Cyclekarts and Cyclekarting
The first thing worth noting about Cyclekarts, apart from the intrinsic cool factor, is that it's not really a serious sport. The goal is not winning, or coming first, but about the gathering of like minded souls and having fun. First and foremost Cyclekarting is about community, the camaraderie and a chance to get away from the competitive nature of day-to-day life and have a bit of fun.
When you look at the grand prix style events held in the USA, there is just as much focus put on dressing up in costume and creating an awesome looking Cyclekart along with a matching pit display as there is in any serious attempts to win.
"It is the art of the Cyclekart that is where the focus lay"
Cyclekarts are generally based on an inspiration car from the pre-war era and all follow the same basic format; approximately half scale caricatures with motorcycle wheels. But they may take inspiration from any open wheeled vehicle of any era. There are some very basic specifications to follow on how your Cyclekart is constructed, which keeps a level playing field and ensures that things don't get too unsafe but generally CycleKart construction is down to the individual.
What Cyclekarting isn't
The general consensus is that If you are taking it really seriously, or building your CycleKart to win or be the fastest, then you are kind of missing the entire point of CycleKarting.
Building a CycleKart that is faster, and handles better or is more technically advanced is really not that hard, after all there is over a hundred years of well documented automotive improvements that anyone can apply to a CycleKart to make it better.
But, that's just not what CycleKarting is about, and it kinda flows against the general ethos of the 'sport'. This is why the basic design does not include powerful engines, four wheel braking, differentials and other such technological advancements, because when you make a sport super competitive it kinda takes the fun out of it.
"Faster, bigger, better has all been tried before, and it doesn't make the sport any more enjoyable. It already has just the right amount of everything to be lots of fun. The recipe is just right. It really doesn't need to be changed"
The recommendation is to build your own CycleKart and stick to a reasonable budget. Open chequebook racing tends to make motorsport dull and uncompetitive, so recycling, repurposing and generally making it yourself is the pathway to satisfaction and enjoyment. And if you don't have the skills to do it yourself, there is a community of other builders that are only to happy to help. Building a Cyclekart is a great way to learn some new skills and make new acquaintances.
Want to learn more...
To find out more about Cyclekarting and what is involved in building a Cyclekart that is eligible to participate in CCA organised and endorsed events a good place to start is the Wiki. There you can find a run down on the basics of what a Cyclekart is and how to build one.
For a more in depth understanding on what constitutes a 'CCA' CycleKart and why that definition needs to exist, please take a look at the CCA members handbook.