Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - The Bulky Bullet of Berks Stuns Florida

I've been asked to don my "press agent" hat and give an update on Sayre Kulp, the Bulky Bullet of Berks, and his adventures in Florida.

The Bullet went south to the Sunshine State to ride in the Human Powered Race America event. HRPA is for recumbents and trikes.

http://www.recumbents.com/wisil/hpra.htm

Sayre was concerned before starting out. "Some of these guys have trikes that cost more than the cars that carry them," he told me. Our friend is racing his 70 pound Sun trike, a trike with a crack in the frame.

His only training for the event was riding his beloved Oso up Reading's Mount Penn. Mount Penn isn't very high, but it does have a winding 8 to 12 per cent grade. Oh, and on Thursday he rode 60 miles on a Florida rail trail.

Saturday started with a time trial. Sayre turned in a mile in 2.57 minutes. Eyebrows began to be raised. 'Just who is this guy?' some thought.

The road race event for trikes took place after lunch. The Bullet took fifth, finishing behind the four man sponsored Team Cattrike. He was a tenth of a second behind the fourth place finisher.

That was followed by a 200 meter sprint event. As Sayre wrote me, "Not the fastest, but not the slowest..... I gave it my best shot."

Sayre was disqualified on a technicality in the last event, thanks to a protest from another rider. The Bullet didn't discuss the details in his messages to me, but he seemed to be over it.

Today the Bullet is racing in a velodrome, which is a new experience for him. Events are a 200 meter sprint, 20 lap race, and another time trial. Sayre is both excited and surprised at his results.....

"So far, so good. I didn't realize I was racing with world record holders. It's kinda humbling."

"Do you know how many people I shocked today? Myself included."

And

"I'm feeling pretty awesome."

The Bullet has promised to give a report when he gets back, including photos. As for me, all I can end this post with is:

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/180638_1746017822728_1607271639_1643807_7091823_n.jpg

If those guys new about the "Clyde 20" they might have been to sceeeeeeeered to show up!

Go Sayre!

If those guys new about the "Clyde 20" they might have been to sceeeeeeeered to show up!

Go Sayre!

Oddsmakers are busy calculating the percentages for the Sayre Kulp vs CraigB race.

Oddsmakers are busy calculating the percentages for the Sayre Kulp vs CraigB race.

I don't know what to say in response to that. So far everything The Bullet has done leaves me in the dust. Of course, in the best Black Sox fashion I guess I could bet against myself. ;)

As far as Sayre's surprise that some of the trikes were more expensive than the cars that were transporting them, that was the norm among the 20-something competitive cyclists I hung out with in my youth. And those were just bikes, as in two wheels. It was extremely common to see a bike (usually Italian) that cost considerably more than the POS under the rack.

I don't know what to say in response to that. So far everything The Bullet has done leaves me in the dust. Of course, in the best Black Sox fashion I guess I could bet against myself. ;)

As far as Sayre's surprise that some of the trikes were more expensive than the cars that were transporting them, that was the norm among the 20-something competitive cyclists I hung out with in my youth. And those were just bikes, as in two wheels. It was extremely common to see a bike (usually Italian) that cost considerably more than the POS under the rack.

His speed on the 70 pound, cracked frame trike is nearly as fast as his 21.75 MPH on his upright. I shudder to think what Sayre will do on a sub-20 pound roadie. The only road bike he's ridden is my Notung, which isn't a good fit for him because of my modifications:

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/156636_1613358786335_1607271639_1401160_8300199_n.jpg

As for the cost of the racing trikes, Sayre knew that going in. It's his performance that's the shocker. At least to Sayre. We on the Clyde Forum know better.

The only comparison I can find to Sayre's achievement is that of a friend of mine, the PA Amateur Chess Champion. Joe defeated a Grandmaster, former US Champion Arthur Bisguier, in a game at the World Open a few years ago. Again, a stellar performance from a guy who doesn't realize his own strength.

BTW, here are photos of the trike Sayre is racing:

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/38540_1461074779330_1607271639_1088455_4148836_n.jpg

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/37870_1460589847207_1607271639_1086788_6312710_n.jpg

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/38784_1460589607201_1607271639_1086784_451661_n.jpg

This is the "Guys, I brought my chair" pose three wheeled riders like to strike:

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/29286_1411491219772_1607271639_962230_4554806_n.jpg

This is the "Guys, I brought my chair" pose three wheeled riders like to strike:

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/29286_1411491219772_1607271639_962230_4554806_n.jpg

I'm surprised more competitive cyclists don't consider a trike like this, when you hear their mantra: never stand up straight when you can lean against something, never lean against something when you can sit down, never sit down when you can lie down.

