Colin_P wrote:There is a three mile, not km, loop of super smooth flat tarmac very close to me at Dorney Lake. It is a joy to ride but the wind can at times be slowing as it is a wide open space.
For days when they are hosting events or when you need to ride away from the wind, the rest of the Thames Valley, in the surrounding area can present many nice flat opportunities as well.
I cannot think of a better place in the UK to base yourself for the record if you intend doing it by circuit repeats. I'd also speculate that Eton College who own Dorney Lake would be happy to facilitate and have the record on their turf so to speak.
There's a RIDE going on, down near Slough - The Jam, Eton Rifles
Entertainer, juvenile, curmudgeon, PoB, 30120 Cycling-of course, but it is far better on a Gillott We love safety cameras, we hate bullies
The problem for me isn't the changes/advancement in bicycle tech or skinsuits, nutrition, this is just the natural order of things, a bit like track/shoe/training improvements in athletics, indeed the prevailing conditions are what they are, you choose where you make the attempt and what altitude gain (this I think is the biggest factor). What i do object to is use of a recumbent, enclosed circuit (i.e. not a road (24 hour record broken on an airport) and also being driven back to a start point to take advantage of prevailing conditions which is what the previous short lived holder did. The rules that were set by the Ultra Marathon lot basically made it a farce and makes a mockery of the record and the endeavour of those who went before and it's this reason I stopped taking much interest in it, even taking into account bicycle tech advancement, what is allowable is a step too far.
As for reaching the max for a year, I think it's possible for someone to go 95,000-100k, but they need to have ideal conditions which is what Coker had and fair play to her in that regard she picked virtually the perfect location. However it's a mental battle too, if like Coker you have lots of people around you all the time every day then the tedium aspect is going to be alleviated to some degree but you're still going to need a heck of a lot of grit no matter what.
Colin_P wrote:There is a three mile, not km, loop of super smooth flat tarmac very close to me at Dorney Lake. It is a joy to ride but the wind can at times be slowing as it is a wide open space.
For days when they are hosting events or when you need to ride away from the wind, the rest of the Thames Valley, in the surrounding area can present many nice flat opportunities as well.
I cannot think of a better place in the UK to base yourself for the record if you intend doing it by circuit repeats. I'd also speculate that Eton College who own Dorney Lake would be happy to facilitate and have the record on their turf so to speak.
There's a RIDE going on, down near Slough - The Jam, Eton Riders
Colin_P wrote:There is a three mile, not km, loop of super smooth flat tarmac very close to me at Dorney Lake. It is a joy to ride but the wind can at times be slowing as it is a wide open space.
For days when they are hosting events or when you need to ride away from the wind, the rest of the Thames Valley, in the surrounding area can present many nice flat opportunities as well.
I cannot think of a better place in the UK to base yourself for the record if you intend doing it by circuit repeats. I'd also speculate that Eton College who own Dorney Lake would be happy to facilitate and have the record on their turf so to speak.
There's a RIDE going on, down near Slough - The Jam, Eton Riders
EFA
What does EFA mean?
Last edited by Cyril Haearn on 10 Nov 2017, 4:25pm, edited 1 time in total.
Entertainer, juvenile, curmudgeon, PoB, 30120 Cycling-of course, but it is far better on a Gillott We love safety cameras, we hate bullies
Colin_P wrote:There is a three mile, not km, loop of super smooth flat tarmac very close to me at Dorney Lake. It is a joy to ride but the wind can at times be slowing as it is a wide open space.
For days when they are hosting events or when you need to ride away from the wind, the rest of the Thames Valley, in the surrounding area can present many nice flat opportunities as well.
I cannot think of a better place in the UK to base yourself for the record if you intend doing it by circuit repeats. I'd also speculate that Eton College who own Dorney Lake would be happy to facilitate and have the record on their turf so to speak.
There's a circuit round Burrator Reservoir where you see riders going round a couple of loops. Nearly four miles round. I've done it, but ridden there and back. Most riders drive there.
I considered - for charity - riding 24hrs round. I also considered getting school children sponsored per loop to join me during the day. I gave up on the idea of riding round and round and round and round and round and round ............. boring in the extreme.
just over a week left, March 3rd 2018 to finish and he's going to fall short of Godwin's mark, he's apparently knocking it on the head at 73000 miles, over 2000 miles short. Here's his Strava comment from about a week ago.
