I took the boys to Ivanpah today for what was supposed to be a cruise around day with 15 mph winds out of the SSW. Both of us bumped up our fastest speeds with more wind than the weatherman knew was coming.

Wexler is now up to 53.8 mph just shy of my previous best. He was in the Hero PTW buggy flying an HQ 7m Montana VI. He also wore out an almost new front tire. This is going to get expensive! I'm very proud that Wexler is a team rider for HQ Kites. I ran the Montana later in slightly less wind and got to 52.8. The MVIIs are supposed to be faster still, so we can't wait to see what they have in store for us. I don't think this is what they were designed for exactly but they sure are sweet to fly at speed. Nice depower as well. I didn't fear getting dragged past the powerlines.

I busted my pb up to 60.9 mph. I was flying an HQ Prodigy 3.4m. Man that kite is fast. It is a faster kite than my Reactor II 3.5 but it needs just a touch more attention. But the higher strung kite was the tool for the day. Watch for a kite sale very soon. Time to kick things up a notch. The skirt blew away today so its time to get serious.

Very Nice:bigok:

Save some for us when we get there for nabx

Ron

Nice BB!!! Congrats to you and Wexler on the new PBs


That's haulin :moon:

Congratulations to you BOTH! Awesome job

Way to go Bobby!!!

60mph! nice bob! you guys are killin' it!

BB .you are a bada$$

Congrats!! Those Montanas VII have been calling my attention! Maybe I'll get to try one at WBB.

That's crazy how often do you have to replace tires? And what tires do you use on the Hero PTW?

Nice job to the both of you!

I need to buy solid buggy ..... 25mph thats all I can get on KiteTrike lol..... I want to be speed demon too......

Quote:

Originally posted by Kober I need to buy solid buggy ..... 25mph thats all I can get on KiteTrike lol..... I want to be speed demon too......

I set my PB in a VTT Black Widow last year at JIBE. Nice bug. Not too expensive

You could also get a preowned XR+ and upgrade the side rails and rear axle.


Sorry for the hijack

Security that you will stay in the buggy is what's important when you get up in speed. Secure siderails help you handle the kite power that you need to go faster. Foot heel straps are HOOJ for security as well. Major difference not worrying about your feet falling off.

That's awesome dude! You'll have to share the deatails over a beer when I see you at NABX!!!

Thanks everyone for the kudos. I'm on cloud nine. :singing: It's really cool getting congrats from kiters I really look up to.

The Hero has been running on Carlisle Smoothies. That front one didn't last nearly long enough. I need to look into adding some weight up front to help him hold his line better. My Apexx came with a used set of Vredenstein V50s and I bet I have 5-600 miles on them and have smelled burning rubber on an overpowered slide for over hundred yards once. Still no threads showing.

60.9 +/- .05 that's some serious go fast , congrats. Looks like time on the lake agrees with you very well.

61mph is a big jump. Most of us would be happy with just a 0.1 increase.
I've been thinking this for a while, I reckon one day you will be the world record holder living so close to such an awesome place.

How did it feel and what was the estimated wind speed would you say ?
Is Wexier your son ?

Congratulations to you both.

This place is such a buggy school. Word is you learn more at Ivanpah in a week than you will in a year at home. I still don't worry about the buggy side of things, its being attached to a kite that can change its mind and go the other way. One time today I did a full 360 around the kite when a gust/windchange folded up the nose of the kite. I did the 360 around it to keep from scooting the kite across the playa. I was able to relaunch without ever getting out of my seat.

Winds today were 18 gusting to 25 according to NOAA.

Pretty amazing. I am with Kober, I would want a better buggy before I went much over 25.

:bigok:

Redsky, the forecast for today was for a steady 15. What we got was 18 with gusts to 25. I'm used to the wind rolling up a bit for a burst of speed but didn't realize it was as high as 25 (weather station south of Ivanpah). It might've gone higher a few times. One thing I'm learning is that the wind isn't consistent across the lakebed. I found a slot today that I was certain the wind would be higher, and while I love running across the smooth parts of the lakebed, they didn't serve up the highest winds today. The wind direction from the SW or SSW allowed the longest possible runs and I was going to the interstate way up on the north end of the lake. I was staying in the middle of the lakebed to allow for the downwind run if a gust or steady increase pulled me harder than I could hold. Once, I was headed straight towards my car (a mile away) but the wind backed off enough to allow me to work back upwind. The magic of riding here is the long space to run and find the wind, along with the pavement hard surface.