BTW, that looks like a fun group to ride with. Wish I were closer.

Bravo Sayre... keep on turning those cranks. The Bulky Bullet of Berks???? I can't stop laughing at this...

I would be a scared to ride on a cracked frame going 20 mph. Good for Sayre teaching those pro's how real Clydes bring the smackdown.

Sayre can't get online, so I'll post this text update:

"I amazed people by holding onto the hill today."

- I have no idea what this means. Racers, any clue? This would have been on a velodrome.

"I had to take a DNF in my last event."

- I've asked for more information on the DNF and the "holding the hill."

I'm guessing that holding the hill would be ones ability to stay on the high banked turns. A certain amount of speed has to be held to keep from drifting to the bottom of the track. At the Daytona speedway the cars have to maintain 70+ miles per hour to stay onthe 32* banking. Just my opinion.. It will be interesting to get the real answer fron Sayre

I'm guessing that holding the hill would be ones ability to stay on the high banked turns. A certain amount of speed has to be held to keep from drifting to the bottom of the track. At the Daytona speedway the cars have to maintain 70+ miles per hour to stay onthe 32* banking. Just my opinion.. It will be interesting to get the real answer fron Sayre

Yes, and I wonder about the DNF. If he injured himself, I'm sure he'd have said something.

Bravo Sayre... keep on turning those cranks. The Bulky Bullet of Berks???? I can't stop laughing at this...

Sayre is from Berks County, PA. Specifically, Reading.

I just looked at the web site linked above, these guys hit some crazy speeds...

I'm guessing that holding the hill would be ones ability to stay on the high banked turns. A certain amount of speed has to be held to keep from drifting to the bottom of the track. At the Daytona speedway the cars have to maintain 70+ miles per hour to stay onthe 32* banking. Just my opinion.. It will be interesting to get the real answer fron Sayre

Your guess was correct. Sayre held his place at the top of the slope despite the weight of the trike and his being "top heavy." (Sayre is 6'4", 260 pounds.)

DNF was because the final event required him to start from a standing position - presumably a 'cold' start - and Sayre couldn't get up enough speed with his 70 pound trike to hold his lane.

Still a good show congratulations Sayre you made us Clyde's proud

Great job!

Still a good show congratulations Sayre you made us Clyde's proud

Sayre should be back home by Thursday, and I'm sure he'll have some photos and stories to share. Meanwhile, my last text of the night:

"I didn't win anything, but I held my own. I HAD A BLAST! I'm definitely doing this again!"

I think he had a good time. :-)

Fantastic! I wondered where he'd been!

Good for Sayre! Go Clydes!

Amazing stuff, Sayre!! Congratulations!!

Good for Sayre! Go Clydes!

Photos from the HPRA website:

The group at the start getting instructions. Sayre is in the back in all these photos - my beef is that the photographer was infatuated with the 'racing' trikes and gave the biggest rider short shrift:

http://www.recumbents.com/wisil/racing2011/florida2011/SANY0236.JPG

http://www.recumbents.com/wisil/racing2011/florida2011/SANY0243.JPG

http://www.recumbents.com/wisil/racing2011/florida2011/SANY0374.JPG


http://www.recumbents.com/wisil/racing2011/florida2011/SANY0554.JPG

In motion!

http://www.recumbents.com/wisil/racing2011/florida2011/SANY0565.JPG

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5300/5484571660_459d5f11b1_b.jpg

YouTube video from the first day, the recumbent bikes riding around the track. Sayre might be on the sidelines here; I can't spot him, however.


http://www.youtube.com/user/sofabike#p/u/0/p-rjPQFa8xM

Just goes to show that it's not the bike!

Job well done!

Hey everybody! I'm back. Glad to see you guys kept my seat warm for me. I had to endure a 40 degree temperature drop between where I was and where I am now. Don't worry - only a few of the pics and videos have come in so far. I forgot to mention to Neil that a lot of the folks taking pictures (besides my photographer) were from Canada and may not even be home yet. Here's something to enjoy though:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spfa8F71KrA

I actually got to play with a video camera on a boom. It took me a little practice to get the hang of it though. (You'll see what I mean.)

