BATTLE MOUNTAIN - She may have a long way to go, but Winnemucca and Battle Mountain native Teagan Patterson, 18, is aiming to be the first woman to ride over 80 mph on a human powered vehicle.
"That's what I want more than anything," she said.
She competed for the first time this year in the World Human Powered Speed Challenge (WHPSC) on a recumbent bike named "The Beluga," an eight-foot-long streamliner, and attained a speed of 53 mph.
She felt she could have gone faster but was hampered by the high winds that plagued the races, which were held the week of Sept. 8 on State Route 305, just outside of Battle Mountain. The event drew racers from eight countries.
"I'm happy with how I did, mostly because I learned and competed within 24 hours (she rode "The Beluga for the first time just prior to racing it) and I'm pretty proud of that because it is much more difficult than it looks," she said. "Piloting one of those things is like flying a kite in trying to steer it. I felt like I could have been faster if I had more experience. I feel like I am physically capable of higher speeds."
Teagan has been mountain biking and doing BMX biking for most of her life and is on her university's cycling team. She began competitive road and track cycling about three years ago and has competed in Nevada and California.
This paved the way for her to get into human powered recumbent racing about a year ago. When she was at the 2013 WHPSC, she spoke with some people who pointed out that her 5'2", 140-pound, well-muscled frame was ideal for recumbent racing. That's where she met Larry Lem, of Los Angeles, who built "The Beluga" and has since become her mentor.
It was at this year's WHPSC that she rode "The Beluga," which has a fiberglass shell and steel frame, for the first time. Riding the 80-pound vehicle was much different from her six-foot-long training bike, she said.
She raced six out of the seven days and two to three times a day, only having one bad race start where she tipped over due to lack of communication with a crew member. She got road rash from the multiple times she wrecked while practicing, she said, adding that it was difficult to stay balanced at high speeds. Her bike was not damaged.
Teagan was born in Winnemucca and grew up in Battle Mountain and Winnemucca. She attended school in Winnemucca and is a 2014 graduate of Lowry High School. Currently, she attends Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction, Colo., where she studies athletic scienceas.
Her career goal is to be a professional cyclist and then, when she gets older, to be a professional or collegiate cycling trainer.
It was neat to return to her hometown to race, she said. It helped that she already knew her way around the area and she was able to visit and catch up with family and friends. Her mom, Connie Patterson, of Winnemucca, attended the races on some of the days.
"I felt like I had to do really well because I was on my home turf," she added.
Before racing this year, Teagan was an avid race spectator in year's past. She is a WHPSC enthusiast.
"It's phenomenal," she said. "It's incredible to see people pedaling bikes at highway speeds."
Her four-member crew consisted of Michele Hammersmark, of Battle Mountain, Larry Lem, John Jackson, of California, and Eric Ware, of Minnesota.
She is currently looking into designing and building her own recumbent bike and has already set her sights on next year's WHPSC, which will be held the week of Sept. 14. She is aiming for top speeds in the high 60s to low 70s mph range.
"There's no doubt in my mind (I will be there)," she said. "Right after I left Nevada, I was prepping for what I will do next year. That is how dedicated I am to this sport. Cycling is a lifelong commitment that you don't stop once you start or want to stop. This is something that is permanent in my life."
If her bike is not completed in time for next year's race then she is planning to borrow one. All of the bikes are handmade and can cost upwards of $10,000, she said. Owners continually revamp them.
Teagan said she plans to compete in the WHPSC every year and when she becomes to old to do so, she will take part as a crew member or volunteer. Although she is aiming to break a world record, it's not her sole reason for taking part in the race.
"I'm not doing this just for a record," she said. "I'm doing this to better myself as a cyclist."
Contact Heather Hill at h.hill@winnemuccapublishing.net.[[In-content Ad]]
