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Larry Lem

USA
40 Posts

Posted - 10/28/2011 :  08:35:09  Show Profile
2.0 GENERAL:
These rules shall apply to all events sanctioned by the IHPVA. The IHPVA supports competition in three categories of human power:

1. Land,
2. Water,
3. Air vehicles.

Within these categories, competition is supported and records are maintained in the classes of competition outlined below. However, event organizers are free to organize other events and classes to which these rules may be applied. Events not covered by these rules may also be held in conjunction with sanctioned competitions. Rules for non-sanctioned events must be provided by the event organizer.

In general, it shall be the intention of the IHPVA rules to avoid defining what type of vehicle may enter individual competitions, but to let the competition itself determine which type of vehicle is superior by a normal evolutionary process. Exceptions may be made if unavoidable (e.g., arm-powered vehicles.)

The spirit of these rules is to promote design innovation by establishing only the minimum necessary regulations and to promote the goal of human powered competition. The IHPVA Records Committee reserves the right to use "spirit-of-the-rule" judgment when deciding upon unclear issues. Record attempts may be carried out by individuals or by national HPV associations and be subject to additional requirements of that association or location. The IHPVA sanctions and maintains records but assumes no responsibility for the attempts themselves.

-----------------------

One of the goals of the IHPVA was not to create too many race categories and let the fastest designs make their way to the top. The fewer rules the better. But others see the addition of categories as helping to increase participation as nearer-term goals would be created. As of now, we have male single rider, female single rider, multirider, and male and female arm-powered categories (not discussing distances or time-based record-type categories). Mike Mowett has suggested in other topics adding a junior category for riders 16 years old and younger, a student built vehicle category, and a multitrack vehicle category.

We could also suggest breaking the multirider category into further categories such as all-male, all-female, mixed, junior (all-male, all-female, mixed). However, most of these categories are not contested (so why bother). But then again, if they did exist, would it inspire people to try?

Personally, I do not need special categories to inspire me to try. My goal is to set the outright human powered speed record regardless of rider sex, vehicle configuration, or number of riders. I do not need a special category to fund my competitive spirit. But for the sake of the sport, perhaps it is best that we do create more categories or sub-categories.

Larry Lem

Don S

USA
88 Posts

Posted - 10/28/2011 :  21:48:33  Show Profile
Your last sentence is right on Larry. Competitive spirit has a lot to do with the popularity of any sport. There are those who challenge themselves but there are more who thrive on the challenges of competition. Additional categories and classes have the potential to expand participation if they are well thought out.

Don

Edited by - Don S on 10/28/2011 21:49:04
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Larry Lem

USA
40 Posts

Posted - 10/30/2011 :  14:24:30  Show Profile
Why I'm against more categories:
For sexes, we have male and female. We haven't started a mixed category for multirider vehicles. But we could.
We could start a junior category.
We could start a multitrack vehicle category.
We could retain the 500 m flying start category.

And this could result in folks deliberately chasing a junior, multirider, mixed, multitrack vehicle, 500m flying start record.

I think this is silly.

If someone wants to sort on Mike Mowett's spreadsheet to see if they have the "record" for such, they can go ahead and do that on their own.

But then, even Mike doesn't care about the distance over which the fastest speed was set. He just wants to record the fastest speeds. Thus, the multi-rider record belongs to Fred and Chris over the 1000 m distance, not Bearacuda over 200 m. (And what's even more odd is that during some 200m portion of the 1000 m run, Fred and Chris were faster than the Bearacuda's 200 m speed.)

Larry Lem
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upright mike

USA
27 Posts

Posted - 10/30/2011 :  18:23:32  Show Profile
It does get difficult to limit categories once you start considering a division by gender for Men's, Womens, Men's Junior, Women's Junior for all the potential new classes like Multi-Track, Student-Built.

But I think these categories would be good for the sport.

I also would like to see 10 mile, 25 mile and 100-mile categories added for streamliners.

Larry - I will try to write a Microsoft Excel macro to quickly show all these categories within my lists. At my previous job, I was know as the "macro-master", writing lots of code for engineering data analysis. Now I got to apply this to the lists.

Yes I have things a bit mixed on my lists, like putting the Double Gold Rush's overall faster speed in the 1000 meters as above the actual 200-meter tandem UC Berkeley Bearacudda record recognized by the IHPVA. I did the same thing on the Hour List, for instance Paul Buttemer set a 100 km record with an average speed of 47 mph a long time ago. There was no One-hour split taken. But I listed a mark for 47 mph on the One hour list for Paul, and stated that it would have the been the 4th fastest one-hour at that time.

Ahhh - sorry I am probably putting out too many details and boring people.
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Don S

USA
88 Posts

Posted - 10/31/2011 :  19:27:58  Show Profile
Larry,

It was my consideration that more individuals might follow the post of information on this web site. That doesn't appear to have happened but given time perhaps they will.

Recumbents.com has a following and the importance is more than to just have an opinion or ideas to encourage discussion about about how to expand the IHPVA and modernize it's role in the developement of fast and efficient human power machines, it's to promote and expand those opinions and ideas throughout the human power community.

Thanks for your contribution to this forum.

Don


"it's important to understand what makes them fast. It's more important to understand what keeps them from going faster." DS
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SeanCostin

USA
32 Posts

Posted - 10/31/2011 :  20:35:44  Show Profile
I'm here Larry, start deleting.

I say keep it simple. Add a Junior category Male and female. Make it for someone who accomplishes their feat before turning 17 years of age. Retroactively put Tanya and whomever the fastest boy is Mackie Martin? and that is it for now.

Why do this? Good press to impressionable youngsters helps the future of the sport. I became infected at the age of 12 when I saw streamliners on TV.

Sean
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Mr Larrington

Christmas Island
4 Posts

Posted - 11/01/2011 :  06:13:52  Show Profile  Visit Mr Larrington's Homepage
quote:
Originally posted by SeanCostin
I became infected at the age of 12 when I saw streamliners on TV.



Please tell me it wasn't that episode of "ChiPs" with a Vector in it

Satisfying the bloodlust of the masses in peacetime
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SeanCostin

USA
32 Posts

Posted - 11/02/2011 :  19:25:22  Show Profile
Wow, good memory Dave! It wasn't that one, but it was about the same time I saw a Vector on the news going 55 mph!. I saw it on a Black and White TV.

Sean
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upright mike

USA
27 Posts

Posted - 11/04/2011 :  11:35:41  Show Profile
For me it was a second-grade field trip to the Detroit Science Museum (1982) If I remember right, the four-wheeled Pegagus was on display with a black and white photograph of 3 or 4 people pedaling it under a big sign that said "Bicycle that goes 60 mph". I was impressed. I was riding an upright bike with a Zzipper fairing by 7th grade, becoming the "boy in the bubble". I'd have fun racing my friend on his 50cc Honda Spree over 30 mph. Entered first HPV race (Waterford, MI) in 8th grade, then went to the International Championships the following year, also held in Michigan.
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