# 205 miles in a day (Tommy Godwin Challenge) - the Progress thread



## Dave Davenport (26 Nov 2014)

Not exactly easy but well doable, but every day for a year?!!!

http://road.cc/content/news/137018-...ms-tommy-godwins-unbreakable-year-record-2015


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## vernon (26 Nov 2014)

Archie_tect said:


> I'm not thinking whether it's possible, more 'why?'
> Snow/ ice, wind and illness and just the dread of having to do it in February once the mindless drudgery sets in! [ Being so cheerful keeps me going!  ]



I know of the cyclist in question through Audaxing. He's a bit obsessive to put it mildly. In 2007 he scored 405 points on the the audax points table which meant that he'd ridden at least 40,000 km in audax governed events - he's nearest competitor cycled 19,000 km. The closest anyone in the audax world has got to him since then is 33,000 km


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## RedRider (26 Nov 2014)

It's an incredible challenge. Doable maybe, but not without luck, guts and support.There's a good website about the current record/record holder...


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## dodgy (26 Nov 2014)

I can't find anything regarding his bike choice? I must be missing it, it has to be there surely? If not, he's missing a trick.

Best of luck!


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## ianrauk (26 Nov 2014)

He's a good chap Steve. He mostly posts on YACF. A good few of us have ridden with him at one time or the other. he mostly rides fixed but for this challenge I think he will be running geard.


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## Supersuperleeds (26 Nov 2014)

Good luck to him, hope he does it


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## mcshroom (26 Nov 2014)

The first time I met Steve was at a YACF hostelling weekend in Kildale in the North Yorkshire Moors. He rode up on the Saturday from Milton Keynes to meet everyone and join in for a few hours. Slept for a couple bit and then set off back home to MK in the early hours of Sunday morning. At the time it was -10 degC overnight - cold enough to kill the primer fuel pump in my car outside.

He's a very hard rider, and if there's one person who could make this work then I would say he is him. However he is not a media person and I'd bet that as the team fall in line over the next few weeks a lot of the rough edges will be knocked off that site.


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## frank9755 (9 Dec 2014)

mcshroom said:


> He's a very hard rider, and if there's one person who could make this work then I would say he is him. However he is not a media person.


Absolutely, he's about as hard as just about anyone who's ridden a bike. 



Archie_tect said:


> I'm not thinking whether it's possible, more 'why?'
> Snow/ ice, wind and illness and just the dread of having to do it in February once the mindless drudgery sets in!


And I agree with you that the mental side is probably the hardest bit. 

I thought that Steve was the only person who would even attempt this, but there is now an American guy who is also going for it. 
http://www.tarzanrides.com/
Slightly different strategy: he's going to head down to Florida for Jan and Feb for warm winter weather and flat roads, then move north as things warm up. He'll have a support vehicle, probably a motorhome, and is aiming to _only_ ride 12 hours a day but aim to do it at faster speed so he gets good distances but with longer recovery time. He'll probably build up a lead over Steve in the first couple of months, but probably won't be able to match the daily distances Steve will be able to do when we get into Spring and Summer over here. 
The other guy is certainly credible. He's done RAAM and lots of 12- and 24-hour TTs. And he probably has the edge in organisation and back-up, as well as easier terrain. But I find it hard to see anyone beating Steve at this. 
Either way, there should be a bit of media interest as the year progresses.


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## Ian H (15 Dec 2014)

Steve's got a good team behind him now. Raleigh are providing bikes, Schwalbe, tyres, with Brooks and Carradice confirmed, and others in discussion. 
Many very kind people are making donations and monthly subscriptions. It's looking as though he'll be able to compete on equal terms against the US contender. 
It's going to be an epic year.


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## Fab Foodie (15 Dec 2014)

Having met and ridden with Steve a couple of times, I can also vouch that he is a friendly quiet man of few words, and huge cycling ability. I wish him every success.


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## T4tomo (15 Dec 2014)

Good luck to him, hell of challenge to take on.

I'm guessing he's not married?


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## Col5632 (15 Dec 2014)

Sorry if i've overlooked it but would it not be easier just to do the same 205 mile route or atleast finish at his house each day?

I wish him good luck, that's a crazy challenge to take on and one most of us would never manage


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## AndyRM (15 Dec 2014)

Col5632 said:


> Sorry if i've overlooked it but would it not be easier just to do the same 205 mile route or atleast finish at his house each day?
> 
> I wish him good luck, that's a crazy challenge to take on and one most of us would never manage



I reckon that would get very tedious, very quickly.


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## Col5632 (15 Dec 2014)

AndyRM said:


> I reckon that would get very tedious, very quickly.



Is that the reason why not though?


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## T4tomo (15 Dec 2014)

I guess if you are mad enough to dedicate 20 hours a day for whole year rding your bike and nowt else, then you might as well see a bit (well a lot) of the UK in the process.


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## AndyRM (15 Dec 2014)

T4tomo said:


> I guess if you are mad enough to dedicate 20 hours a day for whole year rding your bike and nowt else, then you might as well see a bit (well all of, more than once) of the UK in the process.



FTFY


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## jefmcg (15 Dec 2014)

T4tomo said:


> I guess if you are mad enough to dedicate 20 hours a day for whole year rding your bike and nowt else, then you might as well see a bit (well a lot) of the UK in the process.


Totally, I've had some fantastic audaxing advenures, but the idea of riding around richmond park 10 or 20 or 120 times fills me with a mixture of horror and ennui. 

I could imagine (just) doing his challenge, but doing the same ride over and over? No.


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## Pale Rider (15 Dec 2014)

He's going to ride longer in the summer, shorter in the winter.

He wants to follow the weather a bit, which may include trugging north when it's too ruddy hot where he lives, which it could be.

He wants to fit Paris Brest Paris into his busy schedule.

All the above mitigate against 365 identical days starting from home, although he plans to return home regularly, perhaps once or twice a week.


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## srw (15 Dec 2014)

The biog is worth a read, for its dry wit. My favourite bit:
http://www.oneyeartimetrial.org.uk/biog


> This series of 800 and 200km rides began 4 days after a 600km ride, which was the day after a 200km ride, which was the day after _Paris-Brest-Paris_.



I vaguely followed his 405 points in a year crack on ACF, where he posted as Teethgrinder.


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## RedRider (15 Dec 2014)

Ian H said:


> Steve's got a good team behind him now. *Raleigh *are providing bikes,


Neat link to Tommy Godwin, pictured here with his Raleigh Record Ace and sponsors:


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## ianrauk (1 Jan 2015)

*Here's* the live tracker for Steve.
It also has trackers for the other 2 riders who are attempting the challenge.

Steve's already 95miles in.


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## ianrauk (1 Jan 2015)

"Tommy would be the first one to shake your hand, if you succeed
But we wish you the very best of luck _Barbara Ford and Colin Godwin .......Tommys son and daughter."_


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## RedRider (1 Jan 2015)

ianrauk said:


> *Here's* the live tracker for Steve.
> It also has trackers for the other 2 riders who are attempting the challenge.
> 
> Steve's already 95miles in.


Good link, just over 170 miles in 14 hours so far. Riding in the dark for 200-plus?


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## ianrauk (1 Jan 2015)

Yep, he's doing well considering how windy it is. Keeping up a 15+mph avg.


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## DanZac (1 Jan 2015)

Really hope this guy does it. For a sporting record to have stood for so long in the face of modern advancements shows how much of an amazing feat the original distance is.
I can't think of many more difficult endurance efforts, I suspect that even a marathon a day would be easier due to the longer recovery time available each day.


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## EltonFrog (1 Jan 2015)

This will be an extraordinary achievement! Most of us have never ridden 205 miles in one day, let alone every day!


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## ianrauk (1 Jan 2015)

And he's finished for the day

204.74 miles at an avg of 15.8mph.


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## ianrauk (1 Jan 2015)

User said:


> A good start.




Considering today's weather... yep.


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## mcshroom (1 Jan 2015)

ianrauk said:


> And he's finished for the day
> 
> 204.74 miles at an avg of 15.8mph.


That's just the spot tracker which is only doing straight lines every few minutes.

Full first day was over 220 miles: -
http://www.strava.com/activities/235354357


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## ianrauk (1 Jan 2015)

mcshroom said:


> That's just the spot tracker which is only doing straight lines every few minutes.
> 
> Full first day was over 220 miles: -
> http://www.strava.com/activities/235354357




Cheers, don't do Strava.


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## ianrauk (2 Jan 2015)

William IronOx Pruett is now on the move.


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## Scoosh (2 Jan 2015)

I rather like this bit from the Strava page;

*Top Achievements on this Ride*

*PR on Horwood Hill* (2:08) 

*PR on A413 - Great Horwood* (4:22) 
*  + 101 more

*


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## Fubar (2 Jan 2015)

Scoosh said:


> I rather like this bit from the Strava page;
> 
> *Top Achievements on this Ride*
> 
> ...



I think Strava has reset all KOM's for 2015 (it gave me a load yesterday) - DOESNT take away from the daily distance mind.


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## Supersuperleeds (2 Jan 2015)

Fubar said:


> I think Strava has reset all KOM's for 2015 (it gave me a load yesterday) - DOESNT take away from the daily distance mind.



It now has annual leader boards as well as the total leader board. I got 74 achievements on the way to work this morning


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## Fubar (2 Jan 2015)

Supersuperleeds said:


> It now has annual leader boards as well as the total leader board. I got 74 achievements on the way to work this morning



TBF you probably deserve them!


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## jefmcg (2 Jan 2015)

I see that Steve has joined the Strava club for the record attempt. http://www.strava.com/clubs/hamr

You can join, if you want to see how you stack up against him. Not for me, he's already beaten my December total.


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## Saluki (3 Jan 2015)

I have just joined Strava so I can follow progress.


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## nickyboy (3 Jan 2015)

Are there any rules in the record ratification regarding drafting? I see on his diary that during March he spends consecutive nights in Sheffield and Manchester so maybe comes over this way. I'd ride with him some of the way but would I be allowed to let him draft me? This of course is assuming I would actually be able to ride faster than him for a few miles at least, certainly not a given


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## ianrauk (3 Jan 2015)

nickyboy said:


> Are there any rules in the record ratification regarding drafting? I see on his diary that during March he spends consecutive nights in Sheffield and Manchester so maybe comes over this way. I'd ride with him some of the way but would I be allowed to let him draft me? This of course is assuming I would actually be able to ride faster than him for a few miles at least, certainly not a given




From the Ultra Cycling Rules.

There is no prohibition on drafting during this record attempt. (This is a mileage record, not a speed record.)
It's no so much drafting Steve would need rather then a bit of company on the road. A bit of a chinwag to while away the miles.


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## mcshroom (3 Jan 2015)

Another 187 miles down for day 3. Yes it's behind the 205 average, but Steve's planning on starting with 170s and building up as the temperature rises and the day length gets longer.
http://app.strava.com/activities/236265184


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## screenman (3 Jan 2015)

He is behind average for the year but in front of Tommy who did 159 per day for January.

I nearly put the word only in there, but it certainly does not belong.


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## Pale Rider (4 Jan 2015)

Here's the tracker link again to save new readers trawling through the thread to find it:

http://trackleaders.com/oneyeartimetrial15i.php?name=Steve_Abraham


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## mcshroom (4 Jan 2015)

Quote from this morning: -



> I can confirm that using #nuun tablets mean you get a refreshing drink at minus 5 c not an ice lolly #brrr #cold


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## mcshroom (4 Jan 2015)

Today was the shortest so far, but still amazing considering the sub zero temperatures. Hope the weather is better tomorrow. He is now ahead of where Tommy Godwin was at the same time.

Makes me feel even more of a wimp for not going out today.

http://app.strava.com/activities/236816389

Head to Head: - 
Tommy Godwin - 737 mi
Teethgrinder - 771.6 mi


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## jefmcg (4 Jan 2015)

He's now done 80km more in 4 days than I did in the the 4 days I tried to do LEL and I ended up sleeping under a tree by the side of the road somewhere in yorkshire and limping home on the train. Sleep deprived, retaining about 5kg of fluid and slightly insane.

And he's doing it again tomorrow.


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## Racing roadkill (5 Jan 2015)

I hope Steve manages this without hurting himself. Good luck to him. There aren't enough pioneering spirits left in the world.


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## ianrauk (5 Jan 2015)

Today's finishing mileage
182.3 miles
953.9 miles total
A daily average of 190.8 per day to date. 
His daily average is 12 miles per day more than Tommy.


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## ChrisV (5 Jan 2015)

What is his average speed?


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## ianrauk (5 Jan 2015)

CC2014 said:


> What is his average speed?




16.6mph


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## Fab Foodie (5 Jan 2015)

ianrauk said:


> 16.6mph


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## EltonFrog (6 Jan 2015)

Blumen' eck, he went right past my door yesterday!


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## mcshroom (6 Jan 2015)

jefmcg said:


> View attachment 76134
> 
> 
> Yup, that's what proves he loves to ride.
> ...



Apparently a gift from Strava according to his support team. They gave it to him as a thank you for promoting Strava .


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## ianrauk (6 Jan 2015)

Well he's just passed the 1000 miles mark today.


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## MichaelO (6 Jan 2015)

ianrauk said:


> Well he's just passed the 1000 miles mark today.


 Not bad for just under 6 days riding. It took me an average of 10 weeks to cycle that far last year!!


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## velovoice (6 Jan 2015)

Meanwhile, I can't make head nor tail of what "Ironox" is doing:
http://trackleaders.com/oneyeartimetrial15i.php?name=William_IronOx_Pruett


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## MichaelO (6 Jan 2015)

Doesn't he start this coming weekend? I could be wrong... Also, isn't he also fitting the challenge in & around his work?!


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## velovoice (6 Jan 2015)

No, it's Tarzan who starts on the 10th. Ironox started officially 2 days ago on the 4th but his Tracker data is a mess!


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## Saluki (6 Jan 2015)

velovoice said:


> Meanwhile, I can't make head nor tail of what "Ironox" is doing:
> http://trackleaders.com/oneyeartimetrial15i.php?name=William_IronOx_Pruett


I can't really understand the trackers. Can anyone explain a bit please? It might just be that my computer isn't displaying stuff correctly.


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## T4tomo (6 Jan 2015)

it woudl be better if that site displayed distances travelled per day and rolling avergae per day (given hey didnt all strat at same tiime. a minute by minute guide to rolling speed is a tad pointless in a 365 day race / audax


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## ianrauk (6 Jan 2015)

Saluki said:


> I can't really understand the trackers. Can anyone explain a bit please? It might just be that my computer isn't displaying stuff correctly.




The two Americans haven't started their challenges yet. It looks like they are just testing their equipment.


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## srw (6 Jan 2015)

ianrauk said:


> Well he's just passed the 1000 miles mark today.


In 2013/2014 we took 13 months to ride 2000 miles. I think we got up to 1000 after about 5 months. 1000 miles inside 6 days - in January - is some going. Let's hope that we don't get a snowy March.


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## ianrauk (7 Jan 2015)

Just under 161 miles today. *Strava* track is up. Looks like he stayed close to home today doing loops. 123 miles ahead of Tommy. 1132 miles for the first seven days.


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## twentysix by twentyfive (8 Jan 2015)

Closing in on 1500 miles for the year so far. That's three month's riding for me


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## Saluki (8 Jan 2015)

twentysix by twentyfive said:


> Closing in on 1500 miles for the year so far. That's three month's riding for me


That was last year's mileage for me.


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## twentysix by twentyfive (8 Jan 2015)

Saluki said:


> That was last year's mileage for me.


And every mile a smile


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## ianrauk (9 Jan 2015)

Steve's distance yesterday was 181.2 miles. 1474miles total. *STRAVA*


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## ianrauk (9 Jan 2015)

Here is a great graph (thanks to Jo @ YACF)

Steve progress is Red
Tommy's is Grey
IronOx is Green


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## Scoosh (9 Jan 2015)

*MOD NOTE:
The Thomas Godwin Challenge

This subject has been divided into 2 threads, the original one for General Discussion and this one for Progress Reports.
*
Posts in this thread have been Moved and Copied from the General Discussion one, which remains in the Cafe. 

Please keep *the Reports thread* to just that - Reporting progress and commenting _on Progress_. Use the other thread for more general Discussion  - and keep it nice and civil, please. 


 err ... some of you whose posts have been Moved/Copied may have received a (lot of) notification(s) about their Moving/Copying. My apologies.


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## T4tomo (9 Jan 2015)

one could justifyably accuse IronOx of not taking this seriously, unless he's equipment testing on a 5 mile a day commute.


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## ianrauk (9 Jan 2015)

180.9 miles today *Strava*
Amazing mileage considering today's weather,


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## DCLane (10 Jan 2015)

281.3k today - 174.8 miles.

And people were complaining about going out in this wind


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## Fab Foodie (10 Jan 2015)

DCLane said:


> 281.3k today - 174.8 miles.
> 
> And people were complaining about going out in this wind


chuffin' eck .... and here's me wondering if I should do the 60 miler tomorrow or wimp out and do the mellow 30!


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## mmmmartin (10 Jan 2015)

Hey, team, a word to the wise.
Lay off the adulation. Because at this rate you will pretty soon run out of words. As time passes and the miles fall away, thrre will be a steady build of admiration for Steve. You wouldn't want to run out of words after just a few days. There is several months of this to go. For instance, think of six months time when the media start to take him seriously.


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## ChrisV (10 Jan 2015)

I've not used 'awe' yet.

Or 'dead impressed'.


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## velovoice (11 Jan 2015)

mmmmartin said:


> Hey, team, a word to the wise.
> Lay off the adulation. Because at this rate you will pretty soon run out of words. As time passes and the miles fall away, thrre will be a steady build of admiration for Steve. You wouldn't want to run out of words after just a few days. There is several months of this to go. For instance, think of six months time when the media start to take him seriously.


What, there's a quota??


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## Ian H (11 Jan 2015)

Language inflation. Eventually you run out of ultra-hyper-superlatives.


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## User6179 (11 Jan 2015)

Ian H said:


> Language inflation. Eventually you run out of ultra-hyper-superlatives.



Like The X Factor did years ago !


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## mcshroom (11 Jan 2015)

Looks like he's fuelled up: -


> *steve abraham @steve_abraham74*
> Just finished the "unfinishable" breakfast @sizzlers
> should set me up for another 3 hrs headwind
> #hamr
> 10:18 AM - 11 Jan 2015


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## mcshroom (11 Jan 2015)

I think this is the breakfast in question: -


> *THE UNFINISHABLE BREAKFAST £8.79*
> Feast on this beast of a breakfast. Served on a giant base of potato and onion hash, we've piled four juicy British pork sausages, four rashers of crispy grilled back-bacon, three fried free-range eggs, grilled tomatoes, flat mushrooms and Heinz™ baked beans. Comes with unlimited tea or coffee and toast!!


http://www.sizzlingpubs.co.uk/pdf/breakfast_brand.pdf

I'm not sure I could get on my bike after that, never mind set off for another 150 miles!


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## Booyaa (11 Jan 2015)

mcshroom said:


> I think this is the breakfast in question: -
> 
> http://www.sizzlingpubs.co.uk/pdf/breakfast_brand.pdf
> 
> I'm not sure I could get on my bike after that, never mind set off for another 150 miles!


Pretty easy to eat that to be honest (apart from those vile mushrooms). Getting back on a bike after it though would certainly be a challenge, even to do 150 ft.


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## ianrauk (11 Jan 2015)

mcshroom said:


> I think this is the breakfast in question: -
> 
> http://www.sizzlingpubs.co.uk/pdf/breakfast_brand.pdf
> 
> I'm not sure I could get on my bike after that, never mind set off for another 150 miles!




Unlimited toast sure makes it unfinishable.


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## Fab Foodie (11 Jan 2015)

ianrauk said:


> Unlimited toast sure makes it unfinishable.


Challenge for Steve in 2016?


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## Fab Foodie (11 Jan 2015)

Fab Foodie said:


> chuffin' eck .... and here's me wondering if I should do the 60 miler tomorrow or wimp out and do the mellow 30!


Just in case you were all wondering .... I went for the 60


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## Hip Priest (11 Jan 2015)

I'd love to attempt a challenge like that one day. 

The breakfast I mean, not the ride.


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## MickeyBlueEyes (11 Jan 2015)

mcshroom said:


> I think this is the breakfast in question: -
> 
> http://www.sizzlingpubs.co.uk/pdf/breakfast_brand.pdf
> 
> I'm not sure I could get on my bike after that, never mind set off for another 150 miles!



Oh I could really go for one of the breakfasts right now! That's the sort of fuel he needs for these nippy & windy days. All that washed down with a strong brew, perfick


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## DCLane (11 Jan 2015)

*299.2km today* - 185.9 miles.

He's done 2189.9 miles so far this year.


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## 13 rider (11 Jan 2015)

To do that milage over the last two days in the winds is staggering I done 47 today and my legs still ache 6 hours later !


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## deptfordmarmoset (11 Jan 2015)

The pink shaded bit is SA's projected schedule. He's ahead of his most ambitious projection but he's less ahead after day 11 than he has been since the start. Tarzan after one day has matched TGs distance. (It's all gobsmackingness from my point of view.)


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## ianrauk (12 Jan 2015)

Ben T from the other place has knocked up an Android Mileage Tracker app for the three riders

*HERE*

When downloaded, press refresh to show the updated mileage.


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## Mugshot (12 Jan 2015)

I know I'm being really thick but I'm struggling with the graph, is there a nice simple* so and so has done this much which is x more or less than the record was at the same point? 

And yes I do mean more simple than a really simple graph


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## MichaelO (12 Jan 2015)

It's been updated by jo to correct for time zones - this is much clearer


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## ianrauk (12 Jan 2015)

Mugshot said:


> I know I'm being really thick but I'm struggling with the graph, is there a nice simple* so and so has done this much which is x more or less than the record was at the same point?
> 
> And yes I do mean more simple than a really simple graph




The straight black line across the middle is the record daily amount needed. ie 204 miles per day.
Steve (Red line) is currently under that amount as his average to date is about 185. Stepping up the mileage in a couple of months time with more daylight and better weather. Tommy's amount is the grey line. So as you can see, Steve is ahead of Tommy at day 11.
Hope that makes sense.

If you have an Android phone, check out the app above.


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## Mugshot (12 Jan 2015)

ianrauk said:


> The straight black line across the middle is the record daily amount needed. ie 204 miles per day.
> Steve (Red line) is currently under that amount as his average to date is about 185. Stepping up the mileage in a couple of months time with more daylight and better weather. Tommy's amount is the grey line. So as you can see, Steve is ahead of Tommy at day 11.
> Hope that makes sense.
> 
> If you have an Android phone, check out the app above.


Cheers @ianrauk, I confess it was the black line which was confusing me a little (well a lot actually) now I know it's Steves targetted average it's much clearer now


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## deptfordmarmoset (12 Jan 2015)

If anybody here is a YACF member, would they please give Jo my/our thanks?


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## Mugshot (12 Jan 2015)

ianrauk said:


> If you have an Android phone, check out the app above.


Done.
Top man, thank you


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## Pale Rider (12 Jan 2015)

I grasp where Steve is, but can't understand the progress of the two Americans.

I think Tarzan - the blue line - started a few days later, so on his day four he appears to be matching Steve.

Ironox - the green line - has dropped off the graph, so it looks to me as if he has already fallen way behind Steve.

Ironox could, I suppose, still be keeping to his own schedule, but he must be looking at some very long days at some point.


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## screenman (12 Jan 2015)

Steve is riding to 110bpm, I bet many ,even on here walk at not much less.


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## mcshroom (12 Jan 2015)

IronOx is supposedly trying to fit the record round his work, and the consensus seems to be his attempt is not that serious compared to the other two. He also has health problems that stop him riding too far in cold weather, which it is where he is. Tarzan started on the 10th, so much shorter line, but he's slightly ahead of Steve over the first two days. His approach is different, and he's expending more energy riding faster, so it will be interesting to see if he can keep up the pace.


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## Pale Rider (12 Jan 2015)

mcshroom said:


> IronOx is supposedly trying to fit the record round his work, and the consensus seems to be his attempt is not that serious compared to the other two. He also has health problems that stop him riding too far in cold weather, which it is where he is. Tarzan started on the 10th, so much shorter line, but he's slightly ahead of Steve over the first two days. His approach is different, and he's expending more energy riding faster, so it will be interesting to see if he can keep up the pace.



Makes sense.

I now recall Steve saying Tarzan's plan is to ride 'fast and short', so it's like the fable of the tortoise and the hare.

And we all know who won that one.


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## Rohloff_Brompton_Rider (12 Jan 2015)

Pale Rider said:


> Makes sense.
> 
> I now recall Steve saying Tarzan's plan is to ride 'fast and short', so it's like the fable of the tortoise and the hare.
> 
> And we all know who won that one.


I think our boy has a few disadvantages in this particular race. For example, weather and hills - flat terrain and nicer weather allows for more miles in less time.


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## Fab Foodie (12 Jan 2015)

Posted by Steve at midday today ....

_Plan for today is easy 90miles to my favourite cafe which serves large meals cheaply in under 5 minutes.
Then 3 30 mile sections back into the wind which shpuld ease off. Can recommend the half roast chicken.

The year is going well so far. Problems with lights that don't work in the wet and getting equipment, especially wheels which we now need to get elsewhere. I seem to spend a lot of time not riding but in spite of that we're above the 87000 mile schedule.

Don't expect to hear much from me this year and sorry fir not replying to medsages etc.

Thanks for all the help anddonations do far. Bairdy's food is going fiwn very well.


Sorry for bad grammer and miss typing. Fumblefingers is writinng from his phone in a hurry.
Got to go, time is miles..._


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## Pale Rider (12 Jan 2015)

Fab Foodie said:


> _Problems with lights that don't work in the wet and getting equipment, especially wheels which we now need to get elsewhere. I._



Strange he's concerned at getting wheels at this early stage.

Wear will obviously be accelerated, but he has done 'only' a couple of thousand miles.

Shouldn't the original wheels on the bike be up to more than that?


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## velovoice (12 Jan 2015)

I understood that he's got a stockpile of spares, identicals/multiples of what he had decided to use (with a few different options for different conditions, of course). The idea was not to have to try anything new/untested during the year. If he's not 100% happy with the wheels he's on, that means a good chunk of the year's inventory has got to be ditched and something else identified and bought, in bulk. What a headache!


----------



## jay clock (12 Jan 2015)

shows zero for today, Wassssup?


----------



## KneesUp (12 Jan 2015)

I seem to recall reading that Steve wanted to use disc brake to mitigate against lots of rim wear, but then I also get the impression that his preparations started long before Raleigh came on board - so perhaps there is some issue with the wheels he has in stock when used in conjunction with the Raleigh he's riding - although I can't think what that might be.


----------



## Pale Rider (12 Jan 2015)

jay clock said:


> shows zero for today, Wassssup?



Looks like 164 miles today, assuming I read the tracker correctly:

http://trackleaders.com/oneyeartimetrial15i.php?name=Steve_Abraham


----------



## albal (12 Jan 2015)

Wonder if he will continue as Tommy did and complete 100,000 in 500 days.?


----------



## jay clock (12 Jan 2015)

User said:


> Have you refreshed it?


Had opened new screen but now does show correct data


----------



## ianrauk (12 Jan 2015)

Another great cycling day despite the crappy weather 182 miles for the day, 2198 miles in total. *STRAVA*


----------



## jay clock (13 Jan 2015)

That Android tracker is FANTASTIC! Thanks to Ben who designed it

see here https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bjt.yearrecordtracker.app


----------



## jay clock (13 Jan 2015)

just gone 11am and he has done 60 miles. On the negative side he still has 125 to do to keep on the pace


----------



## KneesUp (13 Jan 2015)

jay clock said:


> just gone 11am and he has done 60 miles. On the negative side he still has 125 to do to keep on the pace


He's acheived a lot more than me today already


----------



## MichaelO (13 Jan 2015)

He rides in a day what I have ridden so far this year. Astonishing & humbling!


----------



## rowdin (13 Jan 2015)

Yesterdays ride, he had a average heart rate of 85.Mine goes higher then that opening a door.


----------



## ianrauk (13 Jan 2015)

A blog about one of Steve's over night stays *HERE*


----------



## ianrauk (14 Jan 2015)

A nice spread sheet showing progress of the 3 challengers *HERE*


----------



## Mugshot (14 Jan 2015)

ianrauk said:


> A nice spread sheet showing progress of the 3 challengers *HERE*


Very nice, thank you.
I have doubts about Williams challenge.


----------



## ianrauk (14 Jan 2015)

_Tweets_

Well fed and on the road at 5
Crashed trying to avoid Jack who came off on icy bend Jack came off worst and went home

And

Coffee and cake therapy in Oundle to get out of cold and give ice on roads time to melt #faffing


----------



## Hip Priest (14 Jan 2015)

ianrauk said:


> _Tweets_
> 
> Well fed and on the road at 5
> Crashed trying to avoid Jack who came off on icy bend Jack came off worst and went home
> ...


 
I'm in awe.

I felt like an absolute maniac cycling 5 miles this morning.


----------



## ianrauk (14 Jan 2015)

Hip Priest said:


> I'm in awe.
> 
> I felt like an absolute maniac cycling 5 miles this morning.




Yup, challenging at the monent for everyone... let alone Steve...blimey o'reilly.


----------



## Scoosh (14 Jan 2015)

Is he still wearing shorts ? 




[this is not a serious question ... ]


----------



## jay clock (14 Jan 2015)

Well it is 1120 am and I thought there was snow up there? And he has done 63 miles


----------



## Supersuperleeds (14 Jan 2015)

ianrauk said:


> _Tweets_
> 
> Well fed and on the road at 5
> Crashed trying to avoid Jack who came off on icy bend Jack came off worst and went home
> ...



He needs a pair of ice tyres, he might be slower but at least he will be able to keep going.


----------



## mcshroom (14 Jan 2015)

it's the slower bit. 

He's weighed it up and decided that as he's mainly going to be on main roads, the extra weight and drag isn't worth it. It's the same with why he's using battery lights over dynamos. Every little helps I suppose, and breaking the record means taking a few chances.

Yesterday he rode a short stretch of the A14 near Huntingdon I don't even like driving in a car.


----------



## MisterStan (14 Jan 2015)

mcshroom said:


> Yesterday he rode a short stretch of the A14 near Huntingdon I don't even like driving in a car.


Gadzooks! I missed that when looking at Strava yesterday. I use that stretch to visit my brother and wouldn't want to be on the bike!


----------



## mcshroom (14 Jan 2015)

One junction from the junction south of the A45 to the A45 roundabout, then out west along the A45 from there.

I would have missed it but it was flagged by one of the other spectators on YACF


----------



## TheDoctor (14 Jan 2015)

Good Lord. He's only a few days away from doubling my mileage for last year!
Chapeau!


----------



## Supersuperleeds (14 Jan 2015)

mcshroom said:


> it's the slower bit.
> 
> He's weighed it up and decided that as he's mainly going to be on main roads, the extra weight and drag isn't worth it. It's the same with why he's using battery lights over dynamos. Every little helps I suppose, and breaking the record means taking a few chances.
> 
> Yesterday he rode a short stretch of the A14 near Huntingdon I don't even like driving in a car.



Probably a good call, they do take a lot more effort to move slower than on a normal tyre


----------



## Dave Davenport (14 Jan 2015)

ianrauk said:


> A nice spread sheet showing progress of the 3 challengers *HERE*


 The mileage for William can't be right, it's about the same as mine.


----------



## ianrauk (14 Jan 2015)

Dave Davenport said:


> The mileage for William can't be right, it's about the same as mine.




No one seems to know what he's up to


----------



## ianrauk (14 Jan 2015)

Shorter mileage for Steve today. No doubt due to his off this morning and the crappy weather. 157.6 miles* STRAVA*


----------



## Beebo (14 Jan 2015)

ianrauk said:


> A nice spread sheet showing progress of the 3 challengers *HERE*


Anyone know what happened to tommy on 28th october, it is the only day he recorded zero miles.
He did 200+ miles the day before and the day after, so i doubt he was ill.
Just looking at the mileage through the summer months makes me feel sick, daily figures of plus 250 miles, one day was 350!!


----------



## jefmcg (14 Jan 2015)

Beebo said:


> Anyone know what happened to tommy on 28th october, it is the only day he recorded zero miles.
> He did 200+ miles the day before and the day after, so i doubt he was ill.
> Just looking at the mileage through the summer months makes me feel sick, daily figures of plus 250 miles, one day was 350!!






> On 26 October 1939 Godwin rode into Trafalgar Square having completed 62,658 mi (100,838 km), gaining the record with two months to spare. He rode through the winter to complete 75,065 mi (120,805 km) in the year.



probably had a hangover (must have ridden home first to celebrate)


----------



## srw (14 Jan 2015)

ianrauk said:


> Shorter mileage for Steve today. No doubt due to his off this morning and the crappy weather. 157.6 miles* STRAVA*


Lightweight.


----------



## srw (14 Jan 2015)

srw said:


> Lightweight.


TMN to @User


----------



## ianrauk (14 Jan 2015)

srw said:


> Lightweight.




tnm to @User


----------



## ianrauk (14 Jan 2015)

and a tnm to @srw


----------



## Saluki (14 Jan 2015)

Beebo said:


> Anyone know what happened to tommy on 28th october, it is the only day he recorded zero miles.
> He did 200+ miles the day before and the day after, so i doubt he was ill.
> Just looking at the mileage through the summer months makes me feel sick, daily figures of plus 250 miles, one day was 350!!


According to his website, he had a day off.


----------



## ianrauk (14 Jan 2015)

50 miles more today then Tommy rode on the same day in 1939.


----------



## Banjo (14 Jan 2015)

Thank god he isnt badly injured from the off. Good luck Steve.


----------



## ChrisV (14 Jan 2015)

Was thinking, for fundraising purposes, maybe some kit can be auctioned off as he goes along. Like if he changes a tyre, sell the old one as a bit of sporting history, or some t shirts etc.


----------



## Banjo (14 Jan 2015)

CC2014 said:


> Was thinking, for fundraising purposes, maybe some kit can be auctioned off as he goes along. Like if he changes a tyre, sell the old one as a bit of sporting history, or some t shirts etc.


 
It hasa been suggested before ,good idea but would need someone to organize it. Steve has support but not that much that anyone has spare tiome on their hands to take on more.

Personally I would love a worn out cassette or something on a shiny plaque.


----------



## Dave Davenport (15 Jan 2015)

Steve has been a regular at a friend of mines Pilates classes, she's not expecting to see him for a while.


----------



## RedRider (15 Jan 2015)

According to the tracker app he's only done 48 miles so far today versus Tarzan's 983. Surely some mistake❕


----------



## PMarkey (15 Jan 2015)

I think trackleader shows total mileage to date when the tracker is offline as Kurt appears to be at the moment .
Interesting quote on Facebook from Kurt I notice, regarding having to use two pairs of shorts for comfort ? https://www.facebook.com/tarzanrides though not sure if that's on his recumbent or his TT bike.

Paul


----------



## mcshroom (15 Jan 2015)

That will be on the TT bike. It's not that uncommon a strategy for flat riding (it's very flat round there). On the flat he will be spending hours in one position, and not actually getting out of the saddle at any point.


----------



## clarion (15 Jan 2015)

Kurt's track looks odd - including a straight line excursion through a Wilderness Park. Just an anomaly, I guess.


----------



## ianrauk (15 Jan 2015)

190 miles for the day in what, once again must have been pretty tough conditions *STRAVA*
Steve is 354 miles ahead of Tommy's record at the same point in time.


----------



## jay clock (15 Jan 2015)

306km at 22.9kmh. my lunchtime ride was less than 10% of that at the same speed


----------



## deptfordmarmoset (15 Jan 2015)

I gather from YACF that Kurt, who's riding well, is planning a 7th day rest. So while he looks to have started out stronger than SA did, if the rest day report is correct, he will lose his edge the day after tomorrow.


----------



## jefmcg (15 Jan 2015)

This made me smile on strava


----------



## ianrauk (15 Jan 2015)

Nice to see that Steve is running very near to the top of his highest planned mileage.


----------



## mcshroom (15 Jan 2015)

Which if he manages to complete it is 87129 miles!


----------



## Fab Foodie (15 Jan 2015)

ianrauk said:


> 190 miles for the day in what, once again must have been pretty tough conditions *STRAVA*
> Steve is 354 miles ahead of Tommy's record at the same point in time.


That's a truly monster ride all things considered today ....


----------



## mcshroom (16 Jan 2015)

From today's comments on Strava


> Stefano Marazzi - TCG Malt loaf connoisseur: In a Storm Steve Abraham stays dry cos rain is too scared too fall on him. 2 hours ago


----------



## MisterStan (16 Jan 2015)

mcshroom said:


> From today's comments on Strava


The new Jens Voigt?


----------



## MisterStan (16 Jan 2015)

User said:


> And who is going to tell the current one?


He's retired - he's old news now!


----------



## Fab Foodie (16 Jan 2015)

User said:


> And who is going to tell the current one?


God, because Steve doesn't have the time ....


----------



## Fab Foodie (16 Jan 2015)

MisterStan said:


> He's retired - he's old news now!


There could be a good reason for his retirement, he can't compete with awesome Abrahams!


----------



## ianrauk (16 Jan 2015)

Steve's off to March in Cambridgeshire today. Already 66 miles in according to his tracker.


----------



## velovoice (16 Jan 2015)

ianrauk said:


> A nice spread sheet showing progress of the 3 challengers *HERE*


This is my favourite of the various methods put forward to keep track of how the guys are doing. Do you know who created/maintains it? It's now 2 days behind... which makes me sad.


----------



## jefmcg (16 Jan 2015)

ianrauk said:


> Steve's off to March in Cambridgeshire today. Already 66 miles in according to his tracker.



???


----------



## Ian H (16 Jan 2015)

I think it's manual update at the mo. Jo, the creator might be persuaded to do more work if the interest is there. You can find him on yacf.


----------



## deptfordmarmoset (16 Jan 2015)

velovoice said:


> This is my favourite of the various methods put forward to keep track of how the guys are doing. Do you know who created/maintains it? It's now 2 days behind... which makes me sad.


I'm not quite sure why there are two sheets (tabbed at the top left) but the HAM'R tab has one more day's figures than ''sheet 1.''


----------



## jay clock (16 Jan 2015)

It must be interesting to have such a long ride that if you get lost/go wrong, you just keep pedalling. Eventually you have enough miles for the day


----------



## ianrauk (16 Jan 2015)

jay clock said:


> It must be interesting to have such a long ride that if you get lost/go wrong, you just keep pedalling. Eventually you have enough miles for the day




Indeed... the joy of getting lost 
Thing is with Steve, he is so well traveled/cycled that I think he really does know near enough every road within a 100+ miles radius of Milton Keynes.


----------



## jay clock (16 Jan 2015)

Is there another thread to discuss issues other than progress?


----------



## Glow worm (16 Jan 2015)

User13710 said:


> At last someone's actually found a reason to go there



I've got to organise a work event there in March (as in 8 weeks time). March in March. It's bound to throw everyone - especially some of the crowd I work with!


----------



## Scoosh (16 Jan 2015)

jay clock said:


> Is there another thread to discuss issues other than progress?


Yes


----------



## Fab Foodie (16 Jan 2015)

User13710 said:


> At last someone's actually found a reason to go there


March is quite like Miami, a good place to see .... in your rear-view mirror


----------



## Fab Foodie (16 Jan 2015)

User said:


> Croydon is as good as Miami?


Affirmative.


----------



## ianrauk (16 Jan 2015)

Another 190 miles today






Steven Abraham
Slashed tyre in Sharnbrook prevented me from getting the 200 I was after.


----------



## Fab Foodie (16 Jan 2015)

ianrauk said:


> Another 190 miles today
> View attachment 77092
> 
> 
> ...


That's the residents of Bedfordshire for you ....


----------



## Pale Rider (17 Jan 2015)

Look like Steve's going for a long one - 185 miles and still rattling along at !6+mph.


----------



## mcshroom (17 Jan 2015)

He's heading for Richmond tonight


----------



## Pale Rider (17 Jan 2015)

Any idea where he's off to tomorrow?

If he's coming any further north, I might nip out to meet him.


----------



## mcshroom (17 Jan 2015)

He's no host marked in on the calendar, so I'm going to assume he's heading back to base in MK tomorrow.


----------



## mcshroom (17 Jan 2015)

Looks like Seve will have some company for the last bit
https://twitter.com/Hoppo347/status/556535640297590787/photo/1


----------



## ianrauk (17 Jan 2015)

Not far off 200 miles...


----------



## mcshroom (17 Jan 2015)

Tracker is showing 200.45 miles 

(ok with the under-read he'll have passed 200 a while ago, but anyway)


----------



## Pale Rider (17 Jan 2015)

Looks like he's hammering up the old A1 towards Northallerton.

He will need to track north west a bit soon.

The B roads passing through Catterick look a reasonable bet.


----------



## ianrauk (17 Jan 2015)

mcshroom said:


> Tracker is showing 200.45 miles
> 
> (ok with the under-read he'll have passed 200 a while ago, but anyway)




He's still someway to go to Richmond then...a long day in the saddle.


----------



## mcshroom (17 Jan 2015)

Staying east of the A1's a good idea, the other side is hillier. Most audaxes I've done round there head for Scorton and then West to Brompton on Swale. Does mean you finish with a hill though.


----------



## Pale Rider (17 Jan 2015)

mcshroom said:


> Staying east of the A1's a good idea, the other side is hillier. Most audaxes I've done round there head for Scorton and then West to Brompton on Swale. Does mean you finish with a hill though.



Ah, I can see these routes are not just thrown together.

Short of dropping down from the north, the road into Richmond that Steve will take is the least steep.

Even I managed it, although I used the raised path and stopped for a breather at a park bench on the way up.


----------



## Pale Rider (17 Jan 2015)

Having said all that, he's stayed on the old A1 north of Northallerton, which all but rules out the Scorton/Brompton route.

I think the plan may be to turn left in a few miles, track through the Cowton villages, and join the A road which enters Richmond from the North East.

The last bit will be level and down hill in parts.

Should make for a quick finish, even after 200+ miles.


----------



## DCLane (17 Jan 2015)

Not far off Richmond, 217 miles in and at 19.7mph


----------



## mcshroom (17 Jan 2015)

Pale Rider said:


> Having said all that, he's stayed on the old A1 north of Northallerton, which all but rules out the Scorton/Brompton route.
> 
> I think the plan may be to turn left in a few miles, track through the Cowton villages, and join the A road which enters Richmond from the North East.
> 
> ...



Barton and Scotch corner, he must be feeling good to throw in the extra Teesdale loop. That being said, the routes through Skeeby or Melsonby are both fun


----------



## Pale Rider (17 Jan 2015)

mcshroom said:


> or Melsonby are both fun



Just to add a bit of colour, Steve will pass the former Post Office in Melsonby in which Robin Garbutt, the postmaster, did in his wife.

Garbutt claimed she was the victim of armed robbers.

The whole tale, set in a picturesque North Yorkshire village, was like a cross between Heartbeat and Midsomer Murders.

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/national/news/8982435.Postmaster_jailed_over_wife_murder/


----------



## mcshroom (17 Jan 2015)

Just to be clear, the 'like' is for the trivia not what Mr Garbutt did.


----------



## mcshroom (17 Jan 2015)

He seems to have stopped in Barton. I wonder if he's decided he's done enough for the day?


----------



## Pale Rider (17 Jan 2015)

mcshroom said:


> He seems to have stopped in Barton. I wonder if he's decided he's done enough for the day?



I know he's only a few miles from Richmond, but there are all-night services at Barton, so maybe he's got the serious munchies.


----------



## mcshroom (17 Jan 2015)

I was thinking the same, but he's got a support car behind him at the moment, and he's stopped in the village rather than the truck stop. Could also be a puncture.


----------



## Pale Rider (17 Jan 2015)

mcshroom said:


> I was thinking the same, but he's got a support car behind him at the moment, and he's stopped in the village rather than the truck stop. Could also be a puncture.



Unless Barton is the stop and we were told 'Richmond' as the nearest town.


----------



## mcshroom (17 Jan 2015)

Still waiting for the Strava track, but the team are saying 227 miles over on YACF


----------



## mcshroom (17 Jan 2015)

https://www.strava.com/activities/242445777

366km! In January!


----------



## Pale Rider (18 Jan 2015)

Steve started at 5.30am today.

Looks like he did a little loop - probably with the host - before heading south.

I'm sure @mcshroom is right there no host tonight, so Steve will be heading back to Milton Keynes.

Another 200 miles.


----------



## jefmcg (18 Jan 2015)

And I'm still in bed. Time to go for a ride!


----------



## MisterStan (18 Jan 2015)

Pale Rider said:


> Steve started at 5.30am today.
> 
> Looks like he did a little loop - probably with the host - before heading south.
> 
> ...


It's all downhill from the North isn't it?


----------



## Pale Rider (18 Jan 2015)

Pic on twitter of Steve leaving with his host at dog o'clock this morning:

https://twitter.com/steve_abraham74/status/556687618701012992/photo/1


----------



## mcshroom (18 Jan 2015)

He's already at York, nearly 60 miles done, and I've only just had breakfast


----------



## Pale Rider (18 Jan 2015)

This link is a shameless lift from a post on YACF, but Steve's first host has done an excellent write-up on what's involved in looking after him for a night.

https://burlycross.wordpress.com/2015/01/15/tg/


----------



## ianrauk (18 Jan 2015)

I did a 100 miler today with @Mista Preston , @rb58 & @CharlieB . Steve was constantly in my thoughts. Near to the end of today's ride I said to Mista P, "Well, Steve would be halfway through yesterday's ride, and we are heading home. Just amazing,"


----------



## rb58 (18 Jan 2015)

ianrauk said:


> I did a 100 miler today with @Mista Preston , @rb58 & @CharlieB . Steve was constantly in my thoughts. Near to the end of today's ride I said to Mista P, "Well, Steve would be halfway through yesterday's ride, and we are heading home. Just amazing,"


You mean you didn't turn round and cycle back the way we came? ;-)


----------



## ianrauk (18 Jan 2015)

173 miles in for today so far. Looking like another 200+ day for Steve.


----------



## Tim Hall (18 Jan 2015)

Not sure if it's been posted already, but there's a nifty Android app, written by Ben over on YACF, that gives an upto-the-last-tracker-reported-position, mileage and so on, including a link to Google Maps.

Linky to the Google Store


----------



## Pale Rider (18 Jan 2015)

I think Steve has struggled a bit today.

When he set off this morning, he was on target for an 8pm-ish finish, but it will be gone 11pm before he gets home.

Looks like he's stopped more often and for longer than usual, and his pace has slowed through the day.

I reckon he could do with an easier day tomorrow.


----------



## Fab Foodie (18 Jan 2015)

Pale Rider said:


> I reckon he could do with an easier day tomorrow.



I hope so .... I can't cope with the daily stress!


----------



## mcshroom (18 Jan 2015)

There's a live tracker here: -
http://trackleaders.com/oneyeartimetrial15i.php?name=Steve_Abraham

There's also a twitter feed @steve_abraham74 and a facebook feed https://www.facebook.com/stevenabraham2015


----------



## mcshroom (19 Jan 2015)

http://www.strava.com/activities/243019972

372km (231 miles)


----------



## KneesUp (19 Jan 2015)

Tim Hall said:


> Not sure if it's been posted already, but there's a nifty Android app, written by Ben over on YACF, that gives an upto-the-last-tracker-reported-position, mileage and so on, including a link to Google Maps.
> 
> Linky to the Google Store


Does that app require all sorts of permissions on Android? Or do I only get this because in order to install it on BlackBerry I have to download the apk file via some dodgy site?


----------



## ianrauk (19 Jan 2015)

The app asks of nothing. It's just a simple mileage ticker.


----------



## jefmcg (19 Jan 2015)

ianrauk said:


> The app asks of nothing. It's just a simple mileage ticker.


No. There's been a couple of updates. It now has a map and added file permissions for that.


----------



## KneesUp (19 Jan 2015)

ianrauk said:


> The app asks of nothing. It's just a simple mileage ticker.


I thought it wouldn't. The only way to get it on a BlackBerry though is to download it via a third party site, which I suspect adds it's own requirements for nefarious purposes


----------



## jefmcg (19 Jan 2015)

jefmcg said:


> No. There's been a couple of updates. It now has a map and added file permissions for that.


Tap tap tap.... is this thing on?


----------



## ianrauk (19 Jan 2015)

jefmcg said:


> No. There's been a couple of updates. It now has a map and added file permissions for that.


Oh right...haven't seen that. Off to check.

Edit: just checked. All I have is just the tracker. May have to reinstall for the maps.


----------



## mcshroom (19 Jan 2015)

The weekend has definitely had an effect on the graph





(thanks to Jo on YACF)

He must be tired after those two days though, so I'm hoping he backs off for a couple days and makes sure he doesn't overdo it. There's still a very long way to go.


----------



## jefmcg (19 Jan 2015)

ianrauk said:


> Edit: just checked. All I have is just the tracker. May have to reinstall for the maps.


Hmm, don't know. Just checked the android store link above, and it's definitely on 1.2 with maps. 

1.1 had a map but the last point shown was always wrong. Got fixed pretty quickly.


----------



## BigAl68 (19 Jan 2015)

I see ironox today has done this in a total straight line from San Diego to Dallas... LOL 
The tracker is showing as "Today's ESTIMATED Distance covered 1567.62 mi"


----------



## jefmcg (19 Jan 2015)

Looks like Steve might be being cautious today. Hasn't strayed far from home.


----------



## ianrauk (19 Jan 2015)

jefmcg said:


> Looks like Steve might be being cautious today. Hasn't strayed far from home.




Not surprised after yesterdays efforts.
A shorter day today methinks.


----------



## Supersuperleeds (19 Jan 2015)

ianrauk said:


> Not surprised after yesterdays efforts.
> A shorter day today methinks.



One of his short days is a massively long day for the majority of us on here.


----------



## ianrauk (19 Jan 2015)

Supersuperleeds said:


> One of his short days is a massively long day for the majority of us on here.




Oh blimey indeed..


----------



## MichaelO (19 Jan 2015)

I did 170 miles in total last week - felt exhausted this morning! How he does this day in, day out is beyond me!
Top effort!


----------



## deptfordmarmoset (19 Jan 2015)

Jo over at YACF has put his fantastic graph up on a web page here - http://gicentre.org/oytt/

If you click the full year button you'll see just how much further there is to go.


----------



## shadow master (19 Jan 2015)

Dave Davenport said:


> Not exactly easy but well doable, but every day for a year?!!!
> 
> http://road.cc/content/news/137018-...ms-tommy-godwins-unbreakable-year-record-2015


Can't deny its a big challenge...however with a modern bike,decent back up and modern diet knowledge I'd be surprised if the old record isn't smashed


----------



## jefmcg (19 Jan 2015)

Supersuperleeds said:


> One of his short days is a massively long day for the majority of us on here.


Yes indeed, a mere 243km - 150 miles.

I hope he's asleep now.


----------



## ianrauk (19 Jan 2015)

So a rest day today of 151 miles


----------



## jefmcg (19 Jan 2015)

is that a TMN to me?


----------



## ianrauk (19 Jan 2015)

jefmcg said:


> is that a TMN to me?




No, you said 150 miles


----------



## MartinQ (19 Jan 2015)

shadow master said:


> .... and modern diet knowledge I'd be surprised if the old record isn't smashed



https://www.facebook.com/stevenabra....1421700134./1531584007090230/?type=1&theater

Not so sure about the diet


----------



## Banjo (19 Jan 2015)

MartinQ said:


> https://www.facebook.com/stevenabra....1421700134./1531584007090230/?type=1&theater
> 
> Not so sure about the diet


His Raleigh Sojourn Isnt very much different to Tommys bikes either.


----------



## Andrew_Culture (19 Jan 2015)

MartinQ said:


> https://www.facebook.com/stevenabra....1421700134./1531584007090230/?type=1&theater
> 
> Not so sure about the diet



The only time I eat KFC is the day after doing 100 miles. One zinger tower burger contains around 3000 calories!!!


----------



## shadow master (19 Jan 2015)

Banjo said:


> His Raleigh Sojourn Isnt very much different to Tommys bikes either.


Yeah Raleigh designs are from that era!


----------



## ianrauk (19 Jan 2015)

shadow master said:


> Yeah Raleigh designs are from that era!




*Really?*


----------



## mcshroom (19 Jan 2015)

Andrew_Culture said:


> The only time I eat KFC is the day after doing 100 miles. One zinger tower burger contains around 3000 calories!!!


Well around 5 do actually 
http://www.kfc.co.uk/our-food/burgers-and-wraps/zinger-tower-burger


----------



## jefmcg (19 Jan 2015)

<off topic> KFC always makes me think of this "review" http://www.avclub.com/article/iav-clubi-taste-test-special-the-bowl-at-the-howli-2130 even though I don't think the bowl is available in the uk
</off topic>


----------



## Andrew_Culture (19 Jan 2015)

mcshroom said:


> Well around 5 do actually
> http://www.kfc.co.uk/our-food/burgers-and-wraps/zinger-tower-burger



Oo-er, no idea where I got my info from! How will I get my calorie binge now?


----------



## Pale Rider (19 Jan 2015)

Andrew_Culture said:


> Oo-er, no idea where I got my info from! How will I get my calorie binge now?



Obvious - eat five.


----------



## MacB (19 Jan 2015)

shadow master said:


> Can't deny its a big challenge...however with a modern bike,decent back up and modern diet knowledge I'd be surprised if the old record isn't smashed



Barring mechanical or physical incapacitation I think this record is really one of the mind - the subset of people with the fitness levels to attempt it must be tiny then the subset of those that could hold it together mentally....well it's wait and see


----------



## ianrauk (20 Jan 2015)

Looks like it's tough going today for Steve with the icy weather.
Latest tweet.

steve abraham @steve_abraham74
A41 obstructed by lots of cars and lanes are icy so turned tail for early feed #traffic

According to the tracker, he's 60 miles in so far today.

Continually riding long distances in this god damn awful weather really shows the fine mettle of the man.
If the other entrants are thinking that Steve will be doing less because of the weather, then they have a surprise waiting for them.


----------



## Col5632 (20 Jan 2015)

He's just a machine, I don't know how he does it, but then I think @Supersuperleeds is bloody mental with the miles he does so steve is just utter crazy in my books, good on him though


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## Pale Rider (20 Jan 2015)

Up and cycling again after early traffic problems.

He's trundling north west on the edge of the Cotswolds.

Host booked in Worcester tonight.


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## Fnaar (20 Jan 2015)

Apols if this is already buried somewhere in the thread, but is there any way of finding out his route plans? I'd like to ride out and cheer him on if poss? (without obv getting in the way  ) Guessing it will revolve around what the route manager decides re-weather, hosting etc, but maybe there's a sort of rough plan somewhere?


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## ianrauk (20 Jan 2015)

Fnaar said:


> Apols if this is already buried somewhere in the thread, but is there any way of finding out his route plans? I'd like to ride out and cheer him on if poss? (without obv getting in the way  ) Guessing it will revolve around what the route manager decides re-weather, hosting etc, but maybe there's a sort of rough plan somewhere?




There isn't a plan as it's all down to many factors. Weather today is a good example, he has already changed his route due to traffic and ice and also has to take into account that nights host if their is one.
You can get a good idea by going to Steve's website and checking out the hosting page to see where he will be heading to.


----------



## Pale Rider (20 Jan 2015)

Fnaar said:


> Apols if this is already buried somewhere in the thread, but is there any way of finding out his route plans? I'd like to ride out and cheer him on if poss? (without obv getting in the way  ) Guessing it will revolve around what the route manager decides re-weather, hosting etc, but maybe there's a sort of rough plan somewhere?



If you look on the calendar part of his website you can see if there is a host booked for a particular night, and where that host is.

http://oneyeartimetrial.org.uk/calendar#year=2015&month=1&day=20&view=month

Edit: crossed with Ian (above).


----------



## ianrauk (20 Jan 2015)

*Here's *the Progress website set up by the wonderful Jo from the other place. It will give you this to have a look at.


----------



## Pale Rider (20 Jan 2015)

Riding with Steve is no problem, several have already done it.

No worries about speed for most of you.

According to the blog I posted earlier, Steve rides to a heart rate, so climbs quite slowly.

The flipside is he takes full advantage of gravity, so descends quickly, which is where he would lose me.

In other Steve news, a member in the other place has designed a stripped down tracker.

Might be handy if you want to follow him via the web on a smartphone - no worries about downloading third party software.

http://audaxclubhackney.co.uk/tg.html


----------



## Pale Rider (20 Jan 2015)

Same guy has done a simple tracker for the credible American challenger, Kurt 'Tarzan' Searvogel.

He's currently stooging around Florida.

http://audaxclubhackney.co.uk/tarzan.html


----------



## EltonFrog (20 Jan 2015)

ianrauk said:


> *Here's *the Progress website set up by the wonderful Jo from the other place. It will give you this to have a look at.
> 
> View attachment 77435



Great link to the website thank you whoever built that. Frustratingly for me, Steve keeps passing within a mile or two of the village I lived in for 14 years up until 3 months ago.


----------



## mcshroom (20 Jan 2015)

Another 183 miles, with an average temperature of -1 degC!
http://www.strava.com/activities/milton-keynes-milton-keynes-united-kingdom-243807261


----------



## Pale Rider (21 Jan 2015)

screenman said:


> Interesting read.
> 
> https://burlycross.wordpress.com/2015/01/15/tg/



I thought so.

205 miles in a day (Tommy Godwin Challenge) - the Progress thread


----------



## PpPete (21 Jan 2015)

20 days in and already 500 miles ahead of where Tommy Godwin was at this point.
Chapeau !


----------



## ianrauk (21 Jan 2015)

Seem's Kurt 'Tarzan' had a pretty tough days riding yesterday. Reports of 3 punctures, 2 off's and bad driving. 179 miles


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## EltonFrog (21 Jan 2015)

Oh dear!


----------



## Sea of vapours (21 Jan 2015)

ianrauk said:


> Seem's Kurt 'Tarzan' had a pretty tough days riding yesterday. Reports of ...


Whereabouts are you finding Kurt's 'what happened today' type reports please?


----------



## ianrauk (21 Jan 2015)

Sea of vapours said:


> Whereabouts are you finding Kurt's 'what happened today' type reports please?




YACF


----------



## Sea of vapours (21 Jan 2015)

Hmmmm..... I am clearly not reading the right selection of threads on YACF then. I shall try harder! Thanks.


