Motored Biking Racing in Arizona

[safe]

Making The Grid Full

New train of thought...

We entered into the "Death Race" conversation with the revelation that FINALLY Go Kart tracks were being used to hold races involving bicycles. This was progress and I'm very happy about it. The bicycles in question were configured based on a moped level of power that is relatively unique to Arizona... only a handful of other states allow moped laws and bicycle laws to intermingle.

So that provided our "baseline".

Electric bikes entered the picture and the competition was to be between moped level gas verses moped level electric. Okay, no problem I can see that.

I introduce the idea of a "pure ebike" class that retains the 1hp rule for power so that we are still dealing with real bicycles and not PINO (Pedals In Name Only - "Pee No") bikes.

The next step would be....

Let's invite top level Cyclists to RACE AGAINST THE EBIKES !!!

The real competition for the 1000 watt power restricted class is against regular bicycles with top level athletes aboard. A ten lap, ten mile race to a professional Cyclist is a pure sprint and I would guess that they should be able to pull 500-750 watts of power in spurts on the Go Kart track and they have no weight to lug around.

What the real test should be is:

"Are 1000 Watt race specific ebikes really faster than a regular bike and an athlete?

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We should contact Cycling groups in the Arizona area and let them know about the ebike specific 1000 watt event. If we could get 10 Cyclists willing to challenge the ebikes then the grid just gets more full. Large grids are more fun.

If the Cyclists on their regular bikes win, then we know we have more work to do...

(I would not be betting against the Cyclists)

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Now I'm aware of the extreme cultural clash I'm proposing. These differing groups are so radically different and yet this could be the place to get everyone together. It even opens my mind to the idea of just pure Cycling on Go Kart tracks. That idea alone is great because it opens up a whole new horizon of possibilities. (kind of exciting really)

 

[pedalless]

(at the bar)

Well there's your problem lol maybe less posting when hammered safe
and you would mnake more sense lol

 

[safe]

That marine kid is able to drink every day. (it's good to be 23 years old) For me at 50 years old I get to drink once a week and pay for it for a couple days afterwards. So, no, the odds of me posting drunk are slim.

 

[safe]

Logistics For Old Men

It's all well and good to talk about trips to Tucson, AZ for a bike race, but then when you really look at the logistics of getting there it sort of becomes a problem.

...if I manage to sell my house and move to Colorado as I desire to do:

...I've driven twice from California to Kansas City in the process of moving out here and it was a brutal trip. Now I know that's longer by a large margin, but I remember at 40 years old that doing such a thing left me wiped out for a couple days afterwards and I had a comfortable home to stay in when I finished those trips.

Have people seriously considered the number of miles involved to get there?

It seems that flying would be better because there is less wear and tear on the body, but then you are without your support vehicle whatever it might be. I have a truck and that's it, so I don't have the luxury of an RV to allow me to get a good nights sleep. Trying to race after having gotten no sleep for two or three days is not good.

Anyway... this was one of the major factors in me wanting to skip this event aside from the political and personal problems I've had with it. It's just too darned far to go. (I'm just too old for this stuff)

If I was acting as the "support vehicle" and hired a racing "jockey" to race my bike then the "jockey" can just fly in, race the race, then leave. There is a logic to it that way because I don't need to be in great health to have my bike do well. In the end my goal would be to grow a business venture out of this and not become the "jockey" in person so the racing aspect is really not my thing here.

 

[pedalless]

HAHA so now after spamming this thread for dozen pages your chickening out. The distance was never an issue when you thought 30 ebikes would be there! You know what i think safe, i think your scared of Todmotto showing you up. You boasted about how superior you were and even said you would go but not compete because you were too good for everyone, what a load safe. If you don't show after all the talk in this thread you will lose whatever credibility you once had on the forums.

 

[safe]

Heartland Thunder

'Heartland Thunder' follows four individuals from Kansas who all have one thing in common - their passion for Friday night dirt-track racing. Meet Tim Karrick, Justin Boney, Tom Charles and his son Dan Charles who are all motivated by the thrill of speed and excitement of competition. As well as devoting time between their jobs and families, they spend long hours re-tooling their engines and re-building their cars - all in hopes of finding glory on Friday nights. Gain a unique insight into small-town America, and witness a community fuelled by their love of racing.

http://press.discovery.com/emea/dsc/programs/heartland-thunder/

I have been at those local level dirt track races and it's a whole other world from the professional side. On these local races it's ALL about being personal. Every race is a person on person rivalry.

