"Sebring" of the West: 6-12-24 Hour World Time Trial Championship

[psychling]

I don't know where to post this on the CB forum so I deduced that the Vendetta would be the bike for this event. Or the Silvio!

Where are the recumbents?

The 6-12-24 Hour National Time Trial Championships will take place in Coachella Valley, CA, on November 2-3.

http://24hrworlds.com/

Since it is not far from me I elected to register. It was held for the first time in 2011.
...
Here is an email that I got from the Race Director, Rick Boethling:

"Hi Dan: Last year was the first year for the event, so those stats are correct. You would be the first recumbent. It looks like it is going to be a pretty fun year this year. Marko Baloh is coming over and maybe, Chris Hopkinson (UK) both are top notch TT'ers. Also rumors of Seana Hogan, Leah Goldstein and Anna Mei (ITA)."

This is a flat course, held on good road with little traffic. It would be a perfect venue for recumbents.

A DF rider from last year reported to me today that he completed 250 miles with a cumulative climbing of 2000 feet. THAT is FLAT!

 

[Eric Winn]

Hi Dan,
Which event did you

Hi Dan,

Which event did you register for?

I'll be interested to hear your race report. Let us know how it feels to do this kind of riding below sea level after training in mile-high Prescott.

-Eric

 

[Eric Winn]

PS - Give them a reason to allow 3 loops of the long loop

PS - Give them a reason to allow 3 loops of the long loop before having to switch to the short loop ...grin...

-Eric

 

[leakyduck]

Race Crew

Do you need a crew? We don't live that far and can hand a water bottle with the best.

 

[psychling]

crew for `world's'

Thanks for the offer, Darby (Leakyduck).

This is a pretty straightforward 24 hour course. I'll have a drop bag at a few locations on the 121 mile loop and a cooler at the start/finish line.

I may need a coroner, though.

 

[Eric Winn]

Psychling in the flatlands...

Dan should have started about 25 minutes ago.

Race updates here: http://24hrworlds.com/24/index.php?N_webcat_id=408

Be fierce!

-Eric

 

[Eric Winn]

Whups, make that Dan should

Whups, make that Dan should be starting in 23 hours and 30 minutes.

http://24hrworlds.com/24/index.php?N_webcat_id=408

 

[Eric Winn]

Go Dan! First 121.3 loop

Go Dan! First 121.3 loop completed at 1:43am. Looks like 15.72mph (25.30kph) average for the first loop. Ooorah!

 

[Eric Winn]

Seana Hogan has completed

Seana Hogan has completed 242.6 miles (2 x 121.3 mile loops) in 12 hours, 47 minutes for an 18.98mph (30.55kph) average speed of the women's 24 hour solo.

Maria's latest 24 hour challenge should be around 19mph (30.6kph) average speed over 24 hours, using 470 miles for distance - has the actual distance been certified yet? The pace is similar right now. I wonder how Seana would do on a Vendetta?

 

[psychling]

World 24 Hr Time Trial result for me

World 24 Hr Time Trial result for me.

DNF'd at end of second loop: 244 miles at 11:30am.

Four flat tires! One destroyed front tire. My minimal goal of 400 miles was impossible to attain: doing 156 miles in the 6 hours remaining was not possible.

If I didn't have two flats on first loop (122 miles) I probably would have finished it in 6.5 hours (12:30am) -- VERY competitive. The second loop was also hampered by two flats and a trashed tire. I had to beg tires from passing crew cars supporting other racers.

Packs of mongrel feral dogs plagued riders from start to finish. Although I encountered about 4 sets of chasing dogs -- they just wanted to chase, not attack.

One rider, Olympic caliber Seana Hogan, was attacked by 4 dogs on first lap of second loop (16 miles). She was swinging her bike to fend them off. Another rider stopped to offer support and he was attacked. Finally, Seana's crew car drove up and scared them off. Race director, Fred Boethling, was beside himself, going door to door on the second loop to ask dog owners to control them.

There were so many loose dogs on that second loop that one of them was killed (runover) by a car.

Otherwise this was a very well organized and executed racing event. Very challenging course. Couldn't have been better weather.

 

[Eric Winn]

Did you find any dog teeth in your tires?

Disappointing to hear about the dogs and the flats. Goatheads? Or something else? Were you still using liners between the tube and tire? How did you trash the front tire?

What were your daytime and nighttime temperatures?

 

[psychling]

It's all

It's all here:

http://ridewithgps.com/trips/1007628

Liner for 3 of the 4 flats. Then, in utter consternation and suspicion I pulled the liner -- and proceeded to get my fourth flat.

 

[Andrew 1973]

"Otherwise [aside from feral dog attacks] this was a very well organized and executed racing event." - Psychling

Talk about finding a cloud's silver lining. height="18"

 

[Eric Winn]

I'd say Dan took a very

I'd say Dan took a very dogged approach to his ride...

Sorry, couldn't help myself.

-Eric

 

[psychling]

Seana and Maria

"Seana Hogan has completed 242.6 miles (2 x 121.3 mile loops) in 12 hours, 47 minutes for an 18.98mph (30.55kph) average speed of the women's 24 hour solo.

Maria's latest 24 hour challenge should be around 19mph (30.6kph) average speed over 24 hours, using 470 miles for distance - has the actual distance been certified yet? The pace is similar right now. I wonder how Seana would do on a Vendetta?"

Eric ... I don' think these are comparable.

Maria's course was several laps of the same loop, all of which were supported by a crew. Seana's course was two loops, the second of which she did 8(?) laps which was unsupported. The first loop (2 laps), though supported, included stop lights, left turns across 4 lanes of speeding cars and trucks, etc..

We'll have to wait for a more equivalent venue before considering meaningful comparisons.