----------



## deptfordmarmoset (21 Jan 2015)

Sea of vapours said:


> Hmmmm..... I am clearly not reading the right selection of threads on YACF then. I shall try harder! Thanks.


It's the last post on here - https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=87407.75 I don't know where Jo is getting his information from though


----------



## jefmcg (21 Jan 2015)

Allegedly from fb

https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=87329.msg1799571#msg1799571

but you must have to be his friend to see that. It's not visible to me

https://www.facebook.com/Metarzan


----------



## Sea of vapours (21 Jan 2015)

Right - thanks for all that. I was looking on Kurt's Facebook page too and couldn't see that info. either but thought I might just be being Facebook-incompetent, or that there might be some other source. Oh well.


----------



## MichaelO (21 Jan 2015)

Sea of vapours said:


> Hmmmm..... I am clearly not reading the right selection of threads on YACF then. I shall try harder! Thanks.


It was in the Tarzan thread I think, on the Tommy attempt sub-board


----------



## Tim Hall (21 Jan 2015)

MichaelO said:


> It was in the Tarzan thread I think, on the Tommy attempt sub-board


Try this for a link


----------



## jefmcg (21 Jan 2015)

jefmcg said:


> https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=87329.msg1799571#msg1799571





MichaelO said:


> It was in the Tarzan thread I think, on the Tommy attempt sub-board





Tim Hall said:


> Try this for a link



That's 2 TMN to me!


----------



## velovoice (21 Jan 2015)

Tarzan also has a Sportsperson page on Facebook just like Steve does. Just "like" the page to get updates to your News Feed.


----------



## Tim Hall (21 Jan 2015)

jefmcg said:


> That's 2 TMN to me!


Oops! Sorry. Have one of mine. I've got loads, on account of responding to threads with @User in them.


----------



## goody (21 Jan 2015)

Anyone seen what this guy's up to https://www.strava.com/athletes/389932 I know he wanted to have a go at the record but think he might be just in Oz riding for his holidays . His names Bruce Berkeley if you google him you'll see he set the 7 day record last year.


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## MichaelO (21 Jan 2015)

He's going for the highest Strava monthly miles, I believe.


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## mcshroom (21 Jan 2015)

IIRC he's aiming for 300km a day for a month. He's not registered as having a go at the UMCA sanctioned HAMR (the annual record)


----------



## ianrauk (21 Jan 2015)

goody said:


> Anyone seen what this guy's up to https://www.strava.com/athletes/389932 I know he wanted to have a go at the record but think he might be just in Oz riding for his holidays . His names Bruce Berkeley if you google him you'll see he set the 7 day record last year.




He's an ex-pro riding with pro teams out there whilst on holiday. As what 'schroom has said, he's going for a monthly total.


----------



## Fab Foodie (21 Jan 2015)

Right now I'd be happy to get to ride 300k a month!


----------



## ianrauk (22 Jan 2015)

A very interesting post from Steve about Kurt (Tarzan) at the other place.


_Kurt has realised that I am more capable than he thought and has changed his plan.
He is now a lot more dangerous than he was.
What he is doing is watching what I do and adding a bit on. He is copying me and is known for copying his rivals.
However. He currently has weather on his side. I loseabout 10 miles a day getting dressed for cold weather and am losing speed because of risk of ice.
I will launch an attack when things improve like when I rode to Yorkshire and he had no answer to that.
I reckon by late Spring Kurt may run out of options and I hope to be catching him back up by then._


----------



## mcshroom (22 Jan 2015)

Fighting Talk! 

Well if anyone was in any doubts about whether he was interested in what Tarzan was doing, I think we now know.

Kurt should be able to respond to an exent in that is a very good 12hr TT rider. I don't think he has anything like the long term staying power that Teethgrinder has though, so I'm going to believe Steve's assessment is pretty much how it will play out.


----------



## jefmcg (22 Jan 2015)

ianrauk said:


> A very interesting post from Steve about Kurt (Tarzan) at the other place.
> 
> 
> _Kurt has realised that I am more capable than he thought and has changed his plan.
> ...


----------



## ColinJ (22 Jan 2015)

User said:


> It is a bit unsporting to start a few days behind so that you can shadow the other man's efforts.


In a way, that is what SA is doing with TG's original efforts, only the delay in SA setting off was slightly longer ...


----------



## screenman (22 Jan 2015)

I think the other guy might be American. Just not British old boy.


----------



## rich p (22 Jan 2015)

User said:


> It is a bit unsporting to start a few days behind so that you can shadow the other man's efforts.


Even if they'd started the same day he could just track and beat Steve's previous day's total, until they both explode!


----------



## Dave Davenport (22 Jan 2015)

Whilst you'd want to keep an eye on what the competition was doing, I think you'd need to stick to your plans and ride your own race to have any chance of beating the original record, although obviously you'd need to adjust your plans if it looked like the competition was opening a significant lead.


----------



## Mugshot (22 Jan 2015)

Has "IronOx" given up? Was his ever a serious attempt at the record?


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## Saluki (22 Jan 2015)

Mugshot said:


> Has "IronOx" given up? Was his ever a serious attempt at the record?


I was wondering that myself. Unless he is going to suddenly ride 1000km at the weekends I can't envisage much catching up. Then again, what would I know, I fall over after 35 miles.


----------



## 13 rider (22 Jan 2015)

I sure when I look at steves website last night the running total was over 4000 but now back to 3893 did anybody else notice this. I was surprised he passed 4000 yesterday as I thought he was 200 short so I was wondering if yesterday rides was initially counted twice


----------



## ianrauk (22 Jan 2015)

13 rider said:


> I sure when I look at steves website last night the running total was over 4000 but now back to 3893 did anybody else notice this. I was surprised he passed 4000 yesterday as I thought he was 200 short so I was wondering if yesterday rides was initially counted twice




It was counted twice. His host uploaded 2 of the Garmins instead of one.


----------



## Pale Rider (22 Jan 2015)

Mugshot said:


> Has "IronOx" given up? Was his ever a serious attempt at the record?



In a recent interview, the Ox appeared to be saying he was the tortoise compared to the other two who are both hares.

He also says you never know what could happen to the others, which is true.

Ox might have a point if there was only one other rider, but I think it unlikely both Steve and Tarzan will blow-up catastrophically.

http://www.ultracycling.com/wp_news/?p=494


----------



## Mugshot (22 Jan 2015)

Pale Rider said:


> In a recent interview, the Ox appeared to be saying he was the tortoise compared to the other two who are both hares.
> 
> He also says you never know what could happen to the others, which is true.
> 
> ...


Hmmmmmm, time will tell i guess, but he's a long way behind where Tommy was at this point and it's that record he's supposed to be targeting.


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## totallyfixed (22 Jan 2015)

Apologies if I am not keeping up very well, I can see from the calendar that Steve is coming to Rutland on Saturday, it would be good to say hello and cheer him on, how do you find out the likely route he will be taking?


----------



## ianrauk (22 Jan 2015)

totallyfixed said:


> Apologies if I am not keeping up very well, I can see from the calendar that Steve is coming to Rutland on Saturday, it would be good to say hello and cheer him on, how do you find out the likely route he will be taking?




You can't I'm afraid.
He decides the route on the day taking in various factors.


----------



## Pale Rider (22 Jan 2015)

totallyfixed said:


> Apologies if I am not keeping up very well, I can see from the calendar that Steve is coming to Rutland on Saturday, it would be good to say hello and cheer him on, how do you find out the likely route he will be taking?



You could try contacting one of the support team, maybe the host manager, who might give you an idea of where in Rutland Steve is heading.

Then keep an eye on the tracker on the day, apply your local cycling knowledge, and I'm sure you could engineer a meeting.

http://oneyeartimetrial.org.uk/team


----------



## Tim Hall (22 Jan 2015)

ianrauk said:


> You can't I'm afraid.
> He decides the route on the day taking in various factors.


On the other hand, surely Rutland's not that big, so you should find him easily.
(More seriously use one of the "up to the minute where is he now trackers" mentioned in this thread to see where he is and steer to intercept)


----------



## srw (22 Jan 2015)

...and look for the flattest bit possible, which (if my memory of Rutland serves) is probably Rutland water. Steve, being superhuman, probably won't sink.


----------



## ianrauk (22 Jan 2015)

Another great mileage total today. 192.4miles *Strava*


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## deptfordmarmoset (22 Jan 2015)

srw said:


> ...and look for the flattest bit possible, which (if my memory of Rutland serves) is probably Rutland water. Steve, being superhuman, probably won't sink.


I think I remember seeing SA say that many cyclists would be surprised at how slowly he climbed hills. He has an optimum heart beat rate that he keeps to there or thereabouts which slows him down on hills.


----------



## srw (22 Jan 2015)

mcshroom said:


> Fighting Talk!
> 
> Well if anyone was in any doubts about whether he was interested in what Tarzan was doing, I think we now know.
> 
> Kurt should be able to respond to an exent in that is a very good 12hr TT rider. I don't think he has anything like the long term staying power that Teethgrinder has though, so I'm going to believe Steve's assessment is pretty much how it will play out.


That's what I was thinking. Tarzan seems to have decided to do this almost at the last minute based on one year of riding 25,000 miles with a reasonable amount of support - and he appears basically to be a drifter who does nothing but ride. If you read his ride reports they're full of incident and excitement, with a lot of making things up as he goes along (http://tarzan-rides.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/colorado-high-country-1200k.html). Steve's 25,000 mile year was combined with a full-time job and no in-person support. His ride reports were essentially "I got up, I rode 600k, I went to bed. It was fun." And he's been pushing for this record for at least 30 of his 40 years. Tarzan first heard about it 3 years ago.

Whatever ride plan Tarzan had to start with, it's gone out of the window. Whereas Steve is just riding long days well within himself - a 95bpm heart rate is what most of us have just standing still - Tarzan seems to be pushing himself a lot in the saddle, and also tiring himself out by taking very long journeys in his motorhome in search of better roads.

I wouldn't be surpriseddd to see Tarzan


----------



## totallyfixed (22 Jan 2015)

Pale Rider said:


> You could try contacting one of the support team, maybe the host manager, who might give you an idea of where in Rutland Steve is heading.
> 
> Then keep an eye on the tracker on the day, apply your local cycling knowledge, and I'm sure you could engineer a meeting.
> Thanks, will give it a shot.
> ...





Tim Hall said:


> On the other hand, surely Rutland's not that big, so you should find him easily.
> (More seriously use one of the "up to the minute where is he now trackers" mentioned in this thread to see where he is and steer to intercept)



Rutland might be the smallest county but there are a multitude of country lanes here, so much so that when the sportive [spit] comes here we can still ride without seeing them. I think it likely he will be coming in on the east side which has fewer hills so both myself and dr_pink will head down in that direction and trust to the smart phones to find him. Will let you know how we get on.


----------



## Supersuperleeds (22 Jan 2015)

ianrauk said:


> Another great mileage total today. 192.4miles *Strava*
> 
> View attachment 77699


4,000 miles and still a week of January left. The fella is a machine, his nickname should be The Terminator


----------



## MickeyBlueEyes (22 Jan 2015)

Supersuperleeds said:


> 4,000 miles and still a week of January left. The fella is a machine, his nickname should be The Terminator


I'm glad he doesn't log his miles in MyCyclingLog...


----------



## MisterStan (22 Jan 2015)

This thread on YACF is quite sobering - i'm expecting him to overtake my total for last year towards the end of February.


----------



## deptfordmarmoset (22 Jan 2015)

MickeyBlueEyes said:


> I'm glad he doesn't log his miles in MyCyclingLog...


I'd have thought dropping down a place would be an honour.


----------



## ianrauk (22 Jan 2015)

Supersuperleeds said:


> 4,000 miles and still a week of January left. The fella is a machine, his nickname should be The Terminator




Close.... it's actually Teethgrinder


----------



## ianrauk (22 Jan 2015)

*HERE* is the latest mileage totals spreadsheet for the riders (less todays ride)


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## ianrauk (23 Jan 2015)

*steve abraham* @steve_abraham74 · 2h2 hours ago
Down to minus 8 this morning. Turning at Cirencester Ice finally starting to melt at midday both bottles still frozen


----------



## Scoosh (23 Jan 2015)

^ ^ ^ 'Like' ... I think ....


----------



## ianrauk (24 Jan 2015)

another 190+ miler yesterday. What a machine. And he is already 70 miles in today and heading for Rutland.


----------



## totallyfixed (24 Jan 2015)

ianrauk said:


> another 190+ miler yesterday. What a machine. And he is already 70 miles in today and *heading for Rutland*.
> 
> View attachment 77806


And why wouldn't you . More seriously we are trying to keep track of him and are just about to head out, he is on roads we know very well at the moment but still some distance away and as he still has a lot of riding to do I am guessing he might be going round / through Loughborough and thence into the Vale of Belvoir before turning south into Rutland. Pure speculation and as we have visitors tonight I'm not sure we will make an intercept today, however there will be other days, he seems to like heading this way and there is a good chance we will host him at some point in the future.


----------



## Pale Rider (24 Jan 2015)

totallyfixed said:


> And why wouldn't you . More seriously we are trying to keep track of him and are just about to head out, he is on roads we know very well at the moment but still some distance away and as he still has a lot of riding to do I am guessing he might be going round / through Loughborough and thence into the Vale of Belvoir before turning south into Rutland. Pure speculation and as we have visitors tonight I'm not sure we will make an intercept today, however there will be other days, he seems to like heading this way and there is a good chance we will host him at some point in the future.



Steve's passed on thanks to a couple of 'interceptors', so I'm sure you would be welcome to ride along for as long as you like.

I get the impression he has had very little company, but I suppose there will be more when the weather improves.


----------



## Pale Rider (24 Jan 2015)

Nice post about a Steve meeting earlier today on the other place:

This morning I intended to do the club run from Leicester across towards Burton but the minor roads on the route to the meeting point were well dodgy. A young lad came off right in front of me and two other club members had already come off too. I took the hint and hatched Plan B.

With the wonders of tracking I headed off in search of TeethGrinder. This involved getting lost in the middle of Hinckley then riding along the A5 and the Fosse. These are two roads that I would normally avoid on the bike but they weren't bad at all and, more importantly, they were ice free. I spotted the red-clad figure of TG somewhere just north of Brinklow and introduced myself. I don't know Steve but he seemed fairly perky. He knew where he was heading for this evening but was a bit vague about the route - just following the beeps on the GPS. We skirted around the southern outskirts of Leicester then headed across the lumpier bits towards Markfield. After 50k I had run out of water, was beginning to get a headache and was about to be dragged further from home so I left him to it.

As others have commented I was surprised at how steadily he goes up hills but also how fast he rolls down them - it was all I could do to keep up. At one point a group of three or four 'racers' blasted past us on a slight incline without even a 'Good Morning'. I felt like I should chase after them, point out who Steve is and tell them to show some respect !

https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=87763.msg1801620#new


----------



## ianrauk (24 Jan 2015)

totallyfixed said:


> And why wouldn't you . More seriously we are trying to keep track of him and are just about to head out, he is on roads we know very well at the moment but still some distance away and as he still has a lot of riding to do I am guessing he might be going round / through Loughborough and thence into the Vale of Belvoir before turning south into Rutland. Pure speculation and as we have visitors tonight I'm not sure we will make an intercept today, however there will be other days, he seems to like heading this way and there is a good chance we will host him at some point in the future.




Looking at his tracker... he's going the long way round. Just south east of Normanton at the moment.


----------



## 13 rider (24 Jan 2015)

Just looked a Steve tracker and realised he's done some of the route I cycled early e leake to costock I would have riden with him if I could keep up but I was couple of hours early then him I just presumed Milton Keynes to Rutland he would have stayed south of Leicester .will watch the tracker tomorrow to see if he returns the same way


----------



## ianrauk (25 Jan 2015)

A good piece in the Telegraph about Steve *HERE*


----------



## ianrauk (25 Jan 2015)

And not so goof for Kurt/Tarzan. Luckily he wasn't injured. *HERE*


----------



## deptfordmarmoset (25 Jan 2015)

ianrauk said:


> A good piece in the Telegraph about Steve *HERE*


And, according to his calendar, Zoe Williams of the Guardian and LCC magazine will be riding with him on Thursday. She appears to be booked in for a 4-hour ride. That's a couple more articles on the way.


----------



## deptfordmarmoset (25 Jan 2015)

ianrauk said:


> And not so goof for Kurt/Tarzan. Luckily he wasn't injured. *HERE*


His bars went the whole length of the alphabet: from Aero to Zero


----------



## totallyfixed (25 Jan 2015)

Pah! Missed Steve yesterday even though I predicted his route, we had guests last night or we would have made a determined effort to ride with him. Today he was in the fens and has had to make his run for home into the wind, going to be a tough finish. We will ride with him another day for sure.


----------



## Saluki (25 Jan 2015)

ianrauk said:


> And not so goof for Kurt/Tarzan. Luckily he wasn't injured. *HERE*


You'd think that he'd grab the other bike and get on with the ride, not stand around jabbering to a video recorder.


----------



## Mugshot (25 Jan 2015)

Saluki said:


> You'd think that he'd grab the other bike and get on with the ride, not stand around jabbering to a video recorder.


And as for throwing it on the floor, if he doesn't want it I'll take it off his hands.


----------



## ianrauk (25 Jan 2015)

Saluki said:


> You'd think that he'd grab the other bike and get on with the ride, not stand around jabbering to a video recorder.



It seem to be his style


----------



## totallyfixed (25 Jan 2015)

ianrauk said:


> And not so goof for Kurt/Tarzan. Luckily he wasn't injured. *HERE*


Well now that is interesting, I got a look at his bikes and wheels, this is a pure time trial rig though I cannot say I understand a 80mm front wheel and a shallow rear, and then there is the recumbent, is this allowed? Perfect temperatures, fast flat roads and plenty of traffic to suck you along. Methinks this adds up to two completely different types of records. I am suddenly feeling very patriotic


----------



## ianrauk (25 Jan 2015)

totallyfixed said:


> Well now that is interesting, I got a look at his bikes and wheels, this is a pure time trial rig though I cannot say I understand a 80mm front wheel and a shallow rear, and then there is the recumbent, is this allowed? Perfect temperatures, fast flat roads and plenty of traffic to suck you along. Methinks this adds up to two completely different types of records. I am suddenly feeling very patriotic




Yes it is allowed. Only recumbents not allowed are those that are fared. (Velo's)

Edit: He's not actually been using it much as has only just started recumberating... so learning as he goes. I think he's doing about 20 miles a day on it.


----------



## ianrauk (25 Jan 2015)

I just noticed that on Steves Web page, there is a comments *button*.
Tommy Godwins family have been posting most days, congrats, support & a weather report for Tommy's rides back in the day.


----------



## Saluki (25 Jan 2015)

ianrauk said:


> recumberating...


What an wonderful word. I'd copyright that right sharp if I were you


----------



## ianrauk (25 Jan 2015)

Saluki said:


> What an wonderful word. I'd copyright that right sharp if I were you




I was struggling to think of a word.


----------



## ianrauk (25 Jan 2015)

A mere 182 miles today.. rest day


----------



## Beebo (25 Jan 2015)

ianrauk said:


> And not so goof for Kurt/Tarzan. Luckily he wasn't injured. *HERE*


Suddenly the heavy steel frame makes sense when compared to the light carbon?
Slow, steady, and bomb proof will hopefully win the day.


----------



## Mugshot (26 Jan 2015)

totallyfixed said:


> Well now that is interesting, I got a look at his bikes and wheels, this is a pure time trial rig though I cannot say I understand a 80mm front wheel and a shallow rear, and then there is the recumbent, is this allowed? Perfect temperatures, fast flat roads and plenty of traffic to suck you along. Methinks this adds up to two completely different types of records. I am suddenly feeling very patriotic


It does strike me as a little odd, apparently the rules were drawn up and agreed with the input of the participants but it doesn't seem to be a particularly level playing field, but I suppose if everyone is happy. "Tarzan" is 260 miles ahead of Steve at the same point though, see HERE


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## EltonFrog (26 Jan 2015)

ianrauk said:


> And not so goof for Kurt/Tarzan. Luckily he wasn't injured. *HERE*



Is it me or does he seem a bit vexed in that video?


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## ianrauk (26 Jan 2015)

CarlP said:


> Is it me or does he seem a bit vexed in that video?



He does seem to get upset at things...


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## Sea of vapours (26 Jan 2015)

Given that he's breaking things at rather a high rate, I can see why he might get slightly irritated. 

Incidentally, pretty bizarre that he didn't have a spare HR monitoring device. I hope he bought at least one extra when he replaced the broken one yesterday. 

I'd be most stressed by the sheer tedium of those roads he's riding: pretty much any road there looks the same as any other road on Google Streetview :-\


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## jefmcg (26 Jan 2015)

Wow, you guys must be so calm. He is 15 days into a 365 day attempt , he'd already ridden 112 miles and his bike came apart and he crashed. I would be swearing like someone with Tourette's. He looks levelheaded to me

This is why I would never attempt this record


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## velovoice (26 Jan 2015)

I'm just wondering if Kurt really gave himself time to prepare for this. He had dismissed the whole idea until a few months ago when he heard the rules had changed. He had a business to put into order to run while he was away, and equipment to sort out for the challenge itself. I don't think he knew exactly what bikes and kit he would need and then tested it all.

Very unlike Steve's approach: have tried & tested identical duplicates/triplicates of absolutely everything standing by to swap out at moment's notice! It seems that, bar issues with tyres or wheels (I've forgotten the details), that meticulous preparation is serving him very well thus far. Let's just hope his knee settles down!


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## ianrauk (26 Jan 2015)

More Kurt/Tarzan problems. Dérailleur broken on his bike today. All he has left for the time being is his Recumbent.


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## KneesUp (26 Jan 2015)

ianrauk said:


> More Kurt/Tarzan problems. Dérailleur broken on his bike today. All he has left for the time being is his Recumbent.


I had a few mates who used to enter mountain bike races where I were a lad. The 'fastest' one never won because he was like a bull in a china shop and was always breaking stuff.

Just saying.


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## tommaguzzi (26 Jan 2015)

Bikes arn't rocket science and changing a derailer should be a 15 min fix assuming he carries a spares in his giant support truck. Even if he can't do it himself you would think one of his support crew could. I know he broke a steering head yesterday but is no one maintaining his multiple spare bikes when he is not riding them or is everyone too busy out riding on the front taking the wind for him?


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## ianrauk (26 Jan 2015)

tommaguzzi said:


> Bikes arn't rocket science and changing a derailer should be a 15 min fix assuming he carries a spares in his giant support truck. Even if he can't do it himself you would think one of his support crew could. I know he broke a steering head yesterday but is no one maintaining his multiple spare bikes when he is not riding them or is everyone too busy out riding on the front taking the wind for him?



He only has his wife as support in the Winnebago and there is no one taking the wind for him.
We don't know the full extent of the damage. For all we know the hanger may be bent etc


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## jefmcg (26 Jan 2015)

jefmcg said:


> would be swearing like someone with Tourette's.





ianrauk said:


> Dérailleur broken on his bike today



yup, that's what I'm talking about


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## Saluki (26 Jan 2015)

jefmcg said:


> yup, that's what I'm talking about



Well he's not exactly getting his hair off, despite only knowing one swear word. It's very early days yet so I guess there is no need for proper panic and flouncing as yet. That looked a grotty morning.


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## jay clock (26 Jan 2015)

Something odd going on to break a steering tube one day and a rear mech the next....


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## tommaguzzi (26 Jan 2015)

Ian
https://m.facebook.com/tarzanrides/...72290281145/?type=1&relevant_count=1&refid=17

this photo on Kurt's latest fb page suggests he has two other riders both on recumbants.


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## Rob3rt (26 Jan 2015)

Maybe a couple of other riders came out to meet him and ride with him for a bit, rather than being permanent crew...

Guessing there is more to it than a snapped mech, otherwise why not borrow the mech from his TT bike until he can get another one. Or put the forks from his road bike on the TT bike and ride that until he can get things sorted. Neither options may be ideal (esp the latter) but it would keep him moving.


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## PMarkey (26 Jan 2015)

The two recumbent riders own a local bike shop who looked after Kurt's recumbent after he crashed it last week if I remember correctly .

It looks to me as if Kurt has little or no support at the moment except his crew chief Alicia Snyder and they are both living out of the motor home and just parking up at trailer parks at the end of the day , it sounds a pretty dismal existence to me and looks like no one is checking over the bikes at the end of the day never mind servicing them , as for the bent/broken rear derailleur and other mechanical issues I imagine bouncing around on the rack at the back of the motor home all day isn't helping much as American road's especially the one's Kurt,s riding on all day can be as bad as UK roads .

Paul


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## ianrauk (26 Jan 2015)

tommaguzzi said:


> Ian
> https://m.facebook.com/tarzanrides/...72290281145/?type=1&relevant_count=1&refid=17
> 
> this photo on Kurt's latest fb page suggests he has two other riders both on recumbants.




They just met him for photo opportunity, from a bike shop, they are not riding with him for any length of time.


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## tommaguzzi (26 Jan 2015)

Riding 200 miles a day cannot be anything other than grim. So maybe Steve does have a couple of advantages like getting home now and then and with roads not being dead straight and flat with no secenery for 20 miles or more all the time gets a little less bored.
Things looking badfor Kurt though if his equipment is failing this early.


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## ianrauk (26 Jan 2015)

tommaguzzi said:


> Riding 200 miles a day cannot be anything other than grim. So maybe Steve does have a couple of advantages like getting home now and then and with roads not being dead straight and flat with no secenery for 20 miles or more all the time gets a little less bored.
> Things looking badfor Kurt though if his equipment is failing this early.




Kurt is used to very long distances and very long days in the saddle. He has done RAAM which is no mean feat in itself amongst many other long distance rides and races.
It's a mistake to write Kurt off so early in the game.


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## ComedyPilot (26 Jan 2015)

Someone I know well has good connections to a big local cycle club, and he has it on good authority they are looking to approach Steve's team to offer him a hotel for a night and to ride a couple of demo laps at a big crit race in the summer......should be good publicity/sponsorship opportunity.


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## Pale Rider (26 Jan 2015)

ComedyPilot said:


> Someone I know well has good connections to a big local cycle club, and he has it on good authority they are looking to approach Steve's team to offer him a hotel for a night and to ride a couple of demo laps at a big crit race in the summer......should be good publicity/sponsorship opportunity.



There's a hotel in Bournemouth on the calendar for this Saturday.

Generally, hotels aren't much good to Steve because he needs more care and attention - at odd hours - than most hotels provide.

http://oneyeartimetrial.org.uk/calendar#year=2015&month=1&day=24&view=month


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## Banjo (26 Jan 2015)

A hotel would need to provide another room and allow a helper to service the bike charge batteries etc in there while Steve slept uninterrupted in his own room. Then an early breakfast . Not impossible but more than just booking him a room.


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## tommaguzzi (26 Jan 2015)

22.35 I just checked Steve has another 185m day and is back home in Milton Keynes.
Kurt is on 148m heading into Palm Beach Florida!
Oh and dont forget they are forcasting more snow on wednesday.


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## Racing roadkill (27 Jan 2015)

This next month will be a bike and rider tester.


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## MisterStan (27 Jan 2015)

tommaguzzi said:


> 22.35 I just checked Steve has another 185m day and is back home in Milton Keynes.
> Kurt is on 148m heading into Palm Beach Florida!
> Oh and dont forget they are forcasting more snow on wednesday.


193 according to strava


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## tommaguzzi (27 Jan 2015)

Well it was 184.something on the tracking application. Is strava the official measurement?
Any way he has 37 miles at 8.45 am today and appears to be heading south probably to get away from the worst of the snow.
The man is machine.


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## Saluki (27 Jan 2015)

tommaguzzi said:


> Well it was 184.something on the tracking application. Is strava the official measurement?
> Any way he has 37 miles at 8.45 am today and appears to be heading south probably to get away from the worst of the snow.
> The man is machine.


He could do worse than head East. The BBC weather forecast isn't predicting snow for us over here until 1am Friday night and then it's only for an hour. No snow forecast for us all next week either..
Over 37 miles already!! Wow


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## ianrauk (27 Jan 2015)

tommaguzzi said:


> Well it was 184.something on the tracking application. Is strava the official measurement?
> Any way he has 37 miles at 8.45 am today and appears to be heading south probably to get away from the worst of the snow.
> The man is machine.




Strava is the official tracker. The other 2 trackers only record point to point, not actual road distance.


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## ianrauk (27 Jan 2015)

So with today's ride Steve will crack the 5000 miles mark.
Halfway my yearly target. Amazing.

Steve is meant to be heading for Dorset today.


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## Col5632 (27 Jan 2015)

ianrauk said:


> So with today's ride Steve will crack the 5000 miles mark.
> Halfway my yearly target. Amazing.
> 
> Steve is meant to be heading for Dorset today.



More than I will do all year


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## MichaelO (27 Jan 2015)

Looks like Kurt didn't turn off his GPS device when he jumped in the van for a few miles yesterday (recorded 60mph) - he'll need to "trim" those out. The last thing anyone wants is for one of them to fall foul of the UMCA rules.


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## ianrauk (27 Jan 2015)

Interview with Hoppo. Steve's crew chief.


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## ianrauk (27 Jan 2015)

One thing about Steve the Grinder of the Teeth is that he's consistent...
Another 190+ miler today


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## srw (28 Jan 2015)

What a legend.

I have to admit that I were advising Tarzan I'd be telling him to pause his attempt, learn from what's gone right and wrong and start again in a few months' time once he's had the proper time to prepare a decent challenge. He's clearly fit enough, and has probably got the bloody-mindedness to succeed, but it does feel as if he's being badly let down by poor preparation and worse kit and environment. Leaving Steve to have his attempt without looking over the shoulder all the while would be a very sporting gesture and would mean that he could take the record over the pond a couple of months later.

(What's the military slogan? PPPPPP?)

Over on the other forum someone is reporting that Steve is using Sora kit (but really simple bar-end shifters), has a very large stash of replacement cassettes and chains and other consumables and has had many many fewer punctures from his Schwalbe tubeless tyres than he might have feared. That's the sign of someone who's really well prepared.


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## tommaguzzi (28 Jan 2015)

He is on a mission this mornining 45 miles already! Probably hoping to get as much in as possible before the storms arrive.
Where is the other forum?


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## tommaguzzi (28 Jan 2015)

Thanks


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## Dave Davenport (28 Jan 2015)

Where's he heading today?


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## ianrauk (28 Jan 2015)

Dave Davenport said:


> Where's he heading today?




According to his diary, and looking at the tracker, back home.

Edit: His host has said TG is retracing his route home.


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## tommaguzzi (28 Jan 2015)

Weather is wild today the rain and hail is coming in sideways up in Sheffield this morning. I hope its better on the south coast.
Wind is west to south west so it might help him slightly back up to MK.


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## EltonFrog (28 Jan 2015)

He's a bloody hero and no mistake, its feckin vile out there today.


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## jay clock (28 Jan 2015)

I am slightly miffed that I missed him. He went within a few miles of me last night and then back again the same way this morning. Would have cycled out to say hi


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## MisterStan (28 Jan 2015)

110 miles so far today!


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## Saluki (28 Jan 2015)

[QUOTE 3502095, member: 9609"]He really needs a mate with a camper van, they could do JOG to Scilly then up to the Arctic circle - would just be amazing[/QUOTE]
I had visions of a little VW camper as I read that. He'd be better off with a mate with a nice comfy camper van with a permanent bed so he could get a really good night's kip while his mate fettles the bike.


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## ianrauk (28 Jan 2015)

A bit of a shorter day today for Steve.


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## cosmicbike (28 Jan 2015)

Don't blame him, it's a horrible riding day today.


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## EltonFrog (29 Jan 2015)

Gah! He went past my door!


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## mcshroom (29 Jan 2015)

Quote from Teethgrinder today over on the other place: -



> I'm doing my own thing
> I am going pretty well today so might crack 200 but anything oveer 170 wikldo
> Zoe from The Guardian might meet me at the Hop Pole in Tewkedbury whete Blacksheep finishes his events. Then tailwind home.



That first line refers to whether he's racing Tarzan, who put in a 250 mile day yesterday!

The Guardian article we think will be in on Saturday


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## ianrauk (29 Jan 2015)

You can see on the graph Kurt's 250 miler yesterday has lifted him back up near Tommy's annual average.
And Steve is still above his own schedule.


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## tommaguzzi (29 Jan 2015)

"Tarzan" rode south all day on dead straight, pan flat roads in 17 degree heat with a 15 mph tail wind.
Plenty of us on this forum could have done that.


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## MichaelO (29 Jan 2015)

tommaguzzi said:


> "Tarzan" rode south all day on dead straight, pan flat roads in 17 degree heat with a 15 mph tail wind.
> Plenty of us on this forum could have done that.


Fair enough as a one off - but could you still churn out ~200 mile rides for the other 364 days?


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## mcshroom (29 Jan 2015)

I think Steve passes is plan target for January today, so a cou[ple days up on schedule.


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## Hip Priest (29 Jan 2015)

I'm enjoying following his daily adventures. Anyone know whether he's been through any parts yet?


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## ianrauk (29 Jan 2015)

Kurt is finally on the move today. Looks like he had a lie in.

Steve currently at 106 miles and heading back to MK after looping nowhereville NW of Cheltenham


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## User482 (29 Jan 2015)

I have nothing constructive to add, other than to say this thread's great.


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## MisterStan (29 Jan 2015)

135 miles in so far today and looks like he's riding back into some really miserable weather.


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## 4F (29 Jan 2015)

tommaguzzi said:


> "Tarzan" rode south all day on dead straight, pan flat roads in 17 degree heat with a 15 mph tail wind.
> Plenty of us on this forum could have done that.



Hmm not sure many of us could have kept up to his average speed of 21 mph over the 250 miles though even with a nice tailwind. I think that both Steve and Kurt are doing a great job so far and it is certainly inspiring to see them both grinding out mile after mile everyday.

However as a Brit I still hope Steve wins


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## Banjo (29 Jan 2015)

I think its great that they have such different ideas on how to go about the challenge.

My money would be on Steve regardless of nationality, he is showing true British grit.


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## ianrauk (29 Jan 2015)

Steve knocks out yet another 190+ miler in what must have been very tough conditions. Nearly a 1000 miles ahead of Tommy's record at this point of time.


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## Mugshot (30 Jan 2015)

Meanwhile, Kurt has managed to break another bike, the drive side seat stay on the TCR snapped.


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## mcshroom (30 Jan 2015)

Which leaves him with just the recumbent. I hope he gets sorted soon as I wouldn't like to see him drop out due to equipment failure.


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## Mugshot (30 Jan 2015)

According to the video he has a few more than just the recumbant. Credit to the man for having a smile on his face.


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## ianrauk (30 Jan 2015)

Mugshot said:


> According to the video he has a few more than just the recumbant. Credit to the man for having a smile on his face.




Yeah, he does seem a jolly sort considering all his mechanical problems that he seem's to have. At this rate, by the end of the year he'll have a pile of broken bike the size of Everest.


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## totallyfixed (30 Jan 2015)

I have come to the conclusion that Kurt must have poor eyesight, the only way bike parts could be breaking this often is if he is hitting potholes, and either the roads are so rubbish he can't avoid them, which I don't believe, or he can't see them.


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## totallyfixed (30 Jan 2015)

Edit to last post, it is also more than possible that most of the bike problems occur in the second half of each days riding when concentration levels are greatly reduced, more so if you are riding at a prolonged high pace.


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## mcshroom (30 Jan 2015)

I haven't seen his video, but IIRC he set off with: -

- A Cervelo TT bike (broken steerer)
- A Giant Road Bike (broken rear frame)
- A 2 wheel Recumbent

Perhaps he's brought more in.


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## jefmcg (30 Jan 2015)

mcshroom said:


> Which leaves him with just the recumbent. I hope he gets sorted soon as I wouldn't like to see him drop out due to equipment failure.


Of course we want to see both of them go mano a mano, but if one of them failed due to equipment failure well that's part of it. This record is about preparation planning and support as much as it's about the pure physical effort. It would still be a well-deserved win


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## jefmcg (30 Jan 2015)

mcshroom said:


> I haven't seen his video, but IIRC he set off with: -
> 
> - A Cervelo TT bike (broken steerer)
> - A Giant Road Bike (broken rear frame)
> ...


 if you watch the video above, he's got access to another five bikes. Including titanium.

And boy he is Cheerful!


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## Mugshot (30 Jan 2015)

totallyfixed said:


> I have come to the conclusion that Kurt must have poor eyesight, the only way bike parts could be breaking this often is if he is hitting potholes, and either the roads are so rubbish he can't avoid them, which I don't believe, or he can't see them.


If he's hit a pothole or holes hard enough to crack the frame wouldn't he have knackered the wheel too?

Edit: Actually not crack, snap.


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## PMarkey (30 Jan 2015)

Ironically he mentions in the video that he has one of Chris Hopkinsons bikes back at base and may be tempted to use it


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## Saluki (30 Jan 2015)

Wouldn't using a Ti bike make sense? They are not known for falling apart at the drop of a hat. Reliability being the name of the game and all.


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## totallyfixed (30 Jan 2015)

Mugshot said:


> If he's hit a pothole or holes hard enough to crack the frame wouldn't he have knackered the wheel too?
> 
> Edit: Actually not crack, snap.





Saluki said:


> Wouldn't using a Ti bike make sense? They are not known for falling apart at the drop of a hat. Reliability being the name of the game and all.


The straight answer is no. Wheels are incredibly tough, three cross build with 32 / 36 spokes are bomb proof, so much so that [this is why I quoted your post @Saluki ] many years ago I hit an immovable object whilst riding a Ti bike at considerable speed, it bent the bike frame but the front wheel was untouched, the carbon forks were also cracked.


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## mcshroom (30 Jan 2015)

jefmcg said:


> if you watch the video above, he's got access to another five bikes. Including titanium.
> 
> And boy he is Cheerful!


Thanks. Facebook is blocked at work so I've just seen the video. Sounds like he's going to have to ship more bikes in that are not with him. If I had a Ti lovely hanging around I think I'd switch straight to that anyway - our riding styles may be rather different though


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## tommaguzzi (30 Jan 2015)

What is Kurt up to today his track on the android application looks like a tangled ball of string


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## ianrauk (30 Jan 2015)

Seems to be doing loops


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## ianrauk (30 Jan 2015)

Kurt has now given up on the loops and is heading east.
Steve is currently on 172 miles and not far from home


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## totallyfixed (30 Jan 2015)

ianrauk said:


> Kurt has now given up on the loops and is heading east.
> Steve is currently on 172 miles and *not fat* from home


No surprise there .


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## ianrauk (30 Jan 2015)

totallyfixed said:


> No surprise there .




ooops


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## ianrauk (30 Jan 2015)

Teethgrinder the Mighty knocks out another 190 miler today. Another day of tough conditions. And a fair bit of up and down thrown in.


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## Mugshot (30 Jan 2015)

Is there a record for the most climbing in one year?


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## Scoosh (30 Jan 2015)

Just getting his climbing legs tuned !


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## 13 rider (30 Jan 2015)

Anybody noticed milage total on website has jumped to 6100 that's 600 miles today .thought today started at 5400 seems today's milage has been duplicated


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## ianrauk (30 Jan 2015)

13 rider said:


> Anybody noticed milage total on website has jumped to 6100 that's 600 miles today .thought today started at 5400 seems today's milage has been duplicated




It happened before. He is logging on a few Garmins so must have uploaded them all by mistake. It was rectified before and will be again.


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## deptfordmarmoset (30 Jan 2015)

13 rider said:


> Anybody noticed milage total on website has jumped to 6100 that's 600 miles today .thought today started at 5400 seems today's milage has been duplicated


Odd, yes. I think it should be 5,593.8. (Adding 190.4 to yesterday's total on here)


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## ianrauk (30 Jan 2015)

deptfordmarmoset said:


> Odd, yes. I think it should be 5,593.8. (Adding 190.4 to yesterday's total on here)




Not odd. As I posted above. It's happened before and was rectified.


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## deptfordmarmoset (30 Jan 2015)

ianrauk said:


> Not odd. As I posted above. It's happened before and was rectified.


Hadn't seen your post Ian, I was trying to add 2 figures together....


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## tommaguzzi (30 Jan 2015)

ianrauk said:


> Kurt has now given up on the loops and is heading east.
> Steve is currently on 172 miles and not far from home



The wind might have changed to a more favourable direction. What is he doing to his bikes?
He broke a frame the other day.


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## Aperitif (30 Jan 2015)

Has / can anyone provide me with the total climbing stats (metres or feet, I'm not fussy) of the respective competitors...so far?
Also, the relative temperatures of each day / average?
Thank you.


----------



## srw (30 Jan 2015)

Aperitif said:


> Has / can anyone provide me with the total climbing stats (metres or feet, I'm not fussy) of the respective competitors...so far?


More than is comprehensible to a mortal


> Also, the relative temperatures of each day / average?
> Thank you.


For Steve - jolly cold
For Kurt - pretty damn nice most of the time.

HTH.


----------



## Ian H (30 Jan 2015)

PMarkey said:


> Ironically he mentions in the video that he has one of Chris Hopkinsons bikes back at base and may be tempted to use it



Except it's a fixed-wheel. I think Chris would like it back.


----------



## ianrauk (30 Jan 2015)

Aperitif said:


> Has / can anyone provide me with the total climbing stats (metres or feet, I'm not fussy) of the respective competitors...so far?
> Also, the relative temperatures of each day / average?
> Thank you.



Climbing
Steve 177,849ft / 54,208m
Kurt 36,968ft / 11,268m


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## Aperitif (31 Jan 2015)

User said:


> Certainly sir. Moon on a stick while you wait?


Yes. sorry - didn't mean it to be like that but...it works! Thank you, Ian.(and srw's Michael Fish-like perspicacity.)


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## Banjo (31 Jan 2015)

Surprised by Kurts climbing figures.He must be going for the triple A version of the event. :-)


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## tommaguzzi (31 Jan 2015)

What do you mean?

Steve climbed. 54,208 mtrs
Kurt climbed 11,268 mtrs

Steve has climbed almost 5 times as much

Steve rides in sub zero January temperatures battling winds, snow, rain and sleet in england
Kurt rides in balmy 20 degree temperatures in pan flat Florida mostly with favourable tail winds as much as possible

Tell us again who is going for the triple A?


----------



## Ian H (31 Jan 2015)

Steve is a very strong rider. A few years ago we were riding a fixed 600 perm. I was on 67", Steve said he was on (something like) 90". His hill-climbing was comfortably quicker than mine. Some days later we were chatting and he mentioned that he realised after the ride that he'd made a mistake with his gearing – put the wrong sprocket on – and was actually on 108".


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## Mugshot (31 Jan 2015)

It does appear to make the challenge rather different for the two fellas, in his last two rides Kurt has ridden 159 miles and 216 miles with 488ft and 868ft of climbing, Steve has ridden 190 miles and 190 miles with 7208ft and 7195ft of climbing.


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## ianrauk (31 Jan 2015)

And back on topic...thanks.

Steve's mileage counter is now showing the correct mileage.


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## ianrauk (31 Jan 2015)

In Steve's own words today. 'An easy 150 miles planned for today'


----------



## Banjo (31 Jan 2015)

tommaguzzi said:


> What do you mean?
> 
> Steve climbed. 54208 mtrs
> Kurt climbed 11268 mtrs
> ...


 
Oops misread the numbers on my little phone screen.

Steve is certainly doing the tougher mileage in a number of ways.


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## ianrauk (31 Jan 2015)

So, as promised, a 149 miler today from Steve.
He sure deserves the longer rest tonight. Looks like tomorrow is going to be another tough day weather wise.


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## ianrauk (1 Feb 2015)

Heat map of Steve's rides to date. (Thanks to Jo at the other place)


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## ianrauk (1 Feb 2015)

Thanks Jo once again for these stats.

Some comparative statistics from the National Travel Survey*:

Steve overtook the average annual distance cycled by all adults at *4am, 1st January *_(49 miles)_.

Steve overtook the average annual distance travelled by car as either driver or passenger on *28th January*_(5,070 miles)_.

Steve will probably overtake the average annual distance travelled by all modes, including walking, driving, domestic flight, cycling and public transport, on *Thursday 5th February*_(6,584 miles)_.

If he hits his target by the end of the year, Steve will have cycled further than the average adult travels in around *12 years*.


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## ianrauk (1 Feb 2015)

Today's ride just posted. 188 of what must have been very tough windy and hilly miles


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## MickeyBlueEyes (2 Feb 2015)

So Steve's around 20% up on Tommy after a Winter month, WOW! I can't wait until Spring and then Summer to see what this guy can _really_ do!


----------



## ianrauk (2 Feb 2015)

A fascinating couple of pics from Jo over at the other place.
Steve's and Kurt's heatmaps in relative scale (Just goes to show how big the USA is)


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## ianrauk (2 Feb 2015)

And the results are in from the Teethgrinder jury... a fantastic 186.7 of your Imperial miles.


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## Mugshot (3 Feb 2015)

Well, you've got to feel for the man.


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## Aperitif (3 Feb 2015)

Mugshot said:


> Well, you've got to feel for the man.



Diddums. It would be interesting if, say, the two riders could 'swap' riding conditions for one week. Statistically there might be a 'blip' in both their packets of data...climate,temperature, HRM, ascent, calories etc. Has Steve produced any cheerful videos yet?


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## Mugshot (3 Feb 2015)

Haven't seen any videos for Steve, I expect the camera is frozen. He looks pretty chipper in this photo though.


----------



## ianrauk (3 Feb 2015)

Damn it's nasty out there.
Looking at Steve's tracker, seem's he's heading for Leamington Spa. 
Any peeps on here in the area can give a weather report?


----------



## BrumJim (3 Feb 2015)

Birmingham is sunny and dry, but rather cold. Not bad riding weather, tbh.


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## Saluki (3 Feb 2015)

Poor Kurt. Must be horrible being wet in florida. I'm sure that he'd rather be in the blooming freezing, snowy conditions that the wind is blowing horizontally here. Might be easier for him.
Been a grotty day out. Steve has been on our mind a fair bit.


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## ianrauk (3 Feb 2015)

182 miles for the day. Once again, very cold conditions and a fair bit of climbing.


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## Mugshot (4 Feb 2015)

Yesterdays Kurt vid.


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## mcshroom (4 Feb 2015)

Yup in teh rules. Along with both rider and crew chief having to stay sober for the whole 12 months (Even if Hoppo is at home 100s of miles away from Steve).


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## Mugshot (5 Feb 2015)

Kurt on day 26, the man just can't stop breaking things!


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## Glow worm (5 Feb 2015)

Looks like Steve read a few posts up-thread about the flatlands as he's now on the Fens somewhere between March and Wisbech. It won't be bleak out there at all today- oh no, not one bit!


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## mattobrien (5 Feb 2015)

Glow worm said:


> Looks like Steve read a few posts up-thread about the flatlands as he's now on the Fens somewhere between March and Wisbech. It won't be bleak out there at all today- oh no, not one bit!


He'll probably still have more ascent in the flat lands than Kurt manages over in Florida. Kurt did a ride on 31st Jan - 222 miles and a grand total of 635 feet of ascent. Makes Suffolk look positively hilly by comparison.


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## ianrauk (5 Feb 2015)

just a tad under 200 miles today for Steve.


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## deptfordmarmoset (5 Feb 2015)

At some point tomorrow, SA's challenge will be 10% completed. (In terms of time only, of course.)


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## mcshroom (5 Feb 2015)

Looks like he's turned the wick up a bit the last couple days. Hmm, I went for 5432 miles in February but if he keeps turning in 200 mile days he'll go past that


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## Fab Foodie (5 Feb 2015)

Glow worm said:


> Looks like Steve read a few posts up-thread about the flatlands as he's now on the Fens somewhere between March and Wisbech. It won't be bleak out there at all today- oh no, not one bit!


To be fair, between March and Wisbech there is only bleak ...., North, South, East or West ,,,,, Winter, Spring, Summer or Autumn ....


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## Aperitif (6 Feb 2015)

Fab Foodie said:


> To be fair, between March and Wisbech there is only bleak ...., North, South, East or West ,,,,, Winter, Spring, Summer or Autumn  Fall ....



FTFYFF


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## Mugshot (6 Feb 2015)

A close shave and a rough day for Kurt yesterday.


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## Mugshot (6 Feb 2015)

Here's a couple of pics which somebody got of Steve from yesterday. He looks well wrapped up, anybody would think it was cold!


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## Fab Foodie (6 Feb 2015)

Aperitif said:


> FTFYFF


You are James Taylor AICMFP.


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## ianrauk (6 Feb 2015)

*Here's* the Zoe Williams article from the Guardian.


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## MacB (6 Feb 2015)

ianrauk said:


> *Here's* the Zoe Williams article from the Guardian.



Not bad, don't think she really knew how to handle him...love the comments section though, only a few in and the ability to comment without reading, or having a clue, is already in full flow


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## MisterStan (6 Feb 2015)

'Abraham will just about concede that he’s known for his ability to withstand pain – he once tried to get his own wisdom tooth out with a screwdriver, because he didn’t want to miss a time trial the next day – but what he will not do is admit to the magnitude of this undertaking.'

The man is amazing.


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## totallyfixed (6 Feb 2015)

Anyone else having trouble with the tracking map? The place names are missing, tried twice today. We have another chance of seeing Steve this weekend but will obviously need to know where he is.


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## Ian H (6 Feb 2015)

totallyfixed said:


> Anyone else having trouble with the tracking map? The place names are missing, tried twice today. We have another chance of seeing Steve this weekend but will obviously need to know where he is.


Zoom in to see placenames. Not sure why it's changed. I'll ask.


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## Mugshot (6 Feb 2015)

More equipment failures for Kurt and his crew.


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## Mugshot (6 Feb 2015)

Latest progress chart for the lads
HERE
I wonder if they're going to take William off there soon?


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## Mugshot (6 Feb 2015)

I think Kurt and Steve will be on the same distance covered in around 92 days if their current averages are maintained, which will be the 9th May. I stand to be corrected on this though 
However going by the article posted by Ian I'm expecting to see something quite extraordinary from Steve when the weather improves and we'll see how Kurt responds to that, not suggesting that whats been done so far isn't absolutely extraordinary of course.


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## Supersuperleeds (6 Feb 2015)

Mugshot said:


> Latest progress chart for the lads
> HERE
> I wonder if they're going to take William off there soon?



They should take him off now, there are several people on here who have done more miles than him so far this year


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## Mugshot (6 Feb 2015)

Supersuperleeds said:


> They should take him off now, there are several people on here who have done more miles than him so far this year


You're absolutely right Mr Leeds, there are some that have done an _awful_ lot more than him so far this year, mentioning no names.*

*I'm talking about you!


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## Saluki (6 Feb 2015)

Mugshot said:


> More equipment failures for Kurt and his crew.



Waiting for assistance? What, she can't change a wheel? Blimey.


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## Mugshot (6 Feb 2015)

Saluki said:


> Waiting for assistance? What, she can't change a wheel? Blimey.


Hopefully the roadside assistance isn't Kurt, I'm sure he's got other things he's supposed to be doing.


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## totallyfixed (6 Feb 2015)

Ian H said:


> Zoom in to see placenames. Not sure why it's changed. I'll ask.


Nothing showing on the map at all now, I don't think it's at my end.


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## Mugshot (6 Feb 2015)

totallyfixed said:


> Nothing showing on the map at all now, I don't think it's at my end.


Seems to be showing OK on mine @totallyfixed


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## Ian H (6 Feb 2015)

I raised the issue a short while ago. Not heard back.


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## Supersuperleeds (6 Feb 2015)

He did 170 miles today


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## Supersuperleeds (6 Feb 2015)

6871 miles YTD (per strava)


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## loveandpeace1 (6 Feb 2015)

Amazing guy


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## totallyfixed (7 Feb 2015)

Cracked it! No, not the map, caught up with Steve at the Windmill cafe 7 miles north of Oakham and we rode with him for the best part of an hour, we have quite a few mutual friends in tt'ing and long distance cycling so we took it in turns to ride and chat with him. We took a few pictures which I will post up shortly in "Your ride today" in the cafe. It is possible we may be able to ride with him again tomorrow.


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## 13 rider (7 Feb 2015)

totallyfixed said:


> Cracked it! No, not the map, caught up with Steve at the Windmill cafe 7 miles north of Oakham and we rode with him for the best part of an hour, we have quite a few mutual friends in tt'ing and long distance cycling so we took it in turns to ride and chat with him. We took a few pictures which I will post up shortly in "Your ride today" in the cafe. It is possible we may be able to ride with him again tomorrow.


Well done for finding him.I was planning to intercept today if he followed the route from two weeks ago but sadly for me he turned east south of Leicester and wouldn't have had time to get across Leicester and intercept .im not sure I could keep up with him anyway but would be worth trying .hopefully other chances in the year


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## Ian H (7 Feb 2015)

Map now fixed.


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## totallyfixed (7 Feb 2015)

Ian H said:


> Map now fixed.


Thanks Ian, just as well considering todays events.


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## ianrauk (7 Feb 2015)

192.7 miles today on the board for our intrepid super cyclist.


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## Ian H (7 Feb 2015)

totallyfixed said:


> Thanks Ian, just as well considering todays events.


I've been out all day. Nothing untoward reported that I can see. Wossup?


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## totallyfixed (7 Feb 2015)

Ian H said:


> I've been out all day. Nothing untoward reported that I can see. Wossup?


I meant that if the map had still been dud we would not have ridden with Steve today.


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## Ian H (7 Feb 2015)

totallyfixed said:


> I meant that if the map had still been dud we would not have ridden with Steve today.


Ah! Well I pointed it out to Dave who pointed out to Scott who fixed it and said thanks for pointing it out. I expect Steve was glad of the company.


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## jefmcg (8 Feb 2015)

They are selling supporters cycling tops, £10 to Steve. Order by 22 Feb.






http://milltag.cc/shop/jerseys/oneyeartimetrial


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## themosquitoking (8 Feb 2015)

That's a nice jersey but is it made of wool?


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## ianrauk (8 Feb 2015)

185 miles for the intrepid red road warrior today..


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## Mugshot (9 Feb 2015)

Interview with Steve HERE


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## velovoice (9 Feb 2015)

themosquitoking said:


> That's a nice jersey but is it made of wool?


Milltag don't do wool, sadly.


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## Mugshot (9 Feb 2015)

From Steves Facebook page,




Steve's 'Red' bike...it's done approx 5,600 miles to date....time for a service!


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## BrumJim (9 Feb 2015)

Mugshot said:


> From Steves Facebook page,
> View attachment 79348
> 
> Steve's 'Red' bike...it's done approx 5,600 miles to date....time for a service!



So he uses his bike as a radiator when he's not riding it?


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## PMarkey (9 Feb 2015)

BrumJim said:


> So he uses his bike as a radiator when he's not riding it?


"Steel" it's real, try that with your Carbon bikes


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## ianrauk (9 Feb 2015)

An awesome 200 miler today from the Red road warrior. Miles as you like,


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## Banjo (9 Feb 2015)

Steves bikes seem to have a bigger than usual gap between tyre and mudguard. Is that just due to him using smaller tyres than the originals or is it for some other reason ?


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## totallyfixed (9 Feb 2015)

User13710 said:


> Could be to stop mud and road dirt from getting jammed under them? My tourer has such close-fitting mudguards that the mud collects, especially round the nut/bolt that holds them on, and sets like concrete. I have to keep taking the wheels off the clean it out, such a waste of time.




This. Any cyclist with Steve's experience will know the perils of close fitting mudguards and especially those without quick release in case of a larger object getting pulled up by the tyre which I think Steve's bike does not have, hence the bigger gap when fitting the mudguards. I am fairly sure he has changed wheels since he started his epic journey, when we rode with him I seem to remember he had American Classics on.


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## Bazzer (9 Feb 2015)

If I have interpreted Kurt Searvogel's spreadsheet correctly, he is (in round figures)650 miles ahead of his projections. Although direct comparisons to the record are awkward as the data for the period 1/1 - 9/1 of the record is ignored and the same period at the end spreadsheet looks to be projections.
Incredible performances by both men, though my heart wants the record to stay on this side of the Atlantic.


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## BenM (10 Feb 2015)

its probably been said before but I think they two (?three) modern attempts are actually very different so shouldn't really be classed as the same record... Florida is well known for its hills and bad weather where as the UK is flat as a pancake and mild even in winter... 
Perhaps the UCA should have regional records? so the chap in Florida isn't beating the UK record he is setting the first Florida one using the distance set in the UK as a benchmark...
Go Steve though - incredible progress so far.


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## Mugshot (10 Feb 2015)

A little video blog/interview thingy from Kurt


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## Ian H (10 Feb 2015)

Steve should pass 1/10th of Tommy Godwin's total today. There's still a very long way to go.


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## Saluki (10 Feb 2015)

BenM said:


> its probably been said before but I think they two (?three) modern attempts are actually very different so shouldn't really be classed as the same record... Florida is well known for its hills and bad weather where as the UK is flat as a pancake and mild even in winter...
> Perhaps the UCA should have regional records? so the chap in Florida isn't beating the UK record he is setting the first Florida one using the distance set in the UK as a benchmark...
> Go Steve though - incredible progress so far.


You sure that you have Florida and the UK the right way around. If so, why is my heating bill so big?


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## ColinJ (10 Feb 2015)

BenM said:


> its probably been said before but I think they two (?three) modern attempts are actually very different so shouldn't really be classed as the same record... Florida is well known for its hills and bad weather where as the UK is flat as a pancake and mild even in winter...





Saluki said:


> You sure that you have Florida and the UK the right way around. If so, why is my heating bill so big?


*IRONY ALERT! *


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## Saluki (10 Feb 2015)

ColinJ said:


> *IRONY ALERT! *


Sorry. Over tired.


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## themosquitoking (10 Feb 2015)

velovoice said:


> Milltag don't do wool, sadly.


I don't actually want one made of wool, they imply it is in the sales blurb. That would put me off it.


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## ianrauk (10 Feb 2015)

(Yet) another cracking ride today. 195 miles on the clock. The guy's relentless.


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## Aperitif (10 Feb 2015)

Nice lumpy old route to roll around for nigh on 200 miles! 'Relentless' is a good word, Ian. His Brooks must be nicely broken in by now also.


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## Pale Rider (11 Feb 2015)

ianrauk said:


> (Yet) another cracking ride today. 195 miles on the clock. The guy's relentless.
> 
> View attachment 79454
> 
> ...



