Conference noted::bicycle

1459.0. "Charlotte Roll-a-Thon 500" by SHALOT::ELLIS (John Lee Ellis - assembly required) Mon Mar 26 1990 14:11

    
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    Last Friday and Saturday (noon-to-noon), I participated in the
    24-hour "Roll-a-thon 500" at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.
    The event was to publicize/promote access-for-the-handicapped.
    There were several dozen wheel-chair participants, using the
    1.1 mile infield course.  Some did the full 24 hours!  The
    organizers also invited runners, walkers, roller-skaters, and
    cyclists.  At times, principally Friday evening and Saturday
    morning, quite a number of cyclists from the Tarheel club were
    zooming around the race-oval (about 1� miles, with a 24� banked
    turn at each end).
    
    Some of the wheelchairs were track wheelchairs, which have inwardly
    angled rear wheels, and larger-than-normal (one foot diameter) 
    spoked front wheels, and lightweight tubular construction.  It
    was hard to catch up to them on the downhills, when I rode with
    them.  These guys had great persistence, good spirits, and were
    a pleasure to ride with.  (They also had upper body strength and
    endurance that cyclists could only dream about.)
    
    I did the full 24 hours, clocking 323 miles, with lots of breaks
    but no sleep.  I also tried out Profile-for-Speed aero bars, which
    were quite comfortable.  A couple of club members, Lou Nachman
    and Deryk French, each did about 150 miles.  Others did shorter
    distances, at speed.
    
    The banks were interesting, useful more for variety than any
    riding advantage.  They were at a constant angle, and at 15-20mph,
    you don't lean into them at all - it felt precarious at what 
    amounted to vertical cornering - but it was no tougher to ride at
    the top of the bank, near the outer concrete wall, than down lower.
    
    The organizers and participants appreciated the presence of the 
    cyclists (for moral support and publicity).
    
    I'm glad I did it, and may give it another shot next year.
    
    -john
    

    
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Note 2.165                 Place 'FOR SALE' items here                165 of 166
BCSE::KLASMAN "Boston-Montreal-Boston 1990"           9 lines  26-MAR-1990 12:19
                      -< Gee... 323m in 24-hr already... >-
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John,

Way to go!  323m is exactly what I did in Capron last July.  I can't imagine 
doing that many miles this early in the year.  Looks like you're on you way 
towards qualifying for RAAM.  Great!

Will you be coming north for the Johnstown (NY) 24-hr on June 2?

Kevin
    

    
    Thanks, Kevin.  I'll be curious if this will be good practice
    for Capron.
    
    cheers,
    -john

    Kevin, this is not early for John, this is just the 27th month of 1988
    for him.
    
    :-)
    
    ed

    RE: .1  
    
    I don't plan on doing the 24TT in Johnstown in June, although
    it sounds quite scenic and invigorating.  
    
    I *could* claim that it is too far away, but that is hard to do,
    after trying to cajole more than one Newhampshirite to come down
    here for Mt. Mitchell.  :-)
    
    We'll see.
    
    -john