Motored Biking Racing in Arizona

[Toddmoto]

Challange is still on.....

Any one who is interested in attending the "Death race" should do it. It will be a very good time even if your not interested in the final event. Bring all your road legal bikes (gas & electric) & if your into building extream performance bicycles, Bring them too! (just dress for the crash!:helmet

Its great fellowship meeting like minded folks & fun to see what the other guys can build.

"Safe" is not the Last word regarding this event. Or E-bike racing for that matter.

 

[safe]

I encourage people to go to the "Death Race".

I'm unhappy with the older age demographics and want to steer this sport more in the Cycling direction and less of the motorcycle direction, but I'm not going to trash the "Death Race" because it's honest about what it's about.

My vision of the sport places it closer to a BMX type thing where speeds are moderate, sportmanship and fair play are encourage because it's like Little League for kids. The idea is that this sport would be something were you would have parents feel comfortable letting their son or daughter compete.

Ideally I want to see 16 year olds excited about this sport.

A little less of:

http://krazy-katz.com/images/fat_biker_1.jpg

...and a little more of:

http://www.cadencecycling.com/CMSImage/Athletes/rollin-cervelo.jpg

...there is a "sweet spot" between cycling and road racing and that's the spot I'm focused on.

It's probably waaaaay too early for what I have in mind.

 

[Dogman]

None of the people at last years Death Race care what your vision of racing in the future should be.

It's just a bunch of people having fun. Some bring slow bikes and ride the practice laps with huge grins on thier faces. Some bring thier bike that is a rolling work of art and simply display it. And about 40 or so seriously compete, either for the actual trophy or just for the fun of letting it rip. I saw zero indication that age played any role at all in letting her rip, and nobody went to the hospital this year. But you could tell that by the main event, everybody on the track was a guy who knows how to lay one down and walk away. Lots and lots of riding experience there. Not old farts learning to ride, a bunch of 50+ noobs would be dangerous. 40 years of bike experience is not a dangerous rider.

For those reading and thinking about it, there is no reason to say a 1000 watt type ebike race next year in Tucson is canceled. Only Safes participation is canceled.

As I keep saying, what happens at the race next year will be decided by those who show up. I'll be glad to do some informal racing at 48v 22 amps during the practice periods with anybody showing up.

 

[Dogman]

One last comment. Of the 100 + people running practice laps at the death race and 30 or so that ran the main event, there was exactly one guy that looked pretty heavy. Everybody else looked pretty normal to me. So some of the older ones, like me, weigh a bit more than we did when we were 20. Big deal.

So compared to the ratio of heavy people out there in the general popluation you think we have a problem with one out of one hundred being on the large side?

What is it with you and this weight obsession? What's it to you what somebody else weighs? Sure the heavy guy was slower, but he still had a great big grin on his face out on that track. What harm is there in that?

 

[Joey]

Since my original posting was lost in the server swap...

What constitutes a *motorized bicycle* in this race?
Do the pedals have to actually work for a period of time, or can someone slap bogus/temporary pedals on a racing motorcycle?

 

[Toddmoto]

IMO, The machine should function as well as any bicycle of = weight under pedal. not just window dressing pedals.
I think most showing up keep the bikes in compliance with the intent.
If you Saw dogmans video's you see he actually is pedaling on exit of most all the turns. even the high powerd motored bikes actually give a human boost in a few spots on the track.

Even if anyone does show up with a yz80 engine'd bicycle he would prolly be allowed to run it. Its guy's pushing the envelope that get the base rules established.

 

[Joey]

Its guy's pushing the envelope that get the base rules established.

It just seems that a motorized bicycle (or trike) should at least have some qualification to be a minimum pedal-able bicycle/trike. Someones got to judge if it is a "bicycle" don't they?

I mean, couldn't you slap toy pedals spinning some string on a motorcycles' bogus sprocket and call it a bicycle?

Not arguing age or ability, IMHO if you take some of the pedaling out of the race, it is a motorcycle race. If a guy has to build a bike that must take a lap, or part of a lap, under pedal power ... well that sure makes a difference. Especially if that pedal lap counts to place a riders position in a heat or race.
Pedaling sort of levels the playing field in a power to weight fashion.

Don't get me wrong. I like the bandit or outlaw theme of the race. It just seems the definition of the racing machine is so loose , well I smell some ringers.

 

[Toddmoto]

Oh for sure some guy's are building the ideal bike for that race specificly. Morini motors, all kinds of inotative mxing & matching of motor components. Some very creative engineering.

you can say this is just another version of the raceing the "MopedArmy" promote in the midwest.

Here is another version by the human powerd vehicle assocoation
http://www.ohpv.org/HPC/page22/page21/page21.html

pick your poison & have some fun.

 

[Zach648]

I raced Supermoto on that track a while back... lots of fun. I'd like to try it on my schwinn too!

 

[safe]

I just got an email from a guy that says he might be able to get 2 guys to come for the 1000 watt race.

Funny how at first I suggest the idea of a 1000 watt race to focus ourselves into a class that is "pure ebike" and not PINO (Pedals In Name Only - Pronounced "Pee No") and I get a flood of negative feedback about the idea. Then just when I get to the point of complete disgust with the process it seems that people start to think the idea is a good one and want the race to go on.

So I don't know... if there is increasing interest in 1000 watt racing and the event arrives and I want to go I might go. I'm taking it easy and not trying to worry about it as much.

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I still stand by my convictions that we need some awesome athletes to naturally rise to the top if this sport if it is going to be received favorably. People want the winners to be young and strong.

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My 23 year old ex-marine (at the bar) friend gave me one of his combat medals. He apparently respected me enough to want to give it to me. (he's the kind of guy I want winning... sort of America's best and brightest... the heroic figure) He only had two drinks so he wasn't hammered and making a decision he didn't think was appropriate. I feel kind of honored by it actually. He's somewhat lost now that he's out of the military and I've tried to give him honest and good advice. He's going through a lot.