View Project wvedec longleaf

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The recumbent riders begin to assemble

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Last minute adjustments being made

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"Hey man, ya wanna race?

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A number of BentRider Online (BROL) members did the ride. Here, Brian Weir (BrianWeir) gets staged for the launch down the trace. Brian rides a Burley Koosah which is modified with a RANS seat.

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Jim (in the long-sleeved green jersey) is a BROL Member who rides a Catrike trike. His wife, Susan (in the yellow jersey), cruised down the trace on her RANS V-Rex.

Raleigh (GRRaleigh) Cooper is a BROL member who did the whole 84 mile round trip on his Easy Racers Gold Rush Replica!! To the left (in red and white) is his lovely wife, Alice, who rides an EZ-1 Lite. The beautiful woman to the right (in the dark blue windbreaker and blue helmet) is my wife, Mary, who rides an EZ-1 SC.

Ben Council (bencouncil) is a BROL member who rides a modified USS Actionbent Jet Stream I. This was his first ride using his new fairing. The last time I saw Ben he was flying down the trace with Raleigh on their way to riding 84 miles. Phew, those guys are fast !!

Although this picture was taken before we launched, believe it or not, Ben was smiling just as much when he returned after he and Raleigh averaged over 16 mph on their 84 mile round trip. It must be nice to be young !!

At this point Brian is probably thinking, "OK, enough with the pictures already, let's get blasting down the trace, huh."

Photo Courtesy of Jim Snider of Ride South Recumbents

The Recumbents are ready to launch !! Not all of the recumbents were present for the picture. Estimates are that about 70 recumbent riders did the Birthday Challenge. Riders were from Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee, and a large contigent from Canada! WE'RE OFF.....

Yea!!! I made it - the 29K marker on the trace. Ah...oh, oh...wait a minute.... That's actually only the HALFWAY point. Time to turn around and go back the same distance. BRRRRR!!

Here I am, Wayne Vedeckis (wvedec), with my wife, Mary, after the ride. 58 kilometers (36 miles) and we're still both smiling and have our arms around each other. I am so proud of Mary. Her previous personal best was 20 miles in ideal weather conditions. What a trooper!!

The first 300 people who completed their Birthday Challenge received commemorative medallions, which you can see hanging around our necks after the ride. Our trusty steeds can also be seen in the picture. After 25 miles, Mary was getting a bit tired, so we swapped bikes, and I let her ride my RANS Stratus and I rode her EZ-1 SC. She commented on how much easier it was to peddle my bike and move along, compared to hers. Hmmm, might there be a new recumbent bicycle in our future??? (goody, goody)

Here are Raleigh and Alice Cooper after the ride. If it weren't for Raleigh, my wife and I would never have been introduced to recumbents, and we would be missing all the fun that we have riding together. After the ride, I asked Raleigh if he wanted to do another 84 miles on the trace, this time with me. He declined (good thing, because I was only kidding!!)

Brian and Orlene Weir also made their challenges. Orlene rides an EZ-3 Trike, and she did a great job conquering the grades on the trace.

So, OK, the weather wasn't perfect. Oh well. But did you notice all of the "recumbent smiles" on the faces of the riders, even AFTER the ride? What a blast !!

The Longleaf Trace support staff were super, with amply stocked rest and aid stations along the way. "Birthday" cake was provided to all who completed the ride at the Prentiss Gateway.

Ride South Recumbents (Brandon, MS) was a wonderful sponsor, and they supplied many gifts for the drawing that was held. Most notable was a brand new, shiny, yellow 2005 RANS Fusion bicycle!! To show the spirit that prevailed at the ride, the winner of the RANS Fusion already had four recumbent bikes. So, he donated the RANS Fusion to the Longleaf Trace, and they will have a silent auction for it, with the proceeds going to support the Trace.

There were nine BROL members and spouses that made contact there - Wayne and Mary, Raleigh and Alice, Brian and Orlene, Jim and Susan, and Ben. Apparently (based on a message left on the BROL Message Board), "kmay" also rode, but, unfortunately we did not meet. It was great getting to meet and know the people who are BROL members and who love recumbency.

I can't wait until next year's Longleaf Trace Birthday Challenge. I just hope that the weather is warmer. And, oh yea, I will be one year older and have to ride further. Hmm, but is riding a recumbent bike further a bad thing?? Not in my book.

Wayne Vedeckis (wvedec)

The 4th Annual Longleaf Trace Birthday Challenge was held at the Prentiss, MS Gateway on Saturday, November 13, 2004. The challenge was to bike, walk, run, etc., your age - in kilometers. The weather did NOT cooperate - it was overcast, misty/rainy, and cold. Ride South Recumbents (www.ridesouth.com) of Brandon, MS sponsored a "recumbent launch" at 9:00 am. It was GREAT !!

Ride South Recumbents Website (click on the link below)