Creakyknees

I know it chaps some bent riders that USAC won't allow bents in mass start races. To those of you who are interested, the typical charity ride / fun rally is a good place to mix it up.

Case in point, here in Texas, the annual Goatneck rally is contested by the racer types from DFW and Austin for an informal "world rally championship".

All in good fun and with appropriate safety, of course.

So if you're in the area this weekend, come on out and let your freak flag fly.

https://www.thegoatneck.com/

wapiti

Does the rally swing by Mordor??

Jeff Wills

All in the name of "Keep Austin Weird", I suppose.

We've had the occasional upright interloper at the Portland Human Power Challenge. They usually come away impressed:

AlexZ

Rallies: the only place 'bents get to "race" with the wedgies?

Hmm....what if we looked at it from the other side? Would that be then: "Roadies get to race with the Jelly Bellies" ......?
I mean, why must we always use epithets ? Wouldn't DF's be kinder?

Jeff Wills

Well, recumbents are divided into ASS and OSS. Who cares what epithets get tossed around?

Retro Grouch 

I agree. What's wrong with using the historically correct term "safety bicycle"?

BlazingPedals

Epithets aside, a lot of clubs will tend to have groups at those big organized rides, and some of those clubs are racing-oriented. So, you can get a good smattering of fairly-fast riders. Not always, and they're not in race mode for those rides. They just like to get the group together, run a nice paceline, and enjoy the scenery and get a bit of a workout. But it's good for a bit of friendly competition, too. Just don't take it too seriously.

Sometimes, it seems like when you ride a lowracer, there's always a target on your back. So that friendly competition works both ways.

aikigreg

There are plenty of races where bents can and do mix - quite a few in Texas. Just none of the crits. I've raced plenty of other stuff. The next MAJOR event would be the tejas 500. www.tt24tt.com. Awesome race. I'm planning on the 500 mile solo race this year, and looking for crew if anyone is interested.

Creakyknees

Sure, time trials are one way to race. I'm just not aware of many (any) mass-start events that mix the species, besides the rallies.

rydabent

With their pigheadedness about recumbents, the UCI and the USAC are ******ing cycling. The DF bike is now 126 years old, its time we moved on to modern bikes.

gcottay

I believe "DF riders" is not only more polite but less likely to engender hostility.

Hostility toward other riders has the same aroma as what's left after a pig processes food. In my opinion, it has nothing to do with cycling only with mental and spiritual health issues.

I ride with other bent riders and as the only recumbent cyclist in a group of DF riders. I ride the bike I prefer. It happens to be a recumbent. It also happens to be red. My hope for other riders is that they also ride whatever they want and do so for many happy miles and hours.

Life is way too good and short to waste and twist it with hate.

Jeff Wills

Ultra-endurance events allow all types of bicycles and start all of them at the same time and time them over the same course. Here's the experience of a friend of mine at the Furnace Creek 508: https://www.ohpv.org/events/albums/alex508-2008/

unterhausen

you can also ride brevets on a 'bent. Not a race, but times are kept. In the U.S., the rides are listed at RUSA.org

BlazingPedals

I have never seen an upright rider referred to as a "DFer" and have it mean something cruel, but from the other side of the fence they don't know that and sometimes assume the worst. Where appropriate, "Upright rider" is less likely to cause hard feelings. But "Safety Bike rider" would be most accurate. Sometimes I'll call them that, not only for accuracy sake but to call attention to the 100+ year old name.

Creakyknees

The Goatneck rally was a lot of fun. Did see a few bents, not many, but that's usual I suppose. Thanks for the links, Jeff and Aki.

BlazingPedals

Most of the 'rally' type rides I've seen are definitely not mass-start; they're more like mass-confusion start. As in, "Century riders must start before 10:00 am." In fact, the last mass-start ride I did was the Wolverine 200 several years ago. We were motor-paced for the first 5-mile lap, then the pace car pulled off and the Wolverine Elite Racing Team took over, with a couple of unwelcome 'bents tagging along.