Frockfest

t3sla

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Made in China.
Frockfest

The purpose of Frockfest is to develop tailored ebike racing events that allows the community to meet and compete.
We're aiming to develop a transferable model that enables riders everywhere to duke it out through various standardized tests and hopefully create a competitive league.

To quote wikipedia
A frock motor is a hub motor frequently fitted to electric bicycles. Unlike belt or chain driven motors which can pose a hazardous entanglement risk to those wearing long or loose garments, the hub motor is laced into the center of the bicycle's wheel. With no fast moving parts near the rider's legs it poses little threat to those wearing frock-like garments. Frock motors are either internally geared or direct drive and come in various sizes depending on their power output. They are the most common type of electric bicycle motor and are fitted to millions of bicycles throughout China and around the world.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frock#Related_terms - [Source]
 
Maybe some wordplay on 'pink slip', having to don the tutu if you win?

Might be hard to tell if J has won of if his in regular clothing :lol:
 
Orright! Like it!

I am willing to put up $200 in prize monies as a sweetener... also wanna compete so in the likely event that I win :)D) the monies will be put across a nearby bar for ever-one to get sozzled post event.

Joe
 
Cool concept and something that I've been wishfully talking about for years and halfarsedly (at best!) trying to organise.
Something like the spooky tooth death race in the US would be sweet but trying to organise attendance will be the hard part. We're so spread out that it will be hard for most to attend from interstate. Piling a few bikes into a van and planning a road trip would be cool but would need to be properly coordinated. Plane flights are possibly even cheaper but getting our bikes interstate will be a harder task, necessitating boxing them up and road shipping the batteries seperately. The east coast isnt so bad with most members being in Syd and Melb but there's a decent contingent in Perth too and that's a real hike.
Bikes aside it's going to take a time and $$ commitment just to get there.

Best way to get funding is to get some proper ebike shops involved, aside from supplying money and/or prizes let them promote their business through it as official sponsors. It puts their name out there and will in turn generate revenue for them, it raises the profile of ebikes in general and also gives us the fun and competition we're after.

As for the tu tu, maybe a costumed heat / division / event. Keep the main event serious and legit with the intention to grow and develop it in coming years but also keep it fun and light hearted too.
Maybe there could be a 200w / street category where everones bikes need to be limited via CA or other to 200w and a costume or dress is required :lol:

Lastly, racing for pink slips usually implies the winner takes the other persons ride. I don't think this is what we should be aiming for. I mean I dont care but I've already got more bikes than I know what to do with :mrgreen: :p

In the hugely unlikely event this somehow ends up getting organised rapidly I vote for racing in winter or atleast the cooler months. It'll cut down (marginally!) on the amount of motors that get baked.
August might be achievable if we get cracking.
 
Hyena said:
Best way to get funding is to get some proper ebike shops involved, aside from supplying money and/or prizes let them promote their business through it as official sponsors. It puts their name out there and will in turn generate revenue for them, it raises the profile of ebikes in general and also gives us the fun and competition we're after.

mmmmmhmmm

See post above... $200 offered from Frankencycle Australia Pty Ltd

Joe
 
Maybe organize track in S.A? not half way but closer for Perth guys :: whistles::

KiM
 
I didnt realise you were a legit company Joe :lol:
Thanks for the offer.
Hyena Industries will sponsor some sort of prize too. Not sure what yet :p

I think unless this is going to be an underground type race/event to make this work properly you're going to need a few grand for venue hire etc etc.

AJ, SA is wishing thinking mate. That's just out of the way for everyone! haha

Anyway, bring on the Aussie Ebike racing scene :mrgreen:

Pink-slips.jpg
 
My vote is to do a quick "underground" one first up to get the ball rolling, and help sort out how we run a real one.

In fact I rode past a good spot a couple of days ago. It is an outdoor velodrome, that is freely open to the public. All we need to do is pick time when it is unlikely to be busy.

https://maps.google.com.au/?ll=-37.838572,145.04019&spn=0.002677,0.006539&t=h&z=18&layer=c&cbll=-37.838414,145.040183&panoid=sJd_kSw6kKHx4_P2xGXjbA&cbp=12,271.85,,0,2.07
https://maps.google.com.au/?ll=-37.838416,145.040184&spn=0.002694,0.006539&t=h&z=18
Pink Slips 2013 - Track Option #1.JPG
 
Is this some kind of a race?

Of corse I'm in 8)

Hyena said:
Piling a few bikes into a van and planning a road trip would be cool but would need to be properly coordinated.
meh.. I do that every second weekend pretty much, 4~5hrs one way.

Velodrome sounds a bit boring. How about a go-kart track?
 
full-throttle said:
I do that every second weekend pretty much, 4~5hrs one way.
You're living the dream :)
But this would be 10+ hrs for most of us.