As is Tarzan, who has done 213 miles and taken another 18 miles out of Steve.

OK, Steve's going to pull on in the better weather over here, but what if Tarzan also ups his game?

Another point in Tarzan's favour is his faster speed means less time in the saddle - 'only' 11 hours for the 213 miles.

Things could get bloody if he starts to slap in 15 hour or 16 hour days.


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## Mugshot (11 Feb 2015)

Posted on Facebook yesterday;




Got to meet the legend himself, Steve Abraham earlier, taking a quick stop on the outskirts of Swindon. Seemed like a lovely chap and hopefully will see him a few more times throughout the year! 

(I did actually go in and say 'hello' etc, not just photograph his bike as the photo may suggest)


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## ianrauk (11 Feb 2015)

Pale Rider said:


> As is Tarzan, who has done 213 miles and taken another 18 miles out of Steve.
> 
> OK, Steve's going to pull on in the better weather over here, but what if Tarzan also ups his game?
> 
> ...




To be honest I'm really not bothered about Kurt. I have met Steve and cycled with him a few times. I'm really only interested in following his ride and progress rather then the side show. Though it does make for compelling viewing.


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## Origamist (11 Feb 2015)

Mugshot said:


> Posted on Facebook yesterday;
> View attachment 79497
> 
> Got to meet the legend himself, Steve Abraham earlier, taking a quick stop on the outskirts of Swindon. Seemed like a lovely chap and hopefully will see him a few more times throughout the year!
> ...


 
I was so intent on staring at the bike, I almost missed Steve in the background!


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## ianrauk (11 Feb 2015)

Origamist said:


> I was so intent on staring at the bike, I almost missed Steve in the background!




HAHAHAHA You and me both..


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## BSRU (11 Feb 2015)

Mugshot said:


> Posted on Facebook yesterday;
> View attachment 79497
> 
> Got to meet the legend himself, Steve Abraham earlier, taking a quick stop on the outskirts of Swindon. Seemed like a lovely chap and hopefully will see him a few more times throughout the year!
> ...


Going by his strava trace it looks like he stopped off for a Costa coffee or maybe a Subway just by junction 16.


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## Origamist (11 Feb 2015)

ianrauk said:


> HAHAHAHA You and me both..


 
I've not been following this thread properly, but do you know if Steve has been to Cheshire yet?


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## ianrauk (11 Feb 2015)

Origamist said:


> I've not been following this thread properly, but do you know if Steve been to Cheshire yet?



Not yet.. but will go and check


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## mcshroom (11 Feb 2015)

Don't think so. If you look on his tracker it shows orange lines on all the routes for the year. I'd check but it's blocked at work unfortunately.


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## Mugshot (11 Feb 2015)

Origamist said:


> I was so intent on staring at the bike, I almost missed Steve in the background!


That makes three of us, the pic is quite a bit smaller on Facebook and it was only when I loaded it on to here that I spotted Steve tucking in to some well earned scran.


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## ianrauk (11 Feb 2015)

Updated Google Spreadsheet of mileages *HERE*


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## Aperitif (11 Feb 2015)

ianrauk said:


> HAHAHAHA You and me both..


Makes for a numpty trio then! 

TMN to Mugshot and 'foursome' for me.


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## ianrauk (11 Feb 2015)

Apparently Steve is retracing yesterday's route back to MK, so that should be another near 200 miler.


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## Pale Rider (11 Feb 2015)

ianrauk said:


> To be honest I'm really not bothered about Kurt. I have met Steve and cycled with him a few times. I'm really only interested in following his ride and progress rather then the side show. Though it does make for compelling viewing.



Kurt will be a bit more than a sideshow if he beats Steve on mileage.

I'm a bigger patriot than most people I know, but to me it's winner take all.

The tiny audax community will always remember Steve, the wider world will forget him within a week, just as they will Tarzan if he does fewer miles.


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## ianrauk (11 Feb 2015)

And there we have it...198 miles on the dot


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## totallyfixed (11 Feb 2015)

A couple of points, riding the way Kurt does is not in my opinion sustainable, he is using massive amounts of energy which I believe will eventually be his downfall, in fact it wouldn't surprise me if he changes his tactics and begins to ride in a similar way to Steve at some point, but of course Steve is the master of this, plus I have a good idea of what Steve has in the pipeline.
On the subject of Cheshire, no offence @Origamist but I would rather he avoided Cheshire roads unless he switches to a mtb .


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## Mugshot (12 Feb 2015)

totallyfixed said:


> A couple of points, riding the way Kurt does is not in my opinion sustainable, he is using massive amounts of energy which I believe will eventually be his downfall, in fact it wouldn't surprise me if he changes his tactics and begins to ride in a similar way to Steve at some point, but of course Steve is the master of this, plus I have a good idea of what Steve has in the pipeline.
> On the subject of Cheshire, no offence @Origamist but I would rather he avoided Cheshire roads unless he switches to a mtb .


I don't understand this, Kurts average heart rate is very similar to Steves and of course he's not doing anywhere near the climbing that Steve is doing, he's also riding in far more favourable conditions than Steve is currently. So unless you're referring to his brand new girlfriend and his camper van I'm not sure what you mean when you say he is using massive amounts of energy and that it isn't sustainable.


----------



## Mugshot (12 Feb 2015)

Don't think this has been posted already, interview with Steve HERE


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## MisterStan (12 Feb 2015)

totallyfixed said:


> plus I have a good idea of what Steve has in the pipeline.


Seeing what Steve is doing already, this statement fills me with awe. I can't wait to see him turn up the gas as it were. 

Go Steve!


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## Origamist (12 Feb 2015)

totallyfixed said:


> A couple of points, riding the way Kurt does is not in my opinion sustainable, he is using massive amounts of energy which I believe will eventually be his downfall, in fact it wouldn't surprise me if he changes his tactics and begins to ride in a similar way to Steve at some point, but of course Steve is the master of this, plus I have a good idea of what Steve has in the pipeline.
> On the subject of Cheshire, no offence @Origamist but I would rather he avoided Cheshire roads unless he switches to a mtb .


 
After a pinch-puncture on Tues caused by a pot hole, I'm inclined to agree. It is flat though!


----------



## Origamist (12 Feb 2015)

ianrauk said:


> And there we have it...198 miles on the dot
> 
> View attachment 79555


 
He'll do anything to avoid going through Swindon and I don't blame him..

Terrific mileage...


----------



## Aperitif (12 Feb 2015)

Origamist said:


> He'll do anything to avoid going through Swindon and I don't blame him..
> 
> Terrific mileage...


It's lovely round there!  Marlborough and environs is a bit too close for comfort...wouldn't fancy that much.


----------



## BSRU (12 Feb 2015)

Origamist said:


> He'll do anything to avoid going through Swindon and I don't blame him..


Very understandable


----------



## ianrauk (12 Feb 2015)

And here is the daily update from the road.. a couple of miles more then yesterday with 200 on the clock from our (ghostly) intrepid Marsh Gibbonist,


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## totallyfixed (12 Feb 2015)

Could be a tough one tomorrow, a good day for heading due north, unfortunately I see he is staying at home tomorrow so maybe best to find a sheltered circuit and go round in circles.


----------



## ianrauk (12 Feb 2015)

totallyfixed said:


> Could be a tough one tomorrow, a good day for heading due north, unfortunately I see he is staying at home tomorrow so maybe best to find a sheltered circuit and go round in circles.




Yup, weather looking decidedly wet and windy.


----------



## Aperitif (12 Feb 2015)

ianrauk said:


> Updated Google Spreadsheet of mileages *HERE*


William 'the Muesli' Pruett is basically doing a commute a day. Has he been discounted from this challenge, or should we expect fireworks sometime soon?


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## ianrauk (12 Feb 2015)

Aperitif said:


> William 'the Muesli' Pruett is basically doing a commute a day. Has he been discounted from this challenge, or should we expect fireworks sometime soon?




Who knows. It's either he's not taking it seriously or has something up his sleeve. But he is so far behind the other two to be a serious challenge seeing as his official start date was the 4th January.


----------



## mcshroom (12 Feb 2015)

totallyfixed said:


> Could be a tough one tomorrow, a good day for heading due north, unfortunately I see he is staying at home tomorrow so maybe best to find a sheltered circuit and go round in circles.


According to base he's off to Barton on Humber tomorrow


----------



## Bazzer (12 Feb 2015)

Origamist said:


> I've not been following this thread properly, but do you know if Steve has been to Cheshire yet?



The calendar on his web site shows he is planning on coming up North a couple of times,(IIRC) later this year.


----------



## Mugshot (13 Feb 2015)

ianrauk said:


> Yup, weather looking decidedly wet and windy.


Particularly unpleasant this morning, I certainly didn't think much of the idea of being out there for 20 times longer than I was.


----------



## Mugshot (13 Feb 2015)

I know some of you don't do Strava and more than that I suspect some really don't like it, however Steve is getting plenty of support through it. According to his team, who are replying on his behalf, he does read the comments and appreciates the kudos given. So I thought I'd give a couple of stats with a couple of pros thrown in, whether you're interested or not 

Followers:
Steve - 11565
Kurt - 1497
Michal Kwiatowski - 19490
Laurens ten Dam - 70640
Mugshot - 6

YTD Mileage:
Steve - 8042
Kurt - 6921
Michal Kwiatowski - 2551
Laurens ten Dam - 2172
Mugshot - 779

YTD Elevation:
Steve - 231732
Kurt - 69360
Michal Kwiatowski - 172195
Laurens ten Dam - 155715
Mugshot - 32320

Time:
Steve - 560h 17m
Kurt - 360h 17m
Michal Kwiatowski - 128h 19m
Laurens ten Dam - 121h 46m
Mugshot - 59h 16m

Edit: Thought I'd do feet climbed per mile

Steve - 28.8ft
Kurt - 10ft
Michal Kwiatowski - 67.5ft
Laurens ten Dam - 71.7ft
Mugshot - 41.5ft


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## velovoice (13 Feb 2015)

ianrauk said:


> Who knows. It's either he's not taking it seriously or has something up his sleeve. But he is so far behind the other two to be a serious challenge seeing as his official start date was the 4th January.


I read somewhere that he said in an interview that he wasn't aiming to beat Tommy's record, simply do his own PB for the year. I don't know why he went to all the trouble to engage with the UMCA and apparently take an active role in negotiating the rules for the HAM'R record, but there it is - he did, and registered for the record attempt. I don't think he's got anything up his sleeve.


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## Aperitif (13 Feb 2015)

Laurens is climbing a dam lot for his miles! Thanks Mugshot - interesting view.


----------



## ianrauk (13 Feb 2015)

velovoice said:


> I read somewhere that he said in an interview that he wasn't aiming to beat Tommy's record, simply do his own PB for the year. I don't know why he went to all the trouble to engage with the UMCA and apparently take an active role in negotiating the rules for the HAM'R record, but there it is - he did, and registered for the record attempt. I don't think he's got anything up his sleeve.



I should have also registered then as my mileage to date this year is above his


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## Mugshot (13 Feb 2015)

Aperitif said:


> Laurens is climbing a dam lot for his miles! Thanks Mugshot - interesting view.


I see what you did there 
THIS ride from Wednesday may have helped push Laurens average up a little.


----------



## MisterStan (13 Feb 2015)

ianrauk said:


> I should have also registered then as my mileage to date this year is above his


I don't know if there are enough sausages in the UK to sustain two attempts simultaneously


----------



## totallyfixed (13 Feb 2015)

Mugshot said:


> I don't understand this, Kurts average heart rate is very similar to Steves and of course he's not doing anywhere near the climbing that Steve is doing, he's also riding in far more favourable conditions than Steve is currently. So unless you're referring to his brand new girlfriend and his camper van I'm not sure what you mean when you say he is using massive amounts of energy and that it isn't sustainable.


I am guilty of not looking at the detail of Kurt's rides, I looked at his bike listened to what some others were saying, applied my tt and physiology knowledge and assumed he was riding hard over shorter periods. What doesn't make sense is that Kurt's average moving speed is around 2 mph lower than Steve, if he is doing at least the same mileage per day then he is of course riding for longer each day yet whenever I look at his current speed it is usually above 19mph. I am slightly confused, do we have any accurate data for Kurt?


----------



## Bazzer (13 Feb 2015)

With the increased publicity about the attempt and if it looks like the record will be beaten, more could follow, I hope that that those closest to his daily preparations keep an eye on his home property and equipment left there. Horrible thought I know, but there will be some scrotes out there who wouldn't think twice about an unwelcome visit to a property, where not only is the householder known to be out for 15 hours, but conveniently, technology tells you exactly where he is..


----------



## Mugshot (13 Feb 2015)

totallyfixed said:


> I am guilty of not looking at the detail of Kurt's rides, I looked at his bike listened to what some others were saying, applied my tt and physiology knowledge and assumed he was riding hard over shorter periods. What doesn't make sense is that Kurt's average moving speed is around 2 mph lower than Steve, if he is doing at least the same mileage per day then he is of course riding for longer each day yet whenever I look at his current speed it is usually above 19mph. I am slightly confused, do we have any accurate data for Kurt?


These are Kurts stats from the last 7 days

Mileage - 188.7
HR - 96bpm
Ave speed - 18.6mph

Mileage - 211.1
HR - 95bpm
Ave speed - 19.3mph

Mileage - 212.6
HR - 90bpm
Ave speed - 20.1mph

Mileage - 181.3
HR - 92bpm
Ave speed - 17.6mph

Mileage - 213.6
HR - 97bpm
Ave speed - 20.3mph

Mileage - 217.7
HR - 114bpm
Ave speed - 20.5mph

Mileage - 204.9
HR - 91bpm
Ave speed - 20mph

These are from strava which I assume are uploaded daily from the Garmin.


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## Supersuperleeds (13 Feb 2015)

@Mugshot Any chance of Kurt's user name so I can have a nosey at his stats?


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## Mugshot (13 Feb 2015)

Supersuperleeds said:


> @Mugshot Any chance of Kurt's user name so I can have a nosey at his stats?


*Kurt Searvogel*

https://www.strava.com/athletes/350...rval_type=week&chart_type=miles&year_offset=0

There we go


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## Mugshot (13 Feb 2015)

Kurt's tracker is odd today, his mileage isn't where I'd expect it to be for the time of day and it looks like he's going round in circles.


----------



## Sea of vapours (13 Feb 2015)

Mugshot said:


> Kurt's tracker is odd today, his mileage isn't where I'd expect it to be for the time of day and it looks like he's going round in circles.


He didn't start 'til 1430 UK time, and he's probably doing a relatively short day in preparation for his 0630 start in the 12 hour Sebring Race tomorrow.


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## Mugshot (13 Feb 2015)

Sea of vapours said:


> He didn't start 'til 1430 UK time, and he's probably doing a relatively short day in preparation for his 0630 start in the 12 hour Sebring Race tomorrow.


Ah, that could well explain it then, thank you


----------



## Supersuperleeds (13 Feb 2015)

Mugshot said:


> *Kurt Searvogel*
> 
> https://www.strava.com/athletes/350...rval_type=week&chart_type=miles&year_offset=0
> 
> There we go



Thanks


----------



## Mugshot (13 Feb 2015)

Supersuperleeds said:


> Thanks


Pleasure


----------



## ianrauk (13 Feb 2015)

Well if Steve's weather on his ride was anything like the foul weather I had for my my minuscule 30 mile round trip today, I doubt it would have been much fun. But he digs in and keeps going. 188.7miles for the day. Absolutely amazing


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## Mugshot (13 Feb 2015)

I'm guessing the same tomorrow for the journey home.


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## mcshroom (13 Feb 2015)

That would be my guess. Didn't look too good weather wise for Steve today.





I hope it wasn't as wet as my ride home


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## Supersuperleeds (13 Feb 2015)

Tomorrow is supposed to be drier and the wind is supposed to die back down as well, so hopefully he will have good weather tomorrow


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## tommaguzzi (14 Feb 2015)

Supersuperleeds said:


> Tomorrow is supposed to be drier and the wind is supposed to die back down as well, so hopefully he will have good weather tomorrow



The Met office predicts a 7mph wind from the north on Saturday so it should be a tail wind all the way to Milton Keynes if thats is where he is going. 
Just checked Kurt and he is doing small loops of the same road that must be very boring.


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## Ian H (14 Feb 2015)

Kurt is riding the Sebring 12 this weekend.


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## Mugshot (14 Feb 2015)

Kurt latest video, including a bonus appearance by Chris "hoppo" Hopkinson, one of Steve support crew.


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## Ian H (14 Feb 2015)

Chris is the official crew chief registered with UMCA. He keeps the rest of us in order.


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## Mugshot (14 Feb 2015)

Ian H said:


> Chris is the official crew chief registered with UMCA. He keeps the rest of us in order.


Are you part of the crew too Ian?


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## Ian H (14 Feb 2015)

Yes. I put the website together for Steve (but blame me, not him).


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## Mugshot (14 Feb 2015)

Ian H said:


> Yes. I put the website together for Steve (but blame me, not him).


Fantastic, well done you!!! I didn't mean to do Chris a disservice I guessed he was up the pecking order but I didn't know the hierarchy  From the looks of it you're all doing a terrific job


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## totallyfixed (14 Feb 2015)

Mugshot said:


> These are Kurts stats from the last 7 days
> 
> Mileage - 188.7
> HR - 96bpm
> ...


 A relatively high average speed with a heart rate that low, I don't see how. i don't know how long his rest stops are but an average speed of 20mph gives you 240 miles in 12 hours.


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## Ian H (15 Feb 2015)

Mugshot said:


> Fantastic, well done you!!! I didn't mean to do Chris a disservice I guessed he was up the pecking order but I didn't know the hierarchy  From the looks of it you're all doing a terrific job



Thank-you. You can see who's doing what here: http://oneyeartimetrial.org.uk/team


----------



## albion (15 Feb 2015)

totallyfixed said:


> A relatively high average speed with a heart rate that low, I don't see how. i don't know how long his rest stops are but an average speed of 20mph gives you 240 miles in 12 hours.



Everyone is different even if it does look kind of bizarre. You could also be drafting behind a van much of the time. It is allowed.


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## ColinJ (15 Feb 2015)

albion said:


> Everyone is different even if it does look kind of bizarre. You could also be drafting behind a van much of the time. It is allowed.


Hmm ... is he actually doing that? I hope not because it isn't in keeping with the spirit of the challenge, though I can see why it isn't banned because enforcing a year-long ban on drafting would be impossibly expensive.

(He does have a support vehicle, so in theory it could be driving just in front of him all day long.)


----------



## Saluki (15 Feb 2015)

ColinJ said:


> Hmm ... is he actually doing that? I hope not because it isn't in keeping with the spirit of the challenge, though I can see why it isn't banned because enforcing a year-long ban on drafting would be impossibly expensive.
> 
> (He does have a support vehicle, so in theory it could be driving just in front of him all day long.)


You have said exactly what I was thinking. It would be relatively easy, when cycling in to a head wind for a number of miles, to just tuck in behind a van and let it it do the wind busting for you.


----------



## albion (15 Feb 2015)

Well, I'd say Kurt has to be given the benefit of any small doubt, unless he indicates otherwise.


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## albion (15 Feb 2015)

http://www.dispatch.com/content/blo...1/can-tarzan-cycle-80000-miles-in-a-year.html

"Kurt figures he’ll burn about 12,000 calories a day, which means he has to eat a lot to maintain his weight."

Can you burn 12,000 at 100bpm ?


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## ianrauk (15 Feb 2015)

Heatmap of Steve's rides as of the 14th (Thanks to Jo)


----------



## Pale Rider (15 Feb 2015)

Is drafting such a big benefit at sub-pro peloton speeds?

I only ask because when I've tried to draft at my whopping into the wind speed of about 10mph, it doesn't seem to make much difference.


----------



## Dave Davenport (15 Feb 2015)

Drafting behind a big van at 20mph would save at least 50% of effort.


----------



## screenman (15 Feb 2015)

Pale Rider said:


> Is drafting such a big benefit at sub-pro peloton speeds?
> 
> I only ask because when I've tried to draft at my whopping into the wind speed of about 10mph, it doesn't seem to make much difference.



You are not doing it right then, as for sure you should notice the difference,


----------



## totallyfixed (15 Feb 2015)

Big difference, it is why the drafting pro triathlon races are a complete farce.


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## Pale Rider (15 Feb 2015)

screenman said:


> You are not doing it right then



Last time somebody told me that I was behind a bike shed, not riding a bike.


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## ianrauk (15 Feb 2015)

193.6miles on the ticker for the Red Rover Randoneur today.


----------



## Mugshot (16 Feb 2015)

Kurt after Sebring


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## Simmo (16 Feb 2015)

I'm doing 140 miles over two days in sunny august and getting giddy about it..... This guys doing over 200 miles a day, every day, for a YEAR!!! What a machine!


----------



## ianrauk (16 Feb 2015)

Just a tiny tad over 200 miles today. In what I hope was better weather then we have had down SE London. But I doubt it.
Awesome stuff.


----------



## mcshroom (16 Feb 2015)

Er, wrong pic


----------



## ianrauk (16 Feb 2015)

mcshroom said:


> Er, wrong pic




Sorry dear chap.. now sorted


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## ianrauk (18 Feb 2015)

200 miles yesterday to Lowestoft, and another 200 miles for the return today.


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## Aperitif (19 Feb 2015)

Steve's cheating himself now...hardly any climbing!


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## Mugshot (19 Feb 2015)

Day 39 for Kurt, did he say he'd had a bottle of beer?


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## ianrauk (19 Feb 2015)

I wonder if the UMCA will get all arsey with Kurt as they did when Steve was pictured with a bottle of wine in the background?

And another crash.


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## Mugshot (19 Feb 2015)

ianrauk said:


> I wonder if the UMCA will get all arsey with Kurt as they did when Steve was pictured with a bottle of wine in the background?


I don't know how the no alcohol rule applies in practice, when it comes to a year long challenge it's going to be pretty difficult to police I would have thought. However if you're not allowed anything alcoholic for the 365 days it seems a bit daft to say something on camera or to have a potentially incriminating picture of yourself published on Facebook.





Personally I think the least either of them deserve after riding for 200 miles is a bottle of beer.


----------



## mcshroom (19 Feb 2015)

So do I, and the no alcohol rule (for riders and crew) is a general rule for UMCA events rather than specifically for the HAMR. However the UMCA did get wound up by a picture of Steve with an unopened bottle of beer in the background last month, so they could be rather inflexible about it if they so wish.


----------



## deptfordmarmoset (19 Feb 2015)

This is how their average daily mileages look so far....


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## jay clock (19 Feb 2015)

Aperitif said:


> Steve's cheating himself now...hardly any climbing!


Yes, but he did start 200 ft under water


----------



## ianrauk (19 Feb 2015)

A shorter mileage day for Steve today. I can imagine the crappy wet weather paid a big part in his reasoning, staying quite close to his home. 174.5 miles on the ticker.


----------



## Saluki (19 Feb 2015)

That's amazing, given the weather today. It started off OK but by 10 it was all miserable drizzle. You have to admire Steve's tenacity to ride through that horrible wet misery that we had outside today.


----------



## T4tomo (19 Feb 2015)

mcshroom said:


> So do I, and the no alcohol rule (for riders and crew) is a general rule for UMCA events rather than specifically for the HAMR. However the UMCA did get wound up by a picture of Steve with an unopened bottle of beer in the background last month, so they could be rather inflexible about it if they so wish.


 I can understand not wanting them to be drinking whilst ridng, but surely a beer or wine at the end of the day is allowed? After all it's a 365 day challenge.


----------



## ianrauk (19 Feb 2015)

Saluki said:


> That's amazing, given the weather today. It started off OK but by 10 it was all miserable drizzle. You have to admire Steve's tenacity to ride through that horrible wet misery that we had outside today.




And look at that nasty climb at about the 105 mile mark...


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## srw (20 Feb 2015)

ianrauk said:


> And look at that nasty climb at about the 105 mile mark...


On the other place someone surmised he was going to have lunch at the Bicester KFC - so I suspect that's the _col de l'exit du KFC de Bicester et de re-calibration du GPS._

Steve very carefullly (and very sensibly) stayed north of the only climbs approaching 400 foot in that part of Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire.


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## Aperitif (20 Feb 2015)

...bet Kurt hasn't been to Kentucky yet...


----------



## DCLane (20 Feb 2015)

Aperitif said:


> ...bet Kurt hasn't been to Kentucky yet...


 
Nope - pan-flat to Key West and back yesterday: https://www.strava.com/activities/257301904


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## Mugshot (20 Feb 2015)

ianrauk said:


> I wonder if the UMCA will get all arsey with Kurt as they did when Steve was pictured with a bottle of wine in the background?
> 
> And another crash.


From Facebook

*Tarzan Rides the HAM'R Kurt Searvogel
7 hrs · *
Some people don't know that HAM'R has its own set of rules that are different from State Record rules and were trying to stir up the pot because I had a beer with lunch. Do you honestly think I would have entered this competition if I didn't have documentation stating that all legal substance (beer) can be consumed during this year.


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## ianrauk (20 Feb 2015)

There's been a bit of a ding dong overnight between Kurt and Drew Clark regarding Kurt having a beer.












The rules do seem a bit harsh. Not to let the riders have a drink. But the rules are the rules I suppose. They gave Steve a hard time when he was pictured with a bottle of unopened wine in the background, so at least they are being consistent.


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## Mugshot (20 Feb 2015)

Yes the rules are the rules, although I agree with you and posted yesterday that I think if anyone deserves a bottle a beer it's Kurt and Steve. I don't quite understand why Kurt is arguing, I thought it was quite clear when I read through the rules yesterday that alcohol wasn't allowed. He'd have been better off keeping his trap shut and not having his picture taken with his beer in front of him. Hopefully the UMCA treat it as a shot across the bows rather than imposing penalties.


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## ianrauk (20 Feb 2015)

A review of Steve's bikes over at Roadcc *HERE*


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## Mugshot (20 Feb 2015)

Day 41, Kurt feeling under the weather.


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## Banjo (20 Feb 2015)

I hope Kurt doesnt get disqualified over this beer nonsense. I dont imagine anyone including Teethgrinder would want that.

He could drink himself stupid in the privacy of his motorhome why on earth make a public protest like this?


----------



## Profpointy (20 Feb 2015)

Banjo said:


> I hope Kurt doesnt get disqualified over this beer nonsense. I dont imagine anyone including Teethgrinder would want that.
> 
> He could drink himself stupid in the privacy of his motorhome why on earth make a public protest like this?



i tend to think the court of public (ie cyclist) opinion will judge the validity quite happily, regardless of what the powers that be might say


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## Saluki (20 Feb 2015)

Mugshot said:


> Day 41, Kurt feeling under the weather.



Looking at the length of that bridge and the angle of the palm trees in the wind, I don't blame him for not wanting to ride over it. Bridges are horrible in the wind.


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## ianrauk (20 Feb 2015)

Steve on the road


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## Aperitif (20 Feb 2015)

I just watched it on the other channel!


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## ianrauk (20 Feb 2015)

So after yesterday's shorter ride from Steve. He ramps it back up into the 200's for todays.


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## ianrauk (21 Feb 2015)

Another tough day for Kurt yesterday. Another off and his cold seem to be taking it's toll with only 157 miles. But look at the average - awesome stuff still.


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## Aperitif (21 Feb 2015)

Thanks, Ian. Just glancing, I find that map weird...cycling on the water! The 'Kurt Sea'...
Is he suffering from 'withdrawal symptoms' as the beer ban kicks in? Poor fellow keeps collecting the rash as well...that's not comfortable, as we know.


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## Mugshot (21 Feb 2015)

ianrauk said:


> Steve on the road



I am SICK of cycle cammers, all they do is go out looking for stuff they can post on youtube, they give all cyclists a bad name


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## jay clock (22 Feb 2015)

View media item 7747View media item 7747 spotted out near Ringwood today by a friend


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## Mugshot (22 Feb 2015)

Day 42, the poor fella is going to mass of bruises and scabs by the end of the year if this keeps up!


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## Mugshot (22 Feb 2015)

Steves heat mat







Edit: Heat map, heat mat is a brand of underfloor heating that I sell


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## jay clock (22 Feb 2015)

I was hoping we might see him today between Romsey and Stockbridge but no sign. We didn't leave till 0845 and found 70k cold going!


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## Bazzer (22 Feb 2015)

I hope Steve's weather is better than here today. Cold air temperaturę, with sleet, rain and wind.


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## ianrauk (22 Feb 2015)

191.5 miles in what (if the weather was anything like where I am) must have been some pretty miserable conditions today.
GO STEVE...!!











Tomorrow Steve will pass 10,000 miles.... my yearly mileage target.


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## MacB (22 Feb 2015)

Staggering, just plain staggering


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## Mugshot (23 Feb 2015)

Kurts day 43, bit of an issue with his shoes but at least he knows he can have a beer to celebrate another day done.


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## Aperitif (23 Feb 2015)

Crocodile clip issues?


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## mcshroom (23 Feb 2015)

Steve passed 10,000 miles for the year this morning. That's 10,000 miles in less than two months - and this 10,000 is planned to be the slowest!


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## Saluki (23 Feb 2015)

mcshroom said:


> Steve passed 10,000 miles for the year this morning. That's 10,000 miles in less than two months - and this 10,000 is planned to be the slowest!


We were just saying that as Hubster was loading Eric the bike into our car boot. Hubster was also mentioning that Kurt does like to make a song and dance about stuff. There is Steve going about his business, cranking out the miles in a quiet, determined sort of way and Kurt making a hollywood production out of broken bits, having a beer, a bit of weather and alligators.


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## Mugshot (23 Feb 2015)

Saluki said:


> We were just saying that as Hubster was loading Eric the bike into our car boot. Hubster was also mentioning that Kurt does like to make a song and dance about stuff. There is Steve going about his business, cranking out the miles in a quiet, determined sort of way and Kurt making a hollywood production out of broken bits, having a beer, a bit of weather and alligators.


At least he's giving me the opportunity to get my post count up


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## Saluki (23 Feb 2015)

Mugshot said:


> At least he's giving me the opportunity to get my post count up


That's very kind of him. You'd think that he'd be concentrating on riding but no, he's helping out forum peeps. What a splendid sort of chap. There must be some English in him 
I do find his vids entertaining, so thanks for posting them.


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## Mugshot (23 Feb 2015)

Saluki said:


> That's very kind of him. You'd think that he'd be concentrating on riding but no, he's helping out forum peeps. What a splendid sort of chap. There must be some English in him
> I do find his vids entertaining, so thanks for posting them.


He's a hell of a guy doing a hell of a job  
Mind the English thing has made me think twice, what with me being Welsh and all


----------



## Supersuperleeds (23 Feb 2015)

mcshroom said:


> Steve passed 10,000 miles for the year this morning. That's 10,000 miles in less than two months - and this 10,000 is planned to be the slowest!


It's pretty awesome and puts our efforts to shame


----------



## ianrauk (23 Feb 2015)

And here's todays amazing Abraham scores on the doors. yet another 200+miler.


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## ianrauk (23 Feb 2015)

And that was his 11th 200+ miler for the challenge.


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## Pale Rider (23 Feb 2015)

ianrauk said:


> And that was his 11th 200+ miler for the challenge.



Which is great, but the other bloke has put in more than forty 200+ milers.

I want Steve to win, but he's looking like an heroic second at the moment.


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## StuAff (23 Feb 2015)

Way too early to call. I'm glad that Kurt's offering (very) strong competition, and I hope he continues to do so, this shouldn't come down to injury or Real Life interruptions. I'd like it to be won, not lost (and they're both winners, anyway). But Steve and team have a plan, and they're sticking to it. 11 200+ mile days in a British winter isn't looking like a heroic second, it's a great start. He's already done a day longer than my longest ever ride, in far less favourable conditions.


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## StuartG (24 Feb 2015)

Remember Kurt is riding in virtually British Summer conditions and will presumably be moving north as the months progress to maintain near optimum riding conditions. In other words his cycling rate should, if things go well, be around the same level. Kurt has to improve on this performance (201/day) to actually beat Tommy.

Whereas Steve is has been doing 15 hour rides in short 8 to 11 hour days. He has been well ahead of Tommy's mileage which was also restricted at this time. Now look how Tommy's mileage increases as the days get longer and weather improves. Steve should more than match that making 250/300 days possible if not routine. So by end of the British summer, all other things equal, Steve should be well ahead. So counter intuitively Steve is looking a better bet at this time to beat Tommy than Kurt.

The crunch comes as next winter begins and Steve's mileage is curtailed again. If Kurt is then a threat maybe Steve will cross the channel and chase the sun too. I'll put a few bob into his sponsorship fund if he needs it.

You also make a good bit of your luck too. While either of them could be taken out by a truck at any time - I do note that Kurt appears to have had more non-third party issues. Is this suggestive he may be becoming more tired at the end of the day or pushing closer to his limits? Runner or rider you should be keeping something spare for the final push. The one who does this best usually wins.


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## Mugshot (24 Feb 2015)

Day 45, is that suncream he's plastered in?


----------



## 13 rider (24 Feb 2015)

Just looked a Steve tracker and he passed within 5 miles of home and has been on the same roads as me (see my ride today) At least he heading east and riding with the wind .Ive struggled to do 59.6 miles and Steve's already done 126 I'm in awe of this man


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## wajc (24 Feb 2015)

ianrauk said:


> And that was his 11th 200+ miler for the challenge.


 


Pale Rider said:


> Which is great, but the other bloke has put in more than forty 200+ milers.
> 
> I want Steve to win, but he's looking like an heroic second at the moment.


 
???

If we are comparing double century rides (miles) Steves is as quoted currently 11 where as I make Kurts current tally 26.


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## ianrauk (24 Feb 2015)

183.6miles for the red wanderer today...














Steve's only 30 miles from my accumulative mileage last year.
GO STEVE...


----------



## Sunny Portrush (24 Feb 2015)

I know how Steve feels - I just discovered this thread and have passed the last couple of hours reading it - he`s done more in two months than I`ve done in two years. Steve is truly inspring, I just look at his tally in disbelief and giggle to myself


----------



## Beebo (25 Feb 2015)

StuAff said:


> . He's already done a day longer than my longest ever ride, in far less favourable conditions.


His shortest ride of 2015 is longer than my longest ever ride!


----------



## vernon (25 Feb 2015)

Beebo said:


> His shortest ride of 2015 is longer than my longest ever ride!



And so say most of us!


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## ianrauk (25 Feb 2015)

196.7miles on the ticker for the road warrior today











GO STEVE!!!!


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## srw (25 Feb 2015)

Couldn't even be bothered to do a 3.3 mile loop? Slacker.


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## deptfordmarmoset (25 Feb 2015)

vernon said:


> And so say most of us!


I claim one day. He did a measly - for him - 157 on Jan 14 and I did 175 about 40 years ago. I didn't get back on the bike for a couple of days though....

EDIT: No, 2. 19 Jan was a bad day too


----------



## Mugshot (26 Feb 2015)

Day 46..and it's a day of fettling for Kurt


----------



## Mugshot (26 Feb 2015)

Day 47, Is Kurt responding to some of the posts on CC?


----------



## Aperitif (26 Feb 2015)

Can't be that he wastes time reading CC. By the way, Kurt, could you just keep still - the sun and shadows is disturbing,contrasty viewing for us greylanders. How are the tan lines coming along by the way?


----------



## Saluki (26 Feb 2015)

I did cross my mind that Kurt's kit could do with a good wash. It's looking really grubby. I think that Steve, getting clean kit daily, must feel better in his clothing.


----------



## themosquitoking (26 Feb 2015)

What does he do to his bikes for them to keep breaking?


----------



## ianrauk (26 Feb 2015)

A tad under 194 miles for the day....can imagine it was pretty windy out there and made for tough going. And no let up in climbing either. A heck of a lot of up and down all day. Hence the sub 14mph avg.












GO STEVE!!


----------



## deptfordmarmoset (26 Feb 2015)

It's by the by, but I was a little surprised to see that neither Kurt nor Steve are skinny. I would have thought that with such distances, those stringy muscles would be more in evidence. Mind, I did see something about Steve eating tons but still losing weight. Maybe 40,000 miles (!) into the ride with long summer evenings they'll change shape....


----------



## StuAff (26 Feb 2015)

Posted by Wowbagger on the other place....
"Tarzan has a page somewhere on his website along the lines of

"Non-cyclists think cyclists are crazy.
Cyclists think racing cyclists are crazy.
Racing cyclists thing ultra-marathon cyclists are crazy.
Ultramarathon cyclists think this guy is crazy."

I'm looking forward to Kurt adding the line "This guy thinks Steve Abraham is crazy."



"


----------



## ColinJ (26 Feb 2015)

deptfordmarmoset said:


> It's by the by, but I was a little surprised to see that neither Kurt nor Steve are skinny. I would have thought that with such distances, those stringy muscles would be more in evidence. Mind, I did see something about Steve eating tons but still losing weight. Maybe 40,000 miles (!) into the ride with long summer evenings they'll change shape....


I think it was mentioned a couple of weeks ago how many cals/day they would be taking in. I have never done those kind of distances but I know I burn ~ 45 cals/mile so with normal basal metabolic energy requirement as well I would probably need to eat/drink at least 11,000 cals on a 200 mile ride day NOT to lose weight.

I'm sure that their bodies are more efficient than mine, but even so, they must be really stuffing themselves to keep their energy levels up!


----------



## Mugshot (27 Feb 2015)

The latest data for all three () contenders is HERE.

Daily averages are as follows;

Steve - 188.5 miles
Kurt - 201.7 miles
William - 35.6 miles


----------



## dodgy (27 Feb 2015)

Is Ironox still a contender? Or has he pulled out and nobody's noticed?


----------



## Mugshot (27 Feb 2015)

dodgy said:


> Is Ironox still a contender? Or has he pulled out and nobody's noticed?


*CorioVelo*
24 February at 09:57 ·
Two days no riding for the HAM'R event, Extreme Ice on the roads. DFW reported a Plane sliding off the Runway yesterday. Be Safe out there.

This from his Facebook, followed by;

*CorioVelo shared Rick Mitchell NBC5's photo.*
4 hrs ·
HAM'R update, plan to back on the road riding once temperatures warm and ICE patches melt. It only takes one ICE PATCH to ruin a season. As many of you know I already Cracked one helmet this year with a nice SPILL on a wet corner.


He's not ridden at all on 5 days now and his mileage for rest of it isn't really up to much, I think he should do the right thing and retire gracefully.


----------



## ianrauk (27 Feb 2015)

A funny looking route for Mr A today... A smidgen under 195 miles never the less.











GO STEVE!!!!


----------



## Stephen C (28 Feb 2015)

ianrauk said:


> A funny looking route for Mr A today...


Funny? He passed through my home village (Linton), marvellous choice! I don't know why this fact makes me happy, just wish I had been working at home to cheer him on!


----------



## Glow worm (28 Feb 2015)

Just seen him ride past in Dullingham near Newmarket and wished him well. He looked fresh as a daisy!


----------



## ianrauk (28 Feb 2015)

A shorter day today, just like the end of January. A nice long nights rest hopefully which may mean a much longer day tomorrow.
So that's 2 months of the challenge done...











*GO STEVE!!!*


----------



## ianrauk (1 Mar 2015)

From Jo over at the other place
*
Day 59:* A comparative 'rest' day for Steve and Kurt today, with around 160 and 180 miles respectively. Steve endures yet more winter weather, but is helped by joining a peloton of Essex riders. Kurt breaks the 10,000 mile barrier five days after Steve. The two riders are now almost exactly 1,000 miles apart after two months' awheel.


----------



## Banjo (1 Mar 2015)

Im a bit tired now but am I the only one who cant understand that graph?


----------



## deptfordmarmoset (1 Mar 2015)

Banjo said:


> Im a bit tired now but am I the only one who cant understand that graph?


Mebbe this will help...http://gicentre.org/oytt/howItWorks.html#


----------



## ianrauk (1 Mar 2015)

So the Red Road Warrior bangs out 185 miles for the day. He did a lot of east to west today which I imagine was bloody hard work due to today's very strong westerlies.


----------



## Banjo (1 Mar 2015)

deptfordmarmoset said:


> Mebbe this will help...http://gicentre.org/oytt/howItWorks.html#


Cheers. I will have a look tommorow when heads a bit fresher.


----------



## Justinslow (1 Mar 2015)

ianrauk said:


> A shorter day today, just like the end of January. A nice long nights rest hopefully which may mean a much longer day tomorrow.
> So that's 2 months of the challenge done...
> 
> View attachment 81066
> ...


Bollocky bollocks, that's where I live, teach me not to take note of his rides, he pretty much rode past my house.
How do you find out his planned routes or are they done on the day?


----------



## ianrauk (1 Mar 2015)

Justinslow said:


> Bollocky bollocks, that's where I live, teach me not to take note of his rides, he pretty much rode past my house.
> How do you find out his planned routes or are they done on the day?




His routes are not published as they may change on the day. But you can check his schedule on his website to see where he will be staying that night to get a good idea.


----------



## Justinslow (1 Mar 2015)

ianrauk said:


> His routes are not published as they may change on the day. But you can check his schedule on his website to see where he will be staying that night to get a good idea.


Cheers! Just compared some of his times on strava to those of mine and my friends and they are not bad considering his huge distances! Amazing.


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## ianrauk (1 Mar 2015)

Justinslow said:


> Cheers! Just compared some of his times on strava to those of mine and my friends and they are not bad considering his huge distances! Amazing.




Steve is not concentrating on speed rather then heart rate.


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## StuAff (1 Mar 2015)

^That. He'll be ramping up the speed when it gets warmer- he'll have a bit more riding time (he's reckoned he's losing 10 miles a day just from donning/removing the extra clothing) but not enough to do the mileage he plans without digging into his recovery time. He's been taking it easier because of the risk of ice too.


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## Mugshot (2 Mar 2015)

Day 51 for Kurt, looks like a tough gig.


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## Mugshot (2 Mar 2015)

Interesting charty thing HERE showing the riders progress and stats.

Edit: Incredible that despite what they're doing, at their current averages they still wouldn't beat the record.


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## deptfordmarmoset (2 Mar 2015)

Mugshot said:


> Interesting charty thing HERE showing the riders progress and stats.
> 
> Edit: Incredible that despite what they're doing, at their current averages they still wouldn't beat the record.


I like charty things! Looking at the graph, it looks like KS's biggest day's climbing is lower than SA's average daily climbing (I'd need the underlying spreadsheet figures to be sure). Astonishing that KS can cycle almost 200 miles with only about 200 metres of climbing. I imagine there's a wind price to be paid but that really is very very flat.


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## Mugshot (2 Mar 2015)

deptfordmarmoset said:


> I like charty things! Looking at the graph, it looks like KS's biggest day's climbing is lower than SA's average daily climbing (I'd need the underlying spreadsheet figures to be sure). Astonishing that KS can cycle almost 200 miles with only about 200 metres of climbing. I imagine there's a wind price to be paid but that really is very very flat.


It is astonishing isn't it. No blowing of trumpets or taking away from the mans mileage but his Strava for Saturday shows 178 miles with 589ft of climbing my morning commute was 28 miles with 1579ft of climbing, I find it difficult to imagine doing a ride as flat as Kurts  As for the winds, I would imagine they could be a bit of a bugger, not sure they're quite what we've got at the moment mind, at least they're warm


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## ianrauk (2 Mar 2015)

What Kurt is doing is using the winds to his advantage. He's driving (winnebago-ing?) to a point where he can get pushed along by the wind. And in the flatlands of Florida I can imagine it's a huge advantage. And fair play to him. Godwin used to do the same thing by using trains.


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## Mugshot (2 Mar 2015)

^^^^^ This is true.


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## totallyfixed (2 Mar 2015)

Even when Kurt is riding into a head wind, do not underestimate the nullifying effect of traffic overtaking, and from what I have seen they are not exactly quiet roads. There are a significant number of time triallists in the UK who ride on DC's with high traffic levels in order to clock artificially quick times.


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## ianrauk (2 Mar 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

_*Day 60:* As we enter the third month, both riders will need to start increasing their daily mileage. Steve's schedule suggests he will start riding above the 205 miles per day WR pace moving upward on the OYTT chart._


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## ianrauk (2 Mar 2015)

As what Jo has said above.
Looking at Steve's blog. March is where he starts to step up on the mileage stakes.

Month hours req av speed curr rec diff* ave dist* total accu

*January* 12/13/14 14.2 13 12.1 153 17* 170* 5270 5270

*February* 12/13/14 15 13.8 12.9 157 23 *180* 5040 10310

*March* 13/14/15 15.4 14.3 13.3 178 22 *200* 6200 16510


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## Tim Hall (2 Mar 2015)

Mugshot said:


> Interesting charty thing HERE showing the riders progress and stats.
> 
> Edit: Incredible that despite what they're doing, at their current averages they still wouldn't beat the record.


What it doesn't show is where Tommy Godwin was at this point in his challenge. (Answer: well behind both Steve and Kurt)


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## Mugshot (2 Mar 2015)

^^^^ This is true too.


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## Donger (2 Mar 2015)

Banjo said:


> Im a bit tired now but am I the only one who cant understand that graph?


 I'm sure they showed us that one at the office the other day to show us all we have to work much harder from now on.


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## PpPete (2 Mar 2015)

Tim Hall said:


> What it doesn't show is where Tommy Godwin was at this point in his challenge. (Answer: well behind both Steve and Kurt)





Mugshot said:


> ^^^^ This is true too.



Er - no it's not.
Probably best to read the instructions here


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## Banjo (2 Mar 2015)

Three numbers would do. Tommys total mileage up to day no. 95 or whatever. Followed by Steve and Kurts. (we know Kurt started later)

All these graphs ,spreadsheets etc are just over complicating something very simple.


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## Tim Hall (2 Mar 2015)

PpPete said:


> Er - no it's not.
> Probably best to read the instructions here


Read them. How does that tie in with the statement on the OYTT website:



> *Tommy's Total Distance*
> *9542 Miles*
> *Steve's Total Distance*
> *11482 Miles*
> *At end of 02 Mar*


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## ColinJ (3 Mar 2015)

PpPete said:


> Probably best to read the instructions here


_*How?*_ That must be the worst font ever used on a website!


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## PpPete (3 Mar 2015)

ColinJ said:


> _*How?*_ That must be the worst font ever used on a website!


Can't argue with that.



Tim Hall said:


> Read them. How does that tie in with the statement on the OYTT website:


It doesn't directly but it explains what, at first sight, seems an odd or 'skewed' presentation of the numbers.

There are 4 solid (but wiggly) lines on the chart.
One each for the current three challengers (although one of them isnt doing much challenging)
The other one is Tommy's progress. That's the one that dips well down at the beginning, climbs steeply and finishes at the same point as the right hand end of the 205 mile a day horizontal axis (if you are are looking at the full year version).
At a glance it tells you that Kurt is very close (maybe a 100 miles behind) the 205 mile a day average
Steve is approximately 1000 miles behind the 205 mile a day average
Tommy was, at the beginning of March '39, about 3000 miles off that same average.


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## Mugshot (3 Mar 2015)

Tim Hall said:


> What it doesn't show is where Tommy Godwin was at this point in his challenge. (Answer: well behind both Steve and Kurt)





Mugshot said:


> ^^^^ This is true too.





PpPete said:


> Er - no it's not.
> Probably best to read the instructions here



I, not sure about Tim although I've made an assumption, wasn't referring to the wiggly line chart I was referring to this ONE.
I have also assumed that as Tim quoted my post concerning the riders not beating the record at their current averages his comment about Tommy being well behind both Steve and Kurt at this point refers to the fact that Steve is 1925 miles and Kurt 2487 miles ahead of where Tommy at the same stage. Which is shown in THIS chart.


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## mcshroom (3 Mar 2015)

Think of the black line (x-axis) as that bar they show for swimming events which tracks at the average speed of the World Record backwards and forwards along the pool. If the swimmer is in front of that line, they are going faster than WR pace, if they are behind then they are going slower. In the same way, if the riders in the HAMR are above the black line then they are ahead of the average WR pace, but as they are below it then they are behind at present.

Tommy Godwin did not ride at his average distance every day for a year, so he also has a grey line on the chart. Both Teethgrinder and Tarzan are beating where Godwin was at this point in his year, but behind his overall average for the whole year as he put mega miles in during the summer which brings the average up.


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## Pale Rider (3 Mar 2015)

mcshroom said:


> Think of the black line (x-axis) as that bar they show for swimming events which tracks at the average speed of the World Record backwards and forwards along the pool. If the swimmer is in front of that line, they are going faster than WR pace, if they are behind then they are going slower. In the same way, if the riders in the HAMR are above the black line then they are ahead of the average WR pace, but as they are below it then they are behind at present.
> 
> Tommy Godwin did not ride at his average distance every day for a year, so he also has a grey line on the chart. Both Teethgrinder and Tarzan are beating where Godwin was at this point in his year, but behind his overall average for the whole year as he put mega miles in during the summer which brings the average up.



Indeed, the black line is a notional rider who rides 205 miles for each of the 365 days.

With thanks, again, to Jo, this year long graph shows how Steve's projected distances increase, and how his daily average will go above 205 miles somewhere between day 121 and about day 170.

It also shows how Steve is aiming to beat Tommy's record by up to 12,000 miles.


----------



## ianrauk (3 Mar 2015)




----------



## deptfordmarmoset (3 Mar 2015)

An awful lot of today's riding was into a 3/4 headwind too!


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## albion (3 Mar 2015)

Kurts has a peeling spuds feel while Steve gets to act a chef, that end of day chefs drink sometimes needed too.

Anyway, two records to be hopefully celebrated, both an achievement in their own right.


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## themosquitoking (3 Mar 2015)

Pale Rider said:


> Indeed, the black line is a notional rider who rides 205 miles for each of the 365 days.
> 
> With thanks, again, to Jo, this year long graph shows how Steve's projected distances increase, and how his daily average will go above 205 miles somewhere between day 121 and about day 170.
> 
> ...


Or by a minimum of the late 7k's and also how he is above his estimated best at the moment.


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## Aperitif (4 Mar 2015)

User said:


> Of course, those who are whinging about the graphs could always produce their own if they wanted...


That would be too much hard graphed. Besides, everyone waits for Ian to explain it all in black blue & white. N ograph should have a why axis.


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## ianrauk (4 Mar 2015)

197 wibbly wobbly miles for the Red Road Warrior today. Thought he would go for the 200....











GO STEVE


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## Pale Rider (5 Mar 2015)

Steve made a 3am start this morning, perhaps it's one of those 'moves' he mentioned a few weeks ago.

He needs to do something, Kurt has turned up the wick and is regularly doing 210+ miles a day.

If Steve is now into full audax mode, we could see him riding for 20 hours or more in a day, kipping in bus shelters or beside the road.

His schedule indicates an increase in mileage this month.

Game on, I think.


----------



## Mugshot (5 Mar 2015)

Pale Rider said:


> Steve made a 3am start this morning, perhaps it's one of those 'moves' he mentioned a few weeks ago.
> 
> He needs to do something, Kurt has turned up the wick and is regularly doing 210+ miles a day.
> 
> ...


Looks like it could be a special day, he's on 70miles already.


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## MisterStan (5 Mar 2015)

Farkin' 'ell! I was up early myself, but not on the road at 3am! Chapeau to the Man in Red.


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## mcshroom (5 Mar 2015)

I'm down to do a 100km audax on Saturday, the longest ride I'll have done this year. Steve knocked that off before I'd even made it out of the shower this morning!

Go Steve! Hoping today is a big one. It's probably the best weather he's had so far


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## Pale Rider (5 Mar 2015)

Seems the early start has confused the tracker.

It has him starting south west of Buckingham, but I'm fairly certain he spent last night at home in Milton Keynes.

No doubt the team will be on to it, if that's the case.


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## ianrauk (5 Mar 2015)

*GO STEVE!!!*


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## Mugshot (5 Mar 2015)

mcshroom said:


> I'm down to do a 100km audax on Saturday, the longest ride I'll have done this year. *Steve knocked that off before I'd even made it out of the shower this morning!*
> 
> Go Steve! Hoping today is a big one. It's probably the best weather he's had so far


Astonishing isn't it, I saw @Pale Rider s post this morning whilst still in bed at 6am, checked the tracker and Steve was on around 45 miles. I did 17 miles in this morning rather than the usual 13/14 as I was feeling guilty.


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## ianrauk (5 Mar 2015)

Pale Rider said:


> Steve made a 3am start this morning, perhaps it's one of those 'moves' he mentioned a few weeks ago.
> 
> He needs to do something, Kurt has turned up the wick and is regularly doing 210+ miles a day.
> 
> ...




Game on indeed... we've been waiting for this.


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## Mugshot (5 Mar 2015)

ianrauk said:


> Game on indeed... we've been waiting for this.


If this is to be the monster we're expecting (83 miles at 9.30am!!!!) I would be willing to pay money to see Kurts face when he checks the tracker as he hauls himself out of bed


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## MisterStan (5 Mar 2015)

Pale Rider said:


> Seems the early start has confused the tracker.
> 
> It has him starting south west of Buckingham, but I'm fairly certain he spent last night at home in Milton Keynes.
> 
> No doubt the team will be on to it, if that's the case.


There's some words on the other place about this, it seems the tracker 'resets itself' at 3am each day, hence the variation in mileage/start position...


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## Pale Rider (5 Mar 2015)

MisterStan said:


> There's some words on the other place about this, it seems the tracker 'resets itself' at 3am each day, hence the variation in mileage/start position...



That's a relief.

It would be a bit galling to get half way to Bristol and find you'd forgotten to turn it on.


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## MisterStan (5 Mar 2015)

Just a tad!


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## Ian H (5 Mar 2015)

Don't forget that Godwin himself was trailing the competition until quite late in the year.


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## Banjo (5 Mar 2015)

Pale Rider said:


> Steve made a 3am start this morning, perhaps it's one of those 'moves' he mentioned a few weeks ago.
> 
> He needs to do something, Kurt has turned up the wick and is regularly doing 210+ miles a day.
> 
> ...


Early days yet .
I cant see Steve dossing in bus shelters etc. He has lots of volunteer hosts dotted all over the country .A short kip in a bed has to be better plus the hosts clean his bike , recharge batteries and most importantly upload his GPS tracks (and cook his sausages :-). )


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## Mugshot (5 Mar 2015)

Ton up.


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## MisterStan (5 Mar 2015)

Mugshot said:


> Ton up.


It's not even lunchtime!


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## MichaelO (5 Mar 2015)

Tarzan will wake up to a little surprise in a couple of hours!


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## Mugshot (5 Mar 2015)

MisterStan said:


> It's not even lunchtime!


I've been refreshing like an idiot, I think the bugger stopped for breakfast which is most inconsiderate.


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## deptfordmarmoset (5 Mar 2015)

Mugshot said:


> I've been refreshing like an idiot, I think the bugger stopped for breakfast which is most inconsiderate.


Call it refuelling and then it's game on!


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## MisterStan (5 Mar 2015)

I think due to the tracker reset issue, that he's probably got another 8-10 miles in the bank above what is displayed.


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## Pale Rider (5 Mar 2015)

Banjo said:


> Early days yet .
> I cant see Steve dossing in bus shelters etc. He has lots of volunteer hosts dotted all over the country .A short kip in a bed has to be better plus the hosts clean his bike , recharge batteries and most importantly upload his GPS tracks (and cook his sausages :-). )



Tend to agree, although what these guys sometimes like to do is take a couple of hours and then crack on.

Steve has already fallen asleep for an unknown duration in a McDonald's.


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## Mugshot (5 Mar 2015)

Pale Rider said:


> Tend to agree, although what these guys sometimes like to do is take a couple of hours and then crack on.
> 
> Steve has already fallen asleep for an unknown duration in a McDonald's.


Haven't we all?
Although it was one of those that was open after the pubs shut


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## MisterStan (5 Mar 2015)

Many years ago, I used to be a manager at McDonalds, many a time did I fall asleep there, usually in between closing and then reopening the store the following morning, when we were short staffed.


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## Mugshot (5 Mar 2015)

From Steves Facebook a couple of days ago, you'd have thought they'd let him eat his tea in peace.

Steve in an upbeat mood, enjoying a post ride feed, and loading his ride data last night. He appreciates all the messages of support, it means a lot to him. Photo thanks to Jennie Selley and family.


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## ianrauk (5 Mar 2015)

Mugshot said:


> From Steves Facebook a couple of days ago, you'd have thought they'd let him eat his tea in peace.
> 
> Steve in an upbeat mood, enjoying a post ride feed, and loading his ride data last night. He appreciates all the messages of support, it means a lot to him. Photo thanks to Jennie Selley and family.




And look at the size of his tea mug...


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## Mugshot (5 Mar 2015)

From Steves Facebook today

*Steve Abraham*
35 mins ·
A very early start for Steve this morning. Watch this space!

Yeah we know, and I'm a little more excited than a middle aged man should be!


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## Mugshot (5 Mar 2015)

ianrauk said:


> And look at the size of his tea mug...


Oh aye , I'd only noticed the size of his bowl of scran.

Edit: Looks like he's got a refill next to it too.


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## Mugshot (5 Mar 2015)

An amuse-bouche


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## summerdays (5 Mar 2015)

User said:


> You would have thought that, having got so close, he would have wanted to go to Severn Beach today.


From Alveston to Severn Beach would mean dropping down a hill just to turn around to go back, he can always come back again. I keep noticing people in red without actually expecting them to be him!


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## summerdays (5 Mar 2015)

User said:


> Yeah but it would be Seven Beach. That has to be a draw for anyone.


Maybe when the sun is shining!


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## swansonj (5 Mar 2015)

MichaelO said:


> Tarzan will wake up to a little surprise in a couple of hours!


But perhaps not too much of a surprise? As I understand it, Steve's capabilities are reasonably well known (if none the less impossible-seeming for that). Kurt knows that at some point before long, Steve is going to start churning out longer days. The unknown, as I understand it, is whether Kurt can respond, or perhaps more accurately, how long can Kurt respond for? A truly fascinating contest.


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## albion (5 Mar 2015)

Chalk and Cheese. Steve's rides sound a good 20% tougher.
I'm quite expecting Kurt to easily do the higher distance thus my wish for a celebration of hopefully two epic different achievements.


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## mcshroom (5 Mar 2015)

On facebook Tarzan seems to be in a bad mood today. Wishing he was doing other things.


