Report on HPV Racing at Waterford Raceway, 2004
The fully-faired Missile wasn’t really ready for top racing and neither was I but I wanted to show the gang the new recumbent bike book edition. Actually, I had made a big improvement on the bike to make it more reliable. But the fairing taping is too old and rough and really hurts the speed.
Man, I sure can’t ride until I get a couple months in on a bike. For me racing should come at the end of the season, as a way to show what I’ve developed. Not at the beginning! What’s that, to show what a winter will do to ya?
I arrived with no time to spare and quickly set up and was racing in short order. But fifteen minutes into the main Hour event I started getting highspeed shimmy on the fastest corner. Then on the less-fast corners. Then on the straightaway and so I bagged it after a half hour. I’d been running about 4th place out of 25 bikes on course. (The winner ended up averaging 31mph.) It turns out the steering suspension knuckle is getting too much play—15 years of bashing around did it in. Shouldn’t be hard to rebuild it, but darn it’ll be a day-long project. Time I don’t have, sadly. But I really want to get the Missile rolling fast again and street-legal!
It was sunny out but my ventilation and cooling was perfect in the rig. Good marks there.
An hour later the next Hour Time Trial started for unfaired bikes. I quickly whipped off my fairing and hopped into the race. I wanted to get one full race in. As I warmed up, my shoe cleat broke off, making it so my foot wouldn’t stay on the pedal unless I paid close attention. A real health hazard, actually. Then the flag dropped. I settled into 4th place. Then after a few laps the darn steep little hill started wearing me down bigtime and I lost a place on most laps. Boy, this bike is heavy. I just keep adding stuff to it. Gotta do something about all that—the 2×4’s holding the seat in place don’t help. Every now and then my foot would fling off the pedal and hit and skip on the pavement, but no sweat. (It’s a good way to get an ankle-suck leg break, but I think my seat is low enough to prevent that, pretty much.) Finished 8th out of about 20 bikes on course. Averaged 20mph anyway. Not bad, actually. The unfaired division is getting much stronger. Winner averaged 27mph, I believe.
I’m sure I was the only double-header. The Missile is great for being a quick-switch.
So that’s that!
Fully-faired WISIL Missile: fast and street legal! Averages 30mph. Full suspension with cargo space. Cool in summer, warm in winter.
