Tripleshift - Recumbent Trikes, Bikes and other cool things!

Landmark	Total Distance	Rough Height [m]	Segment Distance [km]	Base Avg.	Time [min]	Hours	Minutes
Start	0	5	0		0
Hospital Bend	3.857	70	3.857	27.5	8	0	8
Kirstenbosch	8.772	70	4.915	35	8	0	17
Wynberg Hill	11.675	120	2.903	24.3	7	0	24
Lakeside	21.196	5	9.521	54.4	11	0	35
Kalk Bay	26.94	5	5.744	44	8	0	42
Fish Hoek	31.41	5	4.47	44.7	6	0	48
Glen Cairn	33.903	5	2.493	39	4	0	52
Jubilee Sq.	38.512	5	4.609	39.5	7	0	59
Millers Point	44.22	5	5.708	32.9	10	1	10
Smitswinkel - Top	49.277	115	5.057	22.6	13	1	23
Scarb. Turn	57.613	70	8.336	47.6	11	1	34
Misty Cliffs	62.054	5	4.441	59.2	5	1	38
Soetwater	66.27	60	4.216	28.9	9	1	47
Ocean View	72.413	20	6.143	43.8	8	1	55
Noordhoek	77.694	20	5.281	39.2	8	2	3
Chappies - Top	82.088	160	4.394	19.8	13	2	17
Chappies - Descent	88.802	5	6.714	48.8	8	2	25
Hout Bay	90.707	5	1.905	25.4	5	2	29
Suikerbossie	92.432	220	1.725	12.4	8	2	33
Camps Bay	101.927	15	9.495	42.2	14	2	47
Finish	108.698	5	6.771	41	10	2	57

EnergyBreakthrough - sponsored by MTN ScienCentre and Popular Mechanics - climbing Smitswinkel.

Warm up
Startline
Wynberg Hill
Blue Route
Oceanside Musings
Smitswinkel
The Nature Reserve Straights
Misty Cliffs
Soetwater to Noordehoek
Chapman's Peak
Suikerbossie
Llandudno Descent
Camps Bay through Clifton
The Finish
Analysis and Stats

The final stretch! With 2 weeks to before race and Nicholas due to arrive in 7 days time I took time off work to help Graeme with the last stages. We wanted to be ready for test riding when Nicholas arrived on Sunday giving a full week before race day. So, it was into the Caddy for a daily trip up to Veldrif. With baby Amy due to pop out any day I preferred to be at home for the nights!

Graeme had been working hard to get the fairing ready for the last stages.

 

We took the trike and crude plug up to Graeme Murray in Velddrif in mid-January for completion of the composite work.

Graeme has been hard at work initially fairing the plug and then laying up the female mould. See the photo-essay below for some of the steps involved:

 

We started work in September 2004 on a head out fairing for the GTX. To keep the frontal area as small as possible wheel cutouts where planned rather than having the fairing enclose the wheels. Although speed is important some concessions were settled on to make the fairing more practical. While the trike is a great platform to build on it's strengths lie not in ultimate speed where a fully enclosed bike will have a significant edge.

The stability of the trike means that it will be usable in a wider range of conditions. Cooling is an important issue to address motivating choice of the head out design. A pod for the head could be added at a later date.

The basic construction technique used was to carve a block of high density polystyrene to shape then cover it with an epoxy based fairing goop. After this is sanded fair, sealed and polished a female mold in glass fibre is lifted from this male plug. A composite body shell using carbon, kevlar and foam or balsa core is then formed in the mold.

The shape was derived by figuring out the internal constraints imposed by the trike and rider. In the abscence of nice modelling software such as Solidworks the trike was physically placed inside the block while it was built from polystyrene blocks and the internal limits carved out. Then when shaping from the outside these limits where kept simply by carefully approaching the thinner sections of polystyrene while retaining the desired shape as best as possible.

Nicholas George rode the 2004 GTX race trike to a winning position in the unconventional field in last year's Cape Argus Pick 'n Pay Cycle Tour. The time of 3h06m was good for the unfaired trike but not quite up to the standard set by the racing recumbents in past years!