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## Sea of vapours (5 Mar 2015)

[QUOTE 3572240, member: 9609"]Is Kurt the one doing this in Florida ?
How is the heat, humidity going to effect him over the summer months,, Steves figures are going to increase with better weather and longer daylight, whilst Kurt may struggle with the florida sun.[/QUOTE]

He is, but he's not planning on staying there and indeed today saw his closest encounter with a state line to-date, though he does seem to have curved back into Florida as the day's gone on. He's specifically stated recently that he's beginning his trip back north and west towards Arkansas (home).


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## Mugshot (5 Mar 2015)

mcshroom said:


> On facebook Tarzan seems to be in a bad mood today. Wishing he was doing other things.


I was thinking the same. He looks a bit run down, cold sores and sunburn and as @Saluki said his kit looks filthy. I thought he had the demeanour of a man that was rather fed up. I'm probably reading too much into things.


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## Supersuperleeds (5 Mar 2015)

He finished on 217 miles today. Strava has his start time at 02:12am

https://www.strava.com/activities/263433704


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## Aperitif (5 Mar 2015)

swansonj said:


> But perhaps not too much of a surprise? As I understand it, Steve's capabilities are reasonably well known (if none the less impossible-seeming for that). Kurt knows that at some point before long, Steve is going to start churning out longer days. The unknown, as I understand it, is whether Kurt can respond, or perhaps more accurately, how long can Kurt respond for? A truly fascinating contest.


You are Donald Rumsfeld AICMFP


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## ianrauk (5 Mar 2015)

And he cracks the 200+ mark....217.1 to be precise... Amazing.











*GO STEVE!!*


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## NorvernRob (5 Mar 2015)

So is this the point where Steve starts putting in more and more 200+ mile days, and in summer he's planning to do 250-300+?

And what of Kurt, he's doing slightly more miles per day now but is he going to ramp it up too? He's got decent weather so you'd think he'd be doing more than just 15-20 miles per day above Steve's current average, as that isn't going to be enough.


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## Mugshot (5 Mar 2015)

NorvernRob said:


> So is this the point where Steve starts putting in more and more 200+ mile days, and in summer he's planning to do 250-300+?
> 
> And what of Kurt, he's doing slightly more miles per day now but is he going to ramp it up too? He's got decent weather so you'd think he'd be doing more than just 15-20 miles per day above Steve's current average, as that isn't going to be enough.


I'm sure I read somewhere that the thought was that Kurt was watching what Steve was doing and then adding a bit more, I guess we'll find out soon.


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## NorvernRob (5 Mar 2015)

Mugshot said:


> I'm sure I read somewhere that the thought was that Kurt was watching what Steve was doing and then adding a bit more, I guess we'll find out soon.



Yes- Kurt is fast no doubt about it, but when Steve starts doing 250+ miles can Kurt really add another potentially 3-4hrs at the speed he rides at? 13-15hr days at 20mph average just sounds impossible.


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## Aperitif (5 Mar 2015)

ianrauk said:


> And he cracks the 200+ mark....217.1 to be precise... Amazing.
> 
> View attachment 81569
> 
> ...


Disappointing. He really skived off after clocking a ton by about 11:30...it only takes a two litre mug of tea and he's done for!


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## Mugshot (6 Mar 2015)

Mugshot said:


> I was thinking the same. He looks a bit run down, cold sores and sunburn and as @Saluki said his kit looks filthy. I thought he had the demeanour of a man that was rather fed up. I'm probably reading too much into things.


Uh oh, I know it's rude to quote our own post but maybe I was right 




mcshroom said:


> On facebook Tarzan seems to be in a bad mood today. Wishing he was doing other things.


----------



## cisamcgu (6 Mar 2015)

He does seem a bit down


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## Mugshot (6 Mar 2015)

mcshroom said:


> On facebook Tarzan seems to be in a bad mood today. Wishing he was doing other things.


I hadn't seen the vid last night when you posted this @mcshroom, only saw it this morning, I was going on his other recent vids and pics, he's not a happy camper is he.


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## deptfordmarmoset (6 Mar 2015)

He does wear his heart on his sleeve. But for some, this just means that they get through their downs more quickly. He rides on the flat while his mood goes up and down. SA goes up and down and keeps his mood to himself.


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## Mugshot (6 Mar 2015)

Maybe seeing Steve starting at 2am had an effect.


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## Rob H (6 Mar 2015)

Night after night on the road is going to wear him psycologically as well as physically. The hosting setup Steve has that sees him at home more than not is going to really help those down days.


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## Aperitif (6 Mar 2015)

deptfordmarmoset said:


> He does wear his heart on his sleeve. But for some, this just means that they get through their downs more quickly. He rides on the flat while his mood goes up and down. SA goes up and down and keeps his mood to himself.


Brilliant!

Morning, Chris


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## summerdays (6 Mar 2015)

I assume that his team behind Steve are going to provide a lot of support, whereas although having one person following you around is going to be helpful, at times you are going to be mightily sick of seeing just that one main person.


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## Aperitif (6 Mar 2015)

cisamcgu said:


> He does seem a bit down


And his cameraperson KEEPS talking to him when he's got his mouth full! "Every day it happens", he says...


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## Aperitif (6 Mar 2015)

summerdays said:


> I assume that his team behind Steve are going to provide a lot of support, whereas although having one person following you around is going to be helpful, at times you are going to be mightily sick of seeing just that one main person.


Snap!


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## StuartG (6 Mar 2015)

HAMR has stopped daily updating: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...OuE7qACqDbQ/pubhtml?gid=944055483&single=true


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## ColinJ (6 Mar 2015)

StuartG said:


> HAMR has stopped daily updating: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...OuE7qACqDbQ/pubhtml?gid=944055483&single=true


Looks ok to me. Remember it is m/d/y NOT d/m/y!


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## ianrauk (6 Mar 2015)

ColinJ said:


> Looks ok to me. Remember it is m/d/y NOT d/m/y!




They must have just updated it as it was out of date by a couple of days earlier.


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## StuartG (6 Mar 2015)

ColinJ said:


> Looks ok to me. Remember it is m/d/y NOT d/m/y!


I can read American  and Americans can read CycleChat 'cos it was still stuck on the 1st March when I posted. The power of the internet ...


----------



## ColinJ (6 Mar 2015)

ianrauk said:


> They must have just updated it as it was out of date by a couple of days earlier.





StuartG said:


> I can read American  and Americans can read CycleChat 'cos it was still stuck on the 1st March when I posted. The power of the internet ...


Ah, ok!

Looking at that spreadsheet really brought home the magnitude of the task ... Seeing a list of Godwin's double-centuries-plus and knowing that the challengers will have to continue beating them - hmm!

I still think the enterprise is barking mad, and I fear for the mental and physical health*** of all who undertake it, but it is undeniably amazing and the best of luck to them!

*** At the very least, they should get bone density scans done and take whatever steps necessary to avoid osteoporosis.


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## StuartG (6 Mar 2015)

I agree. I think it a mistake to get fixated on the current daily mileages being above or below 200. Both Steve and Kurt are currently well positioned to beat Tommy's record - if they can only keep going. Remember Tommy's companions faded away. One injury, illness or crash could end it at any time for either of them. The psychological challenge is probably even bigger than the physical one. Frankly if I was either Kurt or Steve I would be ignoring the other and be totally focussed on Tommy's target. It would be a surprise if both can make it all the way. If they start competing against each other then it is just going to up the strain and push one or both too far and out of the record books.


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## T4tomo (6 Mar 2015)

Aperitif said:


> And his cameraperson KEEPS talking to him when he's got his mouth full! "Every day it happens", he says...


must be damn boring for the lass (his wife?) following him around. Surely being a tiny campervan for a year prepping food and washing dirty cycling gear and looking forward to seeing captain grumpy of an evening is a bigger mental challenge than riding 200 miles a day.


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## velovoice (6 Mar 2015)

T4tomo said:


> must be damn boring for the lass (his wife?) following him around. Surely being a tiny campervan for a year prepping food and washing dirty cycling gear and looking forward to seeing captain grumpy of an evening is a bigger mental challenge than riding 200 miles a day.


This is her take on it: http://www.arkansasoutside.com/the-hardest-working-lazy-person-you-know/


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## deptfordmarmoset (6 Mar 2015)

velovoice said:


> This is her take on it: http://www.arkansasoutside.com/the-hardest-working-lazy-person-you-know/


Interviewer's introduction:
''_He’s well on his way to owning this world record.''_
and then:
''The long-standing record was set 75 years ago by Tommy Godwin of the UK and has been untouched since.''

Absolutely no mention of Steve Abrahams!


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## Mugshot (6 Mar 2015)

He'll be livid!


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## MisterStan (6 Mar 2015)

Kurt's diet is awful IMO. No mention of fruit or vegetables. 

Steve is very fortunate with his home cooked meals.


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## deptfordmarmoset (6 Mar 2015)

Mugshot said:


> He'll be livid!


I'm sure SA won't care at all but it's a curiously short-range view of the world. Better to mention the bloke in Blighty in terms of generating active interest rather than presenting it as a fait accompli.


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## Mugshot (6 Mar 2015)

Pop tarts, the food of champions!


----------



## MisterStan (6 Mar 2015)

Mugshot said:


> Pop tarts, the food of champions!


In moderation maybe, but coupled with McDonalds for breakfast and lunch....


----------



## Mugshot (6 Mar 2015)

deptfordmarmoset said:


> I'm sure SA won't care at all but it's a curiously short-range view of the world. Better to mention the bloke in Blighty in terms of generating active interest rather than presenting it as a fait accompli.


Yeah I know, I'm in a bad mood today for some reason. Mind they are American so the journalist may not have heard of the UK.


----------



## MisterStan (6 Mar 2015)

Mugshot said:


> so the journalist may not have heard of the UK.


Is that near London?


----------



## Mugshot (6 Mar 2015)

MisterStan said:


> In moderation maybe, but coupled with McDonalds for breakfast and lunch....


And pizza for tea. Maybe Alicia is a rotten cook.


----------



## MisterStan (6 Mar 2015)

Mugshot said:


> Maybe Alicia is a rotten cook.


Possibly. She must be better at some things than his ex wife though...


----------



## Mugshot (6 Mar 2015)

MisterStan said:


> Is that near London?


----------



## Mugshot (6 Mar 2015)

MisterStan said:


> Possibly. She must be better at some things than his ex wife though...


Fixing bikes?


----------



## Mugshot (6 Mar 2015)

MisterStan said:


> In moderation maybe, but coupled with McDonalds for breakfast and lunch....


----------



## Aperitif (6 Mar 2015)

Mugshot said:


>


Mild curiosity killing the cat, I tried to find out whether the plaques on the 'Bago wall were equine awards or something else. Obviously, the Krispy Kreme on wheels is displaying a *C* ycling hallenge or two...


----------



## Mugshot (6 Mar 2015)

Aperitif said:


> Mild curiosity killing the cat, I tried to find out whether the plaques on the 'Bago wall were equine awards or something else. Obviously, the Krispy Kreme on wheels is displaying a *C* ycling hallenge or two...


It's funny you should mention "Things stuck to the sides and walls of Kurts camper van". I'm sure that in the vid where Kurt's a bit down in the dumps there are a couple of tops from pork pies nailed to the back of the sink unit to his left.


----------



## T4tomo (6 Mar 2015)

deptfordmarmoset said:


> Interviewer's introduction:
> ''_He’s well on his way to owning this world record.''_
> and then:
> ''The long-standing record was set 75 years ago by Tommy Godwin of the UK and has been untouched since.''
> ...


the article does link straight to HAM'R site with SA and KS mileages side by side though.


----------



## Dave Davenport (6 Mar 2015)

StuartG said:


> If they start competing against each other then it is just going to up the strain and push one or both too far and out of the record books.


Just back from a ride with Mrs D and we were saying just that whilst ambling along to a massive
30 miles.


----------



## StuartG (6 Mar 2015)

Dave Davenport said:


> Just back from a ride with Mrs D and we were saying just that whilst ambling along to a massive
> 30 miles.


Well done both but I'd slack off on the 11,000 calorie a day intake a little if you plan to make year end.


----------



## Mugshot (7 Mar 2015)

Kurt seems to be in better spirits.


----------



## Mugshot (7 Mar 2015)

Up to date stats HERE


----------



## Bazzer (7 Mar 2015)

Mugshot said:


> Kurt seems to be in better spirits.




Operating a video recorder and conversing with a cyclist, whilst driving! 
Puts talking on a mobile while driving into the shade.


----------



## Aperitif (7 Mar 2015)

Mugshot said:


> Up to date stats HERE


Elevation is an interesting number! Also, rider average speed is nice, when it's diluted by time...very close. If Steve is blessed by today's weather, there may be a little 'lift' in prospect.


----------



## Supersuperleeds (7 Mar 2015)

Mugshot said:


> Up to date stats HERE



They should take Ironox off it


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## Mugshot (7 Mar 2015)

Supersuperleeds said:


> They should take Ironox off it


Agreed, or better yet he should do the right thing and ask to be taken off.


----------



## Mugshot (8 Mar 2015)

These pics from Facebook yesterday, taken about a week ago apparently.


----------



## Mugshot (8 Mar 2015)

According to the tracker Kurt has left Florida. Although he doesn't appear to have started moving yet today, I think it's 8.00am where he is and he's usually up and running by 7.00am ish.I think he's moved into a different time zone now though.


----------



## Mugshot (8 Mar 2015)

He must have heard me, it looks like everything started running as soon as I posted.


----------



## Supersuperleeds (8 Mar 2015)

[QUOTE 3576862, member: 9609"]is there a link to the trackers ? (icba to search back all 54 pages)

I have just realised Kurt is same age is me, mixed alliances now, good to see someone my age still being able to compete in one of the greatest endurance events ever.[/QUOTE]

Page two of either this thread or the discussion thread has a link to Steve's website, there is then a !link to the tracker there.


----------



## Mugshot (8 Mar 2015)

[QUOTE 3576862, member: 9609"]is there a link to the trackers ? (icba to search back all 54 pages)

I have just realised Kurt is same age is me, mixed alliances now, good to see someone my age still being able to compete in one of the greatest endurance events ever.[/QUOTE]
There's an android app too called year record tracker, the picture is a manky looking rear derailleur.


----------



## Mugshot (8 Mar 2015)

[QUOTE 3576862, member: 9609"]is there a link to the trackers ? (icba to search back all 54 pages)

I have just realised Kurt is same age is me, mixed alliances now, good to see someone my age still being able to compete in one of the greatest endurance events ever.[/QUOTE]
It's worth having a look at Kurt's website he really is a phenomenal athlete, I suppose that's rather obvious but his record of achievements is very impressive right up to the present day.


----------



## ianrauk (8 Mar 2015)

Our roving red randonneur cracks the 200 mile barrier today











*GO STEVE!!*


----------



## deptfordmarmoset (8 Mar 2015)

Horsepower 200 Audax according to Jo the Graph on YACF. Though it looks a bit like he stopped short and made up the distance doubling back to MK.


----------



## StuAff (8 Mar 2015)

Well, he was doing a 200.....just imperial instead of metric....


----------



## srw (9 Mar 2015)

deptfordmarmoset said:


> Horsepower 200 Audax according to Jo the Graph on YACF. Though it looks a bit like he stopped short and made up the distance doubling back to MK.


Wasn't that Saturday?


----------



## Rohloff_Brompton_Rider (9 Mar 2015)

Mugshot said:


> These pics from Facebook yesterday, taken about a week ago apparently.


What jacket and tights is Steve wearing? Look warm.


----------



## deptfordmarmoset (9 Mar 2015)

srw said:


> Wasn't that Saturday?


My mistake. You're right. Jo was reporting yesterday on the day before's ride. As you were....


----------



## Mugshot (9 Mar 2015)

just_fixed said:


> What jacket and tights is Steve wearing? Look warm.


i don't know I'm sorry, I'm sure there will be somebody on here that will recognise the brand from the size of the stiching or something though. According to Steve website (http://oneyeartimetrial.org.uk/) Steves jerseys are being supplied by Milltag.


----------



## deptfordmarmoset (9 Mar 2015)

Here's an update on the average daily distances of the two. Both on an upward curve with Kurt close to the year-long average.


----------



## ianrauk (9 Mar 2015)

Still no mileage for today.. must be another long one.
Lat track log showed 200.73miles


----------



## Pale Rider (10 Mar 2015)

Steve finished on 220.1.

Looks like about the same today as he is doing the return journey from York to Milton Keynes.

The mileage beggars belief, but Steve needs to bang in 200+ regularly to get to record pace and to catch up with Tarzan.

No doubt he's got it all worked out, and has had for months.


----------



## ianrauk (10 Mar 2015)

Awesome stuff.


----------



## MisterStan (10 Mar 2015)

Fair bit of climbing there too. Chapeau.


----------



## deptfordmarmoset (10 Mar 2015)

MisterStan said:


> Fair bit of climbing there too. Chapeau.


The contour might be dependable but the altitude seems calibrated wrongly. It indicates that Leeds is now below sea level.


----------



## Aperitif (10 Mar 2015)

MisterStan said:


> Fair bit of climbing there too. Chapeau.


Last night, I was picking random rides from the Ultracycling 'ride log' and looking at the respective 'y' axis of both (all three?) riders.  Still got to ride 200+ miles though, flat or bumpy.


----------



## Origamist (10 Mar 2015)

Pale Rider said:


> Steve finished on 220.1.
> 
> Looks like about the same today as he is doing the return journey from York to Milton Keynes.
> 
> ...


 
I'd rather be in Kurt's position with the extra miles in the bag, but I'm expecting some monster rides from Steve when the weather picks up...An intriguing contest.


----------



## Mugshot (10 Mar 2015)

Latest update HERE


----------



## Mugshot (10 Mar 2015)

From Facebook





Just given Steve Abraham a shout on his way through Stow - he set off from York this morning - amazing!!
http://oneyeartimetrial.org.uk/


----------



## ianrauk (10 Mar 2015)

Mugshot said:


> From Facebook
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Hahaha, was here to post it too...


----------



## Mugshot (10 Mar 2015)

ianrauk said:


> Hahaha, was here to post it too...


Oh aye? You trying to muscle your way onto my turf Ian, here was I thinking you had the Steve daily mileage posts and I was looking after the pics and vids of the boys. If you're going to be trying to mow my lawn I'll have to up my game!


----------



## Mugshot (10 Mar 2015)

ianrauk said:


> Hahaha, was here to post it too...


It's a really nice pic though isn't it, that's one for Steve to have framed on his living room wall.


----------



## Mugshot (10 Mar 2015)

User said:


> Hey that is a good idea for a calendar for next year, using photos for each month this year.


That'd be a nice idea, extra bit of cash for the charities or whatever. Don't know if it's something @Ian H could suggest. I'll stick something on Facebook and see what gets said


----------



## MisterStan (10 Mar 2015)

160 miles in the tracker already, should be on for another cracker hopefully.


----------



## Ian H (10 Mar 2015)

Mugshot said:


> That'd be a nice idea, extra bit of cash for the charities or whatever. Don't know if it's something @Ian H could suggest. I'll stick something on Facebook and see what gets said



A calendar full of photos of Steve? Hmm. He's a lovely lad, but there are limits! 

Oh, okay — I shall put it to the team.


----------



## Mugshot (10 Mar 2015)

Ian H said:


> A calendar full of photos of Steve? Hmm. He's a lovely lad, but there are limits!
> 
> Oh, okay — I shall put it to the team.


Maybe if we avoided the ones of him eating his tea?


----------



## Supersuperleeds (10 Mar 2015)

222.9 miles today, looks like he is starting to step it up another notch.

https://www.strava.com/activities/266137542


----------



## KneesUp (10 Mar 2015)

Supersuperleeds said:


> 222.9 miles today, looks like he is starting to step it up another notch.
> 
> https://www.strava.com/activities/266137542


I'd have done the other 0.1 of a mile, me. Honest 

[and seriously, what a stupendous performance both of them are putting in]


----------



## ianrauk (10 Mar 2015)

The score on the doors. A magnificent 223 miles for the Red Road Warrior. He should get a nice long sleep tonight seeing as it's an early finish












*GO STEVE!!!*


----------



## ianrauk (10 Mar 2015)

A lot of orange...


----------



## StuAff (11 Mar 2015)

@User10119 clearly fed him well, as I knew she would!


----------



## User482 (11 Mar 2015)

StuAff said:


> @User10119 clearly fed him well, as I knew she would!



I was just catching up with this on YACF - love the cards she had the kids in her class make for him.


----------



## User10119 (11 Mar 2015)

Didn't feed him all that much, really. He'd stopped for a proper meal on the way up and got to mine very late so it was just a snack and a giant mug of tea then Z o'clock. I did send him on his way in the morning with some freshly baked flapjack, some cold sossidges and mousetrap cheese. And he got the Best Bed in The World... since the kids were home, so no spare beds, I grabbed some kip on the sofa and Steve got added to the fairly lengthy list of random cyclists who've slept in my bed!


----------



## ianrauk (11 Mar 2015)

From Jo,

*Day 69:* In a reversal of the pattern of the last couple of months, Kurt makes a 195 mile journey through Alabama with 1900m of climbing while Steve's 222 mile return from York to MK sticks to the flatlands with less than 1000m of ascent.


----------



## Mugshot (11 Mar 2015)

Little bit of a funny one but Kurts ride yesterday has been flagged, according to the comments it would appear there is a section of the ride where he averaged 20mph with a 38 BPM heartrate. Looks like an equipment malfunction if that is the case, but somebody has decided to challenge it. Don't suppose it will put Kurt in the best of moods when he gets up and sees it.


----------



## Mugshot (11 Mar 2015)

Latest stats HERE.
William has not ridden on 16 days out of the last 20, when that boy goes he's going to go BIG


----------



## deptfordmarmoset (11 Mar 2015)

Ian usually gets the Strava details for SA first but he seems to be having a night off.

A smidgeon under 200 today - http://www.strava.com/activities/266674050


----------



## srw (11 Mar 2015)

0.6 miles under the double ton in 3 minutes under 13 hours riding time. Which means that all he needs to do is ride his bike for 14 hours out of every 24 for the next 10 months and he'll have smashed the Godwin record. Piece of cake!


----------



## velovoice (11 Mar 2015)

Steve today over on the other place (on the 'Tarzan' thread, no less!) -





Some "fun day", eh?


----------



## deptfordmarmoset (11 Mar 2015)

User said:


> Chelsea playing football?


That seems very likely!


----------



## Justinslow (11 Mar 2015)

deptfordmarmoset said:


> That seems very likely!


Oops just got knocked out of champions league.


----------



## deptfordmarmoset (11 Mar 2015)

Justinslow said:


> Oops just got knocked out of champions league.


He'll be blue tonight, just you wait and see.


----------



## Mugshot (12 Mar 2015)

Day 60 for Kurt, and it was a little damp.


----------



## deptfordmarmoset (12 Mar 2015)

Even though SA had a short ''fun'' day, KS had an even shorter ''fun'' day, meaning that SA has now outdistanced KS 3 days on the trot. I notice that KS's ride yesterday had more climbing than SA's. I wonder whether Alabama is proving more tiring than Florida.


----------



## Mugshot (12 Mar 2015)

deptfordmarmoset said:


> Even though SA had a short ''fun'' day, KS had an even shorter ''fun'' day, meaning that SA has now outdistanced KS 3 days on the trot. I notice that KS's ride yesterday had more climbing than SA's. I wonder whether Alabama is proving more tiring than Florida.


Kurt is back on home turf now, whether that will mean a change in tactics to something similar to Steve with his rides centred around a more fixed base or whether he'll continue on a camper van adventure, I guess we'll just have to wait and see.


----------



## Mugshot (12 Mar 2015)

deptfordmarmoset said:


> Even though SA had a short ''fun'' day, KS had an even shorter ''fun'' day, meaning that SA has now outdistanced KS 3 days on the trot. I notice that KS's ride yesterday had more climbing than SA's. I wonder whether Alabama is proving more tiring than Florida.


This from Kurts Facebook yesterday

Today was a little tough. Late start to get out of the rain. Then the garmin 705 finallly gave up the ghost so we had to change mounts to use the 500 we got from BikeTiresDirect.com - then 50 miles in the brake cable broke and we switch to the TT bike and had to change garmin mounts again. Later in the day it was time to replace tire - just for the hell of it - or because I cut it _smile emoticon_ then we finished up the day with lights on the tt bike not wanting to stay on the bright setting. Did I mention MS roads suck and that today was into a headwind.


----------



## summerdays (12 Mar 2015)

And in summertime would he need to move further north or would the temperatures there be ok? (The regional differences in the USA aren't my strong point).


----------



## Mugshot (12 Mar 2015)

summerdays said:


> And in summertime would he need to move further north or would the temperatures there be ok? (The regional differences in the USA aren't my strong point).



A furious google brings up these figures, June, July and August could be a little warm, but then I suppose as he's from the area he may be acclimitised to it?


----------



## ianrauk (12 Mar 2015)

Yeah, sorry chaps. Had the night off down the pub then left in a bit of a huff.











A lot of ups and downs on yesterdays ride. But as @deptfordmarmoset pointed out. Steve is now outdistancing Kurt at the moment.


----------



## deptfordmarmoset (12 Mar 2015)

ianrauk said:


> Yeah, sorry chaps. Had the night off down the pub then left in a bit of a huff.
> 
> View attachment 82234
> 
> ...


When I saw that route yesterday, I fancied it was a child's drawing of some strange creature with big ears.


----------



## Mugshot (12 Mar 2015)

ianrauk said:


> Yeah, sorry chaps. Had the night off down the pub then *left in a bit of a huff.*


We'll just gloss over that,


----------



## Origamist (12 Mar 2015)

deptfordmarmoset said:


> When I saw that route yesterday, I fancied it was a child's drawing of some strange creature with big ears.


 
That's a profile shot of a cow - not a strange creature with big ears (that's me!),


----------



## Mugshot (12 Mar 2015)

velovoice said:


> Steve today over on the other place (on the 'Tarzan' thread, no less!) -
> View attachment 82206
> 
> 
> Some "fun day", eh?


I only use CycleChat, if Steve gives regular little updates elsewhere is it possible to have them slung into this thread please?


----------



## velovoice (12 Mar 2015)

Mugshot said:


> I only use CycleChat, if Steve gives regular little updates elsewhere is it possible to have them slung into this thread please?


Not by me (full time employed + law student = no time). YACF, not CC, is what Steve uses.There's quite literally 100x the chat and info going on over there versus what's on CC, with a new thread for EVERY SINGLE day of Steve's ride, separate threads for each discussion topic, separate (long!) thread for Tarzan. Suggest you join, if only for the duration of HAM'R.


----------



## DCLane (12 Mar 2015)

Agreed - although I only tend to look on the Audax section of YACF.


----------



## Mugshot (12 Mar 2015)

velovoice said:


> Not by me (full time employed + law student = no time). YACF, not CC, is what Steve uses.There's quite literally 100x the chat and info going on over there versus what's on CC, with a new thread for EVERY SINGLE day of Steve's ride, separate threads for each discussion topic, separate (long!) thread for Tarzan. Suggest you join, if only for the duration of HAM'R.


I spend too much time here really without throwing another forum into the mix.





Plus the different format confuses me


----------



## velovoice (12 Mar 2015)

Mugshot said:


> I spend too much time here really without throwing another forum into the mix.


Fair enough. Suppose it depends on what you want out of a cycling forum now or for the foreseeable. CC is certainly my "hang out" but I'm on YACF every single day to follow the HAM'R challenge. Next year, I'll probably go back to just having a little nose around 2-3 times a year.


----------



## Mugshot (12 Mar 2015)

velovoice said:


> Fair enough. Suppose it depends on what you want out of a cycling forum now or for the foreseeable. CC is certainly my "hang out" but I'm on YACF every single day to follow the HAM'R challenge. Next year, I'll probably go back to just having a little nose around 2-3 times a year.


Nah, you're right enough, it was a little tongue in cheek. I'll start having a peep at it


----------



## ianrauk (12 Mar 2015)

A big day for Steve... 219 miles on the nose..












*GO STEVE!!*


----------



## deptfordmarmoset (12 Mar 2015)

ianrauk said:


> A big day for Steve... 219 miles on the nose..
> 
> View attachment 82313
> 
> ...


219, that'll do fine! And if he returns on a similar route tomorrow he'll avoid the central band of rain that's forecast.


----------



## Crackle (12 Mar 2015)

velovoice said:


> Not by me (full time employed + law student = no time). YACF, not CC, is what Steve uses.There's quite literally 100x the chat and info going on over there versus what's on CC, with a new thread for EVERY SINGLE day of Steve's ride, separate threads for each discussion topic, separate (long!) thread for Tarzan. Suggest you join, if only for the duration of HAM'R.


It's actually information overload on yacf. I need my updates in bite sized chunks.


----------



## Mugshot (13 Mar 2015)

_Only_ 170 miles for Kurt yesterday, and a funny looking loopy route to boot. Also a lower average than usual.


----------



## deptfordmarmoset (13 Mar 2015)

Mugshot said:


> _Only_ 170 miles for Kurt yesterday, and a funny looking loopy route to boot. Also a lower average than usual.
> 
> View attachment 82344


I can see a lot of to-ing and fro-ing on the flat riverside but I can't match it with the contour map. And the map doesn't seem to indicate a finishing point. Does a loop ride only show the starting point on Strava? Not that the contour finishes at the same altitude as the start, anyway. A comment suggests it was another wet day for him.

Still, SA has now outdistanced him 4 days in a row.


----------



## ianrauk (13 Mar 2015)

From Jo at the other place

*Day 70:* Steve claims to have a "rest day" closer to home but still manages almost 200 miles. Kurt had a tough day with a Mississippi headwind, problems with one of his GPS, a broken brake cable and a visit from the puncture fairy. His final leg was on home ground back in Arkansas giving him 176 miles for the day.





*Day 71:* The fourth day in a row in which Steve has ridden further than Kurt slowly closing the gap between them. Steve rides around 220 miles from MK to Hull in good weather. Kurt faces 170 miles of rain around Little Rock, AR.


----------



## Mugshot (13 Mar 2015)

As it's been a month now, here's the second in the series of Strava stats for our 5 heroes.
The +/- is in comparison to the data on 13/02/15


----------



## Mugshot (13 Mar 2015)

deptfordmarmoset said:


> I can see a lot of to-ing and fro-ing on the flat riverside but I can't match it with the contour map. And the map doesn't seem to indicate a finishing point. Does a loop ride only show the starting point on Strava? Not that the contour finishes at the same altitude as the start, anyway. A comment suggests it was another wet day for him.
> 
> Still, SA has now outdistanced him 4 days in a row.


Here's a close up, the finish button was under the start button.


----------



## ianrauk (13 Mar 2015)

Blimey, just checked the tracker.
Steve's heading south and he's 57 miles in already - gearing up for a big day.

*GO STEVE!!*


----------



## summerdays (13 Mar 2015)

Hope it's south east, it's wet here!


----------



## ianrauk (13 Mar 2015)

He's currently in the Fens taking advantage of a very nice tailwind.


----------



## Stephen C (13 Mar 2015)

ianrauk said:


> He's currently in the Fens taking advantage of a very nice tailwind.


It was cracking riding weather just south of Cambridge, sunny, cool, slight tailwind. Steve should have a nice wind pushing him west towards MK.


----------



## fimm (13 Mar 2015)

I hope it wasn't as wet further south as it was here in Edinburgh yesterday evening. I was wetter than a wet thing after about 10 minutes and telling myself that Steve would have decent waterproofs (unlike me!)


----------



## deptfordmarmoset (13 Mar 2015)

fimm said:


> I hope it wasn't as wet further south as it was here in Edinburgh yesterday evening. I was wetter than a wet thing after about 10 minutes and telling myself that Steve would have decent waterproofs (unlike me!)


The BBC UK forecast is for the rain band to stay running centrally over Britain from SSW to NNE. If he's returning to MK, he can stay away from the hillier and wet centre. Over in the east here, it's hazy but dry with a mild easterly, which will suit him trekking back west to MK.


----------



## Mugshot (13 Mar 2015)

Day 62 for Kurt, more trials and tribulations but he seems in good spirits.


----------



## Saluki (13 Mar 2015)

Kurt seems to be having serious bad luck with his kit.


----------



## ianrauk (13 Mar 2015)

His helmet looks the wrong size - too small and too far back on his head.


----------



## ianrauk (13 Mar 2015)




----------



## ianrauk (13 Mar 2015)

Another long mileage day in the saddle for Steve... starting to pull the longer rides out of the bag now..213.5miles on the clock
Look at that downhill at the 50 mile mark... must have been a great ride.










*GO STEVE!!*


----------



## deptfordmarmoset (13 Mar 2015)

ianrauk said:


> Another long mileage day in the saddle for Steve... starting to pull the longer rides out of the bag now..213.5miles on the clock
> Look at that downhill at the 50 mile mark... must have been a great ride.
> 
> View attachment 82428


It looks even steeper in the other direction. A straight 120 metres. The way he went up.... His average over the last 5 days is higher than the asking rate.


----------



## Aperitif (13 Mar 2015)

deptfordmarmoset said:


> It looks even steeper in the other direction. A straight 120 metres. The way he went up.... His average over the last 5 days is higher than the asking rate.


His height over the last 5 days is higher than the 'asking rate' too.  Is Steve building in the PBP as a bit of light relief? His inner tubes are going to be well up when he rides across the Channel, non?. Nice to see a hint of '200' on the y axis.  Well done, Steve.


----------



## mcshroom (13 Mar 2015)

That might be a problem. He's riding tubeless


----------



## StuartG (14 Mar 2015)

I wonder whether Steve or Kurt will challenge Tommy's whopper of 348 miles in a day following other 300+ days. That's another planet.


----------



## Aperitif (14 Mar 2015)

StuartG said:


> I wonder whether Steve or Kurt will challenge Tommy's whopper of 348 miles in a day following other 300+ days. That's another planet.


14.5mph for 24 hours. Interesting. Is this feasible in the UK terrain in general, or was this done on a circuit, Stuart? Kurt's loveable interviewer might be lost for words...and Kurt will need to stock up on bikes+GPS for a long day.


----------



## rowdin (14 Mar 2015)

Theirs no strava data on kurt for 13/03/15.?


----------



## Mugshot (14 Mar 2015)

rowdin said:


> Theirs no strava data on kurt for 13/03/15.?


No you're right, nothing as yet. I noticed his tracker was on 41miles yesterday for hours and he posted a query about Garmins on his Facebook yesterday too, so I'm guessing an equipment failure of some description.


----------



## BigAl68 (14 Mar 2015)

Mugshot said:


> No you're right, nothing as yet. I noticed his tracker was on 41miles yesterday for hours and he posted a query about Garmins on his Facebook yesterday too, so I'm guessing an equipment failure of some description.



Does this mean he can't claim the mileage for yesterday or will they use the satellite tracking data?


----------



## Mugshot (14 Mar 2015)

BigAl68 said:


> Does this mean he can't claim the mileage for yesterday or will they use the satellite tracking data?


I think they have to post the ride data within 24hrs for it to count, so he'll have a bit of time yet. I'll have a quick look at the rules.


----------



## Mugshot (14 Mar 2015)

BigAl68 said:


> Does this mean he can't claim the mileage for yesterday or will they use the satellite tracking data?


Here we go, rule #7

Advance notice of routes will not be required. Riders will be required to have an active live tracking device in operation for all mileage to be credited for the attempt. In addition, riders will have a trip recording device (such as a Garmin) that will record the route taken, speed, elevation/gradient and at least one of heart rate or power. Riders will be responsible for carrying backup batteries to power whatever device/app we decide upon. The devices used will be subject to the approval of the Records Chairman. *Ride data will be posted daily within 24 hours of the completion of the ride. *Tracking/recording devices shall be tested at least two weeks prior to the start of the attempt to ensure that the Records Chairman will be able to access the data.

My highlighting.


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## Mugshot (14 Mar 2015)

But I would have thought that the upload would be automatic, so I'm still thinking theres been a systems failure of some description. He was doing the same type of route as Thursday which was a horrible zig zagging and doubling back and forth affair, maybe the GPS started joining up things that weren't there?


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## BigAl68 (14 Mar 2015)

Looking at his Facebook from yesterday he certainly seemed to be having issues or trying to do something with the Garmins.


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## Mugshot (14 Mar 2015)

That's the one.


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## BigAl68 (14 Mar 2015)

I have just asked why no mileage posts on his Facebook. I will see if I get an answer.


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## Mugshot (14 Mar 2015)

BigAl68 said:


> I have just asked why no mileage posts on his Facebook. I will see if I get an answer.


Well it's 5:25am over there, so hopefully if they're looking for an early start all will be revealed in the next hour.


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## Mugshot (14 Mar 2015)

From Facebook, my bold.

_Back by popular demand, Steve's updated Strava heatmap. In answer to some queries. *Steve is unlikely to ride in Wales* or Scotland as he needs to keep his average speed up particularly when the mad mileage days come. But Steve has a few surprises up his sleeve , so keep following to see what he does on his mad mileage days._

Chicken


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## Mugshot (14 Mar 2015)

_Steve spotted in Horncastle at 5pm, thanks Brian Garrill_


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## Aperitif (14 Mar 2015)

Mugshot said:


> From Facebook, my bold.
> 
> _Back by popular demand, Steve's updated Strava heatmap. In answer to some queries. *Steve is unlikely to ride in Wales* or Scotland as he needs to keep his average speed up particularly when the mad mileage days come. But Steve has a few surprises up his sleeve , so keep following to see what he does on his mad mileage days._
> 
> *Chicken*


Fish, surely?
In the words of the famous rugby ditty, sung by envious Englishmen in rugby club bars..."Wales, Wales...bloody great fishes are Wales.."


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## Mugshot (14 Mar 2015)

From Kurts Facebook

_Sorry not to share yesterdays rides - You can tell I did 3 seperated sessions yesterday - The first 2 sessions were in the rain and came to around 43.5 miles. The last session was after it stopped raining and was 57.8 miles - I did at least ride 100 - hope to do better today - the garmin file for 43.5 miles that will not load has been sent to UMCA to see if they can find the problem or use spot to get the miles. Spot might not give me as many miles since the first ride had an out and back component as did the 2nd. Would have rode much more in the evening but the light setup we were trying had problem. - Oh well back on the road today._


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## Mugshot (14 Mar 2015)

From Strava


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## BigAl68 (14 Mar 2015)

I just noticed that and was about to post the same. Seems he didn't buy the best equipment. If things are this bad after 2 and half months I wonder how many more issues he will have?


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## Mugshot (14 Mar 2015)

From what he's saying he didn't get a good days mileage in anyway, but it'll be a double whammy if he can't get UMCA to approve what he's claiming.


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## Aperitif (14 Mar 2015)

Kurt is a very experienced competitor too, so the advent of recurrent failure of his 'measuring' equipment is probably bloody irritating. Still, if he will keep downing his bikes, perhaps he ought to stick to recumbent action...I don't think he's trashed that yet, has he?


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## ianrauk (14 Mar 2015)

*From Jo at the other place
Day 72:* Another solid 214 miles for Steve heading back from Hull to MK. More rain for Kurt and then GPS problems prevent some of his ride from being uploaded and to cap it all, problems with his light bracket cut short his evening riding. The impact of "only" a recorded 58 mile day on his progress shows how vulnerable both riders are to even a small interruption.


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## deptfordmarmoset (14 Mar 2015)

The Ultracycling site isn't showing any mileage yet for Kurt yesterday. I think some more of it might end up being recovered and awarded, even though it was a ''short'' day for him.


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## Supersuperleeds (14 Mar 2015)

Per the tracker Steve has broken 200 miles for the day again and is still going, though he is back in Milton Keynes so I guess he is about done for the day.


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## deptfordmarmoset (14 Mar 2015)

Supersuperleeds said:


> Per the tracker Steve has broken 200 miles for the day again and is still going, though he is back in Milton Keynes so I guess he is about done for the day.


213.5 miles. http://www.strava.com/activities/267618740 It looks like Kurt got 68 miles awarded for yesterday. He'll be mightily fed up if it's still raining in Little Rock

EDIT: Knickers! That's yesterday's ride. My apologies. As you were.....


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## Sea of vapours (14 Mar 2015)

deptfordmarmoset said:


> 213.5 miles. http://www.strava.com/activities/267618740 It looks like Kurt got 68 miles awarded for yesterday. He'll be mightily fed up if it's still raining in Little Rock


That's yesterday's ride. Today's isn't up yet, though it looks as if Steve is home and the distance will be very similar to yesterday.


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## deptfordmarmoset (14 Mar 2015)

Sea of vapours said:


> That's yesterday's ride. Today's isn't up yet, though it looks as if Steve is home and the distance will be very similar to yesterday.


I reckon I got my edit in before you posted but only just. There I was thinking, ''Oh look, he's gone to Hull again, he must like that ride'' and then it dawned on me.


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## Sea of vapours (14 Mar 2015)

Today's must be appearing any minute now. Link-posting finger at the ready ;-)


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## ianrauk (14 Mar 2015)

Yet another great mileage day...a tad of just under 214 miles.. and a lot more up and downs... superb effort. 












*GO STEVE!!!*


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## si_c (14 Mar 2015)

It is worrying that Kurt keeps having such mechanical problems. Given that Steve has been riding through much more inclement weather you'd have expected him to have the worse of it. But on the other hand it seems that he's chosen the perfect equipment, touring bike with full mudguards is obviously better than a triathlon bike for this ride. I hope they both do well, but it would be souring for one to be blighted with mechanical trouble and not complete the year.


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## Supersuperleeds (15 Mar 2015)

A tad over 150 miles for Kurt.


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## tommaguzzi (15 Mar 2015)

_Tracking/recording devices shall be tested at least two weeks prior to the start of the attempt to ensure that the Records Chairman will be able to access the data_

Am I the only one who sees a problem for Kurt here?
If his tracking devices have failed and they need replacing, according to this rule any new device needs to be tested first at least 2 weeks before it can be used.


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## Banjo (15 Mar 2015)

There must be a way round that. If he gets two new trackers now one can be tested /calibrated at a time. If the one he uses first turns out to over /under read it will very quickly be obvious by comparing with known distances on google maps or whatever.

It does appear though as if Kurts having one problem after another with bikes and equipment.Its bound to be playing on his mind .


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## ianrauk (15 Mar 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 73:* Steve rides 107 miles into a biting NE wind and then another 107 back home again keeping up his recent March average of over 210 miles per day. Kurt has another shorter day to make way for other domestic business. It looks like we are seeing a shift in the trend of both riders as riding conditions change.


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## summerdays (15 Mar 2015)

The graph shows very visibly how a bad day could be a set back for either rider.

How many recoding devices does Steve have?


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## ianrauk (15 Mar 2015)

summerdays said:


> How many recoding devices does Steve have?



3


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## Sea of vapours (15 Mar 2015)

tommaguzzi said:


> _Tracking/recording devices shall be tested at least two weeks prior to the start of the attempt to ensure that the Records Chairman will be able to access the data_
> 
> Am I the only one who sees a problem for Kurt here?
> If his tracking devices have failed and they need replacing, according to this rule any new device needs to be tested first at least 2 weeks before it can be used.



Taking that literally, it would be inconvenient for Kurt, but it's a rather badly worded rule. What it _really_ means, I'm sure, is something like 'The ability to provide tracking of rides in real time, as well as the recording of rides, plus provision of movement logs, within 24 hours of completion of a ride, shall be tested ... etc' i.e. I don't imagine the UMCA really want to test the* devices*; they want to know that they can receive and validate *data* from them in a timely manner, as well as see where the riders are when they're moving. It's the _process_ they're concerned with, not the physical technicalities. 

Assuming that's correct, and given that the UMCA have been pretty good on being sensible with various other problematically worded rules (e.g the alcohol one), I'm sure (and hope!) Kurt can just replace hardware and carry on as before, without UMCA intervention to test new kit.


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## deptfordmarmoset (15 Mar 2015)

I don't know what the UMCA will do when Kurt reports back that he's broken the roads.


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## srw (15 Mar 2015)

Zooming out on jo's (from the other place) graph shows the scale of the challenge very effectively, I think. It also shows the difference between the riders. Steve is methodically, and a little boringly, implementing a plan. Tarzan is winging it.


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## BigAl68 (15 Mar 2015)

Steve is going well again today 74 miles already.


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## ianrauk (15 Mar 2015)




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## Mugshot (15 Mar 2015)

Whilst I do want to see Steve get the record, I do hope Kurt continues to get the miles in. Him and Alicia seem like nice people, I like them


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## ianrauk (15 Mar 2015)

Mugshot said:


> Whilst I do want to see Steve get the record, I do hope Kurt continues to get the miles in. Him and Alicia seem like nice people, I like them




Yeah he's a likeable fella, though she's a bit too American excitable for my liking.
Though it does look like Kurt is going through the duldrums and having a tough time of it at the moment.


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## Mugshot (15 Mar 2015)

ianrauk said:


> Yeah he's a likeable fella, though she's a bit too American excitable for my liking.
> Though it does look like Kurt is going through the duldrums and having a tough time of it at the moment.


Agreed, to rephrase something I read elsewhere, is tough to ride past your front door and I wonder if sleeping in his own (or Alicias?) bed then doing loops around town aren't necessarily helping his mileage.


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## ianrauk (15 Mar 2015)

Mugshot said:


> Agreed, to rephrase something I read elsewhere, is tough to ride past your front door and I wonder if sleeping in his own (or Alicias?) bed then doing loops around town aren't necessarily helping his mileage.




And THAT rain.


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## Crackle (15 Mar 2015)

Kurt doesn't strike me as having a plan, other than ride more miles than Steve. I may be doing him disservice though.


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## Bazzer (15 Mar 2015)

I thought the purpose of the rides was for either or both Kurt and Steve to attempt to beat the record, whereas Kurt seems to be competing against Steve?


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## Mugshot (15 Mar 2015)

ianrauk said:


> And THAT rain.


Ooooo yeah, that too! Makes you wonder why he left Florida, wouldn't have thought it was too hot yet.


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## Mugshot (15 Mar 2015)

Crackle said:


> Kurt doesn't strike me as having a plan, other than ride more miles than Steve. I may be doing him disservice though.


No, I think you're probably right, he does appear to be winging it a little.


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## BigAl68 (15 Mar 2015)

Kurt seems to be doing another day of up and down past his house again. Wouldn't doing an out and return as Steve is doing be easier on the mind? I admit he does seem to just come up with a plan on a day by day basis.


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## ianrauk (15 Mar 2015)

BigAl68 said:


> Kurt seems to be doing another day of up and down past his house again. Wouldn't doing an out and return as Steve is doing be easier on the mind? I admit he does seem to just come up with a plan on a day by day basis.




Which doesn't bode well for Kurt as you can see from Jo's graph I posted above. Even the slightest dip in mileage on a daily basis brings the base amount down quite a lot.

Go Kurt.. keep cycling bud. (But Steve cycle that little bit further)


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## BigAl68 (15 Mar 2015)

Steve seems to have everything in place to just focus on putting the miles in everyday when Kurt seems to have done his planning on the back of a napkin. I hope he continues to ride but I can't wait to see what happens when Steve rides into the spring and summer with the longer and warmer days. It has become a bit of an obsession checking the live trackers and also the very well informed posts here from @ianrauk et al.


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## ianrauk (15 Mar 2015)

BigAl68 said:


> Steve seems to have everything in place to just focus on putting the miles in everyday when Kurt seems to have done his planning on the back of a napkin. I hope he continues to ride but I can't wait to see what happens when Steve rides into the spring and summer with the longer and warmer days. It has become a bit of an obsession checking the live trackers and also the very well informed posts here from @ianrauk et al.




It has become an obsession 
The trackers are now my most visited websites on a daily basis.

I'm lucky that I have cycled with Steve a couple of times and know if anyone can do this, Steve can.


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## BigAl68 (15 Mar 2015)

i just looked at my history for the last couple of days on the laptop and trackleaders crops up more than I had thought it would. It is also great that there are people who know Steve personally here giving the whole thing an even more personal side. I keep mentioning it to cycling friends who seem to not be aware of it and they are now almost as obsessed as us here on the thread. It seems Steve is riding again so should be home in a couple of hours.


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## Pale Rider (15 Mar 2015)

Seems to me Kurt does have a plan and it's a simple one.

Ride 200 miles or just over every day, knowing that he will need to up that a tiny bit to get the 205 average.

That's what he's been doing until the last two or three days.

His daily average has only just dipped below 200 miles.

Steve's average has recently risen to more than 190 miles, so it couldn't be more fascinating.

http://gicentre.org/oytt/


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## BigAl68 (15 Mar 2015)

I just took a look at Kurts tracker and he is about to pass through England. Now that is a big ride


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## ianrauk (15 Mar 2015)

A tad under 207 miles for the day. And if the weather was anything like todays in SE London/NW Kent, Steve would have had a really crappy weather day. Cold and damp.

But he keeps riding..........................











*GO STEVE!!!*


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## deptfordmarmoset (15 Mar 2015)

The average daily mileage graph is showing a bit of change. 'S wet home, Alabama.


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## BigAl68 (16 Mar 2015)

Kurt seems to have has a trouble free day at last and put a 220 mile day in. Steve seems to be heading in a similar direction as yesterday.


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## ianrauk (16 Mar 2015)

From Jo over at the other place
*
Day 74:* Kurt is back on form clocking 222 miles in balmier temperatures and dryer conditions in Little Rock. Steve takes a 206 mile return trip from MK to King's Lynn.


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## ianrauk (16 Mar 2015)

I have run out of superlatives and it's only day 75. The Red Randonneur knocks out another 200+ miler.. 218 miles to be precise











*GO STEVE!!*


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## BigAl68 (16 Mar 2015)

bish, bash bosh. The man just keep turning the pedals and adding the miles.


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## BigAl68 (16 Mar 2015)

That's about 17 miles more than the spot tracker was estimating. He seems to be getting the rides done faster as well which can only be good news. Looks as if his sausage powered engine is going to go up a gear or two really soon.


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## Mugshot (16 Mar 2015)

ianrauk said:


> I have run out of superlatives and it's only day 75. The Red Randonneur knocks out another 200+ miler.. 218 miles to be precise
> 
> View attachment 82720
> 
> ...


That's more like it, if he'd just done another little loop at the top he would have had a dinosaur.


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## Mugshot (16 Mar 2015)

With the mileage they're doing day after day it's crossed my mind that it's the perfect opportunity for some marvellous strava art, I'm disappointed at the efforts so far. I blame the back up teams, they should be planning routes accordingly. We want more art, or cocks, whatever.


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## Aperitif (17 Mar 2015)

User said:


> Every day I am hoping for one of them to draw a massive cock and balls. Expecting them to turn the GPS off and on a few times for the finishing touches might be a bit much though.


Some people live in hope of seeing a little rock, let alone massive...
Talking of Kurt videos, haven't seen one for a while...have they broken the camera now, too?


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## ianrauk (17 Mar 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 75:* Another fenland tip for Steve under grey skies and a cold wind allows him to accumulate a further 218 miles. Kurt is back in his rhythm riding for 210 miles from Little Rock edging back in the direction of WR pace.


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## BrumJim (17 Mar 2015)

BigAl68 said:


> bish, bash bosh. The man just keep turning the pedals and adding the miles.



Scarily, this is close to his upper-end target for March.
I guess he is hoping, like the rest of us, that the warm spring weather will arrive soon.


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## ianrauk (17 Mar 2015)




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## BigAl68 (17 Mar 2015)

@ianrauk How is he doing today? I can't get the spot tracker to load on my phone as off cycling and supping cider for the day


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## Mugshot (17 Mar 2015)

113 miles according to the tracker, heading up country past Coventry.


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## BigAl68 (17 Mar 2015)

@Mugshot thanks


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## Mugshot (17 Mar 2015)

HERE'S the latest stats.


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## Mugshot (17 Mar 2015)

BigAl68 said:


> @Mugshot thanks


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## Mugshot (17 Mar 2015)

BigAl68 said:


> @ianrauk How is he doing today? I can't get the spot tracker to load on my phone as off cycling and supping cider for the day


150 miles at 5pm, thought I'd give you an update before I head off home. MInd if you've been supping cider all day you may not see this for a while.


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## Supersuperleeds (17 Mar 2015)

176 miles at 19:30, near Uttoxeter,


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## Mugshot (17 Mar 2015)

Blimey, just noticed that William has done 5 miles, is this the start of the come back?


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## theclaud (17 Mar 2015)

Mugshot said:


> We want more art, or cocks, whatever.



Quality sig material.


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## T4tomo (17 Mar 2015)

ianrauk said:


> View attachment 82766


So steve is rotating 3 similar touring bikes, which seems a sensible choice of steed for the challenge. I can't help thinking kurt is tad mad doing most of his attempt on time trial bikes, they can't be comfortable for 200 miles a day, his recumbent on the other hand ...


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## BigAl68 (17 Mar 2015)

Mugshot said:


> 150 miles at 5pm, thought I'd give you an update before I head off home. MInd if you've been supping cider all day you may not see this for a while.



On the train home now. Did Steve set off later today as he has been home by now and almost hitting 220 days?


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## ianrauk (17 Mar 2015)

Bang on 200 of those British Imperial Miles today..Taking in 3 Marsh Gibbons.












*GO STEVE!!!*


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## theclaud (17 Mar 2015)

ianrauk said:


> Bang on 200 of those British Imperial Miles today..Taking in 3 Marsh Gibbons.



The 'Your Day's Wildlife' thread is thataway... >>>>>


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## ianrauk (17 Mar 2015)

theclaud said:


> The 'Your Day's Wildlife' thread is thataway... >>>>>




they're looking very funky..


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## Aperitif (17 Mar 2015)

I read about the Marsh Gibbon thing over yonder this morning. Funny how silly people can be - however 'boff' the topic!*  
I would love to see a spoof video with a female videoing Steve:
"Hi Steve, where you goin' today?"
Milton Keynes.
"And did you get your bike repaired ok yesterday?"
Didn't need to - it's going well.
"Will you stop off at the Golden Arches for a bite..?"
fark off. Eggs, beans, sausage, hash browns, fried bread and four pints of tea at Fred's will do me until lunch."
"Do you think you'll last in the rain?"
What rain? ...followed by further curt replies...

Go Steve - he's getting a bit close to the Peak District!!!

* thank goodness.


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## summerdays (17 Mar 2015)

He' s finished in Mr Summerdays home territory!


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## Mugshot (18 Mar 2015)

Kurt bangs in a 220 miler


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## Mugshot (18 Mar 2015)

Article about Kurt here if you're interested.


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## Aperitif (18 Mar 2015)

Just plotted Steve's route today, so far, into ride with GPS...looks decidedly lumpy for a morning warm-up! 
32.7 mi +1745 ft - Six Hills Service Station is 'very close'.


----------



## Mugshot (18 Mar 2015)

theclaud said:


> Quality sig material.


Thank you, a true sign of having arrived when you're sig worthy. I hadn't noticed before, but taken in isolation like that there's quite a few threads I'd like to sling it into.


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## Mugshot (18 Mar 2015)

Aperitif said:


> Just plotted Steve's route today, so far, into ride with GPS...looks decidedly lumpy for a morning warm-up!
> 32.7 mi +1745 ft - Six Hills Service Station is 'very close'.


Very close to you?


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## Aperitif (18 Mar 2015)

No - I'm London myopic. Him. The lure of the baked bean, perhaps? Interesting to read about Kurt's 'Wind Finder' App. Let's hope he doesn't come into close proximity of Steve - post sausage fest.


----------



## mcshroom (18 Mar 2015)

Here comes another one - http://www.ultracycling.com/wp_news/?p=553



> UMCA member Miles Smith has signed up for the HAM’R and plans to start on April 11th (International HAM’R day). Miles, who lives in Victoria Australia, will be racing in the 50-59 age category. Phil Bellette will be Miles’ crew chief. Best of luck Miles and Phil!


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## ianrauk (18 Mar 2015)

_From Jo over at the other place. _
*
Day 76:* Kurt heads back SE towards Mississippi and returns to his previous form with 211 miles for the day. Steve takes a few diversions to Marsh Gibbon on his ride up to Derby making it a double century.


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## ianrauk (18 Mar 2015)

Another cyclist has thrown his hat into the ring.
Miles Smith down in the land of Aus. *Info*
Starting on April 11th


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## StuartG (18 Mar 2015)

Mugshot said:


> Article about Kurt here if you're interested.


_"The UCA doesn't recognise Tommy Godwin's record because it was made in 1939 before tracking was introduced"_

I don't recognise the UCA (UMCA?) as an organisation competent to judge world records made over 40 years before they came into existence. Nobody is going to seriously regarded as the record holder until they beat Tommy's record.


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## deptfordmarmoset (18 Mar 2015)

ianrauk said:


> Another cyclist has thrown his hat into the ring.
> Miles Smith down in the land of Aus. *Info*
> Starting on April 11th


I didn't know that there were different age categories for this. The blog says he's in the 50 - 59 category. Are Kurt and Steve in the same category?


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## Sea of vapours (18 Mar 2015)

No, Steve's in the category below that, so UMCA are going to be issuing two records whichever of Kurt / Steve has the higher mileage.


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## StuartG (18 Mar 2015)

ianrauk said:


> Another cyclist has thrown his hat into the ring.


Bother - I was thinking of entering. If I dug down hard I reckoned I could take bronze


----------



## Aperitif (18 Mar 2015)

ianrauk said:


> Another cyclist has thrown his hat into the ring.
> Miles Smith down in the land of Aus. *Info*
> Starting on April 11th


That's a TinyMilesNewt to Marcus I think...


----------



## deptfordmarmoset (18 Mar 2015)

His name has miles written all over it. That should give him a good start.


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## ianrauk (18 Mar 2015)

Aperitif said:


> That's a TinyMilesNewt to Marcus I think...




aha... next time i'll pay more attention..


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## Mugshot (18 Mar 2015)

Steve showing less than a ton on the tracker at the mo, isn't he further along than that normally? Did he have a late start or has he had a problem?


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## Mugshot (18 Mar 2015)

Just checked elsewhere and apparently he was under way by 5:20 am


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## Mugshot (18 Mar 2015)

ianrauk said:


> Another cyclist has thrown his hat into the ring.
> Miles Smith down in the land of Aus. *Info*
> Starting on April 11th


Stolen from the other site, don't know if it's officially verified, but check out the big ring on the fellas bike.


