Pantom Lightning P52

There is a picture of my Phantom on the Lightningriders http://lightningriders.com/
The pictures are from last year the coroplast is from this year and better.
I had a streamer and a tailsock and homemade bodysock. There was a down side when it rained the cloth wasn’t waterproff.
So now this year I used coroplast. There are some more details to put on but it functioned very well.
I only had one trip on it so far it’s faster than it was and I don’t get the cloth in my knees and legs from side wind. There was some wind and when it came from the rear I was able to hold 57 km on a flat stretch without much effort. On a rolling hill 40km uphill with the wind in the rear.
The P stands for Peder and 52 is my age. I hope Tim at Lightning doesn’t mind the P52 after the Phantom Lightning maybe he can sell more Phantoms?
This is homemade the first time I experimented with coroplast an interesting material. It was easy using a streamer and then use coroplast just about anyone can do it. It’s not that expensive and if you want more speed you can get a P38 or F40.
The Phantom is in stock the one I have is one that I bought used for 3 years ago. It’s cheaper than the P38 and with a homemade fairing it’s a fast machine. I hope to test it more with some of the local racers. Uphill I will not be able to keep up with the fastest but on the flats most of them should have problems keeping up with me?
As you can see from the pictures we had some snow on Friday before that we had 3 weeks without snow and yesterday we had 12°C our warmest day this year.
The pictures on the gallery.

Peder

This evening I had my first longer ride on my Phantom after an appendix operation. Friday 2 weeks ago I had a pain in my right side and went to the doctor and he sent me to the hospital and I had the operation on Saturday evening and was sent home the next day.
There was almost no wind I started at 7 or 19 this evening the ride was 33 km took an hour.
That’s one good thing about living this far north it doesn’t get dark now before 9 or 21.
There was one rider on a racer that followed me for a while didn’t recognize him I ride sometimes with racers. On a long flat stretch I had planned to take it easy but I then put up some speed he didn’t follow not all racers are on a top level.
I was shortly after passed by a moped (motorbike) they are only able if legal to go 45 km.
Many youngsters have been stopped by the police because they removed a plug so it can go faster.
This was probably a legal moped he passed me downhill and I thought maybe I can catch up with him? I was able to pass him up hill looked at the speedometer I had 51 going uphill passing him. I got so much speed because there was first a down hill he didn’t catch up.
Closer to home a car passed me on a long flat stretch the young passenger hung out the window laughing and holding his thumb up.
The people in that car were probably going to a party!
So there were some interesting events on this ride.
I had no prior racing experience before I got recumbent. Even if I can’t keep up with the fastest racers I have fun and not so many of them can keep up with me on the flats.

Peder

The only recumbent dealer in Phoenix carries Lightnings. Fascinating bikes.

I guess the Lightning U-2 and Tim Brummer are singlehandedly responsible for the USCF making recumbents illegal in time trials! They're just too fast!

On Thursday evening I was in my first race with my Phantom P52 I started in group 2 group 1 was the highest level.
This race was open for everyone and was 5 laps 6 km on a road. I started as the last rider the first part was relatively flat and I had the wind from the rear. I had to use my brakes going downhill there was traffic so I had to wait until no cars were coming and passed the whole pack. About 3 km there was a hill top and open area they were still behind me now the wind came against me and from the side. It was a long down hill the speed was just under 60km could feel the wind so I didn’t dare going faster had to lean against the wind but felt I had it under control. When the climbing started back to the start most of the racers passed me.
From the starting position I was able to speed up again and catch up and pass some of them again. The wind calmed on the last laps so I was able to go over 60 km down the hill and pass some of the racers.
Most of the racers finished before me but some came in after me.
There is a link to a local club that took pictures there are two of me one you only see a little of the front climbing to where the race started. http://www.focc.no/bilder/1338.aspx
The picture where you only see a little of the front the racer came over and congratulated me after the race. I had passed him on every round but he passed me on the climb and he finished just before me.
On that same picture where you only saw the front of my bike the powerful man on the left came over after the race. I mentioned I had an appendix operation for just over 2 weeks ago and he mentioned he had recently removed his colon (not sure that’s the correct English word) and had to eat every 2 hours and drink regularly.
That made me think and appreciates that all my body functions work.
I will try to get in better shape and climb better next time. The Phantom P52 is fast on the flats and downhill and that’s what they said under the other picture.


Peder

Peder, An amazing feat 2 weeks after having an appendectomy.

I have built some more on my Phantom P52 and posted some pictures today on Bentrideronline http://www.bentrideronline.com/messageboard/showthread.php?p=467141&page=2


Peder