Battle Mountain 2024 summary - by David van Eerd 

At the end of an exciting week in which I learned how complex a bike can be, all software and hardware problems with the camera system seemed to be solved. So on the evening of Friday the 13th it was time to really push it for the first time. The temperature was high enough and the wind acceptable. With some tension in my body I get into the bike that has to help to the other side of the 5 mile highway at >100km/h.

"Bikes on the road!". Getting ready for the start. I fasten the seat belt straps and click my feet into the pedals. The outside of the bike is slid over me and taped shut. A few seconds later the top screen, which was finally working smoothly, freezes again.
I quickly think: should I reset it? Or should I take the safe route and abort another run?

I decide to look for the button behind my head and after a short click the screen starts to reboot. In the meantime it is time to start and I decide to start on the backup screen, hoping that the main screen will restart. The first mile is therefore slow: 40-50-60 km/h.
Then suddenly the big screen jumps on and I can accelerate: 70km/h. I have some speed to catch up on and start to put out some extra power.
80km/h. 90km/h. The slight downhill part follows. 100km/h.
I will not come close to the record this run, but the "70mph club" and a new PR are feasible. 105km/h. My breathing is also now above 100 liters per minute and oxygen is getting scarcer. Fortunately the wheel arches are not shielded yet so enough fresh air comes in. 110km/h, last kilometer. Towards the 200 meters where the top speed is measured..

Two blinks later I'm through the finish line, after which there's time for a deep sigh before it's time to brake. I'll be caught in 1 kilometre, so I start by squeezing twice gently to scrape off the initial speed.

The third time I feel a click and then all braking pressure is gone. The brake lever has given out... I'm suddenly without brakes, an unguided projectile. At 90 km/h I fly towards the place where I would be caught. The catchers are standing in the middle of the road waving that I should slow down, but I just hope that they don't try to catch me. Fortunately they jump aside in time and the flagger who is standing on the road facing away from me is also signalled in time to get off the road. I shoot past her and am now outside the course on the open highway, with the traffic lined up in the right lane. I stay in my own right lane, escorted by what turns out to be a police car with its sirens on. I used to play a lot of Grand Theft Auto, so I know what it's like to be chased by 5-star police, but the bike doesn't seem to be planning on losing much speed.

A kilometer further, my team car passes by to catch me, but I'm still going >70km/h. They get back in to drive down way further down the road, but because the road is slowly rising, I finally start to slow down. I have to start pedaling again to stay upright. A few kilometers further, I finally see them. I've lost almost all my speed now and my team comes running just too late to get away without damaging the paint. I fall over at walking pace, get out of the bike and look straight into the mustached face of the highway patrol officer, who starts laughing at second glance: "Well, this is more fun than scraping bodies off the road you know".

Back at the Civic Center, the brake suspension on the frame appears to have broken off, which brings an abrupt end to the speed week. One illusion poorer, one story richer.
The conclusion is that both the bike as well as the rider have a lot of room for improvement. Let's hope we get the chance to go for another run in the future.