For those who eagerly await my yearly update on one of the all-time greatest events on the planet here is my report on the 2016 Braidwood Billycart Derby.
This is the first cart I built for the 2013 event. It ran well, was super comfortable but the aerodynamics held it back. I’m pretty sure it could have been a world beater if only I’d added some cup holders. I kept spilling my drink while racing and couldn’t steer straight.
My wife and kids also disowned me when I showed them what I was secretly building in the shed. I thought they’d be pleased at my recycling efforts but words like “embarrassing” and “turkey” were thrown around. My wife also had a few other choice words but the forum filter won’t let me print them.
For many months afterwards I searched the Braidwood tip for a sporty version of the Jason Recliner but no-one was throwing out their leather racing model so I built the hotrod instead. The main criteria for this build was it couldn’t be anything that embarrassed my wife or kids.
First raced in 2014 it got the people’s choice award for best looking billycart and in 2015 it managed to win a few heats which was good enough to get some prize money for the best placed Braidwood local in the Open class.
For 2016 I knew the local competition was keen to knock me off my pedestal so a new cart was built. Months went into the planning and construction of a much more aerodynamic cart and this time money was no object. After all, this is the world’s premier billycart event.
However, after spending $30 it was realised there would have to be a financial cap to this project otherwise the build would eat into my morning coffee (with 7 sugars) money.
To keep down costs many weekend afternoons were spent searching the Braidwood tip for the right wheels and bicycle frames to use, together with wood sourced from various backyards.
The 2016 build started with this.
2 months later and the day before the big race.
There were design limitations so that my 13 year old son could also use it to compete in his age class. As you can see below he fit with room to spare but his chubby dad was much tighter.
It was painted it in race winning colours (everyone knows red goes faster) but I could only find half a can of red.
Here Benny lines up against the cart that won it’s age group at Yass and Port Kembla, the 2 biggest billycart races in Australia.
Benny dead-heated against the blue cart in their first race and in the re-run Benny wobbled a few times going down the hill which lost him some speed. He lost by 10cm which isn’t too shabby considering the blue cart has never been beaten.
Benny had problems with the brakes and hit a few haybales trying to stop in one of his races. In another race he went through the haybales, across a busy road and ended up stopping in the carpark. The organisers banned the cart from any further racing and I had to argue with them to get the cart back into the race so I could compete in the Open class.
Here’s some of the interesting carts from this year’s competition.
How did our cart go in the hotly contested Open class?
Against the other 23 carts in the open class I got this.
Got to be pleased with that considering my $30 cart lost to this one which is rumoured to have taken 800 hours to build at a cost of $9000. I was lucky that this cart eliminated some of the other really quick carts in the heats leading up to the final race.
The guy owns a furniture making company and I think his staff were employed to help make it. He also lost 15kg so he could fit in it. That’s dedication and he rightly deserved to win.
Next year I’ll see about fitting high pressure tyres (expensive) and ceramic bearings (mega expensive).
If I get a small coffee each day @ $3.50 instead of a medium @ $4.20 that’s a saving of 70c per day. That’s $3.50 a week x 52 = $182. Almost enough to buy 2 bearings for 1 wheel so just 6 to go and then the tyres.
Wonder if I can get the kids to agree to less pocket money for the next few years and my wife to cutting back on the shoes and clothes?
I think I’ll probably be getting out the cup and sign and standing on street corners. If you see me please throw a coin.
Cheers
Paul