Also - if you want to see what I look like amongst all those skinny racers:

192033

I just keep thinking back to Sesame Street from my childhood and start singing, "one of these things is not like the others..."

Here's some shots from the velodrome: (It's steeper than it looks, trust me!)

192034192035

As I said on Facebook - I promise to post lots more photos and a recap of the weekend as soon as I take care of priorities. (Shower & Sleep)

^^^ Ha-ha, that was funny camera work, can't give it away though. Let the others see for themselves. Pretty cool !!!

RE the video, for a second there I thought you were riding with Sister Bertrille.

Also - if you want to see what I look like amongst all those skinny racers:

192033


Was a blue top a requirement?

Great job! Looks like you had a blast.

http://www.printroom.com/ViewGalleryPhoto.asp?userid=5619&gallery_id=2509818&image_id=92&pos=93http://www.printroom.com/ViewGalleryPhoto.asp?userid=5619&gallery_id=2509818&image_id=92&pos=93

http://www.printroom.com/ViewGalleryPhoto.asp?userid=5619&gallery_id=2509818&image_id=99&pos=100

From the "'BentRider Online" forums:

"But what power [Sayre] was putting out to get the USX to fly. In my view he was the most impressive rider there that weekend!"

Great job, Sayre:thumb:

You have some serious power:thumb: I used to own an EZ-3, and it was the slowest recumbent I'd ever ridden. I cracked the frame also.

Were you the one who won a race on an EZ-3? I used to lurk for years and I thought I saw a picture in the recumbent forum of a Clyde who won a race on that bike.

This thread is good motivation for me to dust off my tadpole trike and hit the trail:)

RE the video, for a second there I thought you were riding with Sister Bertrille.

I take it you liked Nik's "flying nun" helmet?

Was a blue top a requirement?

For me it was. That's the Under Armor I've worn to nearly every event since I started this whole "get healthy & be awesome" kick. The other guys were wearing their Team Catrike jerseys. Those dudes were good.

Great job, Sayre:thumb:

You have some serious power:thumb: I used to own an EZ-3, and it was the slowest recumbent I'd ever ridden. I cracked the frame also.

Were you the one who won a race on an EZ-3? I used to lurk for years and I thought I saw a picture in the recumbent forum of a Clyde who won a race on that bike.

This thread is good motivation for me to dust off my tadpole trike and hit the trail:)

I won my age group in a race last year on that heavy trike. I'm looking into what it would take to put me in something lighter, more aerodynamic and actually geared for going fast. Then we'll see what I'm REALLY capable of.

From the "'BentRider Online" forums:

"But what power [Sayre] was putting out to get the USX to fly. In my view he was the most impressive rider there that weekend!"

That was from John Schlitter of Team Bacchetta. I will ABSOLUTELY take that endorsement. That dude is RIDICULOUSLY fast!

I won my age group in a race last year on that heavy trike. I'm looking into what it would take to put me in something lighter, more aerodynamic and actually geared for going fast. Then we'll see what I'm REALLY capable of.
Cool:thumb: Can't wait to see what you can do with a lighter bike!

For me it was. That's the Under Armor I've worn to nearly every event since I started this whole "get healthy & be awesome" kick.

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/182290_1738266468949_1607271639_1633838_120304_n.jpg

Race weekend recap is up over at my "Fat Guy on a Bike" Facebook page. Pictures will be uploaded shortly.

Race weekend recap is up over at my "Fat Guy on a Bike" Facebook page. Pictures will be uploaded shortly.

How about something for the folks who don't use Facebook?

How about something for the folks who don't use Facebook?
+1

I don't have Facebook. Never have, never will.

Grrrr.... okay fine:



Since making the decision to get my life back in check in October of 2009, I have been following the conversation on BikeForums.net’s online message boards. It has been a great resource for getting my questions answered as well as finding the encouragement and support we all need from time to time. Sometime late in 2010 I was reading a thread in the recumbent section about the HPRA Florida Challenge. I decided to check out the website and learn a little bit about the events. In early 2011 I decided to pull the trigger and make plans to race in Florida. I recruited my best friend, Brandon, to be my driver/photographer for the week and we headed south.

