rec.autos.simulators

by **John Moor** » Fri, 30 Apr 1999 04:00:00

Ohhh, when I was a bit younger I would have loved to try a track bike, but now?
NFW ... JM - no-------way!!

> Too funny! More *** types!

> As an old washed-up USCF road and track racer, I'm down to just two bikes
> now. A Specialized M2 StumpJumper Pro with all XTR and Mavic Crosslands, and
> my old Somec track bike with a Campy track grouppo that included the rare
> Campy titanium pedals.

> Man, I'll never forget the first type I strapped myself into that brakeless
> track bike, rolled down off the wall at the velodrome, and suddenly
> discovered that my shoes made intermittent contact with the front wheel (at
> slow speeds) due to the short wheelbase and upright geometry of the bike.
> Talk about unsettling! It was disturbing enough trying to figure out how to
> stop the beast coming off of 34-degree banking. Worries about shoe contact
> were certainly a unwelcome addition to the equation. Still have some great
> scars from those days!

> Expect Steve Blankenship, another washed-up USCF guy, to chime in any time
> now. He won't be able to resist this thread!

> I guess a lot of us just like to race anything we can get our hands on!
> Great!

> Jack Rambo

by **Matthew Birger Knutse** » Sat, 01 May 1999 04:00:00

> I'm a real cheapskate, I guess -- I think the magical price barrier is
> $29 or so; if it's much more than that, I'll REALLY wait to see if
> it's worthwhile. That's been a stopper for GPL, actually -- I like
> the demo well enough, but it didn't inspire me enough to shell out $49
> for it when Viper Racing was going for a measly $29. Make 'em good,
> make 'em cheap, and I just might buy a copy for BOTH my computers!

> -- JB

LOL, good news! Seems you buy too many copies of GPL over there, here in
Norway I've seen it in many bargain bins (that's about $ 29...)When I
bought it it was NOK 400,- which roughly equals to $ 65...

Matt

--

Matthew Knutsen

"The Art of Legends" - GPL add-ons
http://www.cheekracing.electra.no/GPL/

by **Ron Ayto** » Sat, 01 May 1999 04:00:00

Hi, actually i just read a post from Scott B Husted, a couple of
threads ago and he summed it up perfectly when he said if a sim does
not have good multiplayer options he's not interested.
I couldn't agree more.
I have been sim racing since the days of the Amstrad CPC464 and i have
owned nearly every program that could be classed as a racing sim and
quite a few that left a bit to be desired...
Untill GPL came along i was quite content to race the AI and have
occasional races, modem to modem, or run in off-line leagues, but GPL
on-line has totally ruined any enjoyment i get out sim racing off-line.
:(
I am not complaining about that, i am just saying that i too would not
even consider looking at a racing sim now, unless it had good Internet
racing capabilities. (well maybe i am complaining)
I waited with baited breath to see if VIPER or SCGT would have Internet
capabilities and when i learned through RAS that they were not up to
speed in this department, i wasn't even interested in looking at them.
I used to race N2 a lot, not on-line as it is a bit hard to do here in
OZ, but i used to enjoy the racing against the AI etc, but i havn't
fired up N2 for over 3 months now. :(
Somehow the lack of human opponents has just taken the enjoyment out of
N2 for me.
I also used to love ICR2 and spent hundreds of hours on it, but that
too has been relegated to the, 'no on-line play'. bin. :(
On a final note, i hope someone gives us a good on-line version of CART
racing soon. A GPL engined CART racing sim would be a answer to all my
wishfull thinking. (i know, i need to get a life)
Papy, i hope you do this much for us......
Anyway, that's my thoughts on the subject..
Cheers,
Ron

by **Steve Ferguso** » Sat, 01 May 1999 04:00:00

: Too funny! More *** types!

Still *** a worn but trusty M2 Stumpjumper with choice upgrades...
hoping it gets me through one more Swiss Bike Masters race before I come
back to Canada.

: As an old washed-up USCF road and track racer, I'm down to just two bikes
: now. A Specialized M2 StumpJumper Pro with all XTR and Mavic Crosslands, and
: my old Somec track bike with a Campy track grouppo that included the rare
: Campy titanium pedals.

I tried riding a summer on a fixed gear, supplemented with a front brake.
Scariest bike I ever owned. Also one of the most fun bikes. I finally
wimped out and bought a Trek OCLV and have been in heaven ever since.
It's the wings below my feet and my secret weapon at canoe triathlons.

You're right... some of us sim-heads will race anything we can get our
hands (or ass) on. I convince myself that an hour in the saddle has
"earned" me some goof-off time in front of the computer. Of course, the
PhD work has to fit in there somewhere as well...

Off-topic, but a fun thread.
Stephen

by **Matthew Birger Knutse** » Sat, 01 May 1999 04:00:00

> Too funny! More *** types!

> As an old washed-up USCF road and track racer, I'm down to just two bikes
> now. A Specialized M2 StumpJumper Pro with all XTR and Mavic Crosslands, and
> my old Somec track bike with a Campy track grouppo that included the rare
> Campy titanium pedals.

