Hi everyone, and HAPPY 4th of July! Well, I finally got some time to try a 1/4 mile speed run around the local track this morning! A friend from my local bike shop met me there to film me while following me on his bike, with my gopro on his helmet. My goal was to try to finish the lap in under one minute, which was/is NOT easy!
Because of the huge, heavy 36" wheel, short cranks and fixed 1:1 hub, it takes a good 8-10 seconds to get up to speed from a standing start, and the turns slowed me down a bit as well. That means I had to hit 17-18mph on the straights to make up for that lost time, in order to have a chance to cross the finish line in under one minute! Whew! I learned that 55 year old legs are NOT 25 anymore, haha!
Great training though, for sure! I could have gone a bit faster, but I also knew that if I fell, my friend who was only a few feet behind me on his bike, would probably have run over me! Plus, I can't run 17 mph if I fall either, so either way I would have gone down, and HARD! This was my first and only attempt, and only the third time in my six years of riding that I've tried this. What a rush!
Because of the huge, heavy 36" wheel, short cranks and fixed 1:1 hub, it takes a good 8-10 seconds to get up to speed from a standing start, and the turns slowed me down a bit as well. That means I had to hit 17-18mph on the straights to make up for that lost time, in order to have a chance to cross the finish line in under one minute! Whew! I learned that 55 year old legs are NOT 25 anymore, haha!
Great training though, for sure! I could have gone a bit faster, but I also knew that if I fell, my friend who was only a few feet behind me on his bike, would probably have run over me! Plus, I can't run 17 mph if I fall either, so either way I would have gone down, and HARD! This was my first and only attempt, and only the third time in my six years of riding that I've tried this. What a rush!
