I've been doing the Montauk Century since the days when it started at Jamaica Station in Queens.I always had very fancy cutting edge road bikes that I purchased from Conrad himself. A super light-weight ALAN and then a Fat tubed Klein, really light and advanced for those days.
I have have fond memories of racing to Montauk with my of my ass on FIRE,shoulders killing me, numb hands, shakin them out every five minutes and a numb crotch. I remember what it was like to be so completely fatigued that there was just no right place for my butt on the seat no matter where I put it.Standing sitting and standing again, up and down looking for that one spot that my ass could deal with after about 75 Miles! I remember my fastest time on my upright being 6hrs 30 min's non stop, not bad,eh.But my body was just screaming with pain! It was so bad I couldn't even lay down!
Man am I glad those days are behind me(no pun intended). I don't care that my recumbent doesn't climb as fast as my Klein or A L A N road bike,don't get me wrong I love bikes OF ANY KIND.
But my first Recumbent Century was just mind boggling and incredibly relaxing!
My First Recumbent
In comes The Lightning P-38 Recumbent!
I had been riding it for about six months before The Montauk Century!
I was very nervous about doing a century on it. I basically took it at a very moderate pace. As I rode through the first fifty miles I was totally relaxed and really enjoying sitting in a really comfortable seat for a change. Sure I guess it doesn't climb as well as an upright but there are no real hills for the first 90 miles! As i pulled into the rest stop at the 60 mile point the Friendly's in Patchouge,LI,for those of you that remember back that far!
I watched everyone stretching,touching toes and passed out on the lawn, seemed like total misery.I continued sitting on my bent and became very alarmed when I realized that nothing hurt, NOTHING, Not even my crotch!
"Sorry to interrupt. But this just in....Breaking Story from the UMP news room .....See New York City in a totally new way,here's the link
click here
Recumbent Cycling Tours NYC
Back to the century....
Is this Possible?
Lightning P-38I also had an F-40 /R84 setup that I did a great Seagull Century in !
I sat on my Lightning and stared at everyone for little while longer and realized that I could just keep on going, nothing hurt! I did the rest of the ride with no stops.Straight through all the Hampton's one after the other. I got to my favorite section of roadway from Amagansett to Montauk and just went full out through the flat section and then those great rollers.I flew down the last hill into Montauk......WOW!
I could not believe how relaxed my body was after a 100 mile ride on a recumbent!
Since that first Recumbent Century I've done the ride many more times on my Easyracers Goldrush Replica (GRR) with front fairing and full body sock. With this amazingly fast and comfortable Recumbent Bicycle I've posted times that are just incredible for me, 4hr 20 Minutes from Babylon to Montauk ,100 miles!
Easyracers Goldrush
American Flag Bodysock!
Guess Who?
Goldrush /Rotator Faring/Silk screened Xtralong bodysock
F A S T B E N T
This is such a great Century for recumbents I'm always very surprised that I only see about two or three each year. I have to wonder why no bent riders ever do this event! There are two chances, The Montauk Century and
The Ride to Montauk.
I 'd love to ride in a Streamlined Paceline!
You guys should check it out and come ride on
June 19th ,2010!
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Urban Mobility Project
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There is nothing like the reclined comfort of a good machine. I have gone farther and faster with no discomfort than I have ever done before.
ReplyDeleteI love my velomobile.
David