Derny 17 - John Crouchley & Graham Cockerton at DGV last week track testing the new 4 stroke derny. The revamped derny easily reached 65kph.
Etape 17 - Chris Froome at the post event presentation
Etape 17
Etape 17 - Across the top of the Dalgety Climb at Beloki and it was bleak in driving rain & heavy fog
BICISPORT MEMBER NEWS
* Etape Jindabyne @ 2 December - The Etape 17 was greeted with poor weather for the 6.30am start from Thredbo and changes to the course were needed due to the conditions. Tom Green & James Thornton (both BiciSport Masters) were finishers, and Tom finished 6th in his age category.
* Tour of Bright @ 1-3 December - Adverse weather sweeping the Alpine region forced a rare event cancellation.
* BiciSport Christmas Ride @ Sunday 17 December - Departs from the Piemonte Cafe carpark @ 8.00am and headed for the Akuna Bay loop. Returning to Piemonte Cafe at 9.30am. All welcome.
RACING THIS WEEK
* Dec 5-10 - Melbourne Six Day (Melbourne, DISC Velodrome)
* Dec 5 - Heffron Park Criteriums
* Dec 7 - Waratah Park Criteriums (Sutherland)
* Dec 8 - NSW Track Championships (DGV)
* Dec 10 - West Head Road Race (Manly), Western Sydney Dragway (Waratah Masters), Ourimbah Uni Super Criterium (Central Coast)
BICISPORT TRAINING THIS WEEK
* Dec 6 - DGV Track with John Crouchley @ 2.00pm
* Dec 7 - Distinguished Gentlemens Ride @ Centennial Park Spruce Goose Cafe @ 10.30am
* Dec 9 - Meadowbank Bridge @ 7.30am, Piemonte Cafe (coffee only) @ 9.30am
* Dec 10 - Beaumont Rd, Mt Ku Ring Gai @ 8.30am (local laps).
BICISPORT DERNY PROJECT
* Derny Restoration Project - Work is continuing by the BiciSport restoration team led by John Crouchley. Challenges ... there have been a few. Not least of which has been the very cause of the original problem being the 'impossible to start' two stroke engine, more so with crusty old two stroke engines that haven't been started for more than 10 years. Options included (a) using a new two stroke synthetic petrol (but rebuilding the current engines was deemed way too costly) or (b) going 'electric' but this was discounted when it was discovered the derny simply wouldn't go fast enough to be meaningful for training purposes. Finally, after months of head scratching it was decided to go the four stroke engine option. A new four stroke engine was sourced from China, the old two stroke engine removed and the new engine installed. A recent DGV track test at Bass Hill some 3 months ago showed up pretty quickly that the new four stroke engine has "under geared" and the derny was still too slow. Again, back to the drawing board (and a nearby Taren Point mechanic) saw new drive cogs fitted and the revised gearing was track tested at DGV last week with BiciSport Master Graham Cockerton in tow (see picture above). After some 14 months of endless tinkering, matched by a modest budgetary outlay, the BiciSport restoration team are finally go with derny #1.
Derny 17 and Bordeaux Paris 1970 - Each professional rider chased their individual derny machine for the last 300 kilometres of the Bordeaux Paris Classic (total Bordeaux Paris distance was over 600 kilometres). The derny partially obscured on the right of this picture is a spare if either of the two lead dernys suffered a mechanical failure.
Gent 6 Day in Belgium - before memories fade one last action picture from the Kuipe Velodrome with the rider nearly horizontal on the super steep velodrome bankings pitched against the tiny 166 metre laps.