We are using the same chassis for 2005 with a few modifications. Most notable of these will be the addition of a head out fairing. See below for some shots of work in progress on preparing this.

We will also be running the new prototype Greenspeed Scorcher slicks for this year. These have been measured to have between 4 and 6.5 watts less rolling resistance at pressures between 60 and 100p.s.i. Across three tyres this will result in a nice saving of around 12 to 15watts. Although not so critical for the Pick and Pay Argus Cycle Tour which generally runs on good smooth tar the Scorchers are also a high volume 40-349 tyre that can run happily at lower pressures on rough chip-seal type surfaces. This should make them faster than the Stelvio under these conditions.

Nicholas George racing the GTX to recumbent victory down the brand new tarmac of Chapman's Peak Drive! 2004.

Warm up
Startline
Wynberg Hill
Blue Route
Oceanside Musings
Smitswinkel
The Nature Reserve Straights
Misty Cliffs
Soetwater to Noordehoek
Chapman's Peak
Suikerbossie
Llandudno Descent
Camps Bay through Clifton
The Finish
Analysis and Stats

The GTX has a fine racing pedigree inherited from it predecessor the GLR race trike. The GLR low racer was designed for Pedal Prix racing. Fast on the circuits it also did well in Paris-Brest-Paris and RAAM. However, it was not quite practical enough for everyday use and load carrying ability was limited. The GTX builds on the strengths of the GLR remaining low, narrow and fast. However, based on 16" wheels all round with a slightly higher seat angle [25°] it is just as happy touring or commuting.

The trike supplied for the race was fitted with Shimano Ultegra front and rear derallieurs. A large 67/52 combination on the front turns the Shimano Capreo 9/26 to give a gear range of 33" to 123". This means a leg burning climb of 13kph at 80rpm and a top end of about 71kph at 120rpm. The 172.5 cranks mean that 120rpm is fairly hard too hold and a possible recommended upgrade would be to fit a triple giving lower gears for climbing and drop the crank length.

Drum brakes are actuated through Ride On low friction cables. This is a great upgrade to the trikes for a lighter more powerful braking action.

Over the years the Argus Cycle tour route and times have evolved as the race has matured developing its own special character. The first race in 1978 saw 525 entrants with Lawrence Whittaker first rider home over the 104km route in 3:02:25. Since then times have improved as has the level of professionalism amongst the top entrants. With the Giro del Capo attracting some of the world's best riders winning times are now in the order of 2h30 rather than 3h00 hours! In 2002 Allan Davis streaked home on the 109km course in 2:35:34- an average speed of just over 42km/h!

Perhaps even more impressive are the outright race records held by the unconventional bicycles and their riders.

In 1984 Lloyd Wright appeared in the record books for the first time. Riding a Lightning F40 he came home in 2:43:51 on a 104km course [avg 37.8km/h]. From 1988 to 1990 Lloyd dominated the race scoring three out of three wins and setting the all time course record for the 104km route. At 2:33:03 this was an average speed of 40.8km/h and was nearly 4 minutes faster than the winning conventional time - also a course record - set by Willie Engelbrecht.

The sun hasn't risen yet. It is slightly chilly but that is not really why you shiver from time to time. You shift from foot to foot as you wait to shuffle forward. Check tyres for the 100th time, pat your pockets - raisins, energy goo, the lump of stuff from last months ride that you haven't dared to prise out. Shuffle, shift and begin the cycle again. Tyres - yep, they are still Ok!

Strange behaviour! But then you are boosted by the cameraderie of sharing the ritual with 35000 other adherents.

You are at the start of the Cape Argus Pick and Pay Cycle Tour! The largest cycle race in the world where all riders are timed and some say, the most beautiful. Some say, the most fun. Some, the most uplifting. Some can't forget the crowds of spectators. Some can't forget the hills or the ocean or the wind or the mist or the heat or the start or the middle or the end. Some, a few, don't come back. Most keep coming - year after year!