We left on Tuesday evening and drove through the night so as to avoid traffic. This paid off in our favor as the area around D.C. is inevitable on our route. We stopped for a rest break when the lines on the road started swaying. We were in one of the Carolinas. The plan was to shut off the truck and rest for about an hour and a half, however as soon as we nodded off we were awakened by a man knocking on our windows asking for money. I overrode by natural desire to show him the business end of a tire iron and instead explained to him how if we had money, we’d be sleeping in a hotel instead of in our truck when he woke us up. Despite this little speed bump, we made it to Florida around lunch time and had quite possibly one of the worst meals of our lives. We now know which Chinese restaurant we will never again set foot in. I’ll spare you the gruesome details and leave it at that. We took the rest of the day Wednesday to rest and recover from the long drive and the mystery sushi incident.

On Thursday, we rose in better spirits and loaded up the bike and trike. While my wife got ready to watch the final launch of space shuttle Discovery, we were headed to the western side of the state to ride the General James A. Van Fleet State Trail. All that I read about this trail indicated that were in for a flat, relatively straight paved trail ride. I didn’t realize how true that was. The trail (from south to north) is straight as an arrow until about mile 5 where there is a slight bend before another 25 miles of unbelievably straight trail. Brandon and I set out to ride from north to south, however. This provided a great opportunity to test out the trike and diagnose any adjustments that needed to be made after nearly 1,000 miles on top of Chevy Blazer. The literature published by the trail group promised great opportunities to view the local wildlife, however all we saw were gopher tortoises and on lonely snake. The snake slithered away when we passed him heading out, but proved to be a stubborn trail hog on the way back. I lent my Trek hybrid bike to Brandon so he could ride the trail with me. He was none-too-thrilled at the idea of riding a 60 mile round trip. He had never done anything remotely close to that before. To his surprise he survived, though it definitely wore him out. I forgot my Clif Bars and was in need of calories at the halfway point. After sending Brandon back to get a head start, I rode to the nearest pizza joint and order a small mushroom pizza. Taking a page out of ultrarunner Dean Karnazes’ book, I ate the thing on the fly at about 18-19 miles per hour. This earned me some justifiably funny looks along the trail. About 9-10 miles later I caught up to Brandon and helped push him the rest of the way back to the truck. It was a long day, but an important one for me in preparing for the races that were coming up.

Friday was another rest day. Brandon recovered from the long ride the day before and I got to spend a little time on the beach with my wife and daughter. It was a relaxing day and just what I needed to help calm my nerves before heading down for the races. Brandon, my wife, and I loaded up and headed out Friday night so as to avoid having to get up at the crack of dawn on Saturday. Unfortunately, due to a miscommunication, the hotel gave away our room, forcing us to make alternate arrangements at the last minute. At three something in the morning and with nearly ALL hotels completely sold out, things weren’t looking too good for us. Finally, after easily 3 dozen calls to nearby hotels, we located a vacant room and put the hammer down. We checked in around 4 am and tried to get some shut-eye before having to get up in just 3 short hours.

Saturday we awoke at 7 and started packing for the races. We arrived at Brian Piccolo Park around 8:00-8:30 and looked for other people with funny looking bicycles. We checked in, paid the registration fee, and got down to the task of putting my ride back together. Once done, I took her out for some warm-up laps around the road track. I got to choose my race number for the weekend and I chose 999 – the last number available. I thought this selection would be fitting as I firmly expected to be in last place.

The first event of the 2011 HPRA Florida Challenge was the Maple Leaf Mile, a 1 mile time trial. I completed the time trial in under 3 minutes, at 2:57.36 for an average over 20 mph. I bested at least a few individuals and was very proud and encouraged by my initial efforts. Next up was a 20 minute race. The blue-clad members of Team Catrike immediately linked up and formed a train that took them out to an early lead. I tried my best to keep them in sight, but they rode hard and strong as a team. I was in 6th place heading into the final lap but I had my nearest competitor in sight. As I rounded the final turn I put the hammer down and closed the gap. After a photo finish, the transponder determined that I had edged out the other gent for 5th place by just a few scant hundredths of a second. Knowing that I lost only to the formidable Catrike team was encouraging. After lunch, there was a 200m sprint with a rolling start. Just as in the first time trial, I was neither fastest nor slowest and again I was happy with my efforts. Only one event remained for the day – the “Last Man Out” race. The way this event works is that everyone starts together – then at the end of each lap, the man in last place gets pulled till only one remains. There is one caveat though – there is no lapping of opponents allowed. I was the second man out due to a technicality. One of my competitors knew he would likely be the first man eliminated and decided to “have some fun” at the expense of the rest of the field. He rode the initial lap at approximately 3-5 miles per hour. This allowed the entire field to catch him less than 2/3 of the way through our second lap. Knowing that we couldn’t pass him, he decided to slow the pace down even further, nearly causing a few accidents as we all piled up behind him. As we neared the finish line, we also realized that two riders would be getting dropped at the line. That left all of us jockeying for position 9 wide across the road at 2 mph. At the line I was called out, though there was disagreement about who crossed the line last. I firmly believe that I was not the last across the line but may have been called that way because my ride extended further in the back than some of the others. I’m not proud of the childish behavior I displayed after that, however I felt I had to protest what I felt was an injustice. Knowing how that individual was planning on throwing the race, the officials should have black flagged him and pulled him, allowing the rest of us to race. Instead, I got royally hosed. The only consolation I got was that the rules are going to be reviewed and altered to prevent something like this from happening again. It put a damper on an otherwise awesome day for me.