----------



## velovoice (18 Mar 2015)

Mugshot said:


> Stolen from the other site, don't know if it's officially verified, but check out the big ring on the fellas bike.
> View attachment 82893


Yeah, apparently Miles' bike was snapped by a fellow Aussie audaxer and the pic is circulating on Twitter. No one has said whether that's Miles' only bike and/or if it will feature as part of his HAM'R attempt but whoever's running the Audax Australia Twitter account says Miles' nickname is "Big Ring".... which may or may not refer to a bike part. Apparently!


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## Mugshot (18 Mar 2015)

velovoice said:


> Yeah, apparently Miles' bike was snapped by a fellow Aussie audaxer and the pic is circulating on Twitter. No one has said whether that's Miles' only bike and/or if it will feature as part of his HAM'R attempt but whoever's running the Audax Australia Twitter account says Miles' nickname is "Big Ring".... which may or may not refer to a bike part. Apparently!


Well assuming it does refer to the bike part, the nick name certainly fits.
It may fit if it doesn't refer to bike parts but lets not go into that.


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## Mugshot (18 Mar 2015)

142 miles for Steve, much shorter day mileage wise with an early finish. Can't post the details as I'm on the tablet but I'm sure someone will soon.


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## Mugshot (18 Mar 2015)

I wonder if we're going to see something off the charts tomorrow, maybe an early finish means a mega early start tomorrow.


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## Beebo (18 Mar 2015)

Mugshot said:


> I wonder if we're going to see something off the charts tomorrow, maybe an early finish means a mega early start tomorrow.


It will have to be 268 just to keep him on the 205 average over the two days.


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## velovoice (18 Mar 2015)

Beebo said:


> It will have to be 268 just to keep him on the 205 average over the two days.


Two thoughts:
1. This is Teethgrinder we are talking about. 
2. His schedule does not call for 205 miles a day.


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## Bazzer (18 Mar 2015)

Bike or other problems as he looks to be back home?


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## BigAl68 (18 Mar 2015)

He obviously needed an easier day and I am sure it is all in the grand plan. Get a good night's rest Steve...


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## velovoice (18 Mar 2015)

Over on t' other place, severe fog along the A5/A6 corridor from 4.30pm onwards has been mentioned as a possible factor.


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## ianrauk (18 Mar 2015)

A much shorter day for Steve today.... hopefully to get a good nights sleep ready for a much longer day tomorrow.












*GO STEVE!!!*


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## Mugshot (18 Mar 2015)

Average speed 13.2mph with 5400ft of climbing according to strava, so his average was lower than usual.


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## Mugshot (18 Mar 2015)

velovoice said:


> Over on t' other place, severe fog along the A5/A6 corridor from 4.30pm onwards has been mentioned as a possible factor.


Not sure about that, according to the tracker he hadn't hit a ton by 3pm despite starting at 5:20am.


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## Supersuperleeds (18 Mar 2015)

In all likelihood he would have had the freezing fog that I encountered this morning, it was very slow going as visibility was very poor


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## velovoice (18 Mar 2015)

Mugshot said:


> Not sure about that, according to the tracker he hadn't hit a ton by 3pm despite starting at 5:20am.


I'm not sure about it either, not being on TG's tail and seeing exactly where he was at what time when he may or may not have met with peasoup-thick fog...


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## Mugshot (18 Mar 2015)

velovoice said:


> I'm not sure about it either, not being on TG's tail and seeing exactly where he was at what time when he may or may not have met with peasoup-thick fog...


It's fun to speculate though isn't it?


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## velovoice (18 Mar 2015)

Mugshot said:


> It's fun to speculate though isn't it?


Yes... to a point! After that, it becomes "worrying" rather than "speculating". I'm all too good at that.


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## Aperitif (18 Mar 2015)

Mugshot said:


> 142 miles for Steve, much shorter day mileage wise with an early finish. Can't post the details as I'm on the tablet but I'm sure someone will soon.


Possibly he got snarled up in the pollution?
Here is the Defra site.
And here's a report.
Cough - bloody French. A noseful, as well as an Eiffel.


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## Mugshot (18 Mar 2015)

velovoice said:


> Yes... to a point! After that, it becomes "worrying" rather than "speculating". I'm all too good at that.


Too early to worry yet, I think, but I'll admit that I had a little twitch when I saw the 142 posted by 7pm. He knows what he's doing though


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## StuartG (18 Mar 2015)

His shortest ride is still about 5 miles longer than my longest ever and I slept all through the next day. So no shortening of respect from here.


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## Mugshot (19 Mar 2015)

Kurt has a close encounter with some local wildlife and gets in a 213 miler


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## ianrauk (19 Mar 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 77:* Kurt, nursing a nasty insect sting to his eye, joins the Natchez Trace for a scenic 213 miles to Jackson Mississippi. Steve has his shortest day yet comprising a rolling 142 miles and early finish from Derby back to MK.







Both Kurt's recent shorter days and Steve's single day yesterday are visible in the full year picture. It shows how unrelenting is the pressure on both riders.


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## Mugshot (19 Mar 2015)

From Williams Facebook

_HAMR update: Not giving up going to hang in this contest till the end of the year. A few hiccups with weather, work related issues, a sore IT band. But like all goals you have to keep chipping way. Thanks for all the supporters and encouraging comments._

If you need a reminder on how William is doing he has currently ridden 1948 miles. He has ridden 73.3 miles in the last 24 days.


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## Aperitif (19 Mar 2015)

And, Steve is on the move, towards Peterborough etc. with his ESTIMATED tracker showing nearly 50 miles on the clock. (Why is it that Kurt's never shows the daily mileage at any given time, just the collective?)
Hopefully a pollution-free day in store for Steve. Maybe he did eat the service station sausages yesterday - that would explain a lot of things.


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## Aperitif (19 Mar 2015)

Mugshot said:


> From Williams Facebook
> 
> _HAMR update: Not giving up going to hang in this contest till the end of the year. A few hiccups with weather, work related issues, a sore IT band. But like all goals you have to keep chipping way. Thanks for all the supporters and encouraging comments._
> 
> If you need a reminder on how William is doing he has currently ridden 1948 miles. He has ridden 73.3 miles in the last 24 days.


That's a 'William tell'.
I think he's shot his bolt this time.


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## Mugshot (19 Mar 2015)

Aperitif said:


> And, Steve is on the move, towards Peterborough etc. with his ESTIMATED tracker showing nearly 50 miles on the clock. (Why is it that Kurt's never shows the daily mileage at any given time, just the collective?)
> Hopefully a pollution-free day in store for Steve. Maybe he did eat the service station sausages yesterday - that would explain a lot of things.


Kurts shows ok for me, not sure what issue you may be having.


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## Aperitif (19 Mar 2015)

Mugshot said:


> Kurts shows ok for me, not sure what issue you may be having.


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## Mugshot (19 Mar 2015)

Aperitif said:


> That's a 'William tell'.
> I think he's shot his bolt this time.


Obviously I know nothing about the man, but I assume he is an athlete of some standing to have even considered putting his name in the hat, to be honest I find myself being a bit embarrassed on his behalf, he's in danger of becoming a bit of a joke.


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## BigAl68 (19 Mar 2015)

@Aperitif Is that now? If so it's because he isn't riding yet.


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## velovoice (19 Mar 2015)

BigAl68 said:


> Is that now? If so it's because he isn't riding yet.


Perhaps I'm missing the joke but...
1. William is officially enrolled in the HAM'R attempt.
2. Every official challenger must chose his official start date and inform the UMCA of that date.
3. William chose the 4th January 2015 as his start date.
4. His start date (along with Steve's and Kurt's) is listed on the HAM'R website here.

So... he is in fact "riding", but obviously "not enough". The degree of "not enough" is what is embarrassing.


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## BigAl68 (19 Mar 2015)

@velovoice I was talking about Tarzan not William.


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## velovoice (19 Mar 2015)

Ooops, sorry! Last few posts had been about William, I'd forgotten about Teef's Tracker problem...


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## BigAl68 (19 Mar 2015)

We have all had the cross themed thread conundrum


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## Aperitif (19 Mar 2015)

BigAl68 said:


> We have all had the cross themed thread conundrum


Quite. And this is cross-threaded with the 'Discussion' thread too (but don't start posting on that otherwise I will get confused!!!) but I think that counter reads incorrectly all the time. I'm sure I watched Kurt, live, paddling along the Little Rock shores etc. one time. Even if it is a 'stopped moment', I don't know why the total is so high. But I'm not the best at technology - no need to be as I have you lot.


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## BigAl68 (19 Mar 2015)

I see Kurt mileage most days as he rides. The spot tracker website can be a bit slow and you need to f5 it to see the updated mileage.


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## Mugshot (19 Mar 2015)

Steve appears to be chugging along ok today, 6:00am start and up to 70 miles on the tracker by 11:00am ish.


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## Mugshot (19 Mar 2015)

Kurts face following his scrap with some pesky critter.


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## BigAl68 (19 Mar 2015)

I watched his video and there was a huge sting hanging out of his face. It got more swollen as the day went on. Having had a bee go under my glasses and sting my face last year I have some sympathy for him.


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## Aperitif (19 Mar 2015)




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## BigAl68 (19 Mar 2015)

seems he is rolling. Also as you asked about William this was posted by the man himself on Chris hoppo's (Steves crew boss) Facebook earlier.


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## velovoice (19 Mar 2015)

As an American, I'd really like to know when "trash talk" became the new trendy phrase (especially, it seems, amongst Americans "of a certain age" ) that seems to mean "anything you say about me that I don't like"?


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## BigAl68 (19 Mar 2015)

Steve is still a fair way from home but he is about to skirt over cambridge looking at the tracker, 190 odd miles so far today. Kurt has just crossed the mississippi and heading into louisiana and 135 miles so far today.


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## Mugshot (19 Mar 2015)

I think Steve is staying in Cambridge tonight so he maybe almost done.


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## ianrauk (19 Mar 2015)

Mugshot said:


> I think Steve is staying in Cambridge tonight so he maybe almost done.




Hopefully he'll knock out another 13 miles to make the 200


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## Mugshot (19 Mar 2015)

202 according to strava 


ianrauk said:


> Hopefully he'll knock out another 13 miles to make the 200


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## ianrauk (19 Mar 2015)

After yesterday's shorter cycling day, Steve get's back into the 200+ milers..












*GO STEVE!!!*


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## mcshroom (19 Mar 2015)

Scaling the heights there I see 

Another good ride - glad to see him back running well after yesterday


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## BigAl68 (20 Mar 2015)

Seems Kurt can't stop damaging his bikes. Seems the recumbent took a battering on the back of his RV and trashed the front wheel. There is a video on his Facebook but I can't link it using my phone. He managed another 210 day


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## Tim Hall (20 Mar 2015)

BigAl68 said:


> Seems Kurt can't stop damaging his bikes. Seems the recumbent took a battering on the back of his RV and trashed the front wheel. There is a video on his Facebook but I can't link it using my phone. He managed another 210 day


Back wheel, not front, but trashed yes. From the text accompanying the video


> The bent takes a bite - oops! The recumbent fell off the rack dragging on the freeway.


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## BigAl68 (20 Mar 2015)

@Tim Hall it's probably best I don't try and ride a recumbent if I can't tell one end from the other.


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## ianrauk (20 Mar 2015)

From Jo at the other place

*Day 78:* More Natchez Trace for Kurt taking him down to Baton Rouge Louisiana and slowly towards the magic WR line. One puncture, some rain and a trashing of the 'bent's rear wheel when on the bike rack adds some variety to his 210 mile day. Steve takes a 202 mile route from MK to Cambridge via King's Lynn to keep him hovering around his upper schedule.


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## ianrauk (20 Mar 2015)




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## Mugshot (20 Mar 2015)

Here's a little write up from another cycling forum by last nights host,_ 

Quite so — I did ask how he was feeling, but not anything more enquiring than that.

Steve is extraordinarily tired: his entire desire when he arrived was to go to bed. He did the Strava thing because he had to, and he ate some chicken while that was happening (from main#2). We chatted for about 15 seconds about how hard double-centuries are (I did my first of the season a few weeks back on a ride with Steve himself), how you can't live on caffeine for extended periods, how it'll be so much nicer to ride in the spring, how he felt about having crowds following his every move, and how the Budget would affect us each personally ... actually, we might not have discussed the budget. But over it all, Steve just wanted to go to bed: I took him up to his garret within about 25 minutes of his arrival. 

The only socialising we did was a quick chuckle over how quickly the first comment popped up on Strava after he uploaded his track — it took just seconds, get a life people





Steve offered — I did NOT ask — an answer to yesterday's question, though. It was simple: he needed to sleep. He stopped early so he could go to bed. Today he was in bed well before 10pm and his alarm is set for 4am (mine's set for slightly before that)





Steve also mentioned that he did recognise you Wobbly John





The catering went to plan: everything was cooked by the time he arrived, I thought it tasted delicious, and Steve ate what he felt like eating. There is perhaps something to learn, though, in that he didn't want the jacket potatoes, nor the big Spanish-chicken dish I cooked, nor any bread, or any cake, or anything else. Just some finger-lickin' chickin while doing the Strava thing, and three lots of protein recovery drink. His point was that he'd been eating constantly all day and wasn't hungry in the evening. Just tired.

He's taking the rest of the chicken thighs and a cold jacket potato as a picnic, along with a whole granola cake and half a fruit cake (although we'll see whether it'll all fit in his bag in the morning), as it's just much more efficient use of his time during the day. The remaining food will keep for the boys' dinner tomorrow (and probably Saturday — I may have over-catered



).

I've made a note to mention the eclipse to Steve. His batteries and GPSes are charging, his bottles are Nuun'ed, and his bike's pointing in the right direction. Nothing much else to do apart from wait for 4am to roll around._


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## Aperitif (20 Mar 2015)

Great, heartening write-up. Well done that person.


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## ianrauk (20 Mar 2015)

Mugshot said:


> he needed to sleep.



Understatement of the year...........


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## Aperitif (20 Mar 2015)

ianrauk said:


>



I watched this video earlier, and Steve's sorties are weaving a pattern into the rug of the English landscape in a beautiful rhythmic fashion...the eye following out, and back in again, like the shuttle on a loom. With Kurt's efforts running in my 'right eye' it is interesting to see the 'flea that is he' popping up all over the place, probably determining his rides by his WindApp, if he feels like a cuddle, or if it's a curt "drive me over there, please." 
What an expert and interesting job that Jo Wood is doing. *Y*et *A*nother *C*ongratulation *F*orthcoming. Thank you.


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## PMarkey (20 Mar 2015)

He's heading to Texas for another 12 hour TT I think and eventually Oceanside California for RAAM .


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## swansonj (20 Mar 2015)

The CTC weekly email that has just popped into my inbox says that Steve's Eddington Number is now 144. Surely it must be far higher than that? It must have been higher than that before this year even began?


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## deptfordmarmoset (20 Mar 2015)

swansonj said:


> The CTC weekly email that has just popped into my inbox says that Steve's Eddington Number is now 144. Surely it must be far higher than that? It must have been higher than that before this year even began?


That's 144 x 144 mile rides. His HAM'R Eddington number can't be higher than the number of rides he's done, so will end today with 79.


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## Mugshot (20 Mar 2015)

Bit of a montage really


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## swansonj (20 Mar 2015)

deptfordmarmoset said:


> That's 144 x 144 mile rides. His HAM'R Eddington number can't be higher than the number of rides he's done, so will end today with 79.


Exactly. If they mean his HAM'R-only Eddington number, 144 is too high. If they mean his lifetime Eddington number, well, I'm going to guess there are 25 years in which he's done at least ten rides of at least 200 miles, so his Eddington number should be well over 200 before this year started.


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## deptfordmarmoset (20 Mar 2015)

swansonj said:


> Exactly. If they mean his HAM'R-only Eddington number, 144 is too high. If they mean his lifetime Eddington number, well, I'm going to guess there are 25 years in which he's done at least ten rides of at least 200 miles, so his Eddington number should be well over 200 before this year started.


He would have had to do 200 x, not 10 x, 200 mile rides to get a 200 E number. That's 40,000 miles in 200 rides. 200 mile rides doing a double century every weekend would take 4 years to achieve. I'm guessing that his E number was well over 100 before he started and it's rising with almost every ride now.


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## swansonj (20 Mar 2015)

deptfordmarmoset said:


> He would have had to do 200 x, not 10 x, 200 mile rides to get a 200 E number. That's 40,000 miles in 200 rides. 200 mile rides doing a double century every weekend would take 4 years to achieve.


Err... That's what I said. I've never met the guy (and I consider my life the poorer for it) but from everything I've read, he's early forties, and been cycling since a teenager. So that's 25 years of cycling. And I understand he does Audaxes and things pretty well every weekend. Hence my modest guess that each year he averages at least ten rides of 200 miles plus - that's "only" a double century a month. Hence 200+ rides of 200+ miles.

Way back, when this thing started, I ventured the possibility that he might not increase his Eddington number by very much at all, if it is already well into the two hundreds.


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## velovoice (20 Mar 2015)

An Eddington number is by definition the marker for your lifetime, not annual, not per challenge.


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## deptfordmarmoset (20 Mar 2015)

swansonj said:


> Err... That's what I said. I've never met the guy (and I consider my life the poorer for it) but from everything I've read, he's early forties, and been cycling since a teenager. So that's 25 years of cycling. And I understand he does Audaxes and things pretty well every weekend. Hence my modest guess that each year he averages at least ten rides of 200 miles plus - that's "only" a double century a month. Hence 200+ rides of 200+ miles.
> 
> Way back, when this thing started, I ventured the possibility that he might not increase his Eddington number by very much at all, if it is already well into the two hundreds.


Ah, sorry, I misunderstood your post. I didn't understand you were taking 10 rides *per year* over 20 years to get to E 200.


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## deptfordmarmoset (20 Mar 2015)

velovoice said:


> An Eddington number is by definition the marker for your lifetime, not annual, not per challenge.


True but it's still stunning to calculate his E number on this year alone. It will rise at the rate of one per ride for quite some time now.


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## PMarkey (20 Mar 2015)

PMarkey said:


> He's heading to Texas for another 12 hour TT I think and eventually Oceanside California for RAAM .


And just to prove me wrong he's now heading North,East to Mississippi .


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## ianrauk (20 Mar 2015)

216 of your English miles for the day with a fair bit of climbing thrown in for good measure. 












*GO STEVE!!!*


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## Aperitif (20 Mar 2015)

Popped back to his place to put the washing on, have a bucket of tea and do the hoovering no doubt. Start earlier tomorrow, Steve - there's rugby on the telly all afternoon; it'll give you some excitement to pass the day...
Kurt's headed toward Bogalusa...Steve stopped after the first three letters.

Riding upwards to home - yuk!


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## ianrauk (21 Mar 2015)

From Jo over at the the other place

*Day 79:* Kurt goes on a 222 mile tour of Louisiana towards New Orleans crossing the 14,000 miles mark. As the moon crosses the sun, Steve crosses his 15,000 mile total on his fenland tour back to MK.


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## ianrauk (21 Mar 2015)

I don't think he reads the forum (how could he have time?) but we know he is aware of what is being written and said about him.


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## Mugshot (21 Mar 2015)

Extended the commute home last night as is the norm, but a way I don't do very often. Checked my strava when I got back and found I had some PBs, had a look to see how I was stacking up against the people I follow (all 10 of them, and only 3 live round here) and found that Mr Steve Abraham was on some of them, as pathetic as it sounds I was honestly delighted that some bloke that I've never met had ridden some of the same roads as me in a little corner of SW Wales


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## ianrauk (21 Mar 2015)

[QUOTE 3601170, member: 9609"]I wasn't being serious, i don't think he read the post and out of pure awkwardness changed his direction.
.[/QUOTE]


Yes I realise that lol.


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## MisterStan (21 Mar 2015)

60 miles already. Looks like he's stopped for breakfast. Heading to Dorset with a tailwind.


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## summerdays (21 Mar 2015)

Mugshot said:


> Extended the commute home last night as is the norm, but a way I don't do very often. Checked my strava when I got back and found I had some PBs, had a look to see how I was stacking up against the people I follow (all 10 of them, and only 3 live round here) and found that Mr Steve Abraham was on some of them, as pathetic as it sounds I was honestly delighted that some bloke that I've never met had ridden some of the same roads as me in a little corner of SW Wales


I'll have to check as he's been this way too!


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## Supersuperleeds (21 Mar 2015)

summerdays said:


> I'll have to check as he's been this way too!



He has ridden a fair few roads that I frequent. No point me checking Strava as it is odds on he has knocked me down a place on them all.


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## Mugshot (21 Mar 2015)

Supersuperleeds said:


> He has ridden a fair few roads that I frequent. No point me checking Strava as it is odds on he has knocked me down a place on them all.


Well I wasn't going to mention it but as you've brought it up, I stuffed him on all of them 

Mind you he'd probably ridden 400 miles by the time he did them!


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## deptfordmarmoset (21 Mar 2015)

[QUOTE 3602220, member: 9609"]Looks like they have both headed down to the coast today, Steves just a few miles inland from Poole, 195miles on the clock and still pedalling.
For reasons beyond me Kurt gave that fantastic 22 mile bridge over Lake Pontchartrain a miss, he should have just got his wife to drive behind, it would have been an amazing 44 miles each way - Instead he has headed a little east to 'Bay St Louis' where he seems to be just cycling back and forth along the sea front, can't blame him though, it does look rather fantastic StreetView Link  and as of now (4pm Mississippi time) he has a 135 on the clock[/QUOTE]
South is the only way to ride today. There's a wicked northerly blowing down here. The problem starts tomorrow when there's nowhere south left to go.


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## ianrauk (21 Mar 2015)

deptfordmarmoset said:


> South is the only way to ride today. There's a wicked northerly blowing down here. The problem starts tomorrow when there's nowhere south left to go.


According to his diary, he'll be back home for tomorrow night.


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## deptfordmarmoset (21 Mar 2015)

ianrauk said:


> According to his diary, he'll be back home for tomorrow night.


In that case he'll have a hard day. I only went for a quick ride along the Thames cycle path today and the north facing bits (it does meander a lot) were murderous.


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## rowdin (21 Mar 2015)

215 miles for steve today.


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## ianrauk (21 Mar 2015)

215 miles on the clock for the Red Wanderer today.with some big climbs which would have kept him warm..and we can expect the same mileage again tomorrow probably.











*GO STEVE!!!*


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## ianrauk (22 Mar 2015)

Couple of pics from today from Steve's Facebook page.


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## ianrauk (22 Mar 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 80:* Steady progress from both Kurt and Steve, clocking up 221 and 215 miles respectively. Kurt does some beach loops NE of New Orleans while Steve follows a cold northerly wind from MK down to Dorset.


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## ianrauk (22 Mar 2015)

So for today's scores on the doors we have another 200+ miler. Back to home in Milton Keynes for Steve. 












*GO STEVE!!!*


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## Mugshot (23 Mar 2015)

Day 70 for Kurt


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## Mugshot (23 Mar 2015)

A couple of extra pics of Steve


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## ianrauk (23 Mar 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 81:* Both Steve and Kurt each ride around one 'Godwin' of 206 miles. Kurt heading along the coast to Alabama, Steve returning home from Dorset. One more week left of a scheduled pace of 215 miles per day before things ramp up yet again.


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## Mugshot (23 Mar 2015)

Here's the latest stats
Have a look at this


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## Aperitif (23 Mar 2015)

Mugshot said:


> A couple of extra pics of Steve


I'm staggered by the stunning similarity of the landscape in both these gent's rides...and their 'hardware', their attire etc...Their derrieres are sharing a common moment too. Keep 'em koming, Kurt - Go Steve!


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## Mugshot (23 Mar 2015)

Aperitif said:


> I'm staggered by the stunning similarity of the landscape in both these gent's rides...and their 'hardware', their attire etc...Their derrieres are sharing a common moment too. Keep 'em koming, Kurt - Go Steve!


It's staggering isn't it, if it wasn't for Kurts accent I'd have trouble telling them apart. For me it was nicely demonstrated by the gloves they're both wearing


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## Aperitif (23 Mar 2015)

Mugshot said:


> It's staggering isn't it, if it wasn't for Kurts accent I'd have trouble telling them apart. For me it was nicely demonstrated by the gloves they're both wearing


The industrial handling of tea and sausages demands exacting and well-insulated gauntlets. Flimsywear is ok for tacos and the occasional box of polystyrene tepidity. And every picture of Steve...he's on a different bike!*

*or not.


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## Mugshot (23 Mar 2015)

Little snippet from Steves Facebook

*Steve Abraham*
4 mins ·
Steve is really enjoying seeing people come out to cheer him on throughout the day. A shout out and an enthusiastic wave of support from the side of the road is all it takes to give Steve a huge boost!


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## Sea of vapours (23 Mar 2015)

Trackers are not working here either. 

I thought the same about Kurt's roads. Presumably the next quality step down in roads is a big drop in terms of surface and general ease of riding; so he's choosing those for speed. Looks awful though!


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## MacB (23 Mar 2015)

I didn't think we'd be 70 days in and both guy still going...this is such unbelievable territory....truly awesome from both


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## ianrauk (23 Mar 2015)

The trackers are up and running again. 
Steve's currently at 116 miles


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## Aperitif (23 Mar 2015)

Credit to yr.no - the informative Norweigian weather forecasting site.


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## Banjo (23 Mar 2015)

Steves bike is very similar to my Jamis Aurora .Did 40 miles on it this morning and needed a lie down this afternoon.


GO STEVE.


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## ianrauk (23 Mar 2015)

A bigger day for the Red Road Wanderer..220 miles on the clock











*GO STEVE!!!*


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## velovoice (24 Mar 2015)

This week's sponsors' newsletter includes insights into what Steve is eating to fuel this world record attempt: 

*Steve's News*
*23rd March 2015*
Week Ending 22nd March 2015

It’s Monday, time for a summary of Steve’s past week out on the roads in his quest to beat Tommy Godwin’s 75 year old record.

Steve rode 1,399 miles during the week climbing 34,596 feet in total making his total mileage for the year 15,577.1 miles . His biggest day of the week was Monday with 218 and his shortest day was Wednesday with 142. Currently Steve is 2,522.1 miles ahead of Tommy Godwin’s 1939 total but there are still 284 days to go until the end of the year.

Last week saw Steve riding to Burton on Trent, Cambridge, Mildenhall and down to Dorset with three overnight stops kindly hosted by our volunteers. He’s currently riding well within his planned record schedule with his current daily rides typically running from 5.30am to 8.30pm.

As you can imagine Steve requires a LOT of calories to fuel him through a fifteen hour ride. For those interested here is a snapshot of a typical day’s intake:-

*Breakfast 1 [5am]:* Flapjacks (if home based), Granola or fry up if being hosted

*Breakfast 2 [9-10am]: *A much bigger meal often taken in an all-you-can eat buffet. Typically two fry ups, croissants, yoghurt and coffee.

*Lunch: [after 150-200k]:* Usually a hot lunch from a chain outlet such as McDonalds or KFC where food is ready quickly to save time. Other times this may be a sandwich from a garage.

*Snacks on the road: *Steve is typically eating 400g of chocolate a day whilst riding

*Tea: [after 250k]: *Either tea, snack and cake from a cafe if cold or flapjacks/energy bars/snacks from saddle bag if warmer

*Dinner: [usually after 300k]:* at home, anything quick, pasta, pesto and cheese then straight to bed. If at a hosts house this can be a full meal (sometimes with second helpings) or just some snacks depending upon how the day has gone and when Steve last ate.

Jo Wood has produced a very interesting video visualisation of Steve's year to date showing his progress in quick time from the first of January up until mid-March, you can watch it here 

https://vimeo.com/122685784


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## Aperitif (24 Mar 2015)

Steve's popped over to Quainton to see the choo-choos this morning - I wonder if he'll pop into the Rothschild's pied-a-terre at Waddesdon, for a double fry up and something nice from the cellar? Thirty-odd miles already...full steam ahead, Steve!


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## Aperitif (24 Mar 2015)

User said:


> Can a person live on brown food for a year?


Only if you eat pasta, pesto and cheese once a day. Then, anything's possible. More importantly, how many plates does Kurt break in the course of a week?


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## Dayvo (24 Mar 2015)

User said:


> Can a person live on brown food for a year?



He'll probably end up brown bread.


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## Beebo (24 Mar 2015)

User said:


> Can a person live on brown food for a year?


Hope he is taking some sort of vitamin supplement, as that looks a bit unhealthy, even if he is burning all those calories he will still be bumping up his cholesterol.


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## deptfordmarmoset (24 Mar 2015)

velovoice said:


> This week's sponsors' newsletter includes insights into what Steve is eating to fuel this world record attempt:
> 
> *Steve's News*
> *23rd March 2015*
> ...


Incidentally, you don't have to be a sponsor to subscribe to the newsletter. There's a newsletter subscription link just above ''So you want to ride with Steve?'' on the home page.

_We shall be mailing regular newsletter updates on Steve's progress.Subscribe here to receive these._


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## srw (24 Mar 2015)

deptfordmarmoset said:


> Incidentally, you don't have to be a sponsor to subscribe to the newsletter. There's a newsletter subscription link just above ''So you want to ride with Steve?'' on the home page.
> 
> _We shall be mailing regular newsletter updates on Steve's progress.Subscribe here to receive these._


 I thought I had, but I'm not getting them. I'll try again.


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## Mugshot (24 Mar 2015)

Day 71 for Kurt and he makes some friends and bangs in a big 235 miler


Things seem to be getting serious now with all of our heroes pushing up the mileage. Steve bags 220 miles, Kurt gets 235 miles and The IronOx
responds with an impressive 4.7miles.


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## deptfordmarmoset (24 Mar 2015)

srw said:


> I thought I had, but I'm not getting them. I'll try again.


Spam filter, perhaps? I only subscribed about 6 weeks ago and have had no more than 2.


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## Aperitif (24 Mar 2015)

Kurt sporting a bandage on his left knee, and slathering on the sun block. Steve, greasing up in alternative fashion, no doubt. Interesting, isn't it...to see groups of riders, all sporting tri-bars for those long, uninterrupted pieces of tarmac, speeding into the distance, surrounded by the rolling landscape of a warming America...warming their grits perhaps? 





True grits.


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## ianrauk (24 Mar 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 82:* A day of longer rides - Kurt heads through Pensacola for 235 miles of riding back in Florida; Steve pedals some familiar roads between MK and King's Lynn in a 220 mile circuit.


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## Mugshot (24 Mar 2015)

*Steve Abraham added 2 new photos.*
19 mins ·
As luck would have it, pulled up at Steve's last night just as he was getting home (note: red eye due to camera flash...not the amount of riding!) (Lesley S)


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## velovoice (24 Mar 2015)

deptfordmarmoset said:


> Incidentally, you don't have to be a sponsor to subscribe to the newsletter. There's a newsletter subscription link just above ''So you want to ride with Steve?'' on the home page.
> 
> _We shall be mailing regular newsletter updates on Steve's progress.Subscribe here to receive these._


It was my understanding that there were 2 mailing lists. To be honest, I'm not entirely which subscription got me the newsletter with the information I shared above!


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## ianrauk (24 Mar 2015)

*Steve Abraham*
Just now ·


Can you tell which is which yet? Black bike on the right (the clean one) now serviced and the Silver bike left at Stripes. Apart from replacement of corroded bottom bracket, the black bike received a new shimano chain and 2 new chain pins, new brake steel inner wires and new back brakes.....and a good clean. Thank you Stripes. (Lesley)


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## Ian H (24 Mar 2015)

velovoice said:


> It was my understanding that there were 2 mailing lists. To be honest, I'm not entirely which subscription got me the newsletter with the information I shared above!



There's one mailing list for the newsletter — accessible via the buttons right at the top of all the website pages and via a link in the text on the front page. Your quote was from the latest one, just emailed.


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## StuartG (24 Mar 2015)

ianrauk said:


>



Hmmm shocking. What went wrong with crank alignment to the seat tube?


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## MisterStan (24 Mar 2015)

@Ian H has Steve commented on the bike? Having spent so long on them already, how does he rate them?


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## Ian H (24 Mar 2015)

His comments are mostly about how the wheels are the most important thing. As you might expect he's getting through components at a fair rate, but nothing's actually broken yet — touch wood.


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## ianrauk (24 Mar 2015)

And today's results are just in...214 miles for our Roving Red Randonneur.. staying close to home, incorporating more Marsh Gibbons then you could shake a Raleigh at...











*GO STEVE!!!*


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## Aperitif (25 Mar 2015)

Brrrr! Go Steve. "...feels like -4C..." 20 miles ground out so far...this calls for extra tea!






Kurt's tracker counter seems to have been 'normalised' now, too.


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## Mugshot (25 Mar 2015)

Not sure if this one has been posted,
Inteview with Steve

Edit: Posted before I read it, having read it...what an odd last question.


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## Mugshot (25 Mar 2015)

All the latest news for you stat fans;
Can be found here


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## Aperitif (25 Mar 2015)

Looks like Steve's heading toward the lumpiness of Marlborough...maybe he needs the exercise?  I think the words 'skirting' and 'round' will be used again today.

So far, the symmetry of numbers: 442,455 - elevation.
And, the most interesting...*282 






...DAYS TO GO*
Which means about 275 days shopping or thereabouts before Christmas. Steve will not have to do any, as he is going to make his 'presents' felt.


Edit: I meant to add a 'shocked' smiley tafter the '282' but, to Adrian's relief (I'm sure) I forgot.
Also noticed that Kurts 'y-axis' reached the dizzy heights of 40 metres, while Steve's was a piddling 140. What IS the matter with these riders?


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## ianrauk (25 Mar 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 83:* Kurt has a 211 mile "recovery ride" out of Florida into Mississippi, this time away from the coast to avoid traffic. Steve has fun visiting Marsh Gibbon 12 times during his 214 mile day.


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## mcshroom (25 Mar 2015)

Nice to see Steve back tracking along his (high) target line. You have to remember though that next month that line kicks up again, so he will need to ride even further each day!


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## ianrauk (25 Mar 2015)

With the clocks changing at the weekend meaning more evening light.. I reckon that's exactly what we are going to see.


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## mcshroom (25 Mar 2015)

He is starting before 6am every day though, so the extra hour in the evening is gained while losing an hour's light in the morning. I'm wondering if he'll stick to his current start time when the clocks change, or start an hour 'later' and stay on GMT.

I expect Steve will be able to up the distance as the temperatures and total day length increase though, despite how amazing his current efforts are


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## ianrauk (25 Mar 2015)

Reading the interview above he is saying he is up at the same time every single day. It's now his 9-5 job, it's now what he does. So can't really see getting up time changing.


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## StuartG (25 Mar 2015)

ianrauk said:


> Reading the interview above he is saying he is up at the same time every single day. It's now his *5-9 *job, it's now what he does. So can't really see getting up time changing.


FIFY


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## Dayvo (25 Mar 2015)

Will Kurt be migrating north for the summer months to avoid the scorching heat in the south?

Not exactly a level playing field, although I am NOT decrying his efforts, especially as he's an old man, too!


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## BigAl68 (25 Mar 2015)

Does anyone know where Steve is planning to ride to today? I am looking at the tracker and see he may head out towards me based on the current track.


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## ianrauk (25 Mar 2015)

BigAl68 said:


> Does anyone know where Steve is planning to ride to today? I am looking at the tracker and see he may head out towards me based on the current track.




His diary says Portsmouth tonight.


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## Aperitif (25 Mar 2015)

ianrauk said:


> Hi diary says Portsmouth tonight.


What does his lo one say?


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## ianrauk (25 Mar 2015)

Aperitif said:


> What does his lo one say?



yeah? Yeah?
Now does it make sense? yeah?


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## Aperitif (25 Mar 2015)

Kurt's on the move...3 miles asunder..





Temperature: " 22C - feels like...22C"  It's ok though, it'll be down to a miserable 19C by 4am tomorrow. Maybe Kurt'll stay in bed until it warms up a bit.


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## BSRU (25 Mar 2015)

What a shame I missed him this morning, from his tracker info I was just a couple of miles away when he passed through Shrivenham.
Although I only saw his tracker info when I got back home, better luck next time.


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## Tim Hall (25 Mar 2015)

BSRU said:


> What a shame I missed him this morning, from his tracker info I was just a couple of miles away when he passed through Shrivenham.
> Although I only saw his tracker info when I got back home, better luck next time.


If you have an Android phone, there's a nifty app that will keep you up to date all the time.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bjt.yearrecordtracker.app


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## BigAl68 (25 Mar 2015)

Tim Hall said:


> If you have an Android phone, there's a nifty app that will keep you up to date all the time.
> https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bjt.yearrecordtracker.app



Nice one as the tracker won't load on my phone browser. Even more reasons to get distracted in meetings.


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## 13 rider (25 Mar 2015)

Can someone explain the term "marsh gibbons" thanks


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## Aperitif (25 Mar 2015)

13 rider said:


> Can someone explain the term "marsh gibbons" thanks


A place in England. You mean you haven't been there? Like stamp collectors have the Stanley Gibbons, record collectors have their Marsh Gibbons...


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## BSRU (25 Mar 2015)

Tim Hall said:


> If you have an Android phone, there's a nifty app that will keep you up to date all the time.
> https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bjt.yearrecordtracker.app


Unfortunately my 2G phone is too simple for things like apps.


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## Aperitif (25 Mar 2015)

As 'Marshy' Abrahams gets lompey en route to Pompey, Kurt is building himself a cat's cradle around the perimeter of Waveland...~120SA v ~50KTS


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## Tim Hall (25 Mar 2015)

Aperitif said:


> A place in England. You mean you haven't been there? Like stamp collectors have the Stanley Gibbons, record collectors have their Marsh Gibbons...


<off at a tangent>Erm, I think it can be truly said that the Americans have, er, their soul singers, and we English have our soul singers.</tangent>


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## Saluki (25 Mar 2015)

[QUOTE 3609301, member: 9609"]Last time kurt spent a day in Waveland it was 745' ascent in 221 miles - you would do more climbing on a billiard table !
if you did 221 miles where I live it would be about 16,000 foot of ascent.[/QUOTE]
Might take longer though?


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## Aperitif (25 Mar 2015)

[QUOTE 3609301, member: 9609"]Last time kurt spent a day in Waveland it was 745' ascent in 221 miles - you would do more climbing on a billiard table !
if you did 221 miles where I live it would be about 16,000 foot of ascent.[/QUOTE]




Tim Hall said:


> <off at a tangent>Erm, I think it can be truly said that the Americans have, er, their soul singers, and we English have our soul singers.</tangent>


You mean like people who sell houses can be soul agents? Steve is a bit like that - A soul, a gent. I understand what you mean, Tim. Probably the reverse will rarely be true.  And let's not forget Kurt 'Grimpy con Chimpies' Searvogel - 'Southern Soul' at the moment...
281 and a bit days to go...still shaking my head.  (Something is bound to connect soon...)


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## deptfordmarmoset (25 Mar 2015)

I don't have any of these tracker or Strava thingummies, so can't check, but does the fact that SA's website is not yet showing today's ride mean that he's still out on the road? Or is he already in bed?


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## 13 rider (25 Mar 2015)

Still riding as of 10.00 . 194 miles he's in Portsmouth tracker is on website orange tab live tracker edit just checked red tab orange is link to strava


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## 13 rider (25 Mar 2015)

210.5 miles for today .late night today .I can now go to bed myself. Posted before Ian
Go Steve


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## StuAff (25 Mar 2015)

Hummers is putting him up, not too far from me. I hope Steve survives the experience


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## deptfordmarmoset (25 Mar 2015)

StuAff said:


> Hummers is putting him up, not too far from me. I hope Steve survives the experience


Gizda gossip!


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## Saluki (25 Mar 2015)

Can Hummers not cook then @StuAff


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## StuAff (25 Mar 2015)

Saluki said:


> Can Hummers not cook then @StuAff


I imagine Mrs H will be responsible for that....

And it wasn't the food I was worried about


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## Aperitif (26 Mar 2015)

Thrashing it down in London...forecast for Pompey is the same, so maybe Steve is having a lie-in this morning. 12C and sun forecast for later...Go Steve.
Kurt has a bit of rain later on, in the region he ended up at last night...unless he has decamped to a better place.

He's off. At about 05:30 - heading upwards...


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## BigAl68 (26 Mar 2015)

I was up in the middle of the night and turned on the BBC news. It was the abc news showing and the weather for along the gulf coast in the USA was looking very nasty. Tornado warnings across 5 States. I wonder if Kurt has moved overnight as it looks difficult for cycling


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## Mugshot (26 Mar 2015)

Day 72 for Kurt. The poor fella is having to wear a thin vest and eat ice creams, it's just too warm!


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## Aperitif (26 Mar 2015)

50 miles under Steve's bottom  belt, as of now. 
Slip, slop slap for Klurt.


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## ianrauk (26 Mar 2015)

Sorry.. was incommunicado last night, raving it up in that there London

So here's yesterdays results












And from Jo over at the other place

*Day 84:* Another 210 miles each for Kurt and Steve keep them both on schedule. Kurt heads north, in and out of Louisiana. Steve takes a trip south down to Portsmouth.






*GO STEVE!!!*


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## Mugshot (26 Mar 2015)

ianrauk said:


> Sorry.. was incommunicado last night, raving it up in that there London
> 
> So here's yesterdays results
> 
> *GO STEVE!!!*


About bloody time, I'm singing slip, slop, slap now because of you!


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## Aperitif (26 Mar 2015)

Obviously there's no 'progress' without 'discussion'  so...what is the prognosis for Kurt having a hairkut to alleviate the effects of the heat? Will it make a difference to his times?
Welcome back, Ian. Bloody Lundun.


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## BigAl68 (26 Mar 2015)

Well he seems to have moved away from the tornado area but the forecast is thunder and lightning later in the area of mississippi he currently is.


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## Aperitif (26 Mar 2015)

Steve is within 25 miles of MG circuits, while Kurt is running along that trifle of a road called The Nachez Trace Parkway...a mere 444 miles long. That would be a good day on the bike! It ends at a café. Loveless, but a café. Nearby is the Harpeth Valley Elementary School...wonder if that was the inspiration for the 'Harper Valley PTA' song...Jeannie C Riley fans?


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## Tim Hall (26 Mar 2015)

Loveless Cafe, partnered with Heartbreak Hotel?


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## Aperitif (26 Mar 2015)

Tim Hall said:


> Loveless Cafe, partnered with Heartbreak Hotel?


  One's real, and one's a story. But, never mind, let's go for glory!


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## ianrauk (26 Mar 2015)

And todays mileage is just in. A shorter day today for Steve. I can only imagine that the foul wet weather, high winds and quite a bit of climbing took a lot out of him today. A nice long rest at least for the Red Road Warrior.

179 miles










*GO STEVE!!*


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## Aperitif (26 Mar 2015)

Steve's 'y' nudges 300metres - and the temperature has been about 9C max today...well, that's the warm rain. Right now, it's 3C - but warmer in bed.
Kurt's turned around on his road to nowhere and he's got cloud and 12C or so...with some colder stuff tomorrow morning (if he stays in the vicinity).
Well done Steve - it has been a poxy day, with gusty irritating wind - where I have been, at least..


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## BSRU (27 Mar 2015)

Aperitif said:


> Steve's 'y' nudges 300metres - and the temperature has been about 9C max today...well, that's the warm rain. Right now, it's 3C - but warmer in bed.
> Kurt's turned around on his road to nowhere and he's got cloud and 12C or so...with some colder stuff tomorrow morning (if he stays in the vicinity).
> Well done Steve - it has been a poxy day, with gusty irritating wind - where I have been, at least..


I think there is something wrong with the elevations on Strava as looking at the day before on the same highest climb(going the other way) the altitude are almost 80m lower.


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## deptfordmarmoset (27 Mar 2015)

[QUOTE 3612423, member: 9609"]After Steve's rest day yesterday (only 180 mile) he seems to be bursting full of energy today. He is already up to 75 mile (8:15am) and would appear he has been on the road since 3am .... completely bonkers.[/QUOTE]
I don't know what it's like where he is but there's little wind this morning down here - maybe 50 miles away - and there's lots of gusty stuff forecast for the next few days. Better to face a (surprisingly) cold, still morning to get the miles in while you can.


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## Supersuperleeds (27 Mar 2015)

Kurt's ride isn't up on Strava yet, they are normally up long before now,hopefully everything is okay.


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## Aperitif (27 Mar 2015)

[QUOTE 3612423, member: 9609"]After Steve's rest day yesterday (only 180 mile) he seems to be bursting full of energy today. He is already up to 75 mile (8:15am) and would appear he has been on the road since 3am .... completely bonkers.[/QUOTE]
Balmy sunshine in the Kings Lynn area - 10 - 11C. Lots of bad stuff around this weekend it seems, making an easy job more onerous.  Go Steve. About 90 miles of morning goodness already...phew! (I wonder if he is keeping count of his total length of sausage consumption? Kilometres or miles eaten - we're easy, Steve  )


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## Dayvo (27 Mar 2015)

Supersuperleeds said:


> Kurt's ride isn't up on Strava yet, they are normally up long before now,*hopefully everything is okay*.



Yeah, of course, but not_ TOO_ okay!


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## ianrauk (27 Mar 2015)

Nothing on Kurts facebook either.
Hope everything is ok.


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## Supersuperleeds (27 Mar 2015)

Also per his tracker looks like he isn't riding yet today, I don't know what time he normally sets out so this may be normal


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## Sea of vapours (27 Mar 2015)

Kurt's tracker normally appears around 0700 local time, which is midday here (at the moment).


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## Mugshot (27 Mar 2015)

Kurts tracker has just kicked in, 0 miles at the moment but it would appear that we have some movement.


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## Aperitif (27 Mar 2015)

I think it was due to be pretty cold in Kurt's patch last night - might have made him approach the day gingerly! No rain, lots of sun and starting temperatures of about 12C...Steve is 130=/- up.. wow!


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## Supersuperleeds (27 Mar 2015)

Apart from the boredom and the difficulty in getting 365 days access, could you attempt this in a velodrome?


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## Aperitif (27 Mar 2015)

Supersuperleeds said:


> Apart from the boredom and the difficulty in getting 365 days access, could you attempt this in a velodrome?


...more or less what Kurt is doing, isn't it...without the slopey bit? 

160+ for Steve...at Cottenham - weather forecast sunny, 11C...dry. 250 today? Go Steve.


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## Wobbly John (27 Mar 2015)

Managed to spot Steve in the Ely area today - looking good for someone who had already cycled 140 miles today, with 16,500 under his belt so far this year!


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## deptfordmarmoset (27 Mar 2015)

Do we know Kurt's mileage for yesterday yet? http://ultracycling.com/sections/records/data/hamr/ isn't showing it.


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## ianrauk (27 Mar 2015)

Don't the challengers have a certain amount of time to post their rides up on strava etc. Where is Kurt's from yesterday.


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## deptfordmarmoset (27 Mar 2015)

ianrauk said:


> Don't the challengers have a certain amount of time to post their rides up on strava etc. Where is Kurt's from yesterday.


I wonder whether doubling back, as per @User9609 's post above, has scrambled the GPS device. He's already had this issue and it took a while for it to get decoded and passed.


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## Supersuperleeds (27 Mar 2015)

ianrauk said:


> Don't the challengers have a certain amount of time to post their rides up on strava etc. Where is Kurt's from yesterday.


24 hours if memory serves me correctly


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## PMarkey (27 Mar 2015)

They don't have to post up to Strava or Garmin connect , but they do have to let the UMCA have the file within 24 hours .


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## ianrauk (27 Mar 2015)

deptfordmarmoset said:


> I wonder whether doubling back, as per @User9609 's post above, has scrambled the GPS device. He's already had this issue and it took a while for it to get decoded and passed.


That would be odd. I've doubled back using my garmins many times with no problems. But then again Kurt does seem to be very accident prone.


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## ianrauk (27 Mar 2015)

Steve's going well. 205 miles on the clock already.


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## Scoosh (27 Mar 2015)

Hopefully, he's been getting some westing under his belt, so he can take his feet off the pedals and go "WHEEEEE !" downwind all day tomorrow !


... but I doubt it.


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## deptfordmarmoset (27 Mar 2015)

ianrauk said:


> That would be odd. I've doubled back using my garmins many times with no problems. But then again Kurt does seem to be very accident prone.


I don't use the things but wasn't there a problem before - maybe when he first got back to Little Rock - and he did lots of back-and-forthery that made Garmin give up? My memory, though, is probably more scrambled than Kurt's Garmin.

EDIT: He posted this about his lost miles for 13 March the following day:
_Sorry not to share yesterdays rides - You can tell I did 3 seperated sessions yesterday - The first 2 sessions were in the rain and came to around 43.5 miles. The last session was after it stopped raining and was 57.8 miles - I did at least ride 100 - hope to do better today - the garmin file for 43.5 miles that will not load has been sent to UMCA to see if they can find the problem or use spot to get the miles. Spot might not give me as many miles since the first ride had an out and back component as did the 2nd. Would have rode much more in the evening but the light setup we were trying had problem. - Oh well back on the road today._


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## ianrauk (27 Mar 2015)

From Steve's FB site.


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## Mugshot (27 Mar 2015)

According to his Facebook Kurt had no internet last night and it's still sketchy now, hence the uploading issues.


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## Mugshot (27 Mar 2015)

A nice chunky 244 miles for Steve today, I expect @ianrauk will be along with the stats soon.


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## deptfordmarmoset (27 Mar 2015)

Mugshot said:


> A nice chunky 244 miles for Steve today, I expect @ianrauk will be along with the stats soon.


That will do very nicely indeed.


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## ianrauk (27 Mar 2015)

I saw the stats and one word escaped my lips... WOW!!












*GO STEVE!!!*


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## srw (27 Mar 2015)

That's the daily _average_ mileage required by Steve's schedules in each of May, June, July, August and September. 153 days on the trot of that sort of mileage.


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## Supersuperleeds (28 Mar 2015)

Kurt finished on just under 211 miles. Thursdays ride is also up at 218 miles


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## BigAl68 (28 Mar 2015)

Steve is out. Bit later than yesterday but not surprised with the huge miles he put in.


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## summerdays (28 Mar 2015)

Just been looking at the rain for today, and it looks like there is a band of rain about 2 hours in duration crossing the country. Does he have updates during the day that he could plan to grab lunch for part of it or does he just ride and stop for lunch etc as he feels like it?


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## Dayvo (28 Mar 2015)

I've recently retuned home after a long winter holiday and have become fascinated with Steve's (and Kurt's) record attempt, unaware of its existence until last week.

One thing has occurred to me: are the British general public, via the media, aware of the immensity of this? And if so, is there an increasing buzz of interest, with more and more people checking Steve's (and Kurt's) progress each day, or don't they, or the media, give a toss?

I'm amazed that anyone can, and has to, turn out such huge distances, every day for an entire year, come rain or shine or whatever.

Come on, both of them, but Steve a bit more!


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## summerdays (28 Mar 2015)

I'd say the public aren't aware generally. Anyone I've mentioned it to hasn't heard of it, however as the year progresses I think there would be more media attention at the end of the year.


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## srw (28 Mar 2015)

BigAl68 said:


> Steve is out. Bit later than yesterday but not surprised with the huge miles he put in.


It was very misty here, 15 miles south of MK, when I woke up at about the same time as you were posting this.


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## Mugshot (28 Mar 2015)

Kurt makes a friend on day 73


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## Mugshot (28 Mar 2015)

Day 74 for Kurt and it's bath night.


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## Mugshot (28 Mar 2015)

srw said:


> It was very misty here, 15 miles south of MK, when I woke up at about the same time as you were posting this.


Hopefully what we've got/had doesn't head across country, 30+ mph SW winds and belting down, wasn't an overly pleasant 30 miles this morning, I wouldn't have wanted to do another 170 miles thank you very much.


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## velovoice (28 Mar 2015)

re publicity. Steve's done quite a few interviews since 1st January (upwards of 3/week in January alone) with most of those still in the pipeline for publication. There's a whole sub-forum over on "the other place" dedicated to everything OYTT related including separate threads on publicity -- past, future and potential -- as well as specific "PR" initiatives. If you haven't heard of Marsh Gibbon yet, then prepare for your world to shift on its axis.


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## summerdays (28 Mar 2015)

Horrible and wet here, went to a food market and one of the arbors blew across the road hitting someone apparently.


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## Mugshot (28 Mar 2015)

Looking like it's a battle with the elements today, Steve is just closing in on 100 miles.


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## MisterStan (28 Mar 2015)

Quote from Steve on the other place 'I feel stronger now than I have all year. Just taking it easy today so I can get best use of the tailwind tomorrow.'


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## MisterStan (28 Mar 2015)

I think the plan is for him to ride to the East coast tomorrow. That's a massive ride!


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## ianrauk (28 Mar 2015)

yup, just seen this over at the other place.

*teethgrinder*



*Re: 28th March - Day 87*
« *Reply #16 on:* *Today* at 03:37:40 PM
Looks like my plan has been rumbled. 
The wind is very strong so I am a bit slow and won't get to Exeter till late.
Nevertheless I hope to ride the wind to Lowestoft but can always check into a hotel if I run out of steam.


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## Scoosh (28 Mar 2015)

Was just having a look at his tracker and wondering if he was going to do the whole "to the east coast trip" !

Should be a cracking day for him tomorrow   - for distance at any rate ...


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## ianrauk (28 Mar 2015)

If the wind is anything like today's with speed and direction... he'll fly...


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## summerdays (28 Mar 2015)

I think I saw that the wind gusts were meant to be worse tomorrow. I hope that doesn't give him problems.


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## Scoosh (28 Mar 2015)

I was a day early !


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## deptfordmarmoset (28 Mar 2015)

MisterStan said:


> I think the plan is for him to ride to the East coast tomorrow. That's a massive ride!


Well over 300 miles! I thought the distances were already unreal....


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## Dayvo (28 Mar 2015)

Strong head winds are a pain in the arse, strong side winds are out and out dangerous. 

Let's hope he knows how to tack and attack!


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## ianrauk (29 Mar 2015)

A really long day yesterday for Steve. 214 miles into what must have been a headwind all day. He finished after midnight hence the small Sunday mileage.
Reading over at the other place, he only had 4 hours between arrival and departure for today's ride back to the East of England. He's already has 30 miles on the clock


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## summerdays (29 Mar 2015)

I peeked over at the other place and it looks like he had a very late arrival but did make it to Exeter against that head wind! And after a very short sleep he is off again to hopefully be blown back the other way!


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## BSRU (29 Mar 2015)

According to the tracker he seems to have stopped, or not moved much in Wellington.


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## Banjo (29 Mar 2015)

at least he will have a tailwind today but battling into it all day yesterday must have taken its toll,


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## deptfordmarmoset (29 Mar 2015)

So, if Steve does the monster ride to Lowestoft, won't he wake up tomorrow with nowhere east left to go and a headwind between him and home? I know it's not his style, but if there ever was a time for hitching a lift or catching a train upwind, it'll be tomorrow.


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## Mugshot (29 Mar 2015)

deptfordmarmoset said:


> So, if Steve does the monster ride to Lowestoft, won't he wake up tomorrow with nowhere east left to go and a headwind between him and home? I know it's not his style, but if there ever was a time for hitching a lift or catching a train upwind, it'll be tomorrow.


That's what I was thinking, tomorrows forecast is for more of the same, two out of three days into 30mph head winds would be horrendous. Plus as @BSRU says his tracker hasn't moved from Wellington, hopefully it's a glitch and not an issue.


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## Aperitif (29 Mar 2015)

Go Steve!


Mugshot said:


> That's what I was thinking, tomorrows forecast is for more of the same, two out of three days into 30mph head winds would be horrendous. Plus as @BSRU says his tracker hasn't moved from Wellington, hopefully it's a glitch and not an issue.


If Steve's in Wellingtons it must be wet, of he needs to reboot a piece of his kit.
On yacf, he was described as still moving into the early hours...slowly but surely heading toward Exeter...a 215 mile day, into the wind, with a lot of climbs. This morning, he's rolling...monstrous stamina and discipline.
Again, from 't'other place' there's mention of Kurt's mega day...possibly having seen Steve's totals. Will there be the 'perfect' day this year I wonder...the equivalent of a 147 in snooker, or a nine-dart 501...480 miles in 24 hours?


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## summerdays (29 Mar 2015)

The weather is nasty down here, wind and rain!


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## Mugshot (29 Mar 2015)

It's been over two hours now.


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## Mugshot (29 Mar 2015)

Apparently there's been an "incident" Steve and bike are fine but he's currently having a sleep at a crew members house.


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## Mugshot (29 Mar 2015)

"Incident" occurred on the a38


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## ianrauk (29 Mar 2015)

*Tweets*
Follow

11m


steve abraham @steve_abraham74
There has been an incident on A38 Steve+bike are fine. Steve is having a well earned sleep at a team members house, will keep you all posted


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## ianrauk (29 Mar 2015)

[QUOTE 3616273, member: 9609"]That sounds encouraging - I will be happier when he is back on the road clocking up the miles.[/QUOTE]


Indeed. Good thing he has all this great support from his team.


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## deptfordmarmoset (29 Mar 2015)

I hate that word ''incident'' - it sounds so formal but tells you absolutely nothing at all. Still, if he's asleep, then there's nothing too big to get worried about.


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## summerdays (29 Mar 2015)

I prefer at least knowing he's ok, the silence and non moving tracker was worrying me.


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## Aperitif (29 Mar 2015)

deptfordmarmoset said:


> I hate that word ''incident'' - it sounds so formal but tells you absolutely nothing at all. Still, if he's asleep, then there's nothing too big to get worried about.


Steve being asleep at the moment could be described as 'an incident'...
Sleep Steve.


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## Mark Grant (29 Mar 2015)

Just in from Facebook
_I am extremely sad to announce that at approx 8.10am this morning Steve was ridden into by a moped not paying attention to what they were doing. Steve tried to carry but stopped in Wellington. He has then been collected by one of the team and taken to hospital. He has incurred 2 broken bones in his ankle and is currently in plaster. It is looking highly likely that he will require an operation to add a plate and screws.
That is all the information available at the moment._


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## ianrauk (29 Mar 2015)

oh no.....that's bad news


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## Supersuperleeds (29 Mar 2015)

Bugger, if that's his challenge over, I hope he tries again once back to fitness.


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## BigAl68 (29 Mar 2015)

Absolutely dreadful news. It would seem that is the record attempt finished. Gutted for Steve and his team.


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## 13 rider (29 Mar 2015)

Gutted for Steve all that effort to date especially yesterday ride


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## Dayvo (29 Mar 2015)

FFS! You can cater for almost anything, except other ignorant road users. 

Hope he's able to return quickly and fully healed.

