nice head/neck rest too

That's very much like the one that's in development; but I never said that.

 

[pedlpadl]

It's an Adem headrest. The sheet aluminum post it comes with fits nicely between the stock headrest tubes. I attached it to the headrest tubes by drilling four holes in the post and using 3/4" conduit hangers from home deep oh. Drilled another hole in the center for the headrest bottle cage mount. I've since moved my tail light to the bottom of the aluminum post. I'm leaving the stock headrest tubes rather than cut them off. It makes a great handle with the tail light out of the way.

 

[Doug Kline]

They did capture one photo of me while I rolled past the Oriental, NC rest stop. Not a very good photo, but there it is. Mark, I can see at least three more with you in it. You had a nice one below displaying the V.

 

[telephd]

good on ya Mark! And nice McGiver on the neck rest too.

 

[pedlpadl]

They did capture one photo of me while I rolled past the Oriental, NC rest stop. Not a very good photo, but there it is. Mark, I can see at least three more with you in it. You had a nice one below displaying the V.

That's a great photo of you. Besides, any photo with a Vendetta in it can't be bad.

I saw the other pics of me. Already made one my avatar. Thanks.

 

[super slim]

Its ride Reports like this that

I'm not in your league yet Doug. I was in a group doing 18-19. Maybe after ratz whips me into shape I can run with the big dogs.

I found this on the event photo site. You were probably finished before the photographers got set up.

View attachment 3324

Great side shot showing how well the ADEM kneck support fits!!

 

[castlerobber]

It's an Adem headrest. The sheet aluminum post it comes with fits nicely between the stock headrest tubes. I attached it to the headrest tubes by drilling four holes in the post and using 3/4" conduit hangers from home deep oh. Drilled another hole in the center for the headrest bottle cage mount.

That's a nice-looking setup. There goes another of my objections to a more-reclined seat. The 33-degree Silvio is calling a little bit louder.

 

[pedlpadl]

Found some more pics.

 

[Doug Kline]

Thanks Mark, seems like they only captured me sitting up. I swear, I didn't do 210 miles sitting up

BTW, if anyone cares to look at some (perhaps boring) video footage of trying to mix with the lead century group on Saturday, here is my team Facebook post:

2016 Bike MS Videos

I have a damaged shoulder preventing me from riding my Ridley much this year so I switched to a Cruzbike recumbent. That's a fast bike on the flat roads of New Bern. It's also very comfortable. 210 miles with no pain other than leg fatigue. I've never been able to say that on a BikeMS weekend before.

Riding on my fast Cruzbike, I never quite figured out how to play with the peloton. I either rode in the back or front to avoid robbing anyone of their draft. I pulled some videos files off my Fly6 from the Saturday lead century group. It's not GoPro quality, but it is decent.

Video files in the DropBox folder:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/5slseesmi12xz03/AAD2nfEj-Stn4EbEgnZoqQgpa?dl=0

90020012.AVI
This is a nice video clip of the lead group after the 40 mile rest stop. This is an excellent example of a well formed double paceline seen from the front. Notice they are not hanging out by the yellow line and everyone is peeling off the front to the left to keep the paceline at most three wide. The paceline is running with about a 23.5mph average with a slight tail wind.

90020017.AVI
Group has turned partially into the wind and you can see it is starting to take its toll. The group was trying to do a rotating paceline but folks started falling off the back.
At about 3:45, lost some of the group - rotating paceline was too much
At about 8:00, my friend Earl from Bath, NC came up and showed everyone how to draft off a recumbent.

90020018.AVI
At about 1:15 we turned into the wind and I started loosing folks. I couldn't see that in my mirror as it was blocked by the riders behind me. I tried to play nice and just hold the same 23.5mph average the group had going, but the head wind was making a difference. These guys drafting off me were working a lot harder than I was.
3:10 getting strung out
3:50 down to 6
7:00 down to 3
8:15 down to 2
8:40 down to 1
Continued on solo, oh well

DrSteve.mp4
A little clip of Dr Steve drafting off the Cruzbike in a head wind on Sunday. That's how you do it.

 

[ratz]

I never quite figured out how to play with the peloton

Find one of the middle strength riders in the group; and explain to him / her that you can work as a team. If you rotate as a pair; you have to hold back but he/she can go harder' and together you produce a better effect than some of the stronger riders. But it does take practice.

 

[Ken Rudd]

Somehow, I did not connect with any of the other Cruzbike riders while there, sorry I missed you! New Bern was my first organized ride on my S40, only finished the build over Labor Day....

 

[Doug Kline]

Somehow, I did not connect with any of the other Cruzbike riders while there

Hi Ken, sorry we missed you. You're looking good on that S40. With team photos on Saturday and missing the start on Sunday, I didn't get to survey who else was there. I'm on TeamCBC (the biggest team there) so got to lead out ahead of 2000 riders. That's me peaking around the lead out motorcycles. I stayed with the lead group on the 100 miler until the lunch stop and then with the lead TeamCBC group the rest of the day.


Photo swiped from [Gray Whitley / Sun Journal Staff] http://www.kinston.com/photogallery/NC/20180909/NEWS/908009983/PH/1

On Sunday my wife rode her Vendetta for 50 miles. She did well. I finally have a Thor seat that is comfortable for her. The Volae seat I had on there for a couple years just never worked and she rarely rode it. As a new rider, Ken, you might relate to this, she was going along quite fast on the open road. But those last 10 miles on Sunday that wound through New Bern taxed her ability to start and stop and corner and what not. Now that she's comfortable, I'm hoping she's willing to practice and do some bike touring with me.




The only other Cruzbike I saw at BikeMS New Bern was Alvin Maxwell. Unfortunately, as soon as he caught up with me he had to fall off the lead group because his Race Case dropped down on his tire. He caught back up with the lead group at the lunch stop, but I dropped off at that point to ride with my team. It is a social ride after all, and I needed to avoid re-injuring my knee. The Sun Journal captured a nice photo of Alvin.


Photo swiped from [Gray Whitley / Sun Journal Staff] http://www.kinston.com/photogallery/NC/20180909/NEWS/908009983/PH/1

 

[Ken Rudd]

Insofar as the Cruzbike learning curve, the most challenging part was on Sunday, when I starting in the very middle of the pack. Very slow, closely packed bikes is kind of a nightmare. Lots of wobbling and near misses until the pack opened up and picked up speed.