> Man, I'll never forget the first type I strapped myself into that brakeless
> track bike, rolled down off the wall at the velodrome, and suddenly
> discovered that my shoes made intermittent contact with the front wheel (at
> slow speeds) due to the short wheelbase and upright geometry of the bike.
> Talk about unsettling! It was disturbing enough trying to figure out how to
> stop the beast coming off of 34-degree banking. Worries about shoe contact
> were certainly a unwelcome addition to the equation. Still have some great
> scars from those days!

> Expect Steve Blankenship, another washed-up USCF guy, to chime in any time
> now. He won't be able to resist this thread!

> I guess a lot of us just like to race anything we can get our hands on!
> Great!

> Jack Rambo

agree to that, and I'll have to admit, that I've been just as scared
downhilling
my MTB as I have in a racecar:)
Good one with the crosslands, my budget has shrunk somewhat after
numerous encounters,
where the "pro mode" sent me to the pits.....

:-D

Matt

--

Matthew Knutsen

"The Art of Legends" - GPL add-ons
http://www.racesimcentral.net/

by m » Sat, 01 May 1999 04:00:00

After upgrading to a PII 450, I fired up GP2 to see how it looked with
full graphics. Ahh...how nostalgic. I drove this puppy for years with
minimal graphics & with all the graphics, it sure looks nice. But...after
running a couple of races, it felt like I was driving an arcade racer.

Bouncing off of walls, flailing the brakes, steering like a madman. Sheesh.
I thought of how many times I would have gone flying off the track in GPL and
lost count at about 99.

[...]

Same here. I tried the SCGT demo & it kept me interested for about 1/2 hour.

GPL has transformed my sim experience into a demanding, frustrating, crazed,
time-consuming but ultimately *sensational* experience.

I hear you. I'm about to spend over $1,000 on a ECCI wheel.

Yikes.

--
-- " Why bother..." -- R. Crumb

by **Jack Ramb** » Sat, 01 May 1999 04:00:00

Steve...

Front brake?!? After a few years of track racing, I would occasionally do
*criterium* training races on my track bike with no brakes. :) Drew a few
comments from my fellow competitors, needless to say! LOL. I was always easy
to spot, I was the guy spinning madly at 130 to stay in the bunch on the
down grades. :)

Speaking of wild cycling experiences, here's one...Ever had a crank arm
snap? I did. I once had an old Dura-Ace crank arm shear off as I was up out
of the saddle sprinting for the line. With all your weight on the pedals,
you can imagine the result...Instantaneous pavement pie! The funny thing was
after I regained my senses, I got up, still having no idea what happened,
and started to walk around only to discover that there was something
attached to my shoe. Imagine my surprise when I realized it was a pedal with
about 1" of crank arm still attached!

Jack

by **Steve Blankensh** » Sat, 01 May 1999 04:00:00

Washed-up eh? Speak fer yerself, ya knobby-tired, triple-ringed
traitor to all things paved! May a Flandrian cobblestone punch out
your radiator! Only your possession of that lovely Somec saves
you.... and yes, I know what Somec stands for. Just as I know my
buds out at Litespeed would get a hoot at the idea of JM's Merlin
"TSALI". Wrong brand, I'm afraid.

But of course! Cars, bikes, PC's, shopping carts, no matter! For the
ultimate combination, you should try going backwards down the Kemmel
straight at Spa, spun-out in the 53/12. It may not be 300kph, but
it's better than going up; that's a big-ass hill! Too bad they block
off Eau Rouge to normal traffic. Heck, on the bike I even made it
through Masta without lifting. Take that, Wolfgang! :-)

Oh well, enough nostalgia. On to pondering life's eternal questions;
3Dfx/NVidia, Clinchers/Tubulars, Groceries/ECCI, etc.

Cheers,

Steve B.
Remove "edy" from address for email

by **^Frett** » Sat, 01 May 1999 04:00:00

Ok Jack Here's One 4 Ya;
It was late May 1970 & I was racing the "Billy Huber Memorial" in
Reading, Pa.. A 1/4mile dirt oval. {Sadly now it is a shopping mall}
Racing Expert with a Harley 750xr.. I was lined up in 5th, a 20-lap
race & 25 racers. In 2laps I was 3rd going down the back straight
got under 3rd place before turn 3 and just started to go under first.
Well {what I was told!? Don't remember?} I just touched the guy
in 1st place on his back fender. {And I mean a tini-wini-tap!!}
Here I go 'high-side' into the big signs above bank 3-4 {about 25
feet above the track} at 110mph & hit the huge signs flat with my
back {Guess I "kinda" flipped in mid-air?}The bike 'flip-flopped'
3-4 times & slid down the bank looking like pretzel.. I slid down
too.. Got up & tried to bump start this 450'lb pretzel to go again
while I was still {allegedly} unconscious!! I don't remember one
thing after passing the 2nd place dude!!
It is all on 8mm film at my old sponsor's house somewhere? No
sense in detailing all my injuries because it's all old news.. I was
more 'ticked' when they cut off my "Brand New $980 Custom
Leathers" than all my personal bone breakage!. ;0)
If I had a chance to do it all over again; I'd do it in a flash! ;O)
And you computer sim racers think its tuff racing behind a PC!
Just jokin' Ladies & Gents. Dont get those Underalls bunched
up now..<BG> Just a little fyi for you Jack & the others.
Cheer.. Thom_j. aka ^Fretts..