As for the f*c*i*g C*N* on the moped, they should be pilloried in the press/courts/stocks or banished from the kingdom.


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## Banjo (29 Mar 2015)

Steve must be totally gutted.Thinking of you steve GWS.


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## Beebo (29 Mar 2015)

Ruined my day, and Steve's year.
Bravo for putting up such a great effort.


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## deptfordmarmoset (29 Mar 2015)

I've no words. Get well soon, Steve.


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## BSRU (29 Mar 2015)

That's totally crap news


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## Saluki (29 Mar 2015)

Dayvo said:


> FFS! You can cater for almost anything, except other ignorant road users.
> 
> Hope he's able to return quickly and fully healed.
> 
> As for the f*c*i*g C*N* on the moped, they should be pilloried in the press/courts/stocks or banished from the kingdom.


At the very least.

I just put this up on the other thread.


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## Rickshaw Phil (29 Mar 2015)

Don't know what to say. He was doing so well and gets knocked into by a motorised moron.

I'd like to hope this isn't the end of the challenge but can't see how he'll carry on with breaks bad enough to need pinning.

GWS Steve!


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## mattobrien (29 Mar 2015)

Gutted.


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## DCLane (29 Mar 2015)

So sad. Heal well.


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## totallyfixed (29 Mar 2015)

Unbelievable. Next time, and it would not surprise me in the least if he has another crack, go to the Netherlands. I bet right now he is thinking if there is anyway he could carry on. Given he was not at fault the right thing to do would be to give him time to heal, stop the clock and restart it again when he is ready. I know this is likely to be disallowed but ffs all this effort for nothing just isn't fair. We looked forward to hosting him and riding lots more with him. Damn.


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## summerdays (29 Mar 2015)

Drat and double drat !!  I feel so sorry for him all the preparation he and others have put into this to be taken out by a moped so ******* unfair. Well done to all and most of all Steve, you have shown that you had the right attitude to be able to complete this, get well soon.


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## Booyaa (29 Mar 2015)

Rubbish news. Hope he heals well soon.


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## Beebo (29 Mar 2015)

I hope he has a good solicitor who can claim back all his lost costs for the past months.


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## SomethingLikeThat (29 Mar 2015)

Must be so frustrating for him.


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## Bazzer (29 Mar 2015)

Gutted for him. GWS


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## Scoosh (29 Mar 2015)

Devastating news .

GWS Steve.


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## cyberknight (29 Mar 2015)

Sugar !,
my thoughts go to him and to the moped operator............


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## Crackle (29 Mar 2015)

crap


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## NorvernRob (29 Mar 2015)

totallyfixed said:


> Unbelievable. Next time, and it would not surprise me in the least if he has another crack, go to the Netherlands. I bet right now he is thinking if there is anyway he could carry on. Given he was not at fault the right thing to do would be to give him time to heal, stop the clock and restart it again when he is ready. I know this is likely to be disallowed but ffs all this effort for nothing just isn't fair. We looked forward to hosting him and riding lots more with him. Damn.



I wonder if there is a chance that Steve could start again in however many weeks it takes to recover, do the 365 day record attempt from that day and still possibly break the 100,000 miles record with the miles he's already done?

If he was going to carry on into next year and attempt that anyway it could just be that those 'extra' miles are already in the bag. The guy is obviously an amazing athlete, he said the other day how strong he was feeling and he'd be starting heading into summer which would mean better weather and big mileages. I'm sure financially he'd be ok as people would really get behind him after this.

That's all assuming his ankle will be ok, which is the first priority!


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## Pale Rider (29 Mar 2015)

totallyfixed said:


> Given he was not at fault the right thing to do would be to give him time to heal, stop the clock and restart it again when he is ready. .



Attractive at first blush, but it would render the record meaningless.

Could I do four 25 mile rides in a month and post in the Century a Month Challenge thread?

I don't think so.

The year's not over yet.

Steve will be like a jump jockey in that he will heal faster than most of us.

Anything could happen to Kurt, hope nothing bad does, but it's most unlikely he will sail through the year, 200 miles + a day, without an interruption or two.


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## Mugshot (29 Mar 2015)

I feel extraordinarily sad and deflated. Poor Steve must be absolutely devastated.


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## DanZac (29 Mar 2015)

Totaly gutted for Steve. Hopefully he will make a full and rapid recovery, regroup, reassess the situation and go from there. 
Massive congratulations on the superhuman effort thus far, get well soon.


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## RedRider (29 Mar 2015)

Terrible news, so frustrating for it to 'end' this way. 
I wonder if he might think about restarting the record attempt at zero from the day he's able to get back on the bike? He might still use the miles in the bag as a fastest to one hundred thousand miles? Heal well Steven.


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## Glow worm (29 Mar 2015)

Sh*t news. This damn cycling hostile country. Get well soon Steve.


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## albion (29 Mar 2015)

Sad news.

I do hope some benevolent person will sponsor him so he can get the record next year, tail wind style if need be.
I had already had got the impression he needed to cover an 20% extra effort for UK conditions


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## theclaud (29 Mar 2015)

Oh no! Awful news.


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## Mugshot (30 Mar 2015)

Ok, couldn't be arsed to post this yesterday as I was in a huff. However as this is the HAMR progress thread and Kurt is still progressing and he's soon to be joined by a gentleman from down under I'll carry on posting stuff.
Here he is letting us know what every good cycle commuter should be carrying.


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## Mugshot (30 Mar 2015)

Kurt rode 212 miles yesterday


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## Mugshot (30 Mar 2015)

This from Kurts Facebook yesterday, don't think it's been posted yet.

*Tarzan Rides the HAM'R Kurt Searvogel *
13 hrs ·
A sad day for our British rider in the HAM'R attempt. Our thoughts and prayers go out to you Steven Abraham for a speedy recovery.


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## Mugshot (30 Mar 2015)

Unfortunately Steve has made the Guardian for the wrong reasons.
HERE


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## srw (30 Mar 2015)

Mugshot said:


> Unfortunately Steve has made the Guardian for the wrong reasons.
> HERE


It's a good bit of journalism, though.


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## Mugshot (30 Mar 2015)

srw said:


> It's a good bit of journalism, though.


It was good to see (although that's not really the right phrase) that the write up says that he was "hit by a moped" as opposed to the usual "was in a collision with".


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## ianrauk (30 Mar 2015)

I've lost all enthusiasm for this record without Steve's involvement.
No disrespect to Kurt's efforts of course of which I hope he goes on to break the record, but I'm really not overly bothered.
Will check his progress now and again.

*GO STEVE!!!*


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## Mugshot (30 Mar 2015)

I hear you @ianrauk . When I first heard about the whole thing I as a bit meh, but my interest increased as I read up a little more about it. I have been surprised by how excited and engrossed in it I have become, particularly when I read that people like yourself (a bloke I've never met) had actually ridden with Steve (another bloke I've never met), it's all a bit weird really. However whilst I feel desperately disappointed and disheartened about the whole thing right now I'm going to try to follow the progress of yet another bloke I haven't met with at least a little bit of interest, although I really have lost that vicarious connection I had


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## deptfordmarmoset (30 Mar 2015)

Watching how they're getting on became part of the backdrop of daily life, didn't it? Like looking out of the window in the morning to see what kind of day it was. I don't know whether I'll get involved in the Kurt endeavour on his own yet. Though it's still an enormous challenge for him, he now has an open road ahead of him and no rival.


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## Mugshot (30 Mar 2015)

deptfordmarmoset said:


> Watching how they're getting on became part of the backdrop of daily life, didn't it? Like looking out of the window in the morning to see what kind of day it was. I don't know whether I'll get involved in the Kurt endeavour on his own yet. Though it's still an enormous challenge for him, he now has an open road ahead of him and no rival.


You appear to have forgotten about the Ox!!!!!

Incidently, I'm on target to move ahead of the Ox this week, maybe I should throw my hat into the ring.


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## Glow worm (30 Mar 2015)

I wish Kurt well of course but like others I've lost enthusiasm for the challenge too. I just hope there are plenty of folks there looking after Steve now and in weeks to come as I can't imagine how gutted he must be feeling. Aside from this awful news, his achievement up to yesterday has been remarkable, GWS Steve.


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## Scoosh (30 Mar 2015)

Agree with all the above posters who have lost much of their enthusiasm for following the day-to-day totals BUT I wonder what Steve and the team are cooking up now ...

get ankle plastered, special boot, back on bike 
wait till ankle heals, then go even bigger time than previously planned 
abort this attempt - then do it again next year - with possibly a new target to beat 
Either way, it's not over yet, I don't believe ! 

*GO STEVE !*


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## ianrauk (30 Mar 2015)

Can you attached a cleat to plastercast?


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## Crackle (30 Mar 2015)

I wonder now about Kurt. My thoughts about his effort have always been the same, that he's a phenomenal rider but that he's entered this in an unplanned way. Of course I know very little about the man, these are just impressions but he's not got the support in place that Steve had, the sponsorship or the kit. I've always fancied that this leaves him motivationally vulnerable and now Steve is out, we think, he's lost the carrot he was aiming at. I wonder if that will affect him positively or negatively because I'm sure it will affect him.


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## Scoosh (30 Mar 2015)

ianrauk said:


> Can you attached a cleat to plastercast?


Audax riders, mate - of course !


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## ianrauk (30 Mar 2015)

Crackle said:


> I wonder now about Kurt. My thoughts about his effort have always been the same, that he's a phenomenal rider but that he's entered this in an unplanned way. Of course I know very little about the man, these are just impressions but he's not got the support in place that Steve had, the sponsorship or the kit. I've always fancied that this leaves him motivationally vulnerable and now Steve is out, we think, he's lost the carrot he was aiming at. I wonder if that will affect him positively or negatively because I'm sure it will affect him.




Not only that.. with the Aussie chap starting the challenge soon. The follower will now become the followed.


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## albion (30 Mar 2015)

"He’s basically copying what I do, and going one up. I want to see how he reacts when I start to do a few crazy moves.” He was coy, however, when asked to expand on what those moves might be."


Shame we never got to see what that so called crazy move would be. I guess,like me, he had realised that it was a very very unequal race as is.


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## MichaelO (30 Mar 2015)

Steve will still be the first HAMR record holder on 1 Jan 2016, until Kurt completes his 365 days. Absolutely no consolation though


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## Edwardoka (30 Mar 2015)

Surely he's so far up on Tommy's record at this stage that a few weeks off to heal wouldn't necessarily be fatal to his attempt on the year record?


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## ianrauk (30 Mar 2015)

Edwardoka said:


> Surely he's so far up on Tommy's record at this stage that a few weeks off to heal wouldn't necessarily be fatal to his attempt on the year record?




It will be more then a few weeks. (broken bones and plates) and not only that but with the time off the bike Steve's fitness will wane, he would need to build it up again as he had to and did with this challenge. The best bet is to wait until he is completely healed, got his fitness back and get going again starting from scratch. Perhaps in the summer. He will have the added bonus of his experience of the past few months to look back on and also to see where he would need to be in relation to the other competitors. Oh yes, better weather. Rather then 2 winters and a summer, he would benefit from 2 summers and 1 winter.


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## BigAl68 (30 Mar 2015)

I just deleted the tracker from my phone. Still can't believe how this challenge has taken over my life and as @ianrauk has said maybe Steve will start again from scratch in the summer. I do hope so as I think he was going to smash the record even with recumbent kurt following his every move.


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## Beebo (30 Mar 2015)

Steve has a job and an employer, these real life little things tend to get in the way of world record attempts.
i wonder if he could afford to try again next year? Will his employer be so accommodating next time round?


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## Origamist (30 Mar 2015)

Oh no, just heard the terrible news. A xxxxxxx moped too....Heal up, Steve.


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## Saluki (30 Mar 2015)

Beebo said:


> Steve has a job and an employer, these real life little things tend to get in the way of world record attempts.
> i wonder if he could afford to try again next year? Will his employer be so accommodating next time round?


I was under the impression that Steve had left his job to do this record attempt, but I see what you mean.


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## BSRU (30 Mar 2015)

Sadly maybe this shows attempting the year record in England is a no goer as the traffic levels are massively higher than they were in the 30's and an incident of some kind is always going to be very likely.


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## velovoice (30 Mar 2015)

ianrauk said:


> I've lost all enthusiasm for this record without Steve's involvement.
> No disrespect to Kurt's efforts of course of which I hope he goes on to break the record, but I'm really not overly bothered.
> Will check his progress now and again.
> 
> *GO STEVE!!!*





Mugshot said:


> I hear you @ianrauk . When I first heard about the whole thing I as a bit meh, but my interest increased as I read up a little more about it. I have been surprised by how excited and engrossed in it I have become, particularly when I read that people like yourself (a bloke I've never met) had actually ridden with Steve (another bloke I've never met), it's all a bit weird really. However whilst I feel desperately disappointed and disheartened about the whole thing right now I'm going to try to follow the progress of yet another bloke I haven't met with at least a little bit of interest, although I really have lost that vicarious connection I had



Both of you have expressed exactly my feelings. I was too shocked and upset yesterday to post much except to circulate the news when it first broke.
I've never met Steve much less ridden with him, but I do know and have ridden with @ianrauk .... and do know and have ridden with my partner @Flying Dodo who also knows and has ridden with Steve. Those connections are close enough for me to care about Steve and his attempt.

I have no idea how the next few months and indeed rest of 2015 may play out for Steve, but I must admit this has popped into my mind a time or two:







One of the key defining characteristics of Steve's mental abilities in endurance cycling events is his unusually high tolerance for pain. So I can't help but think, we shouldn't write off Steve's 2015 HAM'R attempt just yet...


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## mcshroom (30 Mar 2015)

I'm not sure it does. This was unlucky. Tommy Godwin was knocked off his bike more than once during his year. I think I heard he rode with a broken collar bone for some of the ride as well.

Kurt has been knocked off a few times but luckily has come away with nothing more than road rash. Steve has only hit the deck twice (first on ice, he was fine, though the host riding with him suffered a broken pelvis), and yesterday.

There's another Brit entering the fray next month. Miles is 'a crazy pom' expat according to our Australian members over on YACF. Another Randonneur too.

I hope Steve can recover in time to set a decent total on the forst HAMR, at least if he can beat IronOx then he will hold the UMCA age group record for a decent while. There's more important things than the HAM'R though so please make sure you are ok to get back on before you resume Steve.


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## summerdays (30 Mar 2015)

From what I saw over on YACF he will be the record holder come 1st Jan anyway, if not for the amount he wanted, and only for a short while till Kurtz posts his year's total.

And presumably even if he doesn't restart during the year any recovery riding would also count to that total if logged correctly?


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## mcshroom (30 Mar 2015)

True. He's on the clock until the 31st December, so anything he manages to ride (and log) will add to the total. There is also the 18-49 age group record that he and IronOx are entered in (Kurt and Miles are in the 50-59 age group), so if he can beat IronOX then he will hold the age group title.


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## Mugshot (30 Mar 2015)

mcshroom said:


> True. He's on the clock until the 31st December, so anything he manages to ride (and log) will add to the total. There is also the 18-49 age group record that he and IronOx are entered in (Kurt and Miles are in the 50-59 age group), so if he can beat IronOX then he will hold the age group title.


The age group is 18-49? I didn't know that, that's a big old age bracket!


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## ianrauk (30 Mar 2015)

*Steve Abraham*
21 mins · 


Steve thanks everyone for their support so far. He was hit from behind by a suspected drunk moped rider and has a broken ankle. He has assessment appointments over the next few days. After these we shall be able to decide the best way forward with the One Year Time Trial. Expect to hear more from us by Friday.


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## Mugshot (30 Mar 2015)

Kind of like, at least he has a smile on his face.


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## summerdays (30 Mar 2015)

Drunk ... At that time of day When will they learn

Still Steve looks in better shape than I was expecting, hope he makes a quick and good recovery!


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## Mugshot (30 Mar 2015)

*Tarzan Rides the HAM'R Kurt Searvogel updated their cover photo.*
7 mins · Edited ·
Sending good thoughts and well wishes for a speedy recovery Steven Abraham.


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## Aperitif (30 Mar 2015)

ianrauk said:


> *Steve Abraham*
> 21 mins ·
> 
> 
> Steve thanks everyone for their support so far. He was hit from behind by a suspected drunk moped rider and has a broken ankle. He has assessment appointments over the next few days. After these we shall be able to decide the best way forward with the One Year Time Trial. Expect to hear more from us by Friday.


Pain's slack.

Get well soon, Steve. At least that's the Paris leg of the journey completed ahead of schedule.


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## Mugshot (30 Mar 2015)

Aperitif said:


> Pain's slack.
> 
> Get well soon, Steve. At least that's the Paris leg of the journey completed ahead of schedule.


Here, I got it for you.....


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## Saluki (30 Mar 2015)

Well Steve looks a lot more cheerful than I would have been.
GWS Steve.


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## Supersuperleeds (30 Mar 2015)

ianrauk said:


> I've lost all enthusiasm for this record without Steve's involvement.
> No disrespect to Kurt's efforts of course of which I hope he goes on to break the record, but I'm really not overly bothered.
> Will check his progress now and again.
> 
> *GO STEVE!!!*



I agree, I think with Steve we can have a connection with him, he is riding in the same weather that we ride and for a lot of us he is riding on the same roads that we ride on, with Kurt you have neither of those.


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## Ian H (30 Mar 2015)

Mugshot said:


> Kind of like, at least he has a smile on his face.



Steve is smiling because we'd just been discussing options. More news as stated, on Friday.
The support from all of you has been amazing. Don't give up just yet.


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## Supersuperleeds (30 Mar 2015)

Ian H said:


> Steve is smiling because we'd just been discussing options. More news as stated, on Friday.
> The support from all of you has been amazing. Don't give up just yet.



Give up? Never. I've just worked out, God forbid that Steve takes the rest of the year off, I still wouldn't catch his mileage until October/November time.


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## BigAl68 (30 Mar 2015)

Ian H said:


> Steve is smiling because we'd just been discussing options. More news as stated, on Friday.
> The support from all of you has been amazing. Don't give up just yet.



Just reading that makes me feel this battle is far from over.


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## Mugshot (30 Mar 2015)

BigAl68 said:


> Just reading that makes me feel this battle is far from over.


It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. I have no doubts though that whatever is done will be the best thing for Steve, which is of course the most important thing. To quote Ian.

GO STEVE!!!


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## si_c (30 Mar 2015)

Hope Steve has a speedy and full recovery, his effort has been extraordinary thus far. Wish him the best for the future


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## BigAl68 (30 Mar 2015)

I am missing looking at the tracker. I need Steve back in my daily routine.


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## Sunny Portrush (30 Mar 2015)

Supersuperleeds said:


> Give up? Never. I've just worked out, God forbid that Steve takes the rest of the year off, I still wouldn't catch his mileage until October/November time.



If Steve never sits on a bike for the rest of his life, I don`t think i`ll ever pass what he`s done in 3 months lol


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## Glow worm (30 Mar 2015)

A drunk moped rider? - FFS 
All the very best to Steve and the team - what a bloody nightmare.


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## rowdin (30 Mar 2015)

BigAl68 said:


> I am missing looking at the tracker. I need Steve back in my daily routine.


 Me too, but its going to be interesting seeing what that australian bloke can do.


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## DanZac (30 Mar 2015)

Whatever happens in the next few days / weeks Steve can rest happy that he has inspired a great many people, myself included, not only to get out there and ride but to look at his amazing achievements as a springboard for their own indervidual challenges.
It's also made a refreshing change in this day and age to see the kind words offered by Kurt. He appears to be a thoughtful and gentlemanly adversary.
I wish Steve every luck for a speedy recovery and await his next move with interest.


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## Hip Priest (30 Mar 2015)

Heard the bad news. Just wanted to wish Steve all the best. He's a hero whether he is able to continue or not.


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## srw (31 Mar 2015)

ianrauk said:


> It will be more then a few weeks. (broken bones and plates) and not only that but with the time off the bike Steve's fitness will wane, he would need to build it up again as he had to and did with this challenge. The best bet is to wait until he is completely healed, got his fitness back and get going again starting from scratch. Perhaps in the summer. He will have the added bonus of his experience of the past few months to look back on and also to see where he would need to be in relation to the other competitors. Oh yes, better weather. Rather then 2 winters and a summer, he would benefit from 2 summers and 1 winter.



Oh look. Over on the other place someone's posted something similar.


srw said:


> I wouldn't presume to advise Steve and his team, but I'm wondering whether a midsummer start might be more productive. You spend the winter and spring getting match-fit, then start at peak fitness, have the tough times in the middle and finish as things are getting better again.
> 
> Of course a new attempt would require continued sponsorship and support, as well as willingness on the part of Steve.
> 
> The first priority has to be to let the inury heal - which I suspect means active and expert physiotherapy as well as an understanding surgeon, which in turn means more sponsorship required.


https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=89464.msg1838081#msg1838081
Perhaps that wasn't posted here only because the author doesn't log in to the better forum during work time, and hadn't seen Ian's post here?


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## summerdays (31 Mar 2015)

Could he have two record attempts on the go concurrently?

So the existing attempt could still accumulate miles to the end of the year, and then a second attempt starting later in the year?


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## Pale Rider (31 Mar 2015)

summerdays said:


> Could he have two record attempts on the go concurrently?
> 
> So the existing attempt could still accumulate miles to the end of the year, and then a second attempt starting later in the year?



I like your thinking, but don't have the rules to hand to answer the question.

Speaking of rules, someone on the other place said Steve could make an attempt simply on his own.

Validation would need to be sorted, which is where the Ultra Marathon Cycling Association comes in handy, but they have no jurisdiction or hold over any cyclist who wants to ride a long way in a year.

So in that respect, I think he could have two attempts on the go at the same time.


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## Trickedem (31 Mar 2015)

If, as looks likely Kurt goes on to break the record in Jan 2016, then Steve will have a nice new target to aim for. I don't think we've seen the end of this challenge yet


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## PMarkey (31 Mar 2015)

I'm not giving up on Steve yet ,I will wait until Steve or his team say the attempt is over as I don't think Steve will want to walk away from this unless it is physically impossible for him to ride his bike .
*GO Steve .*


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## Mugshot (31 Mar 2015)

*Steve Abraham*
10 hrs · Edited ·
Steve says "Lucky these crutches come with cup holders!"


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## Mugshot (31 Mar 2015)

Kurt keeps rolling with a neat and tidy 213 miles.


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## Pale Rider (31 Mar 2015)

Trickedem said:


> If, as looks likely Kurt goes on to break the record in Jan 2016, then Steve will have a nice new target to aim for. I don't think we've seen the end of this challenge yet



I hope that's right, but there's a lot to consider.

Steve cannot ride again without significant support - that should still be in place if this is no more than an interruption.

But mounting a fresh challenge will be some logistical task.

Much impetus will have been lost, and some of those offering practical support may not be able to commit to another year.

Roger the Moneyman is retired and could probably carry on crunching the numbers, but I've no idea how the likes of Hoppo and the other crew members are placed.

Of course, there may be fresh faces willing to come on board.

Donations for a second attempt may be harder to get.

I've donated this time, but not sure if I would do so again because there will inevitably be a feeling of 'been there, done that'.

Some commercial sponsors may feel the same way.


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## totallyfixed (31 Mar 2015)

I believe quite the opposite, more people will be behind him now than ever, it's rooted in the British sense of fair play, we get behind the underdog like no other nation I know. Having only met Steve once in spite of having mutual friends, and having ridden with him one month into his challenge, the overriding impression was one of being quietly determined. His team will be completely behind him, those that cannot extend will find/have replacements. I just cannot see anyone abandoning him after what he has gone through. If there is any way we can help we will. So far as his fitness is concerned, shouldn't be a problem, from experience [we have a bit in this area] it takes more than 2 weeks to even begin to lose muscle tone and thereafter it is a very slow process so any exercise will alleviate that. Conversely once he gets going again [we all hope] his performances will return to previous levels within days, daft as it sounds, the injury may even be a blessing in disguise, I have seen it happen before.
Hardest for us lot to be patient I think. Whatever he decides will be the right thing.


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## Aperitif (31 Mar 2015)

totallyfixed said:


> I believe quite the opposite, more people will be behind him now than ever, it's rooted in the British sense of fair play, we get behind the underdog like no other nation I know. Having only met Steve once in spite of having mutual friends, and having ridden with him one month into his challenge, the overriding impression was one of being quietly determined. His team will be completely behind him, those that cannot extend will find/have replacements. I just cannot see anyone abandoning him after what he has gone through. If there is any way we can help we will. So far as his fitness is concerned, shouldn't be a problem, from experience [we have a bit in this area] it takes more than 2 weeks to even begin to lose muscle tone and thereafter it is a very slow process so any exercise will alleviate that. Conversely once he gets going again [we all hope] his performances will return to previous levels within days, daft as it sounds, the injury may even be a blessing in disguise, I have seen it happen before.
> Hardest for us lot to be patient I think. Whatever he decides will be the right thing.


Good and fair words, extremely well put.


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## KneesUp (31 Mar 2015)

Pale Rider said:


> I hope that's right, but there's a lot to consider.
> 
> Steve cannot ride again without significant support - that should still be in place if this is no more than an interruption.
> 
> ...



As I understood it the basic 'fixed costs' were covered by Steve's own money / sponsorship - I recall reading that he had been stocking up on parts for a while, and then of course Raleigh, Chain Reaction, Schwalbe et al all came on board too, which presumably means that most of the money raised was for living costs, which presumably have not been spent yet. I doubt Raleigh will want the bikes back 

In an ideal world, the insurance will sort this out quickly and cover Steve for the fact that he can't work (I understand that his day-job is a physical warehouse job) plus any other expenses to do with having to stop the attempt, and then when he's fully fit he can roll again.

I hope one (non-fault) accident won't put off the sponsors - if anything I've seen more about it in the press since the accident -and publicity is what they sponsor him for.


----------



## Pale Rider (31 Mar 2015)

KneesUp said:


> As I understood it the basic 'fixed costs' were covered by Steve's own money / sponsorship - I recall reading that he had been stocking up on parts for a while, and then of course Raleigh, Chain Reaction, Schwalbe et al all came on board too, which presumably means that most of the money raised was for living costs, which presumably have not been spent yet. I doubt Raleigh will want the bikes back
> 
> In an ideal world, the insurance will sort this out quickly and cover Steve for the fact that he can't work (I understand that his day-job is a physical warehouse job) plus any other expenses to do with having to stop the attempt, and then when he's fully fit he can roll again.
> 
> I hope one (non-fault) accident won't put off the sponsors - if anything I've seen more about it in the press since the accident -and publicity is what they sponsor him for.



I hope it turns out like that, but what I hope for and what happens are often not the same.

There's no danger of sponsors labelling Steve as damaged goods because of the accident, he's already handling it well from that point of view - publishing the pic of him smiling in plaster was an excellent move, PR wise.

It's the general low attention span that concerns me, existing sponsors may feel they've had as much as they are going to get, and no doubt there will be other shiner, newer toys in the awaiting sponsorship box.

There are, of course, lots of possible sponsors, so if a bike maker or component supplier pulls out, there are others who could take their place.

Hopefully (again), the likes of Hoppo will be able to continue, he's a mate and his experience will be invaluable in a second attempt.


----------



## albion (31 Mar 2015)

Interesting point about 'fair play', but to be honest, even before Steve's moped encounter I had lost most of my interest.


----------



## totallyfixed (31 Mar 2015)

albion said:


> Interesting point about 'fair play', but to be honest, even before Steve's moped encounter I had lost most of my interest.


Not helping really is it. You are in a minority of one.


----------



## fimm (31 Mar 2015)

Another who had been watching along quietly here. Best wishes to Steve, whatever he decides to do.


----------



## Aperitif (31 Mar 2015)

albion said:


> Interesting point about 'fair play', but to be honest, even before Steve's moped encounter I had lost most of my interest.


perfidious


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## Dayvo (31 Mar 2015)

albion said:


> Interesting point about 'fair play', but to be honest, even before Steve's moped encounter I had lost most of my interest.



What, because it was becoming boring reading that he was making his daily targets every day, which is the object of the exercise?

I fail to see how anyone (supposedly interested in cycling) could not be interested in this herculean attempt at a staggeringly difficult challenge.


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## summerdays (31 Mar 2015)

If anything my interest was increasing! It was making me think I ought to try a 50 miler sometime!

And if I saw a rider wearing red on the road I would do a quick check, followed by a moment of disappointment that it wasn't him! He did manage to make it to within 5 miles of my house.


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## MisterStan (31 Mar 2015)

summerdays said:


> And if I saw a rider wearing red on the road I would do a quick check, followed by a moment of disappointment that it wasn't him!


Found myself doing the odd double take as well!


----------



## albion (31 Mar 2015)

Well, it always was the contest that wasn't !

That bit I could just not buy in to.


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## Bazzer (31 Mar 2015)

summerdays said:


> If anything my interest was increasing! It was making me think I ought to try a 50 miler sometime! <snip>.


+1 
Only I was going for the metric century


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## Mugshot (31 Mar 2015)

summerdays said:


> If anything my interest was increasing! It was making me think I ought to try a 50 miler sometime!





Bazzer said:


> Only I was going for the metric century



And both of you should still try to do these things 
As for me, I'm trying to do at least 200 miles a week, if Steve can do it in a day I can try to do it in a week.


----------



## Glow worm (31 Mar 2015)

albion said:


> Well, it always was the contest that wasn't !
> 
> That bit I could just not buy in to.



Odd that you seem so keen to keep commenting on something that clearly is of no interest to you. 

Why not run along and find a thread that you are bothered about?


----------



## deptfordmarmoset (31 Mar 2015)

Maybe it was an ''albion my way'' declaration.


----------



## Justinslow (31 Mar 2015)

Glow worm said:


> Odd that you seem so keen to keep commenting on something that clearly is of no interest to you.
> 
> Why not run along and find a thread that you are bothered about?


It seems to me Albion was expressing an opinion, it's not illegal is it?

Real shame, but I guess the likelihood of this happening at some stage was quite high, doing this level of milage in a country as busy as ours, perhaps he should have outriders on mopeds to protect him - world record distance set by a moped in 12 months anyone? Two records for the price of one!


----------



## Bazzer (31 Mar 2015)

Mugshot said:


> And both of you should still try to do these things
> As for me, I'm trying to do at least 200 miles a week, if Steve can do it in a day I can try to do it in a week.



Yep, nothing has changed. 
The way I see it is everyone is entitled to their opinion and you take what you want or feel from record attempts such as this.


----------



## Mugshot (31 Mar 2015)

*Steve Abraham*
2 mins · 
This is the highest my heart rate has been all year! My Route Manager is thinking of making this hospital corridor a Strava run segment!


----------



## BigAl68 (31 Mar 2015)

I am proud to say I was the first to comment on his latest Facebook post. I need Steve in my life even if he isn't riding every day.


----------



## Sunny Portrush (31 Mar 2015)

Mugshot said:


> *Steve Abraham*
> 10 hrs · Edited ·
> Steve says "Lucky these crutches come with cup holders!"



FFS - shoe off the sofa!!!!


----------



## Glow worm (31 Mar 2015)

Justinslow said:


> It seems to me Albion was expressing* an opinion*, it's not illegal is it?
> !



Well that's one word for it I suppose!

Great to see Steve looking cheerful. Thanks for the updates on here for them of us what don't do Twitface.


----------



## albion (31 Mar 2015)

I must apologise for getting the wrong word.
I was a bit uneasy about this story/challenge from the start, which you might gather if you read my initial posts.

Because of growing uneasyness I had just decided to give the thread a miss but as a creature of habit clicked to find the unfortunate news.
I wish the Kurt/Tarzen thread well. and Steve good health and luck in future goals.


----------



## 13 rider (31 Mar 2015)

Supersuperleeds said:


> Give up? Never. I've just worked out, God forbid that Steve takes the rest of the year off, I still wouldn't catch his mileage until October/November time.


I've just worked out if I carry on at my milage rate I will past Steve total in June, in the year 2021 . Makes you realise what an incredible feat its been .
I am already missing looking at the tracker and waiting for the daily totals it just became part of my daily routine.
Get well soon steve


----------



## Banjo (31 Mar 2015)

Just got this.
*Steve's News*
*31st March 2015*

Dear Graham
We really do appreciate the interest concern and support that so many of you are showing.

Just to let you all know Steven is to receive an operation tomorrow on Wednesday April 1st 2015.

Steve is taking careful professional advice over the next day or so and we will be back in touch just as soon as we have a decision on what the plans are from here on.

Once again thanks for your support.

Steve's Team
.


----------



## Mugshot (1 Apr 2015)

Kurt stays close to home and knocks out a 216 miler


----------



## ianrauk (1 Apr 2015)

*steve abraham* @steve_abraham74 · 2h2 hours ago
Surgery went well Physio just said I am doing well considering I came out of surgery a few hours ago #hamr


----------



## summerdays (1 Apr 2015)

For one millisecond I forgot that he wasn't riding!! Then it hit me again.

Physio already!! He doesn't hang around does he!


----------



## BigAl68 (1 Apr 2015)

Steve is a legend. Physio a few hours post surgery. Let's see what Friday brings with the announcement. It's like waiting for Xmas


----------



## velovoice (1 Apr 2015)

BigAl68 said:


> Steve is a legend. Physio a few hours post surgery.


Hmm, not to dispute the Legend thing but... orthopedic surgeons won't discharge you after surgery until you've been assessed by a physio who shows you how to use your crutches, how to safely get yourself up/down/into/out of chairs, beds, toilet, etc., how to negotiate steps and stairs. It's your routine maneuvers and safety in the first 24 hours at home that they focus on. Of course, they may make remarks on how well you are able to do those things hours after surgery but unlike the physio_therapist_ who Steve will no doubt see shortly, post-surgical physios don't do any "therapy" and don't prescribe any exercises.



BigAl68 said:


> Let's see what Friday brings with the announcement. It's like waiting for Xmas


YES!


----------



## totallyfixed (1 Apr 2015)

The medical profession in general lumps everyone in the same bandwidth so to speak, they do not take into account those of us who are er, not normal. After my last surgery I was told a minimum of 6 weeks before I could ride my bike, 4 days was all it took. Admittedly this is an ankle so will likely be a few days longer . I will bet money Steve has even thought of riding with one leg or even hand cycling, you don't take on a monumental challenge like this without a big dollop of determination.


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## BigAl68 (1 Apr 2015)

After my hip replacement I was back on the bike after 3 weeks. The physio discharged me from her care after 2 visits. Steve will hopefully give us all great news on Friday.... Come on calender move faster as we know this fella is going to ride on


----------



## PMarkey (1 Apr 2015)

totallyfixed said:


> The medical profession in general lumps everyone in the same bandwidth so to speak, they do not take into account those of us who are er, not normal. After my last surgery I was told a minimum of 6 weeks before I could ride my bike, 4 days was all it took. Admittedly this is an ankle so will likely be a few days longer . I will bet money Steve has even thought of riding with one leg or even hand cycling, you don't take on a monumental challenge like this without a big dollop of determination.



+1 
They tend to regard everyone as a couch potato who drinks 12 pints a night and snacking on deep fried pork pies .*


*_May be some exaggeration in post. _


----------



## Justinslow (1 Apr 2015)

PMarkey said:


> +1
> They tend to regard everyone as a couch potato who drinks 12 pints a night and snacking on deep fried pork pies .*
> 
> 
> *_May be some exaggeration in post. _


Well......that's right isn't it?


----------



## Aperitif (1 Apr 2015)

Justinslow said:


> Well......that's right isn't it?


No. 
It is a well-known fact that Steve is a sausage processor.





He'll never fear the wurst...

Go Steve. Hurry up, Friday.


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## Pale Rider (2 Apr 2015)

BigAl68 said:


> After my hip replacement I was back on the bike after 3 weeks. The physio discharged me from her care after 2 visits.



Good effort.

After my hip op, I may have made it on to a static exercise bike after three weeks, but not an ordinary one.

I think I was still using two crutches, so would have struggled to mount a bike that wasn't supported.

No idea about ankles, but there's no doubt that super fit people such as Steve recover many times faster than the likes of me.


----------



## Archie_tect (2 Apr 2015)

There's no reason to think Steve can't recover from this and still achieve his target of beating Tommy's total in a year.... he's still 10 days ahead of Tommy's total for the same period so he can still catch up again even taking 3 weeks out for recovery... it's not over yet!


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## Mugshot (2 Apr 2015)

Kurt keeps trucking along and finishes the day with 211 miles.


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## mcshroom (2 Apr 2015)

velovoice said:


> Hmm, not to dispute the Legend thing but... orthopedic surgeons won't discharge you after surgery until you've been assessed by a physio who shows you how to use your crutches, how to safely get yourself up/down/into/out of chairs, beds, toilet, etc., how to negotiate steps and stairs. It's your routine maneuvers and safety in the first 24 hours at home that they focus on. Of course, they may make remarks on how well you are able to do those things hours after surgery but unlike the physio_therapist_ who Steve will no doubt see shortly, post-surgical physios don't do any "therapy" and don't prescribe any exercises.
> 
> 
> YES!



When I had my arm nailed back together last summer the hospital physio did an assessment and gave me a sheet of exercizes for keeping my rotator cuff moving. He told me to do as many of them as I could, as soon as I was able. They gave me a flying start with the physiotherapist I saw a few weeks later.

Ankles should repair faster than a humerus so I'm hoping he has a speedy recovery. I'm sure he'll make the right decision for him as soon as he is able to, so until then - Get Well Soon Steve!


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## Mugshot (2 Apr 2015)

[QUOTE 3623489, member: 9609"]Kurt has been incredibly boring this past few days just cycling back and forth along the same roads - I hope he's going on tour soon.

He did make one venture out of town to a little place called "England" google maps  not quite as uplifting as our green and pleasant land.[/QUOTE]
Wow, get off your horse and drink your milk! I noticed there was a segment called "England Road"
I wonder if he does have plans to head off around the country again, I know you were enjoying following him on google maps doing your own virtual US tour 
I think, although I may have imagined it, that he's doing the RAAM, I could be wrong though I frequently am.


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## Mugshot (3 Apr 2015)

*Steve Abraham*
9 hrs ·
Steve in motion before the accident. News on the way forward soon. Thanks for all the messages of support.


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## Mugshot (3 Apr 2015)

Kurt puts in 220 miles. This means that Kurt has now passed Steve total mileage for the year by 117 miles.


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## Saluki (3 Apr 2015)

[QUOTE 3625950, member: 9609"]Kurt seems to be running out of bikes, both his road bikes are off the road, started the day off on the recumbent and snapped a brake cable - so not sure what he is riding today but from his tracker he is on the move.

View: https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1598556113719429&video_source=pages_finch_main_video[/QUOTE]
I now have visions of Kurt riding some kid's bike with handlebar streamers and a basket on the front, just to keep moving


----------



## Rickshaw Phil (3 Apr 2015)

He's having a heck of a lot of mechanical trouble. He may be capable of getting the record but will he have enough bikes to get there?


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## BSRU (3 Apr 2015)

Saluki said:


> I now have visions of Kurt riding some kid's bike with handlebar streamers and a basket on the front, just to keep moving


I bet he'd still ride more in one day than most of us do in a week.


----------



## Saluki (3 Apr 2015)

On Twitface a bit back:

*Chris 'Hoppo' hopkinson*
40 mins · 
Formal Announcement.

Steve is now out of hospital (after his operation to have metal plates fotted to his ankle) and is recovering at home. He has decided to continue with the record attempt and as a team we are very seriously considering running a concurrent record attempt, starting sometime in the late summer this year after Steve should have made a full recovery. This is within the UMCA rules for this record attempt, so neither record attempt would end uf he started again in the summer.

Steve is due to lose his advantage on the current record (and be roughly at the same mileage Tommy Godwin was at the same time of year), strangely on 11th April, which is HAM'R day. To mitigate that loss we are now looking into Steve using a recumbent trike. Steve has asked several medics and doctors whether this was wise to do ( when he was at hospital) and had no negative feedback. Riding a recumbent trike will mean that he can sit in an ideal position for recovery from his injuries, with the ankle raised. So as far as the injured ankle is concerned, it should be no different to sitting on his couch at home. Being outdoors will also give the benefit of extra vitamin D, which is very good for his bones.

We can use the Milton Keynes Bowl for Steve to ride on so that Steve is never far from home and will be riding on a traffic-free circuit used for road racing. We anticipate Steve to be travelling very slowly, as he will be riding one-legged on a different kind of bike to what he normally rides, but if he can manage 5-10mph for 10hrs a day he should reduce his losses by over 2,000miles by the end of April. The doctors have given him 6weeks before the injury will have recovered enough to be weight bearing.

On the negative side, the losses could be too great to recover. We don't know if Steve will recover fast enough to get back up to speed and meet his very demanding summer schedule, in order to re-catch what Tommy Godwin did in 1939. We don't know for sure if this plan will work.

On the positive side. Steve was going from strength to strength during the first 3months of the record attempt and when he set off for Exeter last Saturday he felt stronger than he had all year. He has now had a good amount of recovery time after the accident. Although we don't know if Steve can meet the demanding summer schedule as soon as he is fully recovered from injury, we don't know that he can't either.

It also seems possible that he could make a very good and fast recovery. We will have a better idea when he sees the doctor in 2weeks on how he is recovering. Of course, we don't know either way how it will go. But because we can keep this record attempt going without putting another record attempt at risk ( and riding on may even be helpful to Steve's recovery - and still have a fighting chance of achieving what he set out to do ), it seems logical to give it a try.

Steve's main aim is to make a good recovery - and if using the recumbent trike doesn't work out we can always stop completely and have a complete restart in summer. He will not be doing anything rash, or take any risks. Nor will he go against professional medical advice. Steve would like to thank all his supporters for their continued support and messages of goodwill. He will keep everyone fully updated as his new plans progress. In the meantime, Steve wishes to pass on his regards and wish the best of luck to Kurt Searvogel who continues to ride strong and fast in the same record attempt and has proven himself to be a great sportsman, as well as a great sport.


----------



## srw (3 Apr 2015)

So he's taken my advice!


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## BigAl68 (3 Apr 2015)

I have been talking with my cycling friends about it just now. My personal choice would be start again in the summer but I am sure Steve will just get on a trike and keep churning out the miles. Bloody amazing news though and so happy for him and the team.


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## Supersuperleeds (3 Apr 2015)

Saluki said:


> On Twitface a bit back:
> 
> *Chris 'Hoppo' hopkinson*
> 40 mins ·
> ...



He is just amazing!


----------



## deptfordmarmoset (3 Apr 2015)

After SA's off I almost posted, in jest, that he was currently sourcing a one-legged recumbent with a rest for the plaster cast. It seems I was nearer the mark than I'd thought.


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## StuAff (3 Apr 2015)

The Six Million Sausage Man.....

Smart plan. If he can get rolling again reasonably quickly he stands a chance of keeping up with Kurt (and Mr Smith, once he starts) on the first attempt. If not, set a date for number two to begin, keep on going, already up to speed & distance.


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## summerdays (3 Apr 2015)

summerdays said:


> Could he have two record attempts on the go concurrently?
> 
> So the existing attempt could still accumulate miles to the end of the year, and then a second attempt starting later in the year?


Wow my ambling thoughts turned out to be right .....

I'm pleased that I will have more updates to look forward to AND it will make the attempt all the more incredible!


----------



## Mugshot (3 Apr 2015)

User13710 said:


> It's been half an hour, so I'm amazed no one has linked this yet: https://www.facebook.com/chris.hoppo.hopkinson/posts/728848937233445?fref=nf


We were waiting for you to do it.


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## ianrauk (3 Apr 2015)

*Steve Abraham*
8 mins · 


Steve trying out the ICE trike this afternoon....may be just the ticket with a few modifications.


----------



## Pale Rider (3 Apr 2015)

Sounds like a good plan, bash on and an option to re-start in the summer while still bashing on with the first attempt.

Roger the Moneyman has just said in the other place Steve will not start on the trike for a few days because there's some mods being done to it.


----------



## Mugshot (3 Apr 2015)

User said:


> He is gloriously bonkers, the sort of bonkers that makes the world a better place


Have you ridden with him too @User?


----------



## ColinJ (3 Apr 2015)

Good luck to him, but isn't suddenly launching into one-legged cycling for 10+ hours a day going to risk causing all sorts of back problems? (All that effort being concentrated on one side of his body.)


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## mcshroom (3 Apr 2015)

[QUOTE 3626515, member: 9609"]Do you have to give a specific start and end day ? can you not just use any 365 consecutive day period, so as long as you think you can beat last years total for the same day, it will add to your tally ?[/QUOTE]
You have to declare your start day in advance, and pay $300 for the registration. Steve can be doing two concurrent HAMR attempts though it seems.

The rules are here - http://ultracycling.com/sections/records/max-mileage.php


----------



## Supersuperleeds (3 Apr 2015)

mcshroom said:


> You have to declare your start day in advance, and pay $300 for the registration. Steve can be doing two concurrent HAMR attempts though it seems.
> 
> The rules are here - http://ultracycling.com/sections/records/max-mileage.php


Does rule 5 mean you could use an electric bike?


----------



## Pale Rider (3 Apr 2015)

Supersuperleeds said:


> Does rule 5 mean you could use an electric bike?



You would need a trailer for the batteries.


----------



## Beebo (3 Apr 2015)

Yuck, sweaty plaster cast! People will be able to smell him a mile off after a few weeks of cycling.


----------



## Saluki (3 Apr 2015)

ColinJ said:


> Good luck to him, but isn't suddenly launching into one-legged cycling for 10+ hours a day going to risk causing all sorts of back problems? (All that effort being concentrated on one side of his body.)


I had thought this too. I had back problems after my leg was in plaster and I was just using crutches to get about and putting weight through my left (good) leg. I have no idea how I would have gone about 1 legged cycling.


----------



## Pale Rider (3 Apr 2015)

My fit as a fiddle mountain biking mate Chris snapped a pedal while on a ride.

He still beat his mates home riding one legged.

Told me later he was surprised how fast he could go using only one leg.

Steve's crew reckon he will ride the trike at between 5mph and 10mph.

Once he's used to it, I bet he propels the ruddy thing faster than that.


----------



## deptfordmarmoset (3 Apr 2015)

I had a look online to see how long the Milton Keynes Bowl track was without success. Do any of the locals know how long it is? I have this thought of SA going round a 2 mile track over 100 times a day, which to me sounds like a cause of mental illness to add to a broken ankle.


----------



## Ian H (3 Apr 2015)

deptfordmarmoset said:


> I had a look online to see how long the Milton Keynes Bowl track was without success. Do any of the locals know how long it is? I have this thought of SA going round a 2 mile track over 100 times a day, which to me sounds like a cause of mental illness to add to a broken ankle.



One km, apparently. Let's see how things develop.


----------



## toffee (3 Apr 2015)

It is not the best of circuits, you have to dodge the motor cycle, and moped learners during the day. One km at the most but who cares, if it gets Steve back on the road then that will be great.

Derek


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## summerdays (4 Apr 2015)

deptfordmarmoset said:


> I had a look online to see how long the Milton Keynes Bowl track was without success. Do any of the locals know how long it is? I have this thought of SA going round a 2 mile track over 100 times a day, which to me sounds like a cause of mental illness to add to a broken ankle.


Still might be more interesting than sitting on a sofa with your leg in plaster for the same amount of time.

So what is this track? I've never heard of it, but if he is sharing with the other people then that may make it less boring and perhaps others can cycle with him at times?

Keeping the plaster dry might be a problem .... Whether you just use a plastic bag or cling film....?


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## Mugshot (4 Apr 2015)

*Chris 'Hoppo' hopkinson shared Rich Forrest's photo.*
12 hrs ·
The plan in action




Rich Forrest with Andrew Morris and Steve Abraham
Steven Abraham trying out an Ice trike this afternoon, seeing how he can get on with a recumbent trike for the oneyeartimetrial.org.uk


----------



## Mugshot (4 Apr 2015)

Interview with Steve explaining his new strategy

HERE


----------



## Aperitif (4 Apr 2015)

Mugshot said:


> Interview with Streve eplaining his new strategy
> 
> HERE


A lovely interview, illustrating the man and his modesty.
Time for a laps of concentration - of the nicest kind.
G*O *Steve!


----------



## CopperCyclist (4 Apr 2015)

Wishing Steve the very best of luck! 

The rules don't appear to prohibit you free wheeling down the longest mountain you can find, then getting the follow vehicle to take you back to the top again and repeat!


----------



## ColinJ (4 Apr 2015)

CopperCyclist said:


> The rules don't appear to prohibit you free wheeling down the longest mountain you can find, then getting the follow vehicle to take you back to the top again and repeat!


Which is like getting a lift 200 miles to pick up a 200 mile tailwind!

I think the rules should be changed after this so that you have to start from where you finished the day before.


----------



## G3CWI (4 Apr 2015)

ColinJ said:


> one-legged cycling



One of the very few occasions where clipless pedals (or a clipless pedal) will give a significant advantage.


----------



## ColinJ (4 Apr 2015)

G3CWI said:


> One of the very few occasions where clipless pedals (or a clipless pedal) will give a significant advantage.


I broke a crank once and found a few miles of one-legged cycling really tiring, but yes - the SPDs certainly helped!


----------



## MisterStan (4 Apr 2015)

ColinJ said:


> I think the rules should be changed after this so that you have to start from where you finished the day before.


Why? What will this achieve? Tommy Godwin himself didn't start from where he left off the day before.


----------



## ColinJ (4 Apr 2015)

MisterStan said:


> Why? What will this achieve? Tommy Godwin himself didn't start from where he left off the day before.


It would be nice for the record to be more about what the rider achieved him/herself rather than how well they planned using the wind or 'artificial' long descents. (Where an artificial descent is one you didn't 'earn' with a corresponding climb.)

Winds can't be conjured up to order, but if somebody actually did their record attempt based (for example) on being repeatedly driven to the top of Mont Ventoux and then pedalling down, it would obviously be more about descending skill than endurance.

I also think it would be good to have a non-drafting rule, but it would be practically impossible to enforce such a rule on open roads.


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## Dogtrousers (4 Apr 2015)

You don't want much do you @ColinJ ? 

If you'd been there when Pheidippides arrived in Athens with the news of the battle of Marathon you'd have been saying that it didn't count as it was wind assisted or something.


----------



## PMarkey (5 Apr 2015)

I'm sure I read some where that Ossie Nicholson rode a daily out and back course in Australia to take the record which would meet ColinJ's requirements


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## Mugshot (6 Apr 2015)

[QUOTE 3630038, member: 9609"]Has 'The Kurt' blown up ? have the wheels come off his wagon ? three separate rides yesterday totalling a meagre 112 miles... _(even I could do that in a whole week)_[/QUOTE]
Was an odd day by the looks, his average was down a little too, still blooming quick mind, but down a little from the norm. I expect we'll get a video later showing Kurt trashing his bikes, again!


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## Mugshot (6 Apr 2015)

[QUOTE 3630565, member: 9609"]His video is up and the problem is revealed, it was a bit damp and below 10°C. The Kurt is clearly a sunshine guy, I doub't he would be breaking any records if he had to endure the UK weather.[/QUOTE]
Ahhh so all is revealed, not seen it yet but that sounds about right though, he's such a wuss.


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## mcshroom (6 Apr 2015)

He's ridden RAAM, I don't think he's a wuss even if he melts in the rain


----------



## ianrauk (6 Apr 2015)

I think that if Steve was still in the game then Kurt would have done more mileage for the day.


----------



## Mugshot (7 Apr 2015)

Just to clarify, I don't think Kurt is a wuss, my tongue was firmly in my cheek. Perhaps I should have added a smiley face, this one perhaps  definitely not this one


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## Aperitif (8 Apr 2015)

"GR*O*W STEVE!"
There's a nice tribute to Steve on yacf...the 'Quarter Peal' at Marsh Gibbon church. Good fun to find it and listen - the man's influence is strong.


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## Aperitif (8 Apr 2015)

As an aside, Kevin Carr is 'doing a Steve' in his own way, and is nearly done...here. Their mental strength is similar, I feel. (I 'feel' from the comfort of an office chair, that is...)


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## Aperitif (9 Apr 2015)

And from Jo, on yacf
_"Despite 10 days off the bike following his ankle injury, Steve has still spent more than half of 2015 moving on his bike." _

The trike is imminent. Steve's body will be covered in wheels...


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## Pale Rider (9 Apr 2015)

Steve has just posted in the other place to say the trike has yet to arrive.

Looks to me like he won't be riding it in the attempt until tomorrow at the earliest.


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## Aperitif (9 Apr 2015)

Pale Rider said:


> Steve has just posted in the other place to say the trike has yet to arrive.
> 
> Looks to me like he won't be riding it in the attempt until tomorrow at the earliest.



That's ok - it's still imminent.
And, Steve is still posting within tent.

The 'Quarter peal' at Marsh Gibbon is a nice sound too - I was trying to work out the cycles of ringing...


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## Supersuperleeds (10 Apr 2015)

239.9 miles for Kurt. I know he has done a cracking distance but I'd have to have done another tenth to get rid of that point nine.


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## MickeyBlueEyes (10 Apr 2015)

Supersuperleeds said:


> 239.9 miles for Kurt. I know he has done a cracking distance but I'd have to have done another tenth to get rid of that point nine.


You would have rounded to 250 I'm sure


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## Pale Rider (10 Apr 2015)

Roger the Moneyman is saying in the other place it will be next week before Steve makes a start on the track with the trike.


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## Scoosh (10 Apr 2015)

Pale Rider said:


> Roger the Moneyman is saying in the other place it will be next week before Steve makes a start on the track with the trike.


 but  as well !

*GO STEVE !*


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## summerdays (10 Apr 2015)

[QUOTE 3637915, member: 9609"]"the other place" ?

I don't know if steve is best forgetting about this challenge and concentrating on the new start in June - even if steve clocks up 50 mile a day with one leg on the trike over the next 4 weeks. He would then need to average 240 a day until the end of the year.[/QUOTE]
But at the end of the year it would set the first record.


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## mcshroom (10 Apr 2015)

He's going to hold the record whatever. It does bring it home to me that Kurt's 240 mile day is amazing, and Steve would have to average that, for the rest of the year, while recovering from injury. I personally think this attempt is now out of the running, and would expect Steve to work up to a second start, either in the late summer or next January when he's ridden back into fitness.

The experience and training he has developed over this campaign, however, will, if anything make him even better prepared for the next one. Allez Steve


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## Supersuperleeds (11 Apr 2015)

215 miles for Kurt yesterday, he's now over 18,500 miles


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## mcshroom (11 Apr 2015)

New challenger up and running - Miles Smith
200km before breakfast, and then out for another loop!
https://www.strava.com/athletes/8529563
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Go-Miles/1603116773237821

I do find it amusing that the only rider working in kms is called 'Miles' though


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## mcshroom (11 Apr 2015)




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## nickyboy (11 Apr 2015)

Interesting that his average heart rate according to Strava info was 124 ie. much higher than Kurt is doing and Steve was doing. I'm no expert but I would question whether this was a good strategy, given the other two protagonists are/were cycling at 85-90


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## PMarkey (11 Apr 2015)

It may not be strategy , he might just have a higher heart rate ? He rode the Geelong flyer 1000 km at the end of March so isn't riding into fitness or shouldn't be plus his daily commute was 160km a day by all accounts  It will be interesting to see how he progress's as the year goes on as like Steve he is a randonneur and not an endurance racer like Kurt.

Paul


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## Mugshot (11 Apr 2015)

Average cadence 59, hardly surprising with that monster big ring he's got.


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## Supersuperleeds (12 Apr 2015)

mcshroom said:


> New challenger up and running - Miles Smith
> 200km before breakfast, and then out for another loop!
> https://www.strava.com/athletes/8529563
> https://www.facebook.com/pages/Go-Miles/1603116773237821
> ...



No more rides posted for him yet on Strava?


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## mcshroom (12 Apr 2015)

Teething problems with the GPS as I understand it.


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## ianrauk (12 Apr 2015)

Looks like he's going to be a serious contender.


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## Bazzer (12 Apr 2015)

Extract from the facebook link
_".......He needs to "press 23 buttons" on the range of gadgets he is carrying before he even sets off each day!!! #GoMiles #UCMA #HAMR"_
What on earth has he he got on his bike?


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## Dayvo (12 Apr 2015)

Bazzer said:


> Extract from the facebook link
> _".......He needs to "press 23 buttons" on the range of gadgets he is carrying before he even sets off each day!!! #GoMiles #UCMA #HAMR"_
> What on earth has he he got on his bike?



This, for his rocket boosters:


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## ianrauk (13 Apr 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 102:* Yet another solid 211 miles from Kurt around Little Rock, AR. After Miles' very impressive 274 mile debut, his second day is already looking familiar as he rides back and forth between Melbourne and Sorrento along the coastal road clocking up a further 203 miles. Steve is forced to wait for a few days more before his trike arrives.


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## ianrauk (14 Apr 2015)

From Jo at the other place

*Day 103:* Wet weather and an early crash cuts Kurt's ride a little shorter than usual at 144 miles. Miles continues his back and forth along the coast from Melbourne but so far has only posted his first 115 miles. Steve still stuck at home awaiting his trike delivery.


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## mcshroom (14 Apr 2015)

The road he's riding is a good surface, and home to some very large chain gangs apparently, so I would guess he'll spend a lot of time bouncing backwards and forwards along that route. He'll have to get bored of it eventually (you'd think)


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## ianrauk (15 Apr 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 104:* Kurt celebrates his 52nd birthday with some road rash from yesterday's spill on slippery roads and a slightly shorter day of 177 miles. Miles Smith continues his back and forth along the Victoria coast with 132 miles posted but more in the bag. More waiting for Steve.


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## mcshroom (15 Apr 2015)

The trike has landed


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## summerdays (15 Apr 2015)

Any information to go with the photo, though the photo is good!


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## mcshroom (15 Apr 2015)

Sorry. It's on Facebook but I've only got a 2G signal here so someone else will have to link to it.

The trike was delivered today and now needs reflectives adding then Steve will be ready to roll


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## Pale Rider (15 Apr 2015)

mcshroom said:


> Sorry. It's on Facebook but I've only got a 2G signal here so someone else will have to link to it.



https://www.facebook.com/stevenabraham2015


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## ianrauk (16 Apr 2015)

He's back up and running...well cycling.... well recumberating...


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## summerdays (16 Apr 2015)

Will he be able to escape at some point? There will be no grass left if he keeps going all week in there (well where I think he is having looked on google) I thought Milton Keynes boasted of having those cycle paths that nobody uses, though I've no idea quite how bad they are.

