Burning Roads 2024 (Journey of Hanno Habighorst)

STORIES FROM VELOMOBILE COMMUNITY

Title: Burning Roads 2024 (Journey of Hanno Habighorst)

Author: Hanno Habighorst

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Dear velomobile-community, friends and enthusiasts!

 

Today I´d like to give you a view on my experience riding more than 330 kilometers / 205 miles a day in a velomobile in a terrain with lots of hills and several hard corners and curves.

 

My name is Hanno Habighorst, I am the owner of ,,Pedalwirbel Witten“ a shop for velomobiles and other special bikes in mid-west Germany. As I´m really into riding these, mostly I do not have too much time doing so, due to my business.

 

But once a year there is an event for cyclists, called ,,Burning Roads“ starting in Ochtrup, close to the border of the Netherlands, heading towards Osnabrück, several times straight through the teutonian forest and going back to Ochtrup again.

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In total it is 330 km, with lots of hard ascends, starting at 5 AM.

 

There is also another track starting at 8 AM with ,,only“ 210 kilometers / 130 miles, where even more velomobile riders try their luck, on a track with less hills.

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But let me start…

 

The day before the event I managed to get my Alpha M9 on latex tubes and a smaller (53 tooth) chainring, for easier ascending. It rained extremely hard that day and there was still some work to do at the shop, so I got home at 9:15 PM.

 

The weather was depressing, but I booked my spare slot and still needed to pack all my stuff together. Went to bed at 11:30 PM, and got up at 2 in the morning.

 

Pushed the (car) pedal to get me there and started to unpack the car at 4:30 in the parking lot in front of the starting line.

 

Got a quick breakfast, filled the bottles with isotonic, apple juice and water and went to the start, where many other ,,usual“ cyclists were waiting.

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⬇️ Calm before the storm...

⬇️ The storm...

⬇️ The lonesome three

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Two other velomobiles were competing and we had all eyes on us. ;)

 

I guess some folks just could not believe their eyes. ;)

 

As we were heading closer and closer to the starting line, many groups of 20 cyclists got on the track.

 

It got quite cosy in the starting field, but the event manager knew us from the past two years and let us start in the front row of our little 20 cyclists group.

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Sadly my smartphone front camera is not the best of all, but this is the only picture of the three competing velomobilists on the 330 kilometers pursuit.

 

Also sadly the rider in the yellow velomobile went back to the start after 15 km. Due to a spinal problem he could not enjoy riding that day - but he is fine again. This is the last picture of his Alpha A9.2.

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The white Alpha 7 and my Alpha M9 got a little further…

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The typical extreme velomobile high speed in the flat terrain let us overtook many of the groups, which started even 30 minutes before us.

 

I guess it somehow feels like flying a jet beside some paper planes…

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When you look closely, you can see the white Alpha 7 in front. The rider weighs less and got the hills easier up. So we decided not to ride together and just ride in our own speeds.

 

Finally the sun took the streets in the woods into a beautiful scenery.

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Even though I only had 2,5 hours of sleep and a very small quick breakfast, my mood began to lit up and at that time the velomobile was just rolling faster and faster. Even a little uphill.

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But it began to get hotter and hotter that day. You might see the sweat pearls on my forehead and the little difference in these 2 pictures. ;)

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⬇️ Some impressions...

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The landscape is beautiful in the teutonian forests.

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After 153 kilometers I reached the second break, but my first checkpoint.

 

As a kind of tradition I´m trying to make minimal breaks on longer distance rides and did not take the first break-checkpoint after 72 km.

 

Got some cranberries, juice and other stuff and hopped into the velomobile again.

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I still can not imagine riding 330 km on a roadbike with a saddle, where your neck, hands and butt are hurting after the first 100km.

 

Anyway. The track got more and more into the forests and the velomobile got up and down and up again.

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With some road cyclists I rode into competition.

 

My ascending speed was way higher than theirs, but uphill my weight (88 kg) and the heavier weight of the velomobile, compared to an 8 kg road bike, took their tribute and they overtook me again.

 

After doing so I still overtook them again ;)

 

Most times we just shouted ,,See you soon“ or ,,There you go“ at the both of us.

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In this picture you can see some cows.

 

Last year I've had a quite depressing experience with one of them.

 

I started going up the hill and was very exhausted.

 

So I just kept pedaling in an extremely low cadence.

 

All the way up, one of the cows was just walking beside me in the same speed. She did it on purpose - I´m convinced! ;)

 

After going up and down all of these hills or even little mountains, I reached the second stop after 208 km.

 

Meal time - Spaghetti Bolognese and a cold non-alcoholic wheat beer.

 

Many of the velomobile competitors who started at 8 AM just passed by this checkpoint after 105 km / 67 miles on their track or were still here for having a meal as well.

 

So I took a little more time and had a good one talking and enjoying the community.

 

Here you can see the competitor field of velomobiles at 8 AM on 210 km track.

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After the stop I hopped into the green monster again and started climbing the last hills on the route.

 

At some point I've finally reached the top of the hills/mountains and got into the beautiful town of Tecklenburg.

 

Directly after taking this pic, the velomobile was back in the very good terrain of bigger, well shaped roads without ascends.

 

So I took my aerodynamic opportunities and pushed the pedal very hard after 260 kilometers.

 

I almost flew to the last checkpoint to refill my bottles.

 

At 6:15 PM, after 12:45 hours and 330 km with lots of ascends, I got back to the finish line and finally got my little competing degree and the finisher picture.

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I've been competing before and got these pictures quite similar.

 

2023 with the Alpha 7, 2024 with the M9.

 

So, as you can see- velomobile riding and enjoying it is also possible with some mountains in your way.

 

Thanks for reading, hope you liked it, best wishes and see you soon!

 

Hanno Habighorst (Pedalwirbel Witten)

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Author: Hanno Habighorst (English version - original)