Velodrome sounds a bit boring. How about a go-kart track?
I agree, this aint nascar :p
Besides, velodrome = sustained high speed and if there are any incidents people are more likely to get busted up.
Go kart tracks are where it's at, or if we could find a new housing estate shortly after the roads are cut and tarred that'd be ideal. There's one near me recently that I spied from high on an overlooking hill and it was perfect. A month later and it was congested with builders knocking up houses left right and centre.

I dont know about interstate but there's a few main ones without a few hours of around Sydney. I've raced at 3 of the 4 I can think of and Butterfly Farm about an hour west of the CBD is probably be best suited for ebike racing.

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Butterfly+Farm,+Wilberforce+Road,+Wilberforce,+New+South+Wales,+Australia&hl=en&ll=-33.572003,150.8364&spn=0.003464,0.006968&sll=-34.043032,151.056089&sspn=0.00689,0.013937&oq=butterfly+farm+&t=h&hq=Butterfly+Farm,+Wilberforce+Road,+Wilberforce,+New+South+Wales,+Australia&z=18
 
full-throttle said:
Velodrome sounds a bit boring. How about a go-kart track?

Fair point, go-kart track would be way better. Not sure how much it will cost it will cost to book one.

Tiny bit of research, ~$65-120/person
Indoor
http://www.auscarts.com.au/packages.html
http://www.gokartsport.com/
Outdoor
http://www.lemansgokarts.com.au/index.php/Group-Packages.html
http://www.acekarts.com.au/
http://www.silhouettekarts.com.au/index_files/Page433.htm
 
With regards to the veledroem i agree its not suitable in oval config
however if you wanted to keep this whole affair on the cheap first time
nothing stopping you setting some witches hats or the like i.e icecream
containers full of sand painted brightly used in conjuction with rope or hose or
flour? perhaps to help mark out the course etc...
Then, you could use the veledrome track AND the infield
could even build a few jumps if you got keen, perhaps wooden
jumps laid across the track for example, easily removed...

Something like this for example, would make it more rally-X'isk'-->

Pink Slips 2013 - Track Option %231.JPG

Kart tracks are definately ideal, but as outlined above also costly...

KiM
 
There used to be an old abandoned go cart track in an industrial area in williamstown..... (I know cos I used to race minis with a mate on it about 25 yrs ago) I wonder if it is still there.. I'll have to see if I can find it... and report back... It'll prolly need sweeping and a clean up as a minimum.

There's also supposedly a hella lot of MTB style tracks under the westgate, n as you guys know there's a lot of interesting stuff out the north of Melbourne too (where jay n kepler n FT etc went on day 2 of the Melbourne ride...)

I think that velodrome is used a bit too much.. plus I gotta confess... I have taken an e-bike on it at close to the 75km limit and man it's just hang on and round and round and round ,,, not much excitement and always someone Pedal only on it...

Yah as Jay says if we are going to do this as legit, we will be talking a few grand to sort a venue fer sher... So maybe some kinda "underground" first would be good... anyways I is just suggesting melbourne areas cos they are what I know... theres a heap of us in the Sydney area too an I have no Idea about areas there.

Does anyone own acreage where we could have it on Private Property?

Joe

heh Jay I know I haven't said much about what I'm doin', all good... but yeah I Is Ligit now all Pty Ltd and stuff.. I'll fill ever'one in on what I'm doing in a fortnight or so once I expand.
 
winkinatcha said:
Anyone want to come with sometime and check it out? Maybe we could organise a melb ride down there with a bunch of us?
Well spotted Joe! Thought first you were referring to the track under the Westgate (Melbourne International Karting Complex)
Could check it out on the weekend. I got to be in St Kilda for the EV festival midday on Sun, but otherwise I'm free-ish.
 
underground, ninja turtle style.
If you go down at the event you get buried with your bike.

file.php


lulz, the fast and the lithious

f6FAQxDl.jpg


I'm keen to have a race be super serz, so we can do a slow montage shot with over the top music (I'm guessing that's what in everyone's head, adoring fans and scandalously clad women in the background...) 8)

OH MY Gosh the track is still there!!!

So that's not the old horse raceway, via wiki
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altona_Coastal_Park
The remnants of the Williamstown Racecourse Grandstand and a palm tree at the entry to the Grandstand still remains.[5] A 4-metre sculpture called Requiem for a Champion <-- That's mos def a cool event name :p

My vote is to do a quick "underground" one first up to get the ball rolling, and help sort out how we run a real one.

They key is to get the ball rolling and build a foundation of what we want.
Setting a meet with rules at an off beat venue is better than two years of banter of what can be, it will be cool to reflect on what was once a small thing ;)

Now to address the issue of geo-location, the distance between east and west aus is stupid, $500 plane trip, different time zone stupid.
As for the East coast, we put Canberra there for a reason a central divide and meeting place for doing dirty business that no ones wants to do at home.

