Maryborough Hpv Enthusiasts Inc.
Mickey's Garage- Ron's Workshop
Just about every day Mickey’s Ron’s workshop is usually buzzing with activity. If he isn’t repairing a wedgie for a kid down the road he is usually experimenting with something new for a hub or cluster or frame on a recumbent. Ron started out photographing HPV events approximately 5 years ago. Things seemed to snowball from there. He then decided to build a HPV for racing, with the stability to hold a movie camera, the vehicle was appropriately named “Kamra-Kazee”. Ron, Mickey, their son Braden and 3 local teenagers made up a team and rode this vehicle in a 24 hr endurance race at Wonthaggi. The film footage was more than pleasing. It was a great way of being able to film a riders view of this type of event.
The team from this event wanted more, thus Maryborough HPV Enthusiasts Inc. was formed. The original riders are the foundation members of this group. Ron then built a smaller version of “Kamra-Kazee”, for the “Timor Terrors” of the Timor Primary School. The kids were put to work in the work shop to assist in the building of this vehicle. Their enthusiasm for learning was overwhelming. By the time these youngsters were ready to race they could do most of the maintenance themselves. This proved an asset on race day when the vehicle limped in with a flat tyre, the kids quickly changed over the wheel in a matter of seconds to the astonishment of their neighbouring opponents. Training and preparing these youngsters for racing was one of the most rewarding experiences to be gained out of the whole event.
Ron started building recumbents and assisting in the building for local teenagers. These teenagers had finished school, had no jobs, and most had some scathing with the law. Whilst in Mickey’s Ron’s workshop these young adults were off the street, and were learning to perfect their welding, engineering, mathematics and building skills. About 1 out of 5 end up in the work force. The rest, well they are still on the street, on their recumbents, getting fines for not wearing a helmet, speeding, riding on footpaths etc. Although they still defy the law they now run amuck on their recumbents which they use for transport.
Mickey’s Ron’s workshop was originally a 2 car garage with small workshop at the back, as for the cars, well….what garage. Ron also scoffs at the dangers in the workshop, once he stalled the electric drill. Not a big deal… you would say…. Ron had a habit of getting his beard stuck in it. Then there was the day he came in for a cuppa with the crotch of his jeans in tatters… the grinder had almost given him a sex change…phew. The mind boggles at what else could possibly happen in my Ron’s shed. Riders come to Ron for all sorts of information regarding recumbents and uprights, their general repairs and maintenance and any youngster in town who hasn’t got a set of wheels of some sort is soon pedalling off down the road. There’s definitely a lot more to come out of Ron’s workshop.
Mickey Bottrell