As far as the world record goes, it is one of my long term goals. I learn a lot every time out there, and today's run was possible because of the half dozen times or more I've been over 50. Since that feels kind of normal now, my run today that felt faster than usual, wasn't really scary because it was just more of what 50 feels like. Since the winds today were fairly smooth, my run today to 60.9 was much more comfortable than my 52.8 a week or 2 ago. That was scary enough to be a world record :wow:. It's tough to come here for 5 days a year and the right wind blow for riders to meet their goals. Living here and having 45 minute access to such a place to ride at is quite an opportunity. I have the luxury of being patient and going fast on the days it is easier without having to go for the gusto with less than optimal conditions. Today was just a surprise. ;-)

I want to get more used to the race kites and the Phantom IIs on the way soon add hope to go fast when the wind kicks up. The Prodigy had a bit more speed to give than today, so we'll see what she's got next time it blows good.

nice, very proud of you

change your gear to Vapors and Phantom IIs

Well done Bobby and Wrexler well done

Lets see more PBs

:bouncy:

WOW:o 60.9mph this is wicked fast. I have no shame telling you I have no intrest in ever going that fast in a buggy. I like to keep it under 35mph. My reflexes are not what they should be!
I can't imagine the rush of that speed. You must be wicked stoked to try for more. And please do keep pushing it and be safe.
For me and all the other pokey riders we will continue to live vicariously through you guys with HOOJ BALLZ!!

Quote:

Originally posted by BeamerBob Redsky, the forecast for today was for a steady 15. What we got was 18 with gusts to 25.

That's amazing! You got 61mph out of 25mph wind. That's crazy.

25mph wind at my local beach gives me mid to high 40's in the buggy if I'm lucky and it has to be blowing in the right direction and the beach has to be almost perfect.

For me to get 60mph on my beach the wind has to be blowing 50-60mph.

My Pb of 66mph was done in winds of 57mph gusting to 70mph

There must be almost no rolling resistance on the lake bed!
That's incredible.

I hope to be at NABX on Saturday 7th April. I will be flying in for just the one day then flying out that same evening.

I will have to check out the flight times. Is the offer of a buggy still there?

Cheers

Tom

Way to go Bob.

I'm pretty sure that this is the year you get to have all the bragging rights in our annual challenge.

Sounds like you have had an amazing year . I feel I am falling back with so little fly time. I should be an easy mark this year !

:bigok:

Another day, another PB.

Think I'll go have a PBR

Nice work Bob & Wexler!

Looking forward to pushing my PB with you at NABX.

Thanks Chris! We need an HQ Armada on video! I might try a PBR again just to see if it should be a PB celebration refreshment.

Blade you better bring your "A" game. I don't want to pass you and you say you weren't trying! I think I'd even rather you divebomb me yet again when you had the better kite choice and took advantage of it. lol

Redsky, I wouldn't be surprised for choices of buggies to be available. I'm not sure one of mine will be sitting still on nabx Saturday though. The boys and I only have the 2 days ourselves. The other 51 Saturdays you have a guaranteed ride. Can't promise the wind that day but it will certainly be the most festive day with the raffle drawing and party that night.

About the surface, I posted somewhere about doing a 360 degree turn around the kite when a shifty wind gust folded the kite up. I'm hyper conscious of this because A. I don't want it to pop back open behind me, and B. It will destroy a kite to drag it nose down at speed. I completed the circle which allowed me to sort the kite and relaunch without getting out of my seat. I might even have that on video. Haven't looked yet. The kite just fell to the ground and I instantly turned downwind and drove a circle around the kite to bleed off speed and not drag the kite. I had to put a foot down when I got back upwind of the kite. This was on 20m lines.

Roc you have to realize my pb was 35 mph before ever riding here. I remember that 35 mph run like it was yesterday. 9.5m Montana on Jekyll Island coming back to camp from the shipwreck. I knew I was going to catch on fire at any second. ;-) The speed is relative to the surface and the wide open space to go the angle you need to go to maximize the pull from that push of wind.

Quote:

Originally posted by BeamerBob Redsky, I wouldn't be surprised for choices of buggies to be available. I'm not sure one of mine will be sitting still on nabx Saturday though. The boys and I only have the 2 days ourselves. The other 51 Saturdays you have a guaranteed ride. Can't promise the wind that day but it will certainly be the most festive day with the raffle drawing and party that night.

No problem dude. Are you on the lake bed most weekends?
BTW you will be on page one now :D

:wee: must be the decals...:bigok:

Redsky, we go when opportunity allows. Sometimes I'll slip away with Wexler during the week for a quick couple hours and sometimes our weekends are full and no riding, but here lately it has worked out for us to go more than we are used to. If I need to, I can plan around someone coming into town (hasn't happened yet) and lock away that day for riding.
Rest assured that I got some comments from Popeye about passing him and getting on page 1 on his site all in a single pass. All in good fun. I've been more than envious of his PB for years now, thinking it must've required divine intervention. Maybe so! Was that your Dominator he did the pb in? You having the Dominator does indicate you'll fit in the Hero buggy.

Arkay, I think those decals do make me go faster. There is a revised version on the way that looks like my Avatar that I think will take me to maybe 67.25 mph. :P (Ricardo is concerned about being in the #10 slot)