Day 2 was in the velodrome. I have ridden in a velodrome before, but never on a trike. It became immediately clear that I would be at a marked disadvantage today. I ran a few laps to see how the trike handled the banked hills of the velodrome. To run officially would mean keeping my wheels above the black line. In practice I was unable to do it. But I resolved to try anyway. The way I saw it – a DNF is better than a “did not try.” For the 200m sprint, we were able to do a lap to get up to speed before crossing the line and running a hot lap. I ran my warmup lap along the apron before steering up onto the track for my hot lap. As I entered the corner, I pedaled as hard as I could and muscled the trike up above the line. I managed to keep it up! I couldn’t believe it. As I ran through the final turn, my drive wheel lifted off the track and I wound up free-wheeling. The big ring slipped when I landed and I wound up spinning my way through the finish line. Since we were ahead of schedule, we were afforded an opportunity at a second run, if desired. Several riders took advantage of this, trying to improve on their times. Most came up slower due to fatigue. I ran a second run because I knew to anticipate the tipping. This time I kept all 3 wheels on the track and managed to shave some time off my results. I still have a hard time believing I was able to hold the trike on the hill. Next up was a 50 lap race. Once again, Team Catrike formed their blue train and headed out to an early lead. I just tried to keep them in sight. Eventually I was dropped. I had another competitor on the same lap as myself, though I just couldn’t seem to close in on him. As the laps ticked away I would get closer, but then he would draft off someone and pull away a bit. It was a tough event for me as I had no drafting help throughout. The final event of the weekend was a 1k sprint. The 1k sprint was a standing start sprint. Unfortunately, despite two attempts, I was unable to hold the hill without being able to build up suitable speed beforehand.

The race weekend was sponsored by Catrike and Atlantic Bicycles, among others. After the races on Sunday, my caravan paid a visit to Atlantic Bicycles to bring the sponsor’s banners back and share some our photos with them. The following day I paid homage to the Catrike factory and a few of the guys I had raced against the day before gave me a tour of the facility. I even got to meet the founder of the company. Some neat stuff there. I spent my remaining time in Florida riding on the sandy beaches and enjoying the beautiful 80 degree weather and sunshine.

And so ended my first HPRA experience. I had an absolute blast and would love to do this again.

I'll post the pics to a Shutterfly account, though that will take about 1/2 hour for each day. (We took a LOT of photos.)

Try this for photos. It's a work in progress, but hopefully it will work.

http://thebulkybullet.shutterfly.com

Try this for photos. It's a work in progress, but hopefully it will work.

http://thebulkybullet.shutterfly.com
Great story:) Thanks for taking the trouble to post it for us non-Facebookers:thumb: However, I can't see your photos. It says it's private and I have to register:p

Try it again. I had to adjust some of the settings. Sorry - still getting used to this site. It's brand new to me.

Try it again. I had to adjust some of the settings. Sorry - still getting used to this site. It's brand new to me.
No problem:) Works great now. Nice pictures:thumb:

I would love to have one of those velomobiles for wet weather riding, but they cost as much as a brand-new car:eek:

You can always just build your own. I plan on it someday.

I've been in northern WI out of the reach of most modern communication technology since last Thursday (I went snowmobiling with a couple of old high school pals), so I hadn't seen the latest in this thread. Major congrats, Sayre, on your participation and accomplishments. Kudos to you, sir.

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/188620_10150097492846344_629866343_6458859_6312740_n.jpg

Perhaps my favorite photo from the trip.