We need a transferable model that scales and travel, one element I like is a Le man start
A Le Mans-style start was used for many years in most types of motor racing and required the drivers to run across the track when the start flag dropped to their cars which were parked on the other side, climb in, start the car, and drive away to begin the race.
And a pedal lap

The above are good for lap based events and maybe a drag race, I will keep note of what everyone says and sift through suggestions so feel free to banter.

Might try call a go kart track today to see if they are open to few hours lease
 
Why not just organise an event for each state? Not many people will be up for or able to do the interstate travel so will miss out on the fun, but are likely to to go to a local event.

If we get really excited we could eventually do state eliminations, with entry fee prize pool going towards the winner/s travel expenses to an Australian title.

The key is deciding on what sort of races we want, and finding a good venue in each state we can use.

So what type of race/events
- tight and twisty road based
- off-road technical
- on & off-road, rally-X
- drag race
- hill climb
- economy/distance challenge
- tow a bus challenge.....
 
I was just thinking that it would be neat to use the same name for these types of events around the globe with like a dash "-" and then the continent/country/locations name. It would start to build a public image of unity for all of us around the globe, and might be the seed for a global eBike rat racing competition.

Wonder what we could come up with?

Pink Slips 2013 - AUS
Pinks 2013 - AUS
Death Race 2013 - EU
TTXGP 2013 - USA ... already taken though
Electro GP 2013 - CAN
eTron's Folly 2013 - AUS
Darth's Death 2013 - UK



You get the idea. What do you think? Bet someone will come up with a great name! One with a good tongue in cheek meaning. :mrgreen:
 
Re charging I am thinking of making a multi ah battery from thunderskies and lead acid that I could transport via hired van to create a charge bank at least would work for rc chargers. .. ft I'll get back to you via pm lays this arvo. ..
 
winkinatcha said:
OH MY Gosh the track is still there!!!
Wow that looks pretty great. Perfect remote location to run wild but even from the air the track looks like it'd be too ripped up to properly race on. You'd probably be better with plain dirt than that.

t3sla said:
Requiem for a Champion <-- That's mos def a cool event name
Fo shizz! 8)

As for the East coast, we put Canberra there for a reason a central divide and meeting place
This is true, Canberra would actually be a good place to do it. And there's a kart track there or 2.

A Le Mans-style start was used for many years in most types of motor racing and required the drivers to run across the track when the start flag dropped to their cars which were parked on the other side, climb in, start the car, and drive away to begin the race.
That's a good idea, it keeps Aussie Jester from being too cocky too. :lol:
I agree that a pedal lap or qualifying event is a good idea too, to ensure that it IS still a bicycle - must be able to be pedalled with no electric power (no matter how hard you bust your arse doing it). Maybe it could be used to score the starting grid for the main race. Eg if someone builds some monster heavy motorbike with pedals they're going to be penalised off the line by setting a slow pedal lap. This would probably be quickly made up but may slightly even things up a bit.


Might try call a go kart track today to see if they are open to few hours lease
Definately, and that's something I was going to say in response to Adrian saying it was expensive. That's if we use their karts etc, venue hire should work out cheaper. If we have decent numbers + the above mentioned sponsorship to offset each entrants entry costs. Maybe even try to co-ordinate it with a club day when they hire the whole track, the might be happy to "sub let" the track to us between their events or at the end or what ever.


AussieJester said:
If you do it in Canberra you could coincide it with the Street Machine Summernats, unfortunately its been and gone on the 4th of Jan...next year? Just a thought...
That might work against us, the place is overun during summernats and accomodation will be booked out unless we stay out of town. Not sure if that'd make getting a track booking easier or harder. I dont go any more, it's deteriorated in recent years and there's more undesirables. The public might argue that it's always been overpopulated with undesirables :lol: but the demographic seems to be shifting. Anyway that's offtopic. Petrol, pft :p

full-throttle said:
Need to find a solution for charging the packs at the venue (if it's remote)
True dat. Maybe even have to hire a generator.
For the first race it'll probably be less of an issue. I suspect it'll be more of a 'run what you brung' sort of affair.

winkinatcha said:
Re charging I am thinking of making a multi ah battery from thunderskies and lead acid that I could transport via hired van to create a charge bank at least would work for rc chargers. .. ft I'll get back to you via pm lays this arvo. ..
Yeah a bank of lead acids would be the cheapest solution, though a few chargers running from the battery of an idling car could also work.

bigmoose said:
I was just thinking that it would be neat to use the same name for these types of events around the globe with like a dash "-" and then the continent/country/locations name.
That's a good idea and certainly lends itself to big properly organised events like the ttxgp.
I think we're way too early in the game for this to catch on now though. Things like the death race, pikes peak etc will probably always run seperately.
But yeah, a more E bike specific name would be cool, maybe something with the word electon in it ?

Electron Doom
The Electron Chase
oh oh, I know, Electron's Destiny 8)
 
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