But absolutely brilliant that he's moving again!


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## CopperCyclist (16 Apr 2015)

The path round the lake just south on that picture looks tempting!


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## summerdays (16 Apr 2015)

[QUOTE 3647173, member: 9609"]According to the tracker he has done his first 8 miles (in 1½ hrs) but it is still a start - I wonder how many of will keep in front of his one leg cycling distance? So there's a challenge, can you do more miles than steve over the next month...[/QUOTE]
There will be some that he will beat just today  I only did 7 miles yesterday! And I couldn't imagine being able to do that distance with one leg pedalling!


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## deptfordmarmoset (16 Apr 2015)

Never having ridden a recumbent, fixed wheel bike or cycled any distance one-legged, I was wondering whether a fixed wheel contraption would help with the lifting part of the pedal stroke. I was thinking that for a long distance one-legged ride there would be a lot of strain around the groin area and the ''carry through'' of a FW might possibly help relax this area.


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## mcshroom (16 Apr 2015)

I think having the gears available is probably of more use to Steve than the help over the dead spot of fixed. Steve's plan is, I believe, to ride round the bowl all day, so the tracker is going to be very confused as it doesn't like lots of turns. I expect a significant under-read by the end of the day.

Great to see him back on the move!


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## deptfordmarmoset (16 Apr 2015)

mcshroom said:


> I think having the gears available is probably of more use to Steve than the help over the dead spot of fixed. Steve's plan is, I believe, to ride round the bowl all day, so the tracker is going to be very confused as it doesn't like lots of turns. I expect a significant under-read by the end of the day.
> 
> Great to see him back on the move!


Thanks. My inexperience made it impossible to tell whether it would help but I was curious.


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## Aperitif (16 Apr 2015)

This is pure, Corinthian spirit, and well done all those who have been nursing and nurturing this continuation. In theory it means that any food can 'come to Steve' (cue a nearby hotel providing etc and attendant publicity) as well as celebrities local and national, sports programmes, news and suchlike. With the fine weather, there will soon be an encampment...a festival to rival Glastonbury "Abrahamsbury"...not so much rock, but a whole lot of roll.

...............................................GOOO Steve!


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## Mugshot (16 Apr 2015)

Little bit of info from Miles' crew chief;

_A few of your questions answered thanks to Mile's "Crew Chief" Phil Billette: 

"Mentally Miles is coping well, the only signs of stress are from his fear of gadgets failing to work. 

While today’s contenders probably have a great advantage over Tommy Godwin and previous record holders, at least the original riders never had to worry about Garmins, Spot Trackers, Mobile phones and Heart rate monitors and the like failing to work. Once we are confident that all data is saved and uploaded efficiently I am sure his stress levels will drop.

Mechanically his bike is fine, with just on loose bolt to date. At present he is riding David( the grey bike), Emily (the white bike) with the 82 tooth front chain drive is waiting in the wings at Abbotsford Cyclist!!!

Miles is scheduled to have regular medical checks including a monthly blood test and his heart rate recordings are included with all data to UMCA in America on a daily basis. Mile’s diet would never gain approval from the AIS but it appears to work for him, however he does have one thing in common with the great Irene Plowman in that he consumes copious amounts on plain milk and honey, however he refuses to add a raw egg which was Irene’s favourite drink while breaking the Sydney-Melbourne record in 1937.

We are eager to have Miles finishing his day’s ride at the Melbourne end of the course, however last night was spent at Safety Beach a long way from home!!
Earlier this week Miles stopped to help a fellow cyclist repair his bike on Beach Rd, while ever he continues to be his normal generous self we trust the Gods will be kind to him." ‪#‎GoMiles‬ ‪#‎UCMA‬ ‪#‎HAMR‬_


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## 4F (16 Apr 2015)

Ride just posted on Strava by Steve 

54.7mi
Distance

5:44:53
Moving Time

3,091ft
Elevation
https://www.strava.com/activities/286508009


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## Supersuperleeds (16 Apr 2015)

4F said:


> Ride just posted on Strava by Steve
> 
> 54.7mi
> Distance
> ...


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## Aperitif (16 Apr 2015)

A picturesque elevation graph! Well done the Milton Keynes Mile Masher. Astounding effort.


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## MisterStan (16 Apr 2015)

Strava has given Steve a suffer score of 78. Given he's just cycled 50 odd miles with one leg, i'd say they need to revisit this.


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## Mugshot (16 Apr 2015)

Kurt has food poisoning according to Facebook, can't post the link but it sounds pretty bad. No mileage today according to the tracker.
He actually posted asking if there's somebody that could hook him up to an IV to save him having to go to hospital.


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## Mugshot (16 Apr 2015)

[QUOTE 3648028, member: 9609"]I wondered why he wasn't out the day - he is the facebook link and I see Steve has sent him a get well soon message ...
Kurt has been complaining quite a bit this past week about low energy levels and struggling to get motivated, I wonder if it is all connected.[/QUOTE]
Could well be, he did say it could be flu, so it may be a case that he's really run down.


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## ianrauk (16 Apr 2015)

Doesn't sound good for Kurt. Poor fella.


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## DanZac (16 Apr 2015)

Amazing to see Steve back on the move. His mental and physical strength continue to amaze and inspire me.
Hope kurt makes a swift recovery, be good to see all contenders back on the road again.


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## Mugshot (17 Apr 2015)

*Tarzan Rides the HAM'R Kurt Searvogel*
6 hrs ·
Being treated for viral and parasitic infection - 2 bags of IV solution. Slept most of the day - but needed to spin my legs - will see what we can do tomorrow.




Day 97 - Little Rock Cycling - Just need to spin my legs
Distance 1.11 mi | Time 6:21.8 | Speed 10.5 mph | Elev Gain 112 ft
connect.garmin.com


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## summerdays (17 Apr 2015)

Yuk that doesn't sound very nice..... So Steve manages to do more miles than Kurt on his first day back through a dint of bad luck for Kurt!


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## tommaguzzi (17 Apr 2015)

Does anyone know if the moped rider who rammed Steve is being prosecuted ?
It must at least be driving without due care and attention.


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## Mugshot (17 Apr 2015)

summerdays said:


> Yuk that doesn't sound very nice..... So Steve manages to do more miles than Kurt on his first day back through a dint of bad luck for Kurt!


It's all quite phenomenal isn't it, Kurt sounds like he's really really ill and still goes out and does a mile, I wouldn't have got out a bed never mind gone and swung a leg over the bike, and Steve does a one legged 55 miles, having tried to continue a week or so ago immediately after the collision despite having a broken ankle. Remarkable people.


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## Soltydog (17 Apr 2015)

Mugshot said:


> It's all quite phenomenal isn't it, Kurt sounds like he's really really ill and still goes out and does a mile, I wouldn't have got out a bed never mind gone and swung a leg over the bike, and Steve does a one legged 55 miles, having tried to continue a week or so ago immediately after the collision despite having a broken ankle. Remarkable people.


I find these guys very inspirational & kind of motivated me to ride every day this year, no excuses due to weather, but I reckon I'd draw the line at riding 1 legged due to an injury


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## Mugshot (17 Apr 2015)

Last years Paris - Roubaix was won by Niki Terpstra and he posted his winning ride on Strava, he has received to date 8072 kudos and his ride has had 543 comments. To the best of my knowledge this is the most kudos that any ride has got on Strava.
Yesterday Steve Abraham rode 55 miles one legged, he has so far received 3231 kudos and 315 comments. It may not be as many as the chap that won the Paris - Roubaix (yet) but the support that Steve has is quite amazing.


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## jay clock (17 Apr 2015)

I dont full understand what record he will hold. On the assumption that he does less than Tommy's record, he will be the HAMR holder under their rules for a few days possibly until Tarzan finishes.... Or have I misunderstood


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## Pale Rider (17 Apr 2015)

jay clock said:


> I dont full understand what record he will hold. On the assumption that he does less than Tommy's record, he will be the HAMR holder under their rules for a few days possibly until Tarzan finishes.... Or have I misunderstood



I believe Steve is on course for, or may already have, an age group record which can only be of interest to the tiny audax community.

He is now several thousand miles behind Kurt in the chase for Tommy's record.

That lead can only increase as Steve is faced with possibly weeks of relatively low mileage days.

Unless Kurt suffers a misfortune, it looks like he will beat Tommy and hold that record when he (Kurt) finishes in January.

Matters are complicated by the possibility of Steve starting another attempt in June, when he will be riding 200 mile+ days again.

That attempt would finish 365 days later, so June, 2016.

Oh, and another bloke called Miles has just started his attempt which looks like it might be credible.

He is due to finish in April, 2016.

The various attempts and finish dates are bad news for general interest and publicity.

Non-cyclists - and the non-cycling media - who were taking an interest will likely lose the will to follow it all.


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## Ian H (17 Apr 2015)

tommaguzzi said:


> Does anyone know if the moped rider who rammed Steve is being prosecuted ?
> It must at least be driving without due care and attention.


The policeman said he was on police bail having failed a breathaliser test. Awaiting results of a blood test which could take up to 6 weeks.


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## jay clock (17 Apr 2015)

If Steve restarts again properly I might get interested, but as impressed as i am with his commitment to the cause, I can no longer get too excited. Feel sorry for him though.


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## Pale Rider (17 Apr 2015)

Ian H said:


> The policeman said he was on police bail having failed a breathaliser test. Awaiting results of a blood test which could take up to 6 weeks.



That may indicate he was borderline over the limit, which would fit if it was a morning after job.



User said:


> Not that any outcome can repair the damage done.



True, although Steve should be invited to make a victim personal statement detailing the impact it has had on him.

In the event of a successful prosecution, the sentencing tribunal is obliged to take the statement into account.

I remain to be convinced the statements have much impact on sentencing levels in most cases.


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## 4F (17 Apr 2015)

I see today's ride by Steve logged at 81.5 miles....... he is a machine......


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## Mugshot (17 Apr 2015)

There's a video of Steve on Facebook going round the track, but I cannot get it to embed for love nor money


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## Dayvo (17 Apr 2015)

User said:


> Not that any outcome can repair the damage done.



No, but if someone could pull out the nobber's finger and toe nails with a pair of pliers, it won't half cheer Steve's fans up.


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## mcshroom (17 Apr 2015)

Sorry but that wouldn't cheer me up. I'd like them removed from their scooter for a while if found guilty though.


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## Dayvo (17 Apr 2015)

mcshroom said:


> Sorry but that wouldn't cheer me up. I'd like them removed from their scooter for a while if found guilty though.



OK, we'll settle for that for starters.


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## CopperCyclist (17 Apr 2015)

Ian H said:


> The policeman said he was on police bail having failed a breathaliser test. Awaiting results of a blood test which could take up to 6 weeks.



It does. 

I've also never, ever had a blood test come back as "under" yet when sent off - even for a breath test that, had they blown 1 microgramme less, they would have walked out of the station with no further action. 

Anticipate a drink driving charge further down the line I think.


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## Ian H (17 Apr 2015)

Pale Rider said:


> That may indicate he was borderline over the limit, which would fit if it was a morning after job.


That's what the copper said.


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## deptfordmarmoset (17 Apr 2015)

I only hope the mopedist has realised what he's done.


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## Ian H (17 Apr 2015)

I was given to understand the light of understanding was rather dim.


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## Aperitif (18 Apr 2015)

Mugshot said:


> There's a video of Steve on Facebook going round the track, but I cannot get it to embed for love nor money


https://www.facebook.com/stevenabraham2015/videos/1572375333011097/

There are a few comments about the 'crutch carriers' etc...I'm guessing this is tongue-in-cleat stuff for the all-consuming spectatorship. What a journey he's on, and Kurt is ailing in Winnebagoland. Only in the UK are parasites standing for election - over there they are burrowing in it seems. GWS both of them. The other chap attempting a record mileage, Miles Smith, in Australia, is rolling steadily back and forth, back and forth, fifth, third, forth, third...et seq, just waiting for the opportunity to deploy his 80 - odd tooth chainring.


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## Saluki (18 Apr 2015)

deptfordmarmoset said:


> I only hope the mopedist has realised what he's done.


The mopedist doesn't give a rat's arse, I shouldn't think. It was 'only a cyclist' after all. Even if the full circumstances of Steve's ride was explained to him slowly and in monosyllabic words, I doubt he's over fussed. If he was driving to work over the limit, I should think that he's more worried about being late in or losing his job.


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## Dave Davenport (18 Apr 2015)

Saluki said:


> The mopedist doesn't give a rat's arse


Do we know that (did I miss something)? Is it possible he's fully aware of the consequences of his actions and feels really, really bad about it?


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## ianrauk (18 Apr 2015)

Dave Davenport said:


> Do we know that (did I miss something)? Is it possible he's fully aware of the consequences of his actions and feels really, really bad about it?




I very much doubt it


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## Saluki (18 Apr 2015)

Dave Davenport said:


> Do we know that (did I miss something)? Is it possible he's fully aware of the consequences of his actions and feels really, really bad about it?


I suppose that he might but, in my heart of hearts, I don't believe it.


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## Aperitif (19 Apr 2015)

Plenty of pics and film of Steve on the yacf forum pages, and news of Kurt doing a 'recovery' ride of 101 miles. Optimisim is returning to the challenge, with the 'medicinal' effects of the trike to the fore. Wonderful the effects of Ice on a damaged joint. Keynestucky Fried Chicken gets a mention too.
Go Steve.


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## Arrowfoot (19 Apr 2015)

Pale Rider said:


> That may indicate he was borderline over the limit, which would fit if it was a morning after job.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Its primarly a closure opportunity for the victim. I too have doubts abouts its impact on sentencing.


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## Aperitif (19 Apr 2015)

Arrowfoot said:


> Its primarly a closure opportunity for the victim. I too have doubts abouts its impact on sentencing.


Oh bollocks. Steve had an 'arrowing foot injury. He had Primar(l)y Health Care, then a closure, which has now been replaced. He definitely had an impact at the time and was a bit lost for words, no doubt - which might have caused a delay in 'sentencing'. Pop over to yacf - Steve's 'natural forum home' and see what change you get from starting a discussion about victim sentencing, as they know much more than the plebiscite posting here...


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## Arrowfoot (19 Apr 2015)

Aperitif said:


> Oh bollocks. Steve had an 'arrowing foot injury. He had Primar(l)y Helath Care, then a closure, which has now been replaced. He definitely had an impact at the time and was a bit lost for words, no doubt - which might have caused a delay in 'sentencing'. Pop over to yacf - Steve's 'natural forum home' and see what change you get from starting a discussion about victim sentencing, as they know much more than the plebiscite posting here...



This applies to cases in general. Nothing specific about. Steve. If ever there is any influence it be be over violent crime cases where the trauma suffered especially the mental situation plays a part. Steve best bet is take a civil suit and roast the guy for all he has got. The fact that Steve was leading and his consistent performance carries a lot of weight and this goes into the loss of potential endorsement. Save all the effort and time for the civil suit. Thats where you get the returns.


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## Aperitif (19 Apr 2015)

Arrowfoot said:


> This applies to cases in general. Nothing specific about. Steve. If ever there is any influence it be be over violent crime cases where the trauma suffered especially the mental situation plays a part. Steve best bet is take a civil suit and roast the guy for all he has got. The fact that Steve was leading and his consistent performance carries a lot of weight and this goes into the loss of potential endorsement. Save all the effort and time for the civil suit. Thats where you get the returns.


Steve is wearing his OYTT shirt for the duration - there'll be no chance of him having a civil suit. He'd look a dork cycling around the MK Bowl with it on anyway. A year's freedom pass to the KFC huts nationwide would not go amiss though...can you help?


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## Aperitif (20 Apr 2015)

90-odd miles for Steve...one-legged today. I would say 'chapeau' but maybe 'chaussure' is way to go!
He just keeps bowling along...


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## Aperitif (20 Apr 2015)

And a bit extra for being 'banged up' in Milton Keynes?


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## Arrowfoot (20 Apr 2015)

Aperitif said:


> Steve is wearing his OYTT shirt for the duration - there'll be no chance of him having a civil suit. He'd look a dork cycling around the MK Bowl with it on anyway. A year's freedom pass to the KFC huts nationwide would not go amiss though...can you help?




I m curious why he is not pursuing a civil suit. He should as the loss to Steve is immense.


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## Aperitif (20 Apr 2015)

Arrowfoot said:


> I m curious why he is not pursuing a civil suit. He should as the loss to Steve is immense.


Ask here - there are a lot of knowledgeable people with their fingers on the pulse of Steve's affairs. You will find your truth, or a point of view about it.


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## Ian H (20 Apr 2015)

Arrowfoot said:


> I m curious why he is not pursuing a civil suit. He should as the loss to Steve is immense.


Legal advice is being sought. However, if the person against whom you're claiming has few assets, you're probably on a hiding to nothing.


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## Beebo (20 Apr 2015)

Ian H said:


> Legal advice is being sought. However, if the person against whom you're claiming has few assets, you're probably on a hiding to nothing.


There is the Motor Insurance Bureau, which deals with claims against unisured drivers. They should be able to help.
http://www.mib.org.uk/Home/en/default.htm


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## Arrowfoot (20 Apr 2015)

Ian H said:


> Legal advice is being sought. However, if the person against whom you're claiming has few assets, you're probably on a hiding to nothing.



Got it, thanks.


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## ianrauk (20 Apr 2015)

From Jo over at the other place
*Day 105:* Kurt's birthday ride clocks up a very respectable 212 miles doing loops around Little Rock. Matched by Miles's tour de Mornington who fits in 217 miles between sleeps. Rumour has it that Steve's new trike will be ready shortly.


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## ianrauk (20 Apr 2015)

*Day 106:* After an agonising wait, Steve makes his first one-legged recorded ride on his new trike with 80 laps of the Milton Keynes bowl. The scale of the challenge means that even with 50 remarkable miles, he still slips a long way behind Tommy's pace. Disaster for Kurt as he picks up serious digestive problems from a contaminated water bottle. Rest and a saline drip, but he still manages a tentative mile to keep a daily contribution to the challenge.


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## ianrauk (20 Apr 2015)

*Day 107:* Kurt recovers slowly from his tummy bug with plenty of sleep, a fever, but still 13 miles on the bike for a bit of variety. Steve's left leg takes him to the bowl again for 82 anticlockwise miles. Miles continues his back and forth across the bay with two working legs and a functioning digestive system.


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## ianrauk (20 Apr 2015)

*Day 108:* A day after being laid low by his stomach bug, Kurt is back up to 101 miles of "recovery" riding. Steve pedals another 83 miles with his heroic left leg. The full year view shows the impact of both their circumstances.


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## ianrauk (20 Apr 2015)

*Day 109:* Kurt is back already to 202 miles in a day despite still recuperating from the last few days' illness. Steve wanders the roads of Milton Keynes to avoid going stir crazy in the MK bowl. Miles heads north from Melbourne for an impressive 236 miles.


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## DanZac (20 Apr 2015)

Miles looks like a serious contender here, putting in some big miles from the start. Good to see Kurt back in the saddle, but you can't beat Steve for effort, determination and never give up attitude.
Thanks for the update @ianrauk nice to see them back, hope all contenders stay fit and we can continue to marvel on a daily basis.


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## ianrauk (21 Apr 2015)

*Day 110:* Kurt hits the 20,000 milestone as he cycles SE to the Mississippi border. Steve is back in the bowl for 90 miles of round 'n' round. A transfer back to Melbourne for Miles leaves him with a shorter day riding north and south between Melbourne and Wandong.


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## Aperitif (21 Apr 2015)

I had a wistful thought this evening, riding out of town in the warm evening sun...Steve would be feeling very good in these sort of temperatures - ideal for long day riding. Think of the punishment he took, setting off at 04:00 with -5C or so on offer, from the 1st day of 2015.
Then I thought of Kurt, and his early January sun block. Obviously, sunny weather can make you trash-a-bike or two...but, for that moment, I felt for Steve. I guesstimated he would be tickling about 25,000 miles by now, had he had the temperatures, the days... Not the death knell - he's going to do it for sure, but...
||
G*O*oo Steve!


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## BigAl68 (21 Apr 2015)

Well said @Aperitif


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## Aperitif (21 Apr 2015)

Thank you. I bet we all think it - despite our seeming helplessness.


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## MisterStan (21 Apr 2015)

He's done 90 miles today. With one leg. And the other leg's in a cast.

Chapeau!


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## Aperitif (22 Apr 2015)

Not from Jo at the other place...


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## ianrauk (22 Apr 2015)

Brilliant 'teef... 

This is from Jo over at the other place

*Day 111:* Still recovering after his illness, Kurt heads south along the Natchez Trace down to Louisiana for 150 miles. Steve rides to the bowl via a circular route before many more circles for 90 miles. Miles is back doing the tour de bay from Melbourne.


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## Aperitif (22 Apr 2015)

Ironox still suffering with the Ironpox then? He's toast! Well, muesli...but if he's going to ramp it up () in the next few months then he'll need some of these for sure:


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## summerdays (22 Apr 2015)

Aperitif said:


> Not from Jo at the other place...


That made me laugh


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## ianrauk (23 Apr 2015)

From Jo over at the other place
*Day 112:* Kurt is back on form with 205 miles heading east to the Mississippi gulf coast. Steve's left leg takes him around MK for some more bowl action for 72 miles. Miles continues to get familiar with the bay road.


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## ianrauk (24 Apr 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 113:* Steve continues to build up his left leg around the Milton Keynes Bowl with a 91 mile day. Miles follows his familiar route along the Port Phillip Bay with little sleep in 24 hours. Kurt also rides loops, this time for 222 miles in southern Mississippi.


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## ianrauk (26 Apr 2015)

From Jo over at the other place
*Day 114:* Miles and Kurt both put in long days with 228 and 225 miles respectively. Steve foregoes the bowl for a change, instead riding the roads of MK for 71 miles.


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## ianrauk (26 Apr 2015)

*Day 115:* Kurt, chased by bad weather, heads to northern Mississippi for another 220 mile day. Steve avoids the Bowl and rides 64 miles of the roads around MK. Nothing uploaded for Miles yet, but the SPOT tracker suggests he headed north out of Melbourne.


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## ianrauk (27 Apr 2015)

From Jo over at the other place
*Day 116:* Kurt rides the Natchez Trace again making this the fourth consecutive day of around 220 miles. Steve has rides a shorter than usual 27 miles. He's now over 6,000 miles down on Tommy's WR pace, making a 2015 record unlikely. Nothing yet posted from Miles for the last two days.


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## Aperitif (27 Apr 2015)

Apparently, Steve is now without cast, and has cycling shoes on both feet. 'Ere long, he'll be going Shi mano a mano with Kurt and the Kangaroo Kid...full speed ahead!

Sh*o*ooe Steve!


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## summerdays (27 Apr 2015)

Can it be engineered that he doesn't need to work that side as hard? I saw something at the Bespoked show that enabled cyclists to have a different crank to help them. I imagine that is going to be the hard bit at first.


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## ianrauk (27 Apr 2015)

From Steve's Facebook page.

Notice... no leg cast.


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## Supersuperleeds (27 Apr 2015)

He did just shy of 112 miles today around the bowl.


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## swansonj (27 Apr 2015)

So he's 6000 miles down. But didn't his schedule project beating the record by 10000? So IF he were able to resume on his previous schedule for this point in the year, could he afford to lose another few thousand miles - say another month, if necessary, of 100 mile "only" days?


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## Aperitif (28 Apr 2015)

swansonj said:


> So he's 6000 miles down. But didn't his schedule project beating the record by 10000? So IF he were able to resume on his previous schedule for this point in the year, could he afford to lose another few thousand miles - say another month, if necessary, of 100 mile "only" days?



"_I reckon that if I am 6000 miles down when I get back on the Raleigh and can get back onto the 82000 mile schedule I should just do it. I started this in January with 2 months of no cycling and went straight onto the 87000 mile schedule. I am not beaten yet_". Steve/Jo

"Worth pointing out that while Steve is indeed 6000 miles down on WR pace, Tommy Godwin was 4000 miles down on Tommy Godwin's WR pace at this point." Sore Tween

The above couple of quotes from yacf, posted yesterday, offer a renewal of the milestorm that could be building across the UK.
G*o*oo Steve.


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## velovoice (28 Apr 2015)

The important thing is that his ankle is healing and he's going very well for what he's allowed to do at this stage in his recovery. 

GO STEVE!


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## BigAl68 (28 Apr 2015)

You just can't keep a good man down. Go Steeeeeeveee!!!


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## ianrauk (28 Apr 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 117:* Kurt heads back to Little Rock for a 209 mile day. Steve, now without his plaster cast, flexes his right leg on the trike around the Bowl for 112 miles. Miles after travelling north is back to riding the bay. No log was uploaded for the 26th April means he has a little catching up to do to maintain his official pace close to Tommy's WR.


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## Aperitif (28 Apr 2015)

I was prompted to think of Miles Smith, the Australia based challenger for HAMR and his shuttle riding along the coastline, when I read of this chap who covers a fair distance - although not on a bike. Weather and insects might well play their part in luxurious climes...there are some big lands over yonder...


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## Aperitif (29 Apr 2015)

Dearth of activity on here today - suffice to say that Steve did 100 miles 'recovery and recuperation' while we wondered. I got puffed out blasting 15 miles into the wind on my way out of town tonight, and, as far as I know, nothing in my body is broken. (Excludes heart, spirit, constitution etc  ) He's got some resolve that man.

G*o*oo Steve.


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## Mugshot (30 Apr 2015)

There was a video posted on Facebook of Steve whizzing round the bowl, getting out of the trike, getting in the trike and eating his lunch. I did try to post it but I don't know if it's me, Facebook or the forum but I can't seem to embed anything


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## Aperitif (30 Apr 2015)

Here's Steve's page and the video is at the top, with Idai and Rich as company (two of Steve's support team I think)
https://www.facebook.com/stevenabraham2015

B*o*oowl Steve!


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## Aperitif (30 Apr 2015)

An adequate sunny morning in London, and it's still my wish for a bit warmer! Looking back at Steve's FB photos, it's easy to have forgotten the true cold of Winter and the Challenge...brrrr!




All credit to photographer on Steve Abraham / FB


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## ianrauk (30 Apr 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 118:* Miles continues his excursions up and down the bay for 200 miles. Kurt heads south from Little Rock to Louisiana for 197 miles. Steve, with an impressive dedication rides around the bowl for 101 miles.


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## ianrauk (30 Apr 2015)

*Day 119:* Business as usual for all riders in the OYTT. 100 miles of MK Bowl, Port Phillip Bay and 220 miles of Louisiana to the Natchez Trace.


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## ianrauk (1 May 2015)

*Day 120:* Four months into the OYTT.


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## fatblokish (1 May 2015)

Perhaps it has been answered already, but for Tommy's graph why does the area under the horizontal black line not equal the area above it?


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## MartinQ (1 May 2015)

fatblokish said:


> Perhaps it has been answered already, but for Tommy's graph why does the area under the horizontal black line not equal the area above it?



The horizontal is the overall daily average (total) and riders lines are their current averages (total). You're comparing totals (averages) not daily values. 

Simple example, assuming you start very slowly and ramp up your daily mileage constantly over the whole year until you achieve Tommy's daily average at the end of the year, you'd always be under the horizontal axis but would achieve the same result at the end. If you plotted the daily values, you'd see the zero - sum pattern you're expecting as the daily mileage would be less to begin, but higher at the end.


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## fatblokish (1 May 2015)

A clear, simple and concise answer. And one that makes perfect sense too! You're not a maffs teacher r u?

ta


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## MartinQ (1 May 2015)

rumbled ...


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## ianrauk (3 May 2015)

*Day 121:* 229 miles of Mississippi coastal loops on the 'bent for Kurt bring him close to Miles's pace. Steve continues to ride the Bowl, this time for his longest one legged day so far of 114 miles.


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## ianrauk (3 May 2015)

*Day 122:* Kurt rides 208 miles back to Natchez. Steve does the Bowl again, this time for 101 miles. Miles takes the train north to Albury and begins the ride back to Melbourne.


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## ianrauk (3 May 2015)

Jo from the other place has written a *BLOG *on his design principles of his fantastic graphs.


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## Mugshot (4 May 2015)

Sounds like Kurt is having a rough time of it at the moment, he's said he has an abscess, or similar, the size of a baseball below his right cheek. As a result he'd switched to the bent and got saddle sores in new places along with back ache now.


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## summerdays (4 May 2015)

Ouch


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## ianrauk (5 May 2015)

From Jo at the other place

*Day 124:* Kurt's has a slightly shorter day of 158 miles heading back towards Little Rock while Steve rides his longest post-crash day yet of 117 miles round the Bowl. Miles continue up and down the bay.


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## Mugshot (6 May 2015)

_Steve Abraham
A number of you have asked if Steve is using both legs yet. Well here is a short video I shot today. Excuse the wind noise it has been a little breezy. What do you think? Speaking with Steve today there is even more exciting news. We're not sure if it will happen yet, but if it does, you may be a little amazed. Watch this space. (Phil Whitehurst)_

From Steves Facebook. Not sure what the big annoucement will be, perhaps the UMCA are going to let him use a motorbike for a few weeks to make the mileage back up? 
I can't post the video I'm afraid, nor have I been able to post any of Kurts for a while now as the forum doesn't seem to want me to anymore, I feel a trip to Site Support coming on.


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## Saluki (6 May 2015)

Exciting news? Unicycle perhaps?


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## Supersuperleeds (6 May 2015)

After starting off so well, Miles seems to be tailing off.


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## nickyboy (6 May 2015)

Supersuperleeds said:


> After starting off so well, Miles seems to be tailing off.



I did express some concern at the time that his average heart rate was much higher than Steve's or Kurt's. I presume those two have concluded after many years of endurance cycling that you have to carefully manage the effort so I was very surprised to see Mile's "effort" numbers being so much higher


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## Aperitif (6 May 2015)

Supersuperleeds said:


> After starting off so well, Miles seems to be tailing off.


The wonders of visualisation. Jo's blog, as linked to by Ian yesterday () is lovely stuff to browse through. Some 'geeks' just don't know when to stop eh?  (As in 'Hip Hop, don't stop' etc...)


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## ianrauk (7 May 2015)

*Day 125:* Another 220+ mile day for Kurt, this time back home in Little Rock. This edges him a little further ahead of Miles's 160 miles. Steve does 96 miles of revolutions around the MK Bowl as he continues to build back the strength in his broken ankle.


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## ianrauk (7 May 2015)

*Day 126: *Another long day for Kurt around Little Rock, this time for 234 miles. Miles rides from Warrnambool to Melbourne for 184 miles continuing his recent trend in daily distance. Steve rides the bowl for 110 miles keeping his challenge alive.


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## MisterStan (7 May 2015)

Steve has just posted a ride on strava; about 30 miles. On his Raleigh! Back on two wheels!


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## MisterStan (7 May 2015)

I guess today was a test, I'd think he will continue with the trike for a while, but add in some time on the upright.


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## summerdays (8 May 2015)

[QUOTE 3683799, member: 9609"]from the tracker - Steve's on the roads heading east, 24 mile averaging 14½mph - so I guess he is back on the bike. Lets hope his ankle holds up.[/QUOTE]
Maybe he will start on the bike when his leg is fresh in the morning and then change back later on to the trike to rest it as well (if cycling loads of miles can be classed as resting it!)


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## ianrauk (9 May 2015)

From Jo over at the other place
*Day 127:* Steve fits in a hospital visit between two trips round the bowl for 84 miles of riding. Kurt piles on 226 miles in Little Rock. Miles heads east to Stratford for a 160 mile day.


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## ianrauk (9 May 2015)

From Jo over at the other place
*Day 128:* Stave makes his first trike trip away from home since the crash, heading east for 115 miles in preparation for Saturday's 400km audax. Kurt has one of his longer days clocking up an impressive 242 miles on the roads of Little Rock. Miles makes another trip east to Stratford before heading out along the bay.


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## Mugshot (9 May 2015)

I think I need to check my monitor settings, I'm not sure my green is working properly as I can't see Williams line on the last few graphs that Ian has posted.


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## ianrauk (9 May 2015)

Mugshot said:


> I think I need to check my monitor settings, I'm not sure my green is working properly as I can't see Williams line on the last few graphs that Ian has posted.




That's because his mileage is so minuscule that it doesn't even register on the graph.
The bottom figure shows 7000 miles behind the WR pace. Williams is below that.


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## mcshroom (9 May 2015)

400km audax today, with a broken foot!


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## Supersuperleeds (9 May 2015)

mcshroom said:


> 400km audax today, with a broken foot!



Hope it all goes well for him ( and anyone else doing it)


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## Saluki (9 May 2015)

mcshroom said:


> 400km audax today, with a broken foot!


Blimey! Good luck to Steve and anyone else doing the Audax.


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## Supersuperleeds (9 May 2015)

Per the tracker he is at 115 miles so far.


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## 13 rider (9 May 2015)

Is Steve on two wheels or three . has he had the cast removed


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## Supersuperleeds (9 May 2015)

13 rider said:


> Is Steve on two wheels or three . has he had the cast removed



Two wheels, yes the cast is off.


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## mcshroom (9 May 2015)

Three wheels today. This was at 50k: -


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## Supersuperleeds (9 May 2015)

[QUOTE 3686431, member: 9609"]he has done some miles on two wheels, but apparently yesterday his 115 was on the trike, do you know for certain he is on two wheels day?



I think he has given up - even I have done more miles than him since the begining of March
jan 930, feb, 857, mar 272, apr 61 and the first few days of may 18miles.

this page shows an interesting progress chart, kurt is just keeping in front of the record
http://ultracycling.com/sections/records/data/hamr/byday.html

apparently Kurt is now not going to do the race-across-america, and instead is heading north in june up to wisconsin, presumably cooler conditions and more daylight - Wisconsin looks like another county void of any hills - kurt doesn't seem to do hills[/QUOTE]

Re two wheels, no I'm not certain, I was going by earlier posts and his average speed was back to his two wheeled speed.


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## mcshroom (9 May 2015)

See above - he's on the trike today


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## mcshroom (9 May 2015)

Another shot 140km in. He seems to be riding with Idai and the Eliptigo crew


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## mcshroom (9 May 2015)

You get 27 hours total for a BCM 400, so he'll be riding through the night.

The elliptigos are a bit like the leg section of an elliptical trainer at the gym. I rode with one on Monday on a 200km audax for a while, and the owner was able to keep a 25km/h average quite happily. They have a chainwheel behind the 'pedals', with a short chain to a hub geared rear wheel.

edited - that typo made him seem a bit fast! Now corrected


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## ianrauk (9 May 2015)

*EgoManiac Idai*
1 hr · 


218km covered in 11.5 hrs. 195km now remaining. I had serious stomach issues between 5pm and 7pm but have slowly recovered over the last 90 minutes. Steven Abraham just arrived here in Wells-next-Sea, control checkpoint #4.


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## Rickshaw Phil (9 May 2015)

Don't know if Mr Abraham ever frequents Cyclechat but I'd kind of like him to know that the knowledge he was out doing way more mileage than me while still recovering from a broken ankle is what got me through the tough bits of my century today.

Go Steve!!!


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## DanZac (9 May 2015)

Another amazing days riding from Steve and everyone else whos been out there in the wind. Stay safe all those pushing through the night. (Although to be honest there probably safe at night once all the idiots have gone to bed).

GO STEVE !!


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## summerdays (10 May 2015)

Rickshaw Phil said:


> Don't know if Mr Abraham ever frequents Cyclechat but I'd kind of like him to know that the knowledge he was out doing way more mileage than me while still recovering from a broken ankle is what got me through the tough bits of my century today.
> 
> Go Steve!!!


Even if he doesn't visit I hope he knows he's got support on another forum!


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## ianrauk (10 May 2015)

summerdays said:


> Even if he doesn't visit I hope he knows he's got support on another forum!




He does.


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## ianrauk (11 May 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 129:* Steve completes the first half of the 400km Asparagus and Strawberries audax through Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk to give him 186 miles on the trike for the day (and first half of the night). Kurt continues on familiar roads near Little Rock for 216 while Miles does the bay for a day.


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## ianrauk (11 May 2015)

*Day 130:* A long day in Little Rock for Kurt at 251 miles. Steve completes his 400k Audax then rides back home from Manningtree giving him 206 miles for the day. Miles rides east to Sale before doing some more bay for a total of 158 miles.


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## mcshroom (11 May 2015)

So Steve rode a full Godwin yesterday with 1.5 legs


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## ianrauk (11 May 2015)

And an upward trend on his red line


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## Aperitif (11 May 2015)

ianrauk said:


> And *an upward trend* on his red line


Yes - I liked the little dink that appeared there - probably everyone smiled a touch. Mind you, riding back from Manningtree is easy...hmmm.


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## ianrauk (12 May 2015)

*Day 131:* 202 miles of Little Rock riding for Kurt and 210 miles for Miles. Steve has a late start to the day with just a short 19 mile loop to the west of MK.


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## MisterStan (12 May 2015)

According to Strava, he was on the Raleigh again yesterday. The tracker has movement on it again today and he doesn't appear to be heading for the bowl....


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## MisterStan (12 May 2015)

Now heading for Marsh Gibbon!


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## ianrauk (12 May 2015)

MisterStan said:


> Now heading for Marsh Gibbon!




And why not indeed...


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## MisterStan (12 May 2015)

ianrauk said:


> And why not indeed...


The other place will be going into melt down!


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## velovoice (12 May 2015)

MisterStan said:


> The other place will be going into melt down!


Actually.... no one had mentioned it yet. So I did!


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## MisterStan (12 May 2015)

velovoice said:


> Actually.... no one had mentioned it yet. So I did!


I believe a double-Gibbon is in the offing now....


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## ianrauk (12 May 2015)

Praise be to the double Gibbon...


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## MisterStan (12 May 2015)

101 miles on the Raleigh according to Strava 

https://app.strava.com/activities/303213131


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## Supersuperleeds (12 May 2015)

Is marsh gibbon worth a visit, just looked and it is about 65 miles away, I could do a double metric.


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## ianrauk (12 May 2015)

Supersuperleeds said:


> Is marsh gibbon worth a visit, just looked and it is about 65 miles away, I could do a double metric.




Just to say you have done a Gibbon.... yes..


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## srw (12 May 2015)

Supersuperleeds said:


> Is marsh gibbon worth a visit, just looked and it is about 65 miles away, I could do a double metric.


It's a nice little rural town. Nothing hugely special, but it's an under-rated part of the country, and if you stay off the main road there's not a lot of traffic.


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## Mugshot (13 May 2015)

All the latest stats for the lads are available

HERE


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## MisterStan (13 May 2015)

He's on the move again! 

BTW In case you hadn't noticed, the tracker is set to GMT, hence it looks to be an hour out...


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## MisterStan (13 May 2015)

Still going strong! 130 miles so far and looks to be heading for home.


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## ianrauk (14 May 2015)

What an amazing effort yesterday so soon after his unfortunate incident. 6 weeks, broken ankle fixed with metal pins. Superhuman.


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## ianrauk (14 May 2015)

[QUOTE 3694075, member: 9609"]bike or trike ?[/QUOTE]


On his bike... amazing huh?


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## ianrauk (14 May 2015)

[QUOTE 3694093, member: 9609"]all a bit out of my comprehension.

Last friday I decided to give him a race - he was on 61 mile when I left home, I did 37 mile in good time, and on returning home I checked on his tracker, he was up to 104 mile - so with his 1½ legs, 5 weeks after ankle reconstruction, he still beat me my 6 mile ![/QUOTE]


The true sense of an Ironman


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## MisterStan (14 May 2015)

ianrauk said:


> On his bike... amazing huh?


TBH amazing on either trike or bike. I am really starting to feel he may just pull this off now!


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## ianrauk (14 May 2015)

Indeed, and may even go for the 100,000...


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## ianrauk (14 May 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 132:* A problem with Kurt's GPS log means he was unable to register his ride for the day. Miles rides with the wind east to Bairnsdale for 200 miles before doing some more bay. Steve, back on two wheels, rides 101 miles of Bucks roads including some Marsh Gibbon visits.


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## ianrauk (14 May 2015)

*Day 133:* Kurt, Steve and Miles continue to ride the roads from their home towns logging 233, 150 and 130 miles respectively. Looking at the year's progress it is clear how tough this record attempt is. All riders (including Tommy Godwin at this stage) have been slipping from the WR pace. The consistency required to beat it will be the main challenge for all riders in the coming months.


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## MisterStan (14 May 2015)

Currently heading East into the wind, probably to gain a nice tailwind home later on.


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## MisterStan (14 May 2015)

Currently in Royston, thankfully not this one;


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## ianrauk (15 May 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 134: *Very wet weather for Steve who, despite the rain, manages 101 miles on his Raleigh. Kurt keeps up his pace with 205 Little Rock miles. Miles follows recent patterns by riding east with the wind then returning by train for a ride along part of the bay for a 162 mile day.


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## ianrauk (16 May 2015)

Steve's ride yesterday. 113 Miles on the clock


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## ianrauk (16 May 2015)

From Jo over at the other place
*
Day 135:* A similar pattern to previous days from all three riders, Kurt: 233 Little Rock miles, Steve: 114 miles into Essex and Miles: 167 miles east out of Melbourne. Steve edges closer to the 20,000 mile mark, placing him about a month behind Kurt and two and half weeks behind Tommy (which is about the same length of time Steve was completely off the bike).


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## ianrauk (17 May 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 136:* A familiar pattern for Kurt and Miles - up and down the roads of Little Rock and Port Phillip Bay. Kurt is constantly riding further each day, so Miles will have to change his strategy if he has any chance of the record. Steve meanwhile completed the first half of the Flatlanders 600 audax helpers' ride from Essex up to Goole.


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## ianrauk (18 May 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 137: *Steve passes 20,000 miles on his north-south Flatlanders 600 trial run. Kurt repeats his Little Rock routine with a break for some heavy rain. Miles is up and down the bay a few times for 237 miles.


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## ianrauk (19 May 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 138: *Kurt is nothing if not consistent, clocking up 241 miles back and forth along the Arkansas river. Miles does the same along the bay for 230 miles. Steve rides 106 miles back home from Essex.


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## BigAl68 (19 May 2015)

So do we know if Steve is still possibly planning to reset to zero and restart the challenge at some point?


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## ianrauk (19 May 2015)

BigAl68 said:


> So do we know if Steve is still possibly planning to reset to zero and restart the challenge at some point?




Doesn't look like it no. Seem's he's still going for the record.


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## deptfordmarmoset (19 May 2015)

Can he not keep his options open? He could restart when he's on form and his ankle is almost recovered - if he has the funding for an extra couple of months - and if HAM'R are ok about it.


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## Saluki (19 May 2015)

deptfordmarmoset said:


> Can he not keep his options open? He could restart when he's on form and his ankle is almost recovered - if he has the funding for an extra couple of months - and if HAM'R are ok about it.


That is what I would do, but I struggle to ride 50 miles, so what would I know.


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## ianrauk (19 May 2015)

deptfordmarmoset said:


> Can he not keep his options open? He could restart when he's on form and his ankle is almost recovered - if he has the funding for an extra couple of months - and if HAM'R are ok about it.




I think he'll be going for the 100,000 record.


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## BigAl68 (19 May 2015)

ianrauk said:


> I think he'll be going for the 100,000 record.



That sounds very doable


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## w00hoo_kent (19 May 2015)

[QUOTE 3701930, member: 9609"]From what I have read HAM'R seem to insist on being given a start date, and I believe Steve was going to set another start date for June and then have two attempts running concurrently. Why that is the case is beyond me, if you are uploading the data every day then surely you could go on indefinitely and choose the highest 365 day running total.[/QUOTE]
I think that makes charging for it a lot harder.


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## deptfordmarmoset (19 May 2015)

[QUOTE 3701963, member: 9609"]Could charge by extending the timescale by another few months - and surely if you are on the quickest 100,000 miler challenge, then why not except the best 365 day for the HAM'R.[/QUOTE]
Why not indeed. Provided Steve's paid his bucks to cover HAM'R's costs over the period, HAM'R allows a ride to be begun on any day of the year. Choosing the best 365 does have a slight feeling of creaming it but, after all, they're still miles ridden on consecutive days. If the data are clean, then whether HAM'R accept it or not, because Steve will have done those miles in 365 days, and it matters little whether it's official for HAM'R because we'll all (on this side of the pond...) still credit Steve for the achievement.


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## MisterStan (20 May 2015)

Steve has just posted yesterday's rides (in two parts) just shy of a 'Godwin' at 205 miles. 

Go Steve!


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## MisterStan (20 May 2015)

And he's on the move again!


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## ianrauk (20 May 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 139: *As the end of May approaches and Kurt, Steve and Miles clock up 228, 205 and 140 miles respectively, we begin the most challenging period of the OYTT. The first of the previous records, starting with Billie Fleming's 1938 total of 29,604 miles beckons for Kurt. Tommy was beginning to increase his daily milage beyond his average of 206 miles per day. Something Steve will have to do too if he is to have chance beating Tommy in 2015. Days will get longer, sleep will become rarer.


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## ianrauk (20 May 2015)

And todays mileage from the Red Wanderer is 101..






*GO STEVE!!*


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## ianrauk (21 May 2015)

*Day 140: *More Arkansas river riding for Kurt (187 miles), Port Phillip Bay for Miles (196) and a couple of Gibbons for Steve (101).


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## ianrauk (22 May 2015)

From Jo over at the other place
*Day 141: *A shorter day for Kurt and a longer one for Steve give them both 151 miles towards their annual totals. Miles does 118 along the bay as he succumbs to a chest infection.


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## ianrauk (23 May 2015)

From Jo over at the other place
*Day 142: *237 miles along his familiar Arkansas river trails for Kurt. Steve rides a 161 mile route from MK to Essex in preparation for the weekend's Flatlands 600. Miles manages 11 miles so he and his bike can be made good.


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## ianrauk (23 May 2015)

[QUOTE 3710048, member: 9609"]Is Steve on with the flatlands 600 this weekend ? (is the 600 bit KMs or Miles ?) It looks like he has today cycled up to Goole has turned around and is now heading south with 210miles on the clock so far and still pedalling, impressive stuff from someone who broke his ankle 8 weeks ago.[/QUOTE]


Impressive indeed.
yes I think he is doing, or at least attempting the 600.
He is already 212 miles in according to the tracker.


Kurt, the guy is a machine - simple as that, I was waiting for his daily mileage to fall due to burn out, but he just keeps on going and knocking out the mega mileage.
Miles. Looks like he's been bitten hard by the bad chest bug He's falling behind quite rapidly. Quite early on in his challenge.


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## Mugshot (23 May 2015)

ianrauk said:


> Impressive indeed.
> yes I think he is doing, or at least attempting the 600.
> He is already 212 miles in according to the tracker.
> 
> ...


Kurt really is a remarkable athlete, what a pity we didn't get to see him and Steve continue as they started, it would have been fascinating seeing the reactions to the others tactics.


----------



## ianrauk (25 May 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 143: *Steve does the first two thirds of his 600 PBP qualifier, the Flatlands, in a repeat of the previous weekend's effort. Kurt continues his steady progress along the side of the Arkansas river for 235 miles. Miles does 120 along the bay.


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## ianrauk (25 May 2015)

*Day 144: *Steve rides a further 154 miles back to Dunmow to complete the weekend's audax – the two day total of 423 miles. Kurt does another 210 miles of the Arkansas river and Miles manages 119 miles of the bay. William nowhere to be seen.


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## Rickshaw Phil (25 May 2015)

ianrauk said:


> *Day 144: *Steve rides a further 154 miles back to Dunmow to complete the weekend's audax – the two day total of 423 miles. Kurt does another 210 miles of the Arkansas river and Miles manages 119 miles of the bay. William nowhere to be seen.


Why doesn't William drop out? Even I am only about 300 miles behind him now.


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## ianrauk (25 May 2015)

Rickshaw Phil said:


> Why doesn't William drop out? Even I am only about 300 miles behind him now.




There are quite a few doing much better who should have signed up to say they attempted the record at least.


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## ianrauk (25 May 2015)

A rather fab 201 miles today making a total of 624 miles for the 3 day weekend. Steve is getting back up to speed and distance unbelievably quickly. He's a ledge.. think he deserves a cheeky Nando's. 











*GO STEVE!!!*


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## ianrauk (26 May 2015)

From Jo over at the other place
*Day 145:* Kurt dodges severe thunderstorms to complete 232 miles of the Arkansas river trail and surroundings. Steve takes a 201 mile route home from Dunmow while Miles clocks up 119 miles along the bay. And William pushes out 6 miles - the first in three weeks.


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## Mugshot (26 May 2015)

ianrauk said:


> From Jo over at the other place
> *Day 145:* Kurt dodges severe thunderstorms to complete 232 miles of the Arkansas river trail and surroundings. Steve takes a 201 mile route home from Dunmow while Miles clocks up 119 miles along the bay.* And William pushes out 6 miles - the first in three weeks.*


The start of the come back, I knew we could expect big things from the lad.


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## ianrauk (26 May 2015)

Mugshot said:


> The start of the come back, I knew we could expect big things from the lad.




He's going for it..............


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## Mugshot (26 May 2015)

*Go Miles*
36 mins ·
We have an unfortunate update on Miles' health. Miles has continued to be unwell and was diagnosed at hospital today with a partially collapsed lung. We will keep you updated on his progress and when he will be allowed back on the bike. Miles is certainly in good spirits and eager to get going again, so his supporters will be taking turns to sit on him to keep him down! Get well soon Miles.


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## summerdays (26 May 2015)

Mugshot said:


> *Go Miles*
> 36 mins ·
> We have an unfortunate update on Miles' health. Miles has continued to be unwell and was diagnosed at hospital today with a partially collapsed lung. We will keep you updated on his progress and when he will be allowed back on the bike. Miles is certainly in good spirits and eager to get going again, so his supporters will be taking turns to sit on him to keep him down! Get well soon Miles.


Thanks for the update, it shows that you can't take it for granted getting through the year! They are asking a lot of their bodies!


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## DanZac (26 May 2015)

Swift recovery to Miles. We are really seeing how stupidly hard this challenge actualy is. Superhuman efforts being shown every day by all involved, with some really impressive efforts by Steve this weekend so soon after his nasty accident.


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## ianrauk (26 May 2015)

151 miles for the days as Steve keeps close to home.. with a bonus 5 Gibbon visit to boot.












*GO STEVE!!!*


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## ianrauk (27 May 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 146:* Miles' respiratory problems take a turn for the worse – diagnosed at hospital with a partially collapsed lung. He still managed 32 miles though. Kurt continues his now usual trip up and down the Arkansas river trail (202 miles). Steve does a 151 mile multi-Gibbon day.


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## ianrauk (27 May 2015)




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## Glow worm (27 May 2015)

Does anyone know whether the moped rider who hit Steve was prosecuted? (Apologies if I missed anything on that up thread).

Fantastic effort from Steve putting the big miles in again now.


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## summerdays (27 May 2015)

I'm intrigued by that last sentence and I await to see what it is


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## Mugshot (27 May 2015)

summerdays said:


> I'm intrigued by that last sentence and I await to see what it is


Move to Florida for the winter?


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## Mugshot (27 May 2015)

*Steve Abraham*
15 mins ·
_Steve's world record challenge was recently covered in the MK News. On a different (but related) note, we'd like to try something new. We have had a number of requests for a Q & A update with Steve, so we thought we would sound out his followers on Facebook to see what they would like to ask Steve.

To participate in this process, please simply pose the ONE QUESTION you'd most like to ask Steve about his world record challenge. You can do so BY COMMENTING ON THIS POST. If you see someone else has already asked the question you want to ask please simply 'like' their comment (rather than repeat the question) so that we can easily see which questions are the most popular.

We'll then work through the most popular questions with Steve (in his spare time - so please be patient) and we'll feed back with his responses when we have them. Thanks in advance to those who respond to this prompt._

One question, ooooo, what to ask!!??!!


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## velovoice (27 May 2015)

Mugshot said:


> *Steve Abraham*
> 15 mins ·
> _Steve's world record challenge was recently covered in the MK News. On a different (but related) note, we'd like to try something new. We have had a number of requests for a Q & A update with Steve, so we thought we would sound out his followers on Facebook to see what they would like to ask Steve.
> 
> ...


Interesting project! Funny that so many of the questions posted so far have been answered by Steve himself already in interviews -- all available on his website, his FB page, here and on YACF.


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## Mugshot (27 May 2015)

velovoice said:


> Interesting project! Funny that so many of the questions posted so far have been answered by Steve himself already in interviews -- all available on his website, his FB page, here and on YACF.


Yes I noticed that, I was thinking about asking where he stood on the helmet debate.


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## Mugshot (27 May 2015)

Or maybe if he thought he could take Kurt in a fist fight, not sure if he's been asked that yet.


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## Aperitif (27 May 2015)

It's interesting that 'Mr Abraham collided with a moped'.
How remiss. Hope the driver isn't going to sue.


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## themosquitoking (27 May 2015)

Mugshot said:


> *Steve Abraham*
> 15 mins ·
> _Steve's world record challenge was recently covered in the MK News. On a different (but related) note, we'd like to try something new. We have had a number of requests for a Q & A update with Steve, so we thought we would sound out his followers on Facebook to see what they would like to ask Steve.
> 
> ...


Red sauce, brown sauce or no sauce at all?


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## Dogtrousers (27 May 2015)

OT but Boris Johnson asked for questions for a mayoral internet Q&A. Many silly questions were submitted but the one that tickled me was: "What is the largest animal you think you could single-handedly clingfilm to a lamppost?"


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## ianrauk (28 May 2015)

From Jo over at the other place
*Day 147:* No riding for Miles as he is treated for his collapsed lung. Kurt increases his daily distance to 250 miles along his usual route. Steve does a 216 mile loop to the fens similar to that before the collision.


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## mcshroom (28 May 2015)

Kurt seems to have just about recovered the miles lost to his flu bug a few weeks ago, and looks like he's slowly turning the screw. Best wishes to Miles, I hope it's just a needle reinflation required rather than having to drain the lung. Considering how far he managed to ride on one lung before being diagnosed it just shows how tough these guys are. As for Steve, I'm extremely excited to see that curve flattening out and 216 miles while still on the mend is brilliant.

Looks like there's still a lot to play for for all three of them


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## ianrauk (29 May 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 148:* While Miles is still off with lung problems, Kurt does another 233 miles along his favourite river trails and Steve takes a 221 mile circumnavigatory trip around Cambridge.


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## ianrauk (30 May 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 149:* Miles continues his off-the-bike recovery. Kurt bangs out 213 miles along new roads north of Little Rock while Steve does another 165 mile circumnavigation of Cambridge.


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## Mugshot (31 May 2015)

*Go Miles



feeling excited*
4 hrs · Edited · 
BREAKING NEWS! #1 Miles needs to take more time off the bike to return to full health #2 This makes his current world record attempt near impossible to accomplish #3 Miles is not going to give up! #4 Miles will restart his world record attempt again on 18th June 2015 #5 Standby for Day 1, Round 2! ‪#‎GoMiles‬ ‪#‎NotGivingUp‬ ‪#‎FreshStart‬


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## summerdays (31 May 2015)

Probably a sensible decision to let his body recover, we've seen from Steve that they can quickly get back up to speed when they recover far quicker than us mere mortals.


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## Rickshaw Phil (31 May 2015)

A very sensible decision in my opinion. All the best to Miles for the recovery and the restart.


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## the_craig (31 May 2015)

What a bloody thread! 

Just started browsing whilst Mrs the_craig was away for a takeaway and I couldn't stop reading. Got to about page 70 before I had to go to bed. 

Steve is hard as nails. And so is Kurt but with his luck I wouldn't ask him to buy me a lottery ticket.

Going to start following this story.

Oh and Go Steve


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## MacB (31 May 2015)

Just when I thought I'd got a bit of a handle on all this I'm faced with someone cycling miles with a partially collapsed lung and another grinding on a broken ankle.....my ghast is truly flabbered


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## velovoice (31 May 2015)

MacB said:


> someone cycling *miles *with a partially collapsed lung and another *grinding *on a broken ankle


Nice one!


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## ianrauk (31 May 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 150:* Following his lung problems, Miles announces his retirement from his first OYTT challenge. He will restart on the 18th June. Meanwhile Kurt and Steve put in 210 and 218 miles respectively. By this time in 1939, Tommy had found sponsorship from Raleigh and a professional manager. His daily mile total started increasing significantly.


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## Mugshot (1 Jun 2015)

I know it's not really about the Tommy Godwin challenge but I thought you may be interested in what Chris Hopkinson (Steves crew chief) has been up to.

_*Chris 'Hoppo' hopkinson*
9 hrs · 
Just won my 27th 24hr. It is my 7th win out of 27 x 24hr races and by far the most unforgettable - it is also two on the trot! Massively hilly including a 1,500 foot climb out of the Canyon in the first three miles. The scenery was amazing. 750 people there, and Ryan Parnell's organisation was spotless - he should be very proud.
Thank you Jenny Bonham for you unwavering support, love and trust in my judgement - can't wait to get home. xx
Lovely to see good friends Lisa and Scott Anderson and Larry Eads 




24hrs In The Canyon - Race Win and Course Record! - Chris Hopkinson's 417.5 miles bike ride
Unforgettable massively hilly race. Two 24hr wins on the trot now! :-)
app.strava.com_

_



_

Rather impressive I thought.


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## velovoice (1 Jun 2015)

Mugshot said:


> I know it's not really about the Tommy Godwin challenge but I thought you may be interested in what Chris Hopkinson (Steves crew chief) has been up to.
> Rather impressive I thought.


It certainly is, at any age! Even more so at Hoppo's (though this may have been an age-group win rather than overall? not sure). He's still got it!


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## Mugshot (1 Jun 2015)

velovoice said:


> It certainly is, at any age! Even more so at Hoppo's (though this may have been an age-group win rather than overall? not sure). He's still got it!


Quite possibly, this is from my Facebook. I did check on the 24hrs in the Canyon website but couldn't find the 2015 results, I'm guessing they haven't updated that as yet.


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## ianrauk (1 Jun 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 151:* Kurt accumulates 242 miles by riding the same strip of the Arkansas river road 46 times. He's now less than a week away from overtaking the women's OYTT record. Steve does a 228 mile Fenland loop taking his annual average daily distance back above 150 miles.






Blimey, 46 times? That works out cycling up and down a 5 mile strip of road. Now I can imagine that would have been boring beyond belief. Fair play to Kurt for doing that.


