So this is pretty friggen cool.
I got invited as part of my work to go cover an event at the local cycling club. It sounded like some people were going to get recognition for being integral parts of the local scene here in Courtenay, which is super cool and I was really into checking it out. While that part is true, the event also was a recognition of the two cyclists who had just broken the Canadian and WORLD Hour Records for their categories!
The story I wrote for the paper is called “Comox Valley cyclists set Canadian, World Hour Records”
But once I realized what I was walking in to, I took a bunch of photos for this site because I knew you folks would get a kick out of it.
So here it is, Derek Steel’s World Hour Record bike. It’s a Cervelo P3C TT Bike that was converted for the track by John van der Vliet. The chainring Steel used was much bigger than the one currently on the bike, but that chainring was borrowed for the race and has gone back to its proper owner. Also borrowed are the two wheels, which Steel and Barbara Morris (who set the Canadian Record for women aged 65-69) signed.
The two riders’ positions were set by van der Vliet in his training garage, and the gearing was chosen to optimize both riders’ cadence for the hour.
Morris now has the Canadian record for Women aged 65-69, riding 38.838 km, and Steel has the world record for men aged 80-84, travelling 39.836 km.
Below are some photos of van der Vliet’s bike cave, hidden in back of his auto repair shop. A lot of drool-worthy bikes in there!
