A.M.E.C. Fall Economy Run IV November 1, 2009

[blownb310]

That sounds great Will. Only I couldn't get the page to load properly. Can anyone else see the graph OK?

Mike

[MetroMPG]

Guys: thanks for the additional pics and summaries. I laughed out loud at more than a few of them.

I love how the competition seems ratcheted up from the previous one. (You can tell by the adoption of new mods - eg. lots more painter's tape on panel gaps and elsewhere this time!)

Looks like it was a good time.

[RobertSmalls]

The ideal course for maximum mileage would have consistently rolling terrain that allows extensive engine-off coasting. It's too steep if your car coasts up to unaerodynamic speeds while you're descending, and it's not steep enough if you have to turn on the engine on the downhill.

Yesterday's flatter course contributed to our lower average MPG, but so did winter blend gasoline and lower ambient temperature (colder tires, denser air). There were a few more stop signs, and the fact that we sat at a few red lights meant we had to make up the time driving faster elsewhere.

It was a very scenic course, and there was much less traffic than last time.

I also liked the way the midway checkpoint was done. We were all allowed to stop, and our time in and out was recorded. As I see it, the only fuel economy disadvantage to stopping longer is your engine and O2 sensors cool down while you enjoy the scenery.

[NeilBlanchard]

Hi,

The route pops up pretty quickly, but the elevations get stuck at 5%. :-(

[tasdrouille]

Mike, I liked this route better for the lack of traffic. I have mixed feelings about the checkpoint though because a bunch of us all left at once. It was quite fun to ride together, but it caused a couple of problems at least on my part. I think it would have been a good idea to have us leave the checkpoint a car a minute, just like the start of the race.

[Wonderboy]

yeah, i was in a big group of us on the 2nd leg and got a little miffed that i couldnt coast the way i wanted... i probably wouldve been fine if i hadn't been thrown on a 2 mile loop to satisfy a faulty waypoint on my gps but it was pretty funny to be part of a wall of slow on the road and see all these baffled citizens passing us angrily one by one.

as for that elevation map i think you just need to wait. it takes a while...if it still doesnt work, ill make it again.

[McTimson]

Looks like it was a great time!

What were some of the average speeds? Was there a time limit?

[blownb310]

Thanks very much for the feedback Robert, Will, and Martin. I agree with Martin that having us leave the check point whenever we wanted to had a few of us driving together on leg 2. Next time we will dispatch drivers in one minute intervals on the return leg. However, I must also say that like Robert, I really enjoyed the check point break and chat at the scenic historical site. I spent 21 minutes there and wish I could have stayed longer, but yes, the engine was cooling.

I hope that in the very least, we have once again demonstrated how easy it really is to put together one of these events. We did it with just three people and could really have pulled it off with two, had Jonathan not offered to help.

So for all of you reading this in other parts of the country and Canada, please consider holding an event near you, so others around the country can join in, not just us northeasterners.

Mike

[blownb310]

Originally Posted by McTimson

Looks like it was a great time!

What were some of the average speeds? Was there a time limit?

Average speeds for most of us were 40 -45 mph. There was a 3.5 hour time limit, which was plenty, even after spending 20 minutes at the check point socializing.

[blownb310]

FYI, Jeff Dungen, the driver of the Toyota Levin is the VP of Sports Motor Car Club Montreal which has been doing rallies since 1937. They usually put on about 10 TSD/navigation rallies per year. In the past, the club has held economy runs, but he thinks that was more than a decade ago now. He's hoping that they can revive that tradition and attract some interesting participants.

Also Jeff put together a few fantastic photos with captions of our event on his web page here: AMEC Economy Run IV - 1992 Toyota Levin


Mike