Today is a rest day in the
http://www.audax.org.au/public/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=215%3Agt-qld-v2&catid=35%3Amajor-rides&Itemid=96
Its a 9 day event in which the intention is to complete a 400 then 200 then 300 and finally a 600 km brevet.
I haven't yet completed the unbox and build thread because preparations for this super series made time a bit short.
I hesitated taking the V for this event. It was newly built with no more than a few hours of test ride time but in a brief test on my local hill I knew the V can climb and that sealed the deal. The V was going to far north queensland, so ,dismantle everything into a box and a couple of bags and off we go.
The 400 started at 10 pm at night and for me finished about 26 hours later. Well within cut off time. The outstanding feature of this ride is that the last 60 km were dominated by some serious steep climbing. More experienced randonneurs than I observed that this was some of the most difficult climbing that they had done.. For example 8% was typical but afew were around the 10% mark and whilst its not too bad doing a few of these ,a 60km stretch of this stuff against the clock is a pretty good test of man and machine
The 200 just finished , was shorter but dominated at the end by a 16km, 8 % average grade.
I would never have completed these two rides in the allocated time on my normal rear wheel drive recumbent.
First I can push much higher gears on the V. In my build thread i mentioned that on my RWD bent i used a 22 tooth front chainring and a 34 tooth at the back. In part this confirms my weak climbing abilities but thats what it took to get me to the top of steep hills albeit slowly.
On the V the ultegra triple with a 30tooth small chainring and 34 cassette gets me up the hills. If my calculations are correct the V is able to develop 30%. more distance per revolution of the crank with what feels like the same amount of power from my legs.
I don't know how to explain this remarkable state of affairs in enginneering terms but there is something about the V that makes it a far more efficient bike than the three other I own.
It raised the hair at the back of my neck and a shiver of emotion in the bitterly cold hours of tuesday morning when I realised I was going to complete a very hard 400 on a recumbent. For me ,the early evidence , is that the V is going to open up big possibilities for my long distance riding.
The next few days with the 300 and 600 km brevets will tell me more about what the V can do.
But this I know, the V is a cracker of a bike. John Tolhurst you're a genius and I dips me lid to you.
http://www.audax.org.au/public/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=215%3Agt-qld-v2&catid=35%3Amajor-rides&Itemid=96
Its a 9 day event in which the intention is to complete a 400 then 200 then 300 and finally a 600 km brevet.
I haven't yet completed the unbox and build thread because preparations for this super series made time a bit short.
I hesitated taking the V for this event. It was newly built with no more than a few hours of test ride time but in a brief test on my local hill I knew the V can climb and that sealed the deal. The V was going to far north queensland, so ,dismantle everything into a box and a couple of bags and off we go.
The 400 started at 10 pm at night and for me finished about 26 hours later. Well within cut off time. The outstanding feature of this ride is that the last 60 km were dominated by some serious steep climbing. More experienced randonneurs than I observed that this was some of the most difficult climbing that they had done.. For example 8% was typical but afew were around the 10% mark and whilst its not too bad doing a few of these ,a 60km stretch of this stuff against the clock is a pretty good test of man and machine
The 200 just finished , was shorter but dominated at the end by a 16km, 8 % average grade.
I would never have completed these two rides in the allocated time on my normal rear wheel drive recumbent.
First I can push much higher gears on the V. In my build thread i mentioned that on my RWD bent i used a 22 tooth front chainring and a 34 tooth at the back. In part this confirms my weak climbing abilities but thats what it took to get me to the top of steep hills albeit slowly.
On the V the ultegra triple with a 30tooth small chainring and 34 cassette gets me up the hills. If my calculations are correct the V is able to develop 30%. more distance per revolution of the crank with what feels like the same amount of power from my legs.
I don't know how to explain this remarkable state of affairs in enginneering terms but there is something about the V that makes it a far more efficient bike than the three other I own.
It raised the hair at the back of my neck and a shiver of emotion in the bitterly cold hours of tuesday morning when I realised I was going to complete a very hard 400 on a recumbent. For me ,the early evidence , is that the V is going to open up big possibilities for my long distance riding.
The next few days with the 300 and 600 km brevets will tell me more about what the V can do.
But this I know, the V is a cracker of a bike. John Tolhurst you're a genius and I dips me lid to you.
). 