The pro's aren't like that.

It's kind of blue collar verses white collar... the professionals in anything do their job without personalizing the situation and remain on task.

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I can remember being 22 years old and having won a few races in BMX and trophied in Motocross and pondering the idea of making racing a career and it was at that time (1983?) that I made the decision that racing was never going to be my career. I went to college, got degree(s), made money fast, then retired at 40 years old to be able to fart around with ebikes and do what I want all the time.

Am I an idiot? Would people suggest that I need to prove anything in racing?

That's not in my world view... this whole thing is a hobby... nothing more...

I repeat: "I do not now or at any time in the future want racing to be my job."

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That said (my personal racing involvement is not on the table) I still have been the one who for the last four years has promoted the sport and will continue as a hobby to argue for better rules and a better future for my hobby.

No one can reject the facts... I have been arguing for EBRR (Electric Bicycle Road Racing) for waaaaaay too long and no matter what happens that's history now.

We are progressing forward... and that's good. (slowly at times)

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The guy that needs to take racing seriously is the 22 year old kid that decides to make a career out of it. He's the one that we need to care about, not 50 year olds like me.

 

[pedalless]

Am I an idiot? Would people suggest that I need to prove anything in racing?

Seeing you bragged you would be able to beat everyone yes you have a bloody lot to prove old man. Put up or shut up.

No one can reject the facts... I have been arguing for EBRR (Electric Bicycle Road Racing) for waaaaaay too long

First sense you have made this whole thread that i remember safe

and no matter what happens that's history now.

So can you stop posting about it now then please?

We are progressing forward... and that's good. (slowly at times)

lol how have you progressed? The two people that showed interest have all but given up on your idea now so you have no interest? i see no way how it has progressed your same you were when you started EBBR So please give it a rest now will you? i see you have started up this in the new halbach thread by another Australian member can't you see people aren't interested and get annoyed at you continual spamming this information in other threads?

Smart people know when to quit so to answer your question "am i an idiot" yes i think you might be safe history seems to point this way mate.

 

[Dogman]

It is a looooong way to drive to the death race for anybody. But a thou an aftenoon to rent a track locally is pretty expensive too.

You could ship the bike, and then fly there but it would be a pain, and still lotsa money. One put a motor in his luggage, flew in, found a dumpster bike, and put the motor on it in the motel room the night before. He was still grinning. If you want to race, who cares what it cost. If you just want to talk about racing, no need to leave home.

I'm soooo lucky that I live only 300 miles away!

 

[Toddmoto]

The pro's aren't like that.

How did a friendly gathering of bike enthusiests become compairable to "profesional" big money racing?

Regarding the Logistics, I veiw the oportunity as an "event" I would like to participate in. & am planning acordingly.
Its 1,931 miles for me + weeks vacation.

My experiance at any race gathering has allways been positive. friendly people, family atmosphere. & the Death race looks like even more fun based on all the individual bike builds that show up there.

 

[safe]

If you want to race, who cares what it cost. If you just want to talk about racing, no need to leave home.

As I've always said (for several years) my racing interest is not personally very high. "That ship has sailed" as the saying goes when I was in my 20's. My interest in this is as a manufacturer / hobbyist who is interested in the sport progressing, but not really as a "jockey".

For some reason people are slow to understand that.

Once people understand then it makes sense that I want to advocate for rules that will mold things in a way that makes sense from the manufacturers perspective and for the sport overall. Given the situation in the world now (with energy being a problem) when one is interested in advancing this type of sport it is a noble pursuit. (in my world view) From my perspective all this negative energy (folks that complain) is working against the higher goal, so I just try as much as possible to ignore it. From my perspective the "selfish racer" perspective is a fact of life to deal with, but not something I respect.

In most all motorsports there is a significant technical aspect to it and that's the area I am involved in. Not everyone is into being the "jockey". (that's for the kids)

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Note: I suspect that "pedalless" is AussieJester coming back again after being banned several times. Unless there is another person with similiar behavior it's probably him.