After spending time in our repair shop and getting fixed up at our Fall Work Party, we brought our six-person railbike, the “Bindlestiff Express” down to the 3rd Annual “Handcar Regatta” in Santa Rosa. Much to everyone’s surprise (including our own) we won the speed competition, beating out 21 other human-powered rail contraptions and bringing home the “Zephyr” trophy (for “blinding speed”) to Black Butte. And we only crashed twice!
Several days after the race we were informed that due to a rules infraction (having six pedalers when there is an obscure rule limiting the number of participants to four) we didn’t get the Zephyr trophy after all! But in its place the judges have awarded us the “Nimble Sleight of Hand” trophy, so all is well…