Impressed by the Race Across America we organized the Race Across Hungary endurance biking already the second time: in the previous year from the West to the East (Szentgotthárd-Tiszabecs, 680 km) and now from the North to the South between Balassagyarmat and Hercegszántó (270 km). There were nine riders at the start: eight persons with recumbent bikes and one with a standard road racing one. The starting time was set at 1 am in the Sunday because this way we could cross the region of Budapest meeting virtually no car traffic. But in the middle of October the nights are quite cold with temperatures around the freezing point under the clear skies.
We arrived Balassagyarmat on car with my wife so I was not must to travel six hours on train like for example the designer-builder of my Carbonrecumbent bike and the strongest rider of the pack Novák Ádám. A group picture of the riders on the starting grid and the adventure has begun! It was bitter cold also under my thin clothing so I have set a forced pace to get warmer. Anyway I have had a very simple tactics: push it hard from the beginning to the end!
After only a few kilometers Ádám passed me but not with a too big difference of speed: I could see his rear light even through the hills around Rétság. On the uphill stages I gave my best and also downhill I let the bike to fly (the highest speed was 60,2 km/hours) which is quite risky in the darkness however I have had a proper lighting (Busch & Müller Ixon IQ LED-lamp). Crossing the Börzsöny mountains an owl cried from the forest and I answered him. Both of us was on hunting: he for prey and I for a good place at the end. The city of Vác was arrived in two hours, the Chain Bridge in Budapest in three hours. In Taksony I just replaced the batteries in my headlight as Ádám passed me again. It figured out he was cold very much and was must to drunk a coup of tee at a fuel station and through this he lost 20 minutes of time. Shortly after I met him again because he slowed down a little bit to eat something whilst riding and from that point we rode together. Our speed was 28-30 km/hours. We did not help each other with dragging but we rode side by side instead. Slowly, at 7 o clock the Sun came up and one of the stongest riders of our pack „Murla” called me by his cellular phone hoping a small talk will help him to fight his sleepiness. He was tortured also by the cold, the gap between us was 30 kilometers at this time.
We pushed hard further on but before reaching Kalocsa Ádám got a tire puncture. I slowed down a bit to give him a chance to catch me again but for nothing because his tire was sitting very tight on the rim causing a lot of time to fix the puncture. I continued alone in a friendly sunshine, eating up my second sandwich on the long-long downhill in the village of Sükösd. Beside of this my food was a few cereals and three Red Bulls on the way. I was in a good shape, on the last stage after the city of Baja the pace was all the time over 30 km/hours. I arrived the finish at the “Teaház” (“Tee House”) in Hercegszántó at 11 am 13 minutes, it means the total time time was 10 hours and 13 minutes. On the distance of 268 kilometers riding time was 9 hours and 46 minutes whilst the average speed was 27,4 km/hours. I was very satisfied with this.
I got barely my beer in my hand as I was called by Ádám who asked how to find the finish line in the village. He has arrived merely 11 minutes behind be without any sign of being exhausted. A double win for the Carbonrecumbent bikes! Murla finished two hours later – not we beat him but the night and the cold. Three other guys abandoned. The initiator and organizer of the event Róbert Gábor was a way back because he helped a lot to an another guy who started a night race without illumination on his bike…
It was a perfect ride, for me a very enjoyable and positive experience. Everything was going smoothly, the Carbonrecumbent bike run properly on the new Schwalbe Kojak tires, I have found an ideal compromise for the clothing so I was not forced to stop for dressing on or off and also the food and drink was enough for the whole distance. Those were the factors – and of course the misfortune of Ádám – which helped me to finish in front of riders who are stronger than me.
Karlovitz „Pupu” Kristóf