> Speaking of wild cycling experiences, here's one...Ever had a crank arm
> snap? I did. I once had an old Dura-Ace crank arm shear off as I was up out
> of the saddle sprinting for the line. With all your weight on the pedals,
> you can imagine the result...Instantaneous pavement pie! The funny thing was
> after I regained my senses, I got up, still having no idea what happened,
> and started to walk around only to discover that there was something
> attached to my shoe. Imagine my surprise when I realized it was a pedal with
> about 1" of crank arm still attached!

> Jack

no_spam.n2rif1.vcf
< 1K Download

by **Jack Ramb** » Sat, 01 May 1999 04:00:00

Really LOL! Yet another Blankenship classic. I'm saving your gems and have a
contract with Harper Collins to publish as soon as we reach 600 pages. Keep
up the fine work!

You know what's kind of funny...All of us telling old "war" stories sounds
frighteningly like Jeff Papows, Lotus' president, and newly-discovered
pathological [____]. In the interest of staying out of court, I'll let you
fill in the blank. If you read yesterday's Wall Street Journal article about
him, you'll know what goes in the blank. If not, read the article. It's
absolutely unbelievable!

by **schwab** » Sat, 01 May 1999 04:00:00

Jack, my good man, you are NUTS! :-) I'm staying away from you... no
brakes... AAGGGGHHHH!

As for the crank gig... I know a road racer buddy who had the same thing
happen with his Campy crank... and he's about 140 pounds. Surpising that
it failed. But he too was about to get on when he noticed that he was
limping... due to the pedal-on-the-shoe problem!

:-)

-_Dave

> Steve...

> Front brake?!? After a few years of track racing, I would occasionally do
> *criterium* training races on my track bike with no brakes. :) Drew a few
> comments from my fellow competitors, needless to say! LOL. I was always easy
> to spot, I was the guy spinning madly at 130 to stay in the bunch on the
> down grades. :)

> Speaking of wild cycling experiences, here's one...Ever had a crank arm
> snap? I did. I once had an old Dura-Ace crank arm shear off as I was up out
> of the saddle sprinting for the line. With all your weight on the pedals,
> you can imagine the result...Instantaneous pavement pie! The funny thing was
> after I regained my senses, I got up, still having no idea what happened,
> and started to walk around only to discover that there was something
> attached to my shoe. Imagine my surprise when I realized it was a pedal with
> about 1" of crank arm still attached!

> Jack

--
Dave Schwabe
The Aussie Toad -- Grand Prix Legends & Brabham site
http://users.wi.net/~schwabe

by **^Frett** » Sat, 01 May 1999 04:00:00

Dave; All AMA sanctioned dirt race ovals had no brakes! Its
more dangerous if you do!! Just think of 4-6 racers going into
a turn and the 1st racer locks-up his brakes... Wham!
Trust me! It is better to slide off on the low-side of your bike
instead of slamming into 3 to 5 other racers at a 100+mph! I
know what it feels like!
Cheers Thom_j. aka ^Fretts

> Jack, my good man, you are NUTS! :-) I'm staying away from you... no
> brakes... AAGGGGHHHH!

> -_Dave

no_spam.n2rif1.vcf
< 1K Download

by **Eldre** » Tue, 04 May 1999 04:00:00

writes:

Jeez, I didn't spend that much for my CAR... :)

__

Put your message in a modem, and throw it in the ***-sea...
remove SPAM-OFF to reply.

by **Eldre** » Tue, 04 May 1999 04:00:00

>LOL, good news! Seems you buy too many copies of GPL over there, here in
>Norway I've seen it in many bargain bins (that's about $ 29...)When I
>bought it it was NOK 400,- which roughly equals to $ 65...

>Matt

I bought it(based on Papy's reputation) when it first came out, for about
$54.95, IIRC..
It's a great game, but I *still* can't drive it worth SHIT. :)

__

Put your message in a modem, and throw it in the ***-sea...
remove SPAM-OFF to reply.

by **Steve Ferguso** » Wed, 05 May 1999 04:00:00

:>What about you people?
:>JM - go ahead and shoot me now, I have a $6000 bicycle...
:>

: Jeez, I didn't spend that much for my CAR... :)

After 15 years of driving and owning cars, and a similar period of cycling
and canoeing, I have yet to reach the point where the value of the car is
greater than the value of the toys attached to the shiny Yakima rack on
top of the car. And that's just the way I want to keep it!

Stephen

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