"The game is up for me. Mostly killed by sleep apnea. I reckon ifI never cottoned on to my having sleep apnea I'd have got so far behind and felt so terrible by November that I'd have stopped then. I did get very bad! Getting run over then coming off on ice pretty much ended my getting the men's record. I'm just not recovering fast enough and am still limping along at 13-14mph. Ironically I feel much better than I have in months now that I've taken steps to reduce or maybe even eliminate the effects of apnea. I reckon it really started catching up with me after 2 months but the rote had set in from day 1. It does give possible answers to so many other issues. So much to go into!
I won't try again. Or at least it's highly unlikely. The only way I'd have another go would be if I can have a full support crew and have nothing else to do but ride the bike, eat and sleep. Probably on Flatlands or something similar where I dont have to avoid traffic hold ups and ice etc. It would cost hundreds of thousands for that to happen as it would probably be abroad.
I'll be back here when it's over to explain a whole lot more. But for now, I'm just aiming for the 73,000. That should be "easy", or at least non stressful and I can enjoy the last few weeks. However, I am hoping that means that the extra sleep that is giving me will rejuvenate me a bit and I can have a good smash up at the end, just to see what might have been with, at least, reduced if not no effects of sleep apnea and injury free. But only time will tell if I get to have that chance. One of my reasons for riding was to get my name out in the public so I can do other big rides and get the sponsors etc because this is an expensive hobby/career. It's gone on two years longer than I wanted it to. Lessons have been learned and I'll come out of it better equiped for future challenges etc. But for the next year I plan to help others, have fun and get back into training, along wth lots of other stuff including writing a book.
Just out for a tactical short 100 miles or so today to avoid strong headwinds tomorrow when I'll start earlier and make up a few miles lost today.
SA is a great example to all of us, but how did TG manage it so many years ago?
I think less traffic back then made it easier than now, anyone disagree?
In the fifties road traffic was much lighter. It was possible to use main roads - I regularly used the A2 and the A20 and on occasion the A1 and the A5. I seem to recall fewer traffic lights which would have some effect. Better road surfaces. Presumably below a certain speed the efficiency of the bike would compare reasonably then of course high tec clothing was not available. I don't know about easier and Tommy Godwin's achievement was outstanding - he must have had an iron will.
SA is a great example to all of us, but how did TG manage it so many years ago?
I think less traffic back then made it easier than now, anyone disagree?
In the fifties road traffic was much lighter. It was possible to use main roads - I regularly used the A2 and the A20 and on occasion the A1 and the A5. I seem to recall fewer traffic lights which would have some effect. Better road surfaces. Presumably below a certain speed the efficiency of the bike would compare reasonably then of course high tec clothing was not available. I don't know about easier and Tommy Godwin's achievement was outstanding - he must have had an iron will.
I think what Steve does is outstanding but he can never break records in the UK ...
How did Tommy do it, god knows, did he get particularly great weather conditions in a year, did different volumes of traffic work but I understand he may have drafted at times and was his recorded distances accurate unlike today with GPS ?
I am in absolute awe of what Steve has done, not just all the miles, but the sheer determination to keep going after several setbacks. Maybe the current attempt so soon after the accidents of the first was a bigger ask than he realised, who knows without that he may have succeeded. He was always after the Goodwin record and very much rode in the same spirit, there must have been temptations to seek easier options and I have even more respect than if he'd taken them and beaten the record. I disagree that the record couldn't have been beaten, Steve obviously thought otherwise, the difference is a few miles a day, with only slight changes in the variables he'd have done it. The talk of Goodwin's record in some way not being justified I find insulting to Steve, he accepted it and has spent years of his life trying to beat it. Whatever Steve does afterwards, I hope we hear a lot more from him.
ANTONISH wrote:I don't know about easier and Tommy Godwin's achievement was outstanding - he must have had an iron will.
A (now sadly departed) club member told us that Tommy had stayed overnight during his record ride - He was only able to get down the stairs by going backwards!
Fair play to Steve - What he's achieved is astonishing! The mental strain of having to ride each day must be almost as difficult as the riding. Much as I like riding my bike, If I HAD to ride every day I'd give up I'm sure.