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## ColinJ (1 Jun 2015)

ianrauk said:


> Blimey, 46 times? That works out cycling up and down a 5 mile strip of road. Now I can imagine that would have been boring beyond belief. Fair play to Kurt for doing that.


Worse than that - it would be a 2.5 mile stretch of road, since he would do it in both directions!


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## Mugshot (1 Jun 2015)

ianrauk said:


> Blimey, 46 times? That works out cycling up and down a 5 mile strip of road. Now I can imagine that would have been boring beyond belief. Fair play to Kurt for doing that.



*Tarzan Rides the HAM'R Kurt Searvogel*
6 hrs ·
with the flooding cutting off the roads to the west and east and construction in little rock proper I have been confined to a 10 miles loop - at least its flat.




Day 142 - 23 Laps of the River trail
Distance 241.74 mi | Time 12:25:56 | Speed 19.4 mph | Elev Gain 1,804 ft
connect.garmin.com

Here's why.


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## Mugshot (2 Jun 2015)

This was posted by one of Steves followers on Strava and is apparently something which Steve had posted elsewhere.


_"Still recovering from a broken ankle. In theory I should now only just be thinking about cycling. I was told at least 6 to 8 weeks before my ankle is fully weight bearing. I still need to be careful with it. I still can't use clipless pedals with my right leg but in spite of that am getting faster than I was in March and almost on the same mileage. 100 miles a day was a good day about 3 weeks ago. Now I am averaging 200, who knows what I could be doing in another 3 weeks?


I'm not going to get straight into the schedule without being recovered or without doing the riding to get my speed up. So taking it a bit easy today and hope to do more miles this week than last weeks 1400. Mileage and speed has continued to rise and with good recovery and done right it should continue to rise. I am also trying a different approach to what I was doing in January and February. I started doing it before the broken ankle and it seemed to work well and seems to be working well now. "_


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## velovoice (2 Jun 2015)

Mugshot said:


> This was posted by one of Steves followers on Strava and is apparently something which Steve had posted elsewhere.


I confess I've not been as "obsessed" with every day's progress since the collision, but a quick search on YACF confirms that Steve posted that update yesterday morning.


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## Mugshot (2 Jun 2015)

velovoice said:


> I confess I've not been as "obsessed" with every day's progress since the collision, but a quick search on YACF confirms that Steve posted that update yesterday morning.


I thought that's where it may have been from, but rather like yourself it seems I have hardly bothered with the YACF threads since the _incident_.


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## ianrauk (2 Jun 2015)

From Jo over at the other place
*Day 152:* Flooding continues to keep Kurt up and down a small segment of the roads for 230 miles. Steve has a relatively easy 140 mile day with a couple of Marsh Gibbon visits thrown in for good measure.


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## ianrauk (3 Jun 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 153:* 233 more miles of repeats along the same 5 mile stretch of road for Kurt. He's now about a day away from matching Billie Fleming's record. Steve puts in a long day to Lowestoft adding 252 miles to his total.


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## Aperitif (3 Jun 2015)

Whilst we all focus on the riding, here, it might be worth noting that when your doorbell chimes (delivering the latest tranche of Tesco shopping or maybe a 'Wiggle' box) there are folk elsewhere looking to appeal to all-comers. Next time you're in the big ring, going downhill, think of this...


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## ianrauk (3 Jun 2015)

213 miles for the Grinder of the Teeth today....from Lowestoft to Milton Keynes











*GO STEVE!!!*


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## ianrauk (4 Jun 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 154:* Repeated trips along the five mile strip of the Arkansas river trail gives Kurt 245 miles for the day and takes him beyond Billie Fleming's 1938 record. Steve returns from Lowestoft for a 212 mile total.


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## fimm (4 Jun 2015)

OK, ladies, who is going for the women's record?


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## velovoice (4 Jun 2015)

[QUOTE 3728687, member: 9609"]I am sure I read of a lass that iis going to give it a go next year - can't remember her name, "Katrisha" or something like that, may be from Nottingham ?[/QUOTE]
Kajsa Tylen - http://www.ayearinthesaddle.com/. 
She starts 1 Jan 2016.


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## w00hoo_kent (4 Jun 2015)

This may be a stupid question, but apart from the date being obvious, isn't it a poor choice to start and, particularly, finish in Winter?


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## ianrauk (4 Jun 2015)

w00hoo_kent said:


> This may be a stupid question, but apart from the date being obvious, isn't it a poor choice to start and, particularly, finish in Winter?




It's been discussed before on this thread or the other one.. 
You would think so. Winter/Summer/Winter rather then Summer/Winter/Summer, but don't underestimate Steve, he's no mere mortal. Weather or day/night means nothing to him. He just cycles. He battled through some horrendous conditions earlier this year with no problems. Only being accidentally offed by another cyclist who was riding with him and of course the moped incident.


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## velovoice (4 Jun 2015)

w00hoo_kent said:


> This may be a stupid question, but apart from the date being obvious, isn't it a poor choice to start and, particularly, finish in Winter?


Yeah, there are definitely downsides to it. But... _tradition_, you see!


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## fimm (4 Jun 2015)

That bell-ringing story is brilliant!
(Basically a bunch of people on YACF got together to ring a "quarter peal" (no, me neither) at Marsh Gibbon church, to celebrate Steve's achievement (I think they started planning before he was hit by the moped rider, and decided to do it anyway)).


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## mcshroom (4 Jun 2015)

They did. I was talking to one of the organisers on an audax last month. the church in Marsh Gibbon has 5 bells, which makes the peel more complicated apparently.

On the January question, it depends on strategy. In some ways the plan is to ride your way into fitness, so starting in winter and building up the daily totals through the dark months means you can go really crazy in the summer, then hang on for the end through the end of the year. Another advantage is you get two half winters to ride through, rather than having to ride a whole on in one go. Whenever you start the ride you are going to get the same number of days in each season anyway.


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## Stephen C (4 Jun 2015)

fimm said:


> That bell-ringing story is brilliant!
> (Basically a bunch of people on YACF got together to ring a "quarter peal" (no, me neither) at Marsh Gibbon church, to celebrate Steve's achievement (I think they started planning before he was hit by the moped rider, and decided to do it anyway)).


To deviate slightly, this is the quarter peal: http://bb.ringingworld.co.uk/view.php?id=453878

A quarter peal consists of ringing for approximately 45 minutes ringing without making any mistakes (well, any major mistakes, slight trips are allowed if corrected promptly) without any visuals aid, so completely from memory. More details can be found here.


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## summerdays (4 Jun 2015)

fimm said:


> OK, ladies, who is going for the women's record?


I'll let you get a head start...


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## ianrauk (4 Jun 2015)

191 for the Red Wanderer today. Staying close to home with a multiple Gibbon. (Making a total of 82 Gibbons)












*GO STEVE!!!*


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## mcshroom (4 Jun 2015)

That 191 miles seems to have included a visit to the hospital. Follow up on the ankle?


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## ianrauk (5 Jun 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 155:* Kurt does more Arkansas river repeats but then escapes for a bit of hill climbing to Wye giving him 215 miles for the day. Steve has a hospital visit sandwiched between 191 miles of local riding.


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## Mugshot (6 Jun 2015)

HERE we go stat fans.


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## mcshroom (6 Jun 2015)

Congratulations to Kurt who's passed the 30,000 mile mark!

Steve put in another 206 miler and has a 600km audax this weekend so should hopefully see the line going upwards again


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## Mugshot (6 Jun 2015)

I'm always struck by the average daily milage required by each rider just to tie with the record, it's quite astonishing.


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## ianrauk (6 Jun 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 156:* Kurt reaches the 30,000 milestone with more hamster wheel riding by the river. Steve heads north for 206 miles to Alfreton in readiness for the weekend's Nine Counties 600km audax.


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## ianrauk (6 Jun 2015)

A good blog read about the challengers & the challenge *HERE*


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## CopperCyclist (7 Jun 2015)

[QUOTE 3732427, member: 9609"]It is astonishing, I could imagine most people could not keep up with them in a car. I can't even comprehend these distances on a bike[/QUOTE]

Excellent point, that I hadn't previously considered and which just blew me away even more!


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## ianrauk (7 Jun 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 157:* Kurt starts the day racing in the _Tour de Rock_ before returning to the back and forth on the river trail for a day's total of 222 miles. Steve rides the first part of the Nine Counties audax through Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire (have I missed any?) for a tidy 233 miles.


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## ianrauk (8 Jun 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 158:* Steve completes his 600km Audax with a few extra diversions added to give him a 205 mile day. Kurt continues on his 'hamster wheel' on the river trail with a small hilly diversion at the start of the day for a bit of variety. With another 228 miles for the day, he's now within a week of hitting Tommy's WR annual pace.


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## Berrysbikes (8 Jun 2015)

Rode this last year,
http://chasethesun.wix.com/chasethesun


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## Aperitif (9 Jun 2015)

Berrysbikes said:


> Rode this last year,
> http://chasethesun.wix.com/chasethesun


How lovely for you.
An agent will let Kurt and Steve know, earliest. They'll be inspired.

Go Steve. (An age, mile, ton, keen. More ton, in Marsh, Gibbon...Some are set in their ways...)


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## Mugshot (9 Jun 2015)

A big 249.6 miles for Steve yesterday. .6?? Come on Steve, pull your finger out, go round the block a couple of times at least try to impress us.


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## Mugshot (9 Jun 2015)

209.4 miles for Kurt.


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## Mugshot (9 Jun 2015)

Both Steve and Kurt were a little over the mileage they need to do from now until the end of their 365 days to tie with the record.


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## Mugshot (9 Jun 2015)

And having posted those two screen grabs I then checked to make sure I didn't have any tabs open which I would not have wanted to post publicly


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## Gains84 (9 Jun 2015)

Hope you enjoy your new kitchen! lol


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## Mugshot (9 Jun 2015)

Gains84 said:


> Hope you enjoy your new kitchen! lol


Other way round @Gains84, I sell them


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## ianrauk (9 Jun 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 159:* Steve makes is return trip from Alfreton to MK, taking the long way round via the Humber to give him 250 miles for the day. He appears to have 'bottomed out' and begins the slog back to WR pace. He'll need to ride at least 246 miles every day to do this by the end of the 2015. Kurt continues to push the hamster wheel for 209 miles.


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## ianrauk (9 Jun 2015)




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## ianrauk (9 Jun 2015)




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## ianrauk (9 Jun 2015)




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## ianrauk (10 Jun 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 160:* 216 more hamster wheel miles for Kurt. Steve does a shorter than usual loop towards Cambridge for 153 miles.


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## Mugshot (10 Jun 2015)

All the latest stats can be found right HERE


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## Supersuperleeds (10 Jun 2015)

Mugshot said:


> All the latest stats can be found right HERE



This page looks better 

http://ultracycling.com/sections/records/data/hamr/group.php


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## Mugshot (10 Jun 2015)

Supersuperleeds said:


> This page looks better
> 
> http://ultracycling.com/sections/records/data/hamr/group.php


 
You beast 
I'm in 52nd, I'm aiming to beat The Ox.


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## Supersuperleeds (10 Jun 2015)

Mugshot said:


> You beast
> I'm in 52nd, I'm aiming to beat The Ox.



You've probably done enough to beat him already


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## Mugshot (10 Jun 2015)

Supersuperleeds said:


> You've probably done enough to beat him already


I think you may be right, I know it's been said before but I wish he'd do the right thing and drop out.


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## ianrauk (11 Jun 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 161:* After 222 more miles on the Arkansas hamster wheel, Kurt is now closer to Tommy's WR pace than he has been since the first few days of the challenge. Steve does a 205 mile loop through Cambridgeshire and Essex. It looks increasingly unlikely that he would be able to beat Tommy's total in 2015, now requiring an average of over 246 miles per day for the remains of the year.


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## themosquitoking (11 Jun 2015)

Boo. Let's hope Steves plan now is to let Kurt set a milestone for a new challenge.


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## Supersuperleeds (12 Jun 2015)

280 miles for Steve yesterday so he hasn't given up yet.

No ride for Kurt on Strava yet.


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## Mugshot (12 Jun 2015)

Supersuperleeds said:


> 280 miles for Steve yesterday so he hasn't given up yet.
> 
> No ride for Kurt on Strava yet.








However

_*Tarzan Rides the HAM'R Kurt Searvogel shared Kurt Searvogel's post.*
5 hrs ·
213 mile ride - but?




Kurt Searvogel
getting sick of dealing with garmin crap - today the fpos wouldn't upload to garmin and strava only showed a 75 mile ride - hopefully I can get some better data from spot -

I think it is only registering the miles to searcy where I was shuttle thru construction. I continued to work just did not record correctly and won't upload had 213 mile ride so I need to get that fixed._


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## Supersuperleeds (12 Jun 2015)

Mugshot said:


> View attachment 91659
> 
> 
> However
> ...



Oops, he needs to ditch the garmin and get a Satmap


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## ianrauk (12 Jun 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 162:* As the temperature rises in Little Rock, Kurt starts riding northward. GPS problems leave him with only 75 miles logged despite a 213 mile ride. Steve puts in a long day with an early start and late finish giving him a 280 mile day for his East Anglian loop. This takes his annual total above 25,000 miles.


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## ianrauk (13 Jun 2015)

From Jo over at the other place
*Day 163:* Chased by the heat Kurt continues his great migration north, 231 miles through Missouri, crossing the Mississippi into Illinois. Steve sticks to Buckinghamshire loops for 182 miles and 4 Marsh Gibbons.


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## ianrauk (14 Jun 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 164:* Kurt continues to head north towards the great lakes. A long day takes him to Ottawa, IL and 246 miles closer to the record. Steve does a fenland loop via King's Lynn for 229 miles. He has averaged the WR pace of 206 miles per day over the last 23 days but would need to increase this considerably in order to catch up from his current 8,266 mile deficit.


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## ianrauk (15 Jun 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 165:* Kurt pedals 203 miles further north into Wisconsin where temperatures are a pleasant 27 degrees. Steve does another fenland loop via King' Lynn for 207 miles.


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## ianrauk (15 Jun 2015)

User3094 said:


> Has Steve given up on the record for 2015 and so now reset the timer through to 31/5/16 (ish)?




Steve/His team haven't actually confirmed what he/they are doing yet.


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## velovoice (15 Jun 2015)

ianrauk said:


> Steve/His team haven't actually confirmed what he/they are doing yet.


There have been recent queries about this on Facebook to which the team simply say "The 2015 challenge is still on."


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## totallyfixed (15 Jun 2015)

If I were in Steve's position I wouldn't be making a decision just yet and probably not until the end of summer or even beyond that. In this kind of endeavour nothing is guaranteed so waiting to see how many miles he can put in while the weather is relatively good is only sensible.
I do think he deserves more publicity, in particular the events surrounding his accident and aftermath. The calendar post accident is looking bare compared with before.


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## mcshroom (15 Jun 2015)

He does have to give three weeks notice of starting the new challenge, so that's something to watch out for


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## totallyfixed (15 Jun 2015)

On separate note, on Steve's live tracking, is there any way of removing all the past routes that overlay the map? It is getting difficult to see exactly where he is heading, just having the current day's live tracking would be very helpful as I/we intend to join Steve again at some point.


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## mcshroom (15 Jun 2015)

I don't think there is. There is a seperate tracker that has been set up by someone over on yacf however that only does the current day, though it's a slightly different system: -
http://audaxclubhackney.co.uk/tg.html


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## totallyfixed (15 Jun 2015)

mcshroom said:


> I don't think there is. There is a seperate tracker that has been set up by someone over on yacf however that only does the current day, though it's a slightly different system: -
> http://audaxclubhackney.co.uk/tg.html


Yes, that is better, though what purpose the dark blue line serves I have no idea.


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## Pale Rider (15 Jun 2015)

totallyfixed said:


> Yes, that is better, though what purpose the dark blue line serves I have no idea.



I believe the dark blue line on the Hackney Club tracker is the point to point measurement used by Google maps.

If you zoom in quite a bit, you will see the dark blue line is a series of straight lines.

The light bluey green line is representative of the road Steve is taking.

The Hackney tracker usually under reads because it measures the distance over the straight lines.


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## Sea of vapours (15 Jun 2015)

The dark blue line joins the points from the SPOT Tracker. The paler line is an estimate of what Steve's route /probably/ was based on the SPOT Tracker points. That's why, earlier on in a given ride, the dark blue line becomes less detailed (that being what the SPOT Tracker does too, if you look at the official tracker site). The recent few hours show greater correlation since there are more SPOT Tracker points and hence the assumed route on the ground (pale line) will comply more closely to where the track points actually are.


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## Tim Hall (15 Jun 2015)

From the horse's mouth over on YACF:


> My 1500 miles last week was my best week this year to date.
> From now on I need an average of 1750 a week.
> Looking at last week I had a few sub 200 mile days which I should be able to improve on.
> I am doing a fair bit of playing by ear and often change my daily plans to suit how things are going etc.
> I expect to fall behind the required average weekly distance until mid July when I will need to ride above that average and keep it up for as long as I can then try not to fall behind it again until I have enough miles in the bank to be able to do so. I think it will take until August for me to be doing enough to regain my losses.


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## MacB (15 Jun 2015)

I would imagine Steve is also trying to cover other bases - so far there is him with a broken ankle and the guy with a collapsed lung - if something were to go seriously wrong for Kurt then Steve could find himself back in pole position. Not something anyone would desire but he'd be kicking himself if it happened and he hadn't kept on track as he's doing.


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## ianrauk (16 Jun 2015)

From Jo over at the other place
*Day 166:* Kurt rides into northern Wisconsin leaving the heat behind but now dealing with "rain in every direction". He still manages 204 miles though. Steve matches his previous day's riding exactly at 207 miles with another fenland trip, this time via Ely. He declares publicly that he's still aiming for Godwin's record with planned increases in daily milage throughout July and August.


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## mcshroom (16 Jun 2015)

Well it does, but only about a mile which is not enough to clear it. It shows how mad this challenge is that we see a 207 mile day as 'not good enough'!


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## Pale Rider (16 Jun 2015)

The deficit means Steve needs to average 247.2 miles a day for the remaining days of the challenge.

Kurt 'only' needs just over 206 miles a day.

Steve reckons he can still do it, so I'm sure he can.

But even for him 247 miles a day is a big ask, maybe not so much now, but he will also have to do it in the last few months of the year when the weather will not be so favourable.

http://gicentre.org/oytt/


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## Aperitif (16 Jun 2015)

User3094 said:


> ... then he better a get a shift on cos 207 miles doesn't do anything for the deficit!
> 
> Just like the British economy


George Osborne is pedalling bollocks, and Steve is pedalling his bollocks off. One of them is being true to himself, the other is just getting on with it.
Steve will do it.
'George' will not - because he's a daffodil.
Ah, that's better. "Go Steve".


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## ianrauk (17 Jun 2015)

*Day 167:* Steve increases his average speed and distance covered with a 257 mile loop via King's Lynn. He now shows a clear upward trend during June. Kurt heads to Manitowoc on Lake Michigan for 231 miles.


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## Scoosh (17 Jun 2015)

ianrauk said:


> *Day 167:* Steve increases his average speed and distance covered with a 257 mile loop via King's Lynn. He now shows a clear upward trend during June. Kurt heads to Manitowoc on Lake Michigan for 231 miles.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


FTFY !


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## mcshroom (17 Jun 2015)

The only way is up!


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## mcshroom (17 Jun 2015)

Strava result now in. 189 miles for Steve today
https://www.strava.com/activities/327573236


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## ianrauk (18 Jun 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*ay 168:* Kurt rides 216 miles into the Wisconsin prairies. Another wide loop around Cambridge for Steve gives him 190 miles for the day. It looks like he is interleaving shorter and longer rides as he builds up his daily distances.


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## Mugshot (18 Jun 2015)

One for all you German speakers

*Steve Abraham*
34 mins ·
The German Website sportschau.de (the website of the most popular sports show on German TV) has made a short video summary of the highest annual mileage record (HAMR).

The video is narrated in German, but even English speakers who have been following Steve and Kurt will be able to follow it and make sense of the graphs and mileage stats.

Follow the link below:




German Video Summary of HAMR
Was die Radsportler Kurt Searvogel und Steve Abraham derzeit versuchen, klingt unfassbar. Sie wollen innnerhalb eines Jahres mehr als 120.805 Kilometer fahren und damit einen 76 Jahre alten Rekord brechen. Dafür müssen sie im Schnitt 331...
sportschau.de|By Volker Schulte


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## Mugshot (19 Jun 2015)

A monster 260 miles from Steve yesterday.


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## Mugshot (19 Jun 2015)

Kurt continues his sterling effort with a wibbly wobbly 221 miles just west of London.


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## ianrauk (19 Jun 2015)

From Jo over at the other place
*Day 169:* Miles reenters the challenge with a couple of Port Phillip bay trips for a 184 mile midwinter start. Lots of riding for Steve who extends his King's Lynn loop via Sleaford to give him 261 miles for the day. Kurt does 221 miles of loops from Plover, Wisconsin.


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## mcshroom (19 Jun 2015)

Steve's on a later start again today, so it looks like he's continuing with the 250/190 ish day alternation he's been doing for a few days. I wonder whether he's going to extend both of those, or start throwing in fewer of the short days as things go on.


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## ianrauk (20 Jun 2015)

From Jo over at the other place.

*Day 170:* For day two of his OYTT reboot, Miles does a single there-and-back-again trip along Port Phillip Bay for 131 miles. Kurt heads SW from Plover ending in the hills for a 211 mile day. Steve loops up to Spalding adding 200 miles to his annual total.


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## ianrauk (21 Jun 2015)

From Jo over at the other place.

*Day 171:* Kurt rides 223 windy and wet miles east to Lake Michigan. Steve does a 250 mile tour of Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire. Miles does the bay.


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## ianrauk (22 Jun 2015)

From Jo over at the other place
*Day 172:* Over the longest northern hemisphere day when Tommy Godwin rode an incredible 361 miles in 1939, the 2015 riders each rode comparative 'recovery' distances: 201 miles for Kurt, 199 for Steve and 131 for Miles. A reminder what a challenge this is.


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## mcshroom (22 Jun 2015)

He's pulling the data direct from the Strava uploads, so that will be why the 75 mile day is still there.


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## yello (22 Jun 2015)

I thought 'Jo' was a she. I think I've even met her. But I could be in some alternative universe, though not one where I'm courageous enough to tackle this challenge. No such universe exists!


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## mcshroom (22 Jun 2015)

yello said:


> I thought 'Jo' was a she. I think I've even met her. But I could be in some alternative universe, though not one where I'm courageous enough to tackle this challenge. No such universe exists!


Not this Jo  - http://www.gicentre.net/jwo/index/


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## ianrauk (23 Jun 2015)

Latest Steve Abraham Newsletter *HERE*


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## MisterStan (23 Jun 2015)

ianrauk said:


> Latest Steve Abraham Newsletter *HERE*


They asked for questions on Facebook a while ago - i'm sure the sausage one was mine!


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## User19783 (23 Jun 2015)

ianrauk said:


> Latest Steve Abraham Newsletter *HERE*




Thanks for all your updates. much appreciated .


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## Dogtrousers (23 Jun 2015)

ianrauk said:


> Latest Steve Abraham Newsletter *HERE*


I'm really getting to like the guy.


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## Dayvo (23 Jun 2015)

MisterStan said:


> They asked for questions on Facebook a while ago - i'm sure the sausage one was mine!



*How many sausages do you eat a day?*

1 every ten miles…

 That's up to twenty+ a day!


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## MartinQ (23 Jun 2015)

I heard he's just announced a new bike sponsor ...


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## Aperitif (23 Jun 2015)

mcshroom said:


> Not this Jo  - http://www.gicentre.net/jwo/index/


And definitely not a Madame Jo Jo...


MartinQ said:


> I heard he's just announced a new bike sponsor ...



Bikes like that are generally made of a sav alloy and can deal with most terrain. What's the wurst that could happen to Steve, after that unfortunate accident?
GOutez Steve!


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## ianrauk (23 Jun 2015)




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## Mark Grant (23 Jun 2015)

Aperitif said:


> And definitely not a Madame Jo Jo...
> 
> 
> Bikes like that are generally made of a sav alloy and can deal with most _*terrine*_. What's the wurst that could happen to Steve, after that unfortunate accident?
> GOutez Steve!



Missed one there 'Teef, but I FTFY.


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## jo from the other place (24 Jun 2015)

[QUOTE 3758227, member: 9609"]I wonder why "Jo from the other place" fails to include some of Kurts distances - a good example of this is the little blip on Kurts line at june 11th, It was noted at the time as a gps problem and wrongly showed 75mile instead of 213 The official records accepts the 213 mile but Jo insists on keeping it at 75 - Kurts line is now equal and has been marginally in front of the 8.57mph pace[/QUOTE]

No insistance about it. I just hadn't spotted that UMCA had amended their record for June 11th (I am basing all the visualizations on data from Strava uploads). As the official record from UMCA is typically a couple of weeks or so behind, it's not always obvious when they change the distances. Anyway, now corrected.


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## ianrauk (24 Jun 2015)

Hi jo and welcome to CC.
Thanks for all the time and effort you put into the graphs. They are brilliant and really give us a great insight into how hard this challenge is for all the challengers.


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## Mugshot (24 Jun 2015)

All the latest stats for the boys on their bikes


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## Aperitif (24 Jun 2015)

Mark Grant said:


> Missed one there 'Teef, but I FTFY.


Hot diggety dog!  I have been watching Ian's sensational frank exposé for about ten minutes...the way the right-hand sausage of the left-hand batch gently pulls the bottom lip downward...the topmost one obviously lodges across said bottom lip, but Mrs Ian didn't allow that bit of the video.


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## CopperCyclist (24 Jun 2015)

jo from the other place said:


> No insistance about it. I just hadn't spotted that UMCA had amended their record for June 11th (I am basing all the visualizations on data from Strava uploads). As the official record from UMCA is typically a couple of weeks or so behind, it's not always obvious when they change the distances. Anyway, now corrected.



Best forum name for 2015 award. 

Also welcome, and thanks for keeping the graphs going - really helps follow these super humans!


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## ianrauk (24 Jun 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 173:* UMCA have retrospectively recognised Kurt's missing 138 miles from June 11, which means he's officially been above Tommy's pace for the last week. He continues with another 222 miles up the west shore of Lake Michigan. Steve has a premature stop south of Boston for a shorter than usual 135 miles. Meanwhile in Melbourne, Miles does another bay trip for 141 miles.


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## MisterStan (24 Jun 2015)

160 miles on the tracker so far - nearly a 16mph average for the day


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## Mugshot (24 Jun 2015)

243 miles so far, but it looks like Steve is nearly home, I'm guessing it'll be 250+ by the time he's finished


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## Mugshot (25 Jun 2015)

Big 256 for Steve yesterday, the activity has been flagged though for some reason.


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## mcshroom (25 Jun 2015)

It was happening a lot at the beginning. Either some people can't get the idea that you could ride 250+ miles in a day, or someone is being a daffodil.


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## Mugshot (25 Jun 2015)

I think it's the latter, nothing showing for Kurt as yet for yesterday.


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## ianrauk (25 Jun 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 174:* Kurt makes good progress with 237 miles up and down the west shore taking him to within a few days of Marcel Planes' 1911 record. Steve back on form with a 219 mile tip back from Boston to MK. Miles does 101 miles of the bay.


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## Mugshot (25 Jun 2015)

This from Facebook

_*Go Miles*
28 mins · 
Day 8 "Hope you can tell, the team and I are much better prepared since the Bung Lung incident. I've been suffering a little from sore leg muscles (due to time spent doing nothing for fear of complicating the lung thing (you can't just stick a band aid on it) and the enforced layby, stuffed up the body chemistry - all those feel good things we get from pushing pedals - well I had a sudden withdrawal. Both symptoms are now well sorted, but were unexpected - well, by me anyway. Being relatively new to the sport - its the small details and lack of experience that catches you out. Then again if I was not new to the sport and had a great wealth of experience and knew what to expect i would probably be at home with my feet up."_

I don't know anything about Miles to be honest and I don't know what he means by new to the sport, I'm sure he's not a novice but it's a hell of a thing to attempt if you consider yourself to be "new", well, it's a hell of a thing to attempt anyway but I'm sure you know what I mean.

Edit: had a dig and found this on Miles' Facebook;

_I rescued a 18 kilogram (39 lb) MTB from the next door nieghbour's hard rubbish and started to cycle the last 5 kilometres into the City, mainly to save on parking fees. I was somewhat larger than I am now and was suffering the midlife malaise/ bruises that life can deliver once you crest 50. I started to enjoy this ‘last 5 kilometres’ more than going to the gym, somehting which I invariably didn’t get round to doing.. 

The choice was stark: get moving or continue the steady decline/ decay. I chose to get moving and discovered the body can manufacture its own feel good drugs, Serotonin, Dopamine, Norepinephrine and whilst doing a body swerve around the black dog, brought about by having to ride to the car. I started parking further and further from the city and just got more out of the bike each day. 

I managed to locate a fantastic Local Bike Shop, Abbotsford Cycles, that serviced bikes to get them and their owners back on the road – not just sell them something new and shiny. Abbotsford Cycles has become Mission Control for the world record attempt.

I upgraded with a new crank (5 hole/arm) on to which I gaffer taped a 53 tooth front ring and for $40, I was off chasing down guys on plastic fantastic carbon racers. I started to feel better about myself and the world at large, especially after I purchased my first ‘proper’ bike, (the White Bike).

Audax Australia, gave me the focus and direction (despite my ability to get lost on a point to point direct route – a positive during the next year) together with the comradeship and advice, to continue and to (and excuse the pun) pile on the miles. 

Pushing past your own personal envelope, whether that be a 50 or ,200 kilometre ride, is what matters, not the actual distance achieved.

Doing the same route as Ossie Nicholson when he won the World Record in 1933 and 1937 for Australia, unsupported, together with Audax rides of 1,000 Km’s + and Sunday morning jaunts with the MDBC will make for an interesting year ahead.
_
So I'm assuming as he's 53 that he's been riding for about 3 years.


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## ianrauk (26 Jun 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 175:* Steve does a large East Anglian loop of 256 miles. Miles does a double bay for 224 miles. Kurt yet to post his track for the day.






*Day 176:* 253 miles riding in northern Wisconsin on the lake shore for Kurt puts him within a day of Marcel Planes' 1911 world record distance. Steve fits in a hospital checkup into a 202 mile loop via March. Miles does 148 miles of bay riding.


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## mcshroom (26 Jun 2015)

85 miles done by 10am today - we could be looking at a biggie!


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## Supersuperleeds (27 Jun 2015)

295 miles per Strava


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## mcshroom (27 Jun 2015)

He's off and running riding


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## ianrauk (27 Jun 2015)

From Jo over at the other place
*Day 177:* Kurt heads northwest for 225 miles passing Marcel Planes' 1911 record distance of 34,666 miles. Steve puts in his longest day yet riding for an impressive 289 miles before midnight. Miles too does a long day in the bay for a 252 mile total.


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## swansonj (27 Jun 2015)

Am I right that these long distances Steve is now doing count towards this year's Godwin attempt, but will not count towards the rebooted attempt, which hasn't been declared yet? Seems a shame to be doing 250+ milers and not have them count to his attempt to beat Kurt...


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## Supersuperleeds (27 Jun 2015)

Miles needs a nickname that starts with T otherwise he is just a wannabe. I think that is why William has struggled.


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## mcshroom (27 Jun 2015)

That's correct. He needs to give three weeks notice for a new attempt. As mad as it seems, I think Steve still thinks he has a chance of the record. He may also be looking at an unofficial 100,000 mile record which Godwin also set.


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## mcshroom (27 Jun 2015)

Supersuperleeds said:


> Miles needs a nickname that starts with T otherwise he is just a wannabe. I think that is why William has struggled.


Miles* does seem to be quite a character.

Here's a post he made over on YACF a couple weeks ago:-


> Docs gave me the all clear this AM to Restart on the 18th, six (6) days to go to restart date - earliest date possible under UMCA rules.
> 
> This news was much appreciated by the team (see below) as I've not been the best to be around for the past couple of weeks.
> 
> ...





*Who weirdly is the only one of the four measuring the ride in kilometres


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## Supersuperleeds (28 Jun 2015)

200 mile day for Steve, not seen anything on Strava yet for Kurt


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## mcshroom (28 Jun 2015)

Those two days put Steve about on average for the record. Now, just the small matter of replicating them for another 6 months!


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## ianrauk (29 Jun 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 178:* After the previous long day Steve does 207 miles of Cambridgeshire fens and Miles 145 miles of the bay road. Kurt yet to post his route.


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## ianrauk (29 Jun 2015)

*Day 179:* A stiff wind makes the going tough for Steve on his King's Lynn loop of 201 miles. Miles does just 93 miles of the bay road. Nothing posted by Kurt over the weekend.


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## ianrauk (29 Jun 2015)

[QUOTE 3769662, member: 9609"]I don't think anything out of the ordinary has been happening with Kurt, I have a look at his progress each night before I head off to bed, 1am ish (7pm wisconsin time) and on both of the last two nights he has had about 170miles on the clock - he normally does another 40 mile after this, so at a guess I think we will see another couple of 210 miles added to his tally. he certainly seems very disciplined and consistent with what he is doing.[/QUOTE]


Indeed. If one thing Kurt has proved it's that he's a phenomenal, consistent cycling athlete. His last update of Facebook was day 168, so he has some social media catching up to do also.


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## ianrauk (29 Jun 2015)

Lo and behold.. a FB update just appeared.


*Tarzan Rides the HAM'R Kurt Searvogel*
9 mins · 


We are still riding - just having major internet issues in NW wisconsin. 226 Saturday and 224 Sunday. About to get back on the bike and put in another good day.


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## Supersuperleeds (29 Jun 2015)

Kurts rides are now up on Strava


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## Mugshot (29 Jun 2015)

228 miles for Steve so far, and still going!


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## Mugshot (30 Jun 2015)

Screen grab from the Strava June monthly mileage challenge






Edit: Kilometers sorry


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## ianrauk (30 Jun 2015)

and from Jo over at the other place

*Day 180:* Kurt rides 219 miles of central Wisconsin. Steve knocks out a 251 mile Fenland loop and Miles does 191 miles of his favourite bay road.


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## Mugshot (30 Jun 2015)

Is THIS here yet?


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## mcshroom (30 Jun 2015)

Not bad. Steve's crew is nothing like a professional team's though. A lot of the time he's on his own.

We had assumed that Kurt was shadowing Steve and then adding a bit more each day, but I think that's the first time he's said it himself.

They are both doing an amazing job


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## mcshroom (30 Jun 2015)

word on the other place is that we shouldn't wait up for the end of today's ride


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## Aperitif (30 Jun 2015)

It'll be kurtains for Kurt when the shadow can't catch the object...
GhOSt eve!


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## Mugshot (1 Jul 2015)

Kurt rides the Etch a Sketch!!





Not seen Steves for yesterday as yet, although he's back on it today and 51 miles in so far.


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## mcshroom (1 Jul 2015)

Steve's on an overnighter so won't have uploaded yet.


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## Aperitif (1 Jul 2015)

Interesting that Kurt's ride goes near 'Stevens Point'. I suppose Steve will have to brush against a 'Kirton' or similar...


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## Saluki (1 Jul 2015)

Aperitif said:


> Interesting that Kurt's ride goes near 'Stevens Point'. I suppose Steve will have to brush against a 'Kirton' or similar...


Would be rude not to


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## Mugshot (1 Jul 2015)

mcshroom said:


> Steve's on an overnighter so won't have uploaded yet.


Well, he must still be going all day too, as there's still nothing up
201 miles on the tracker for Steve so far today.


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## Supersuperleeds (1 Jul 2015)

Mugshot said:


> Well, he must still be going all day too, as there's still nothing up
> 201 miles on the tracker for Steve so far today.



In this heat that is just totally mental (in a good totally mental kind of way)


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## ianrauk (2 Jul 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 181:* Kurt Etch-a-Sketches his way around the Wisconsin Rapids area for 221 miles. Steve has a late start but rides through much of the night during the UK's hottest couple of days so far. He clocks up 178 miles by midnight. Miles rides the bay several times to give him and impressive 253 miles.


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## ianrauk (2 Jul 2015)

*Day 182:* At the half way point of the OYTT, Steve puts in some big miles by completing his overnight tour of East Anglia, gaining 306 miles during the 24 hours of 1st July. This puts him within a day of Billie Fleming's 1938 world record. After a 231 mile day from Kurt, he is now within a day of Arthur Humbles' 1932 record. Miles does 199 miles of bay riding.


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## Aperitif (3 Jul 2015)

*From Jo over at the other place* while Ian does a really silly thing and spends time drinking cold beer in Germany all weekend amongst friends, having a great time. How un-CycleChatterley's lover! 
*
Day 183:* Steve does 202 miles to pass Billie Fleming's year record set in 1938 (29,604 miles). Kurt does 218 miles to pass Arthur Humbles' 1932 total of 36,007 miles. Miles heads out east from Melbourne for an overnighter, completing 108 miles by midnight.


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## Mugshot (3 Jul 2015)

Nicely done @Aperitif, it's nice to finally have some professionalism introduced into this thread, thank you!


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## Supersuperleeds (3 Jul 2015)

User3094 said:


> So another 50 odd miles short of the daily required distance.
> *
> Is this the most futile effort ever seen*?



Ironox


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## Aperitif (3 Jul 2015)

User3094 said:


> So another 50 odd miles short of the daily required distance.
> 
> Is this the most futile effort ever seen?


No. It's Corinthian in spirit which is enough for now.


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## DanZac (3 Jul 2015)

Not over yet by a long way, they are still only half way through the year so far. The effort that all the participants are putting into this is truly outstanding and they truly deserve all the positive support they have had thus far. 
If nothing else they have inspired me to get out on a few days when I could easily have stayed in bed and to put in a few extra miles. Well done guys keep pushing it out.


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## Pale Rider (4 Jul 2015)

DanZac said:


> Not over yet by a long way, they are still only half way through the year so far.



In a way, that's part of Steve's problem.

Every ride under 250 miles puts him further behind schedule, and there are lots of rides to go.

If the attempt ended today, he'd chalk off 250+ miles no bother and get the record.


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## Aperitif (4 Jul 2015)

For Ian, from Jo at the other place: 
*
Day 184:* Kurt heads east back to Lake Michigan for an oh so consistent 223 miles. Steve heads north to the Wash on another overnighter giving him 201 miles for the first 24 hours. Miles returns to the bay with a 208 mile total. During June and July it was Tommy in 1939 who was making the most rapid progress.


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## Dayvo (4 Jul 2015)

User3094 said:


> So another 50 odd miles short of the daily required distance.
> 
> Is this the most futile effort ever seen?





Some people don't give in when the going gets tough.


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## ColinJ (4 Jul 2015)

Dayvo said:


> Some people don't give in when the going gets tough.


When the going is that tough, most of us do not even _START_!


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## Rickshaw Phil (4 Jul 2015)

Supersuperleeds said:


> Ironox


Indeed. Even I am ahead of him now.


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## Aperitif (6 Jul 2015)

From Jo at the other place...featuring Kurt's 'van to graph generator'..*.

Day 185:* Steve returns home from the Wash on a circuitous 237 mile route to pass 30,000 miles in 2015. Kurt does a few back and forths along the lake shore for another 222 miles. Miles does 98 miles of the bay.


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## Supersuperleeds (6 Jul 2015)

Rickshaw Phil said:


> Indeed. Even I am ahead of him now.



Blimey I didn't realise he'd done so few miles


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## CopperCyclist (6 Jul 2015)

Supersuperleeds said:


> Blimey I didn't realise he'd done so few miles



Are there any rules about how quickly the evidence of the milage has to be uploaded? He's not sneakily doing 250 mile days every day and won't upload them till November will he?


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## Mugshot (6 Jul 2015)

CopperCyclist said:


> Are there any rules about how quickly the evidence of the milage has to be uploaded? He's not sneakily doing 250 mile days every day and won't upload them till November will he?


24hrs I believe, although there appear to have been a couple of instances where glitches have occurred and rides have been uploaded later, I would imagine following frantic phone calls to the powers that be). You may of course be correct and Mr Ironox has played us all for mugs, I'm pretty sure however that he's just an arse who should do the right thing.


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## ianrauk (6 Jul 2015)

From Jo over at the other place
*Day 186:* Kurt rides 250 miles north to the Michigan border. Steve does a large loop of Cambridge for a 184 mile total. Miles does the bay a couple of times for 206 miles.


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## Supersuperleeds (6 Jul 2015)

ianrauk said:


> From Jo over at the other place
> *Day 186:* Kurt rides 250 miles north to the Michigan border. Steve does a large loop of Cambridge for a 184 mile total. Miles does the bay a couple of times for 206 miles.



@ianrauk, you've been sacked, @Aperitif wage demands were much lower.


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## ianrauk (6 Jul 2015)

From Steve's FB Page

Steve Abraham Steve's plan is still to try and pass Tommy Godwin's mileage by year end. He realises the 'audacity' of the task, but at this point he's still willing to give it everything he has. He is likely to start running a concurrent (new) record attempt next month, so that he still gives himself a full 12 months to see what he is truly capable of. That's the plan thus far. Regards, Steve's Support Team.


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## Aperitif (6 Jul 2015)

Ich bin ein Bergibbon...or should that be sausage? 'Audaxity' would have been a nice tinker with the language of ride, but I'm sure he alone knows what's good for the goose is good for sitting upon...

"GehensiewiedieklöppelSteve"


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## Mugshot (8 Jul 2015)

User3094 said:


> So another 50 odd miles short of the daily required distance.
> 
> Is this the most futile effort ever seen?



This from Facebook the other day, apparently they have a plan.

_Pete AbrahamHad you not better crack out some even bigger monsterous mileage to make this attempt barely possible? Your are way behind now after that lummux ballsed up your ride that morning and I thought you were restarting? Still a good effort though but you need some seroius catch up plan to be at least trailing with Kurt who is doing well and has 10 days to play with........is it really possible now?Under the cirmustances after what happened,given the volume of traffic these days and weather we had in the winter, I think what has be done so far is an amazing achievement and very honurable in itself..!
Like · Reply · 1 July at 00:47_

_

_
_Steve AbrahamTrust us Pete, we are still on track - Hoppo 
Like · 3 · 2 July at 11:44_


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## Mugshot (8 Jul 2015)

User3094 said:


> How very mysterious!
> 
> His target now must be something like 260+ miles per day to catch up?


It'd need to be something like that. I think what the two of them are doing is remarkable (as I suspect do we all) but it does strike me as a little odd when Steve rides a 250 miler which is a little under what he needs to tie, and then rides a 200 the next day which is a lot under what he needs, but if they say they have a plan then maybe they do. My thoughts are that despite what's being said they're not really thinking they can get the record on this challenge but are starting to ramp it up so Steves flying for the challenge which looks like it's going to start in August.


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## ianrauk (8 Jul 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 187:* Steve does a loopy tour around the Cambridgeshire fens for a 251 mile total. Miles makes a 175 mile trip from Albury, north of Melbourne. Nothing posted by Kurt so far.






*Day 188:* After the previous day in the north of Wisconsin, Kurt heads south for 235 miles. An early start for Steve sees him making a King's Lynn loop for 218 miles. Miles has problems with his GPS upload but covers approximately 128 miles.


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## Mugshot (8 Jul 2015)

User3094 said:


> Yep as if what he's already doing (ankle and all) isn't amazing enough.... if he somehow gets the record (and yes, I'm still very sceptical), he deserves a knighthood.


I'd say he deserves more that that, I'd give him the big one;

Sports Personality Of The Year!!


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## MisterStan (8 Jul 2015)

He has cycled through my home town three times in two days and I've missed him every time! Bloody work getting in the way....


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## Mugshot (8 Jul 2015)

ianrauk said:


> From Jo over at the other place
> 
> *Day 187:* Steve does a loopy tour around the Cambridgeshire fens for a 251 mile total. Miles makes a 175 mile trip from Albury, north of Melbourne. Nothing posted by Kurt so far.
> 
> ...



Kurt showing a steady climb against the average line, that's some good solid pedalin' right there.


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## mcshroom (8 Jul 2015)

He does seem to have set on a successful formula. I notice he decided not to ride RAAM which he was thinking of earlier in the year, and also seems to have knocked the 12 hr TTs on the head. I think he's realised how much focus he needs on the HAM'R. Go Kurt!


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## Mugshot (8 Jul 2015)

mcshroom said:


> He does seem to have set on a successful formula. I notice he decided not to ride RAAM which he was thinking of earlier in the year, and also seems to have knocked the 12 hr TTs on the head. I think he's realised how much focus he needs on the HAM'R. Go Kurt!


Agreed, towards the start of the year he seemed to be having a few wobbles with motivation and I wondered whether he would last the course, but he doesn't seem to be having any such problems now and is totally focused on the challenge.


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## ianrauk (9 Jul 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 189:* Kurt rides 232 miles north to central Wisconsin. Another fend land loop from Steve gives him a 231 mile total. Miles is back to the bay for 132 miles of riding.


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## ianrauk (9 Jul 2015)

Steve's Strava Heat Map *HERE*


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## summerdays (9 Jul 2015)

What is the area north of MK like, there seems to be a hole where he hasn't visited?


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## Supersuperleeds (9 Jul 2015)

summerdays said:


> What is the area north of MK like, there seems to be a hole where he hasn't visited?



The top part of it near Leicester is great for pootling, lots of quiet winding country lanes, they may be a bit slow for him though, I presume he will want faster straighter roads so he can maintain his pace better.


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## ianrauk (10 Jul 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 190:* Miles, Kurt and Steve all ride about 220 miles along familiar routes. Tommy's July 1939 distances continued to outpace them all.


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## MisterStan (10 Jul 2015)

Steve has obviously read my post from the other day and is now circling my house;


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## Mugshot (11 Jul 2015)

Ooooo, looks like I can post Facebook videos again, that'll be annoying for y'all. Anyway, here's Kurt riding a bike and doing a little Q&A.


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## ianrauk (11 Jul 2015)

From Jo over at the other place.

*Day 191:* Another 219 East Anglian miles from Steve. Kurt does 221 miles from Manitowoc. 85 bay miles from Miles. Tommy was making good progress with a 301 mile ride on the 10th July 1939.


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## themosquitoking (11 Jul 2015)

How on earth did someone manage 300 miles in a day on those bikes and roads back then ffs? Made of different stuff to us nowadays i reckon.


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## ianrauk (12 Jul 2015)

From Jo over at the other place.

*Day 192:* Kurt follows the west shore north for 243 miles taking his daily average for the first 6 months to over 208 miles per day. Steve does a MK-Spalding-King's Lynn-MK loop for 204 miles. Miles rides from north of Melbourne for 119 miles.


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## ianrauk (13 Jul 2015)

From Jo over at the other place
*Day 193:* Kurt sticks to roads in the Baileys Harbor region, has a couple of punctures and GPS problems but still manages 210 miles. Steve does a wide loop of Cambridge with 178 miles for the day. Miles heads east from Melbourne for 108 miles. He is now as far behind Tommy's WR pace as Steve was following his crash.


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## w00hoo_kent (13 Jul 2015)

themosquitoking said:


> How on earth did someone manage 300 miles in a day on those bikes and roads back then ffs? Made of different stuff to us nowadays i reckon.


Don't know, but I'm guessing the guys doing it today won't spend the rest of their lives walking in a weird crouch because of their efforts this year...


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## Mugshot (13 Jul 2015)

ianrauk said:


> Miles heads east from Melbourne for 108 miles. He is now as far behind Tommy's WR pace as Steve was following his crash.


Is this for Miles' restarted attempt?


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## themosquitoking (13 Jul 2015)

w00hoo_kent said:


> Don't know, but I'm guessing the guys doing it today won't spend the rest of their lives walking in a weird crouch because of their efforts this year...


Now i just have a vision of a 1930s man running around doing a doctor zoidberg impression.


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## ianrauk (14 Jul 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 194:* Kurt manages 201 miles despite the day being top and tailed by heavy storms. Steve does a familiar loop via Spalding with a late end to the day giving him 209 miles and an annual total of 32,000. Miles puts in a long day of which 196 miles fall within the 24 hours of the 13th July.


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## Mugshot (14 Jul 2015)

Update from Steve HERE


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## BigAl68 (14 Jul 2015)

So we have a restart date and Steve's thinking and reasoning. I think he is very sure of himself and his capabilities and I for one can't wait to see how this plays out over the next year and a half.


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## ianrauk (14 Jul 2015)

BigAl68 said:


> So we have a restart date and Steve's thinking and reasoning. I think he is very sure of himself and his capabilities and I for one can't wait to see how this plays out over the next year and a half.




Indeed, it's fascinating stuff. Fair play to Steve. A lesser mortal would have given up way before now.


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## Mugshot (14 Jul 2015)

BigAl68 said:


> So we have a restart date and Steve's thinking and reasoning. I think he is very sure of himself and his capabilities and I for one can't wait to see how this plays out over the next year and a half.





ianrauk said:


> Indeed, it's fascinating stuff. Fair play to Steve. A lesser mortal would have given up way before now.



Interesting and exciting for sure, but I felt a little concerned for Steve reading the article, I dunno I'm probably reading too much into it.


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## BigAl68 (14 Jul 2015)

@Mugshot I also can read some trepidation in his words however we all know how easy meaning can get lost when you can't hear the person saying the words.


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## srw (14 Jul 2015)

Mugshot said:


> Interesting and exciting for sure, but I felt a little concerned for Steve reading the article, I dunno I'm probably reading too much into it.


I think you are. I think he knows himself extremely well.


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## Mugshot (14 Jul 2015)

BigAl68 said:


> @Mugshot I also can read some trepidation in his words however we all know how easy meaning can get lost when you can't hear the person saying the words.


Agreed, I'm probably just being a bit pessimistic, plus I'm a bloody bad mood today


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## w00hoo_kent (14 Jul 2015)

BigAl68 said:


> @Mugshot I also can read some trepidation in his words however we all know how easy meaning can get lost when you can't hear the person saying the words.


Agreed, I'd imagine given the chance he'd like another month of healing first because his ankle isn't where he wants it to be (which can't be helping everything else if he is right in thinking being injured is what is kicking out the sleepy hormones). But he knows he can't delay past August 1 for practical reasons so he just has to see how it goes. I'm amazed every other sentence isn't berating the nobber on the moped. But I guess you can't change the past.


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## BigAl68 (14 Jul 2015)

Mugshot said:


> Agreed, I'm probably just being a bit pessimistic, plus I'm a bloody bad mood today



Seems a lot of people are. I am looking forward to getting out of the hospital and riding my bad mood away at 3pm


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## ianrauk (14 Jul 2015)

w00hoo_kent said:


> I'm amazed every other sentence isn't berating the nobber on the moped. But I guess you can't change the past.



Steve's not that type of person.


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## w00hoo_kent (14 Jul 2015)

ianrauk said:


> Steve's not that type of person.


I've come to realise that, his interview answers left it very clear and I'd imagine very few dedicated athletes spend much time dwelling on what could have been. Still, I'd be cursing him.


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## ianrauk (14 Jul 2015)

w00hoo_kent said:


> I've come to realise that, his interview answers left it very clear and I'd imagine very few dedicated athletes spend much time dwelling on what could have been. Still, I'd be cursing him.




I'd be doing more then that..............


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## Mugshot (15 Jul 2015)

Kurt rides a monster, tail wind apparently, but even so that's a mighty impressive average.


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## Mugshot (15 Jul 2015)

Steve bangs in a double century as he prepares for the big re-start.


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## ianrauk (15 Jul 2015)

From Jo over at the other place
*Day 195:* Kurt rides for 273 miles, making it his longest day yet in the OYTT. Steve continues his slight easing of daily distance at 204 miles in preparation for a second concurrent attempt in August. Only a few miles logged for Miles following is previous long day, but his pace over his first 27 days matches that set by Tommy in January 1939.


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## User19783 (15 Jul 2015)

Well good.!
But have you checked out his max speed, 71 mph?
Balls of stealing.


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## Mugshot (15 Jul 2015)

User19783 said:


> Well good.!
> But have you checked out his max speed, 71 mph?
> Balls of stealing.


I hadn't noticed that, that's pretty quick on a Raleigh!!


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## Pale Rider (15 Jul 2015)

Mugshot said:


> Kurt rides a monster



As a swift response to Steve's update?


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## Saluki (15 Jul 2015)

71mph!! Dear God. I wuss out at about 40, down a big hill.
Jo at the other place is going to have to colour in a new graph for Steve's restart.


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## ianrauk (16 Jul 2015)

From Jo over at the other place 

*Day 196:* Kurt rides 225 miles along familiar roads. Steve does a 214 mile variant of his fenland loop and Miles heads back down the bay for 136 miles.







It will be a weekly update next week as Jo is off on holibobs.


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## Mugshot (16 Jul 2015)

Miles plan seems to be to follow Tommys graph.


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## Mugshot (16 Jul 2015)

ianrauk said:


> It will be a weekly update next week as Jo is off on holibobs.


So long as he's back for Steves restart that'll be ok.


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## MartinQ (18 Jul 2015)

Go Steve ... 
Good luck on the Mersey Roads 24 today / tomorrow , hope these
http://createbakemake.com/2014/04/16/malteser-and-mars-bar-slice/
keep you going


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## ianrauk (18 Jul 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 197:* Kurt sticks largely to the edge of the lake of 213 miles. Steve does a 200 mile loop to the east of MK. Miles back up and down the bay for a 135 mile total.


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## ianrauk (18 Jul 2015)

*Day 198:* Kurt does another shoreline based ride for 223 miles. Steve heads NW for 167 miles in advance of the Mersey 24 time trial starting on Saturday. Miles rides north out of Melbourne, and then back again for a 174 mile total. Tommy continued to put in big days with 314 miles on the 17th July 1939.


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## MartinQ (19 Jul 2015)

Steve in his natural habitat on the Mersey Roads 24 ...
It was fairly windy yesterday and wet overnight. Today was a bit better.
Go Steve.


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## ianrauk (20 Jul 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 199:* Kurt attempts to dodge a storm with a bit of driving but manages to ride 212 miles up to the penisula. Steve completes 167 miles by midnight as part of the Mersey Roads 24 hour TT. Miles back to the bay with a 121 mile ride.


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## ianrauk (20 Jul 2015)

*Day 200:* Strong crosswinds keep Kurt to the shoreline in his 225 mile ride. He reports some breathing problems when riding the recumbent so sticks with the upright. Steve completes his Mersey 24TT with another 154 miles from midnight. Miles does another 130 mile trip along the bayside.


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## Mugshot (20 Jul 2015)

*Breaking news, Miles doesn't like Steve!!!*

_*Go Miles



feeling frozen in Rye, Victoria*
1 hr · 
Day 31 "I hate Steve in the UK....He could have initiated the HAM'R challenge last year, one of Melbourne's mildest (in regard to weather). Yesterday was the coldest in Melbourne in 18 years, only 0.6 degrees C above zero, today its half a degree C warmer.

Temperature inversion, zero cloud cover. Radio announcers were warning listeners not to pour boiling water on car door locks and windscreens. It felt like what I remember as a summer's day whilst on holiday in Blackpool.

For the pas two days I rode only when the weak insipid sun was shining, but I have caught up on sleep. Wearing so much wet/cold weather gear slows me down on the bike, with a knock on effect re sleep. During the abandoned bung lung attempt the hail was so bad it removed skin on both my ears. As I said - I hate Steve's timing on reigniting the HAM'R challenge

To answer a couple of questions - what's the weirdest thing that's happens so far? That's an easy one. Riding towards South Frankston travelling north, I could see traffic flashing their lights (it was dark) and horns blaring at the junction with Tanti Ave. I rode past but turned to see a little old Lady sat on an immobile mobility scooter half way across the pedestrian/zebra crossing. Traffic streaming past her on both sides and her head moving to and fro as one of those clown heads into which you throw balls at a fair ground. I jumped off the bike, nipped back and pushed her off (the crossing not the scooter - you guys). Traffic continuing to stream by with side windows down and a few choice words shouted put by car drivers. Turns out she had run out of battery power and had been on the crossing for a while. Rang RACV and they sent a battery van and police to keep an eye on Doris, given ‪#‎Frankston‬ was just up the way. Jumped back on my bike and got going again.

Good news for fellow riders down on the insular peninsular - new bike shop opening in ‪#‎Rye‬, Rye Bike Shop. That means the excellent Giant Bicycles Australia retailer in ‪#‎Rosebud‬ Freewheeling Cycles will no longer be the last place to turn go to before you hit that wonderfully smooth bike lane from Rye to half way to ‪#‎Sorrento‬. ‪#‎GoMiles‬_


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## Mugshot (21 Jul 2015)

Little article you may or may not be interested in HERE

And this is Alicias response

_*Tarzan Rides the HAM'R Kurt Searvogel*
26 mins · 
Kurt and I live in our own little world focused on getting this done, so it is interesting to read what is being written, someone else's view on what we are doing. This competition is about MILES. Elevation gain, weather, road conditions, sponsorships, support crew, location, media coverage, etc... are all time and tactics in the overall strategy of taking on this monumental feat. We do the best we can with what we have, laugh a lot, but most important: Keep Kurt on his bike and ride! We are getting it done. - Alicia_


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## Mugshot (21 Jul 2015)

*Tarzan Rides the HAM'R Kurt Searvogel*
53 mins ·
Thanks for following and sharing our journey, we are over halfway there!


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## ianrauk (23 Jul 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 201:* Kurt hits 40,000 miles with a 232 mile ride ending in Manitowoc. Steve slows his pace and rides 85 miles back from Cheshire to Lichfield. Miles rides from Albury back to Melbourne for a 201 mile day.


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## ianrauk (23 Jul 2015)

*Day 202:* Steve announces a concurrent restart attempt starting on the 8th August, until which time he intends to ease off the long distances. He rides 97 miles from Lichfield back to MK. Kurt sticks to the Lake Michigan shoreline for 223 miles. Miles does a repeat of yesterday from Albury to Melbourne.


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## ianrauk (24 Jul 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day203: *220 miles up the shoreline for Kurt keeps him heading steadily away from Tommy Godwin's pace. Steve continues his tapering in advance of his restart with a 127 mile trip to St Ives and back. Miles combines a short trip north with his usual bayside route for 204 miles.






*Day204: *Kurt tours the peninsula with some shoreline repeats for 219 miles. Steve makes the 123 mile return trip to Peterborough. Miles is back to the bay with a 130 mile ride.


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## ianrauk (24 Jul 2015)

Interview with Steve at the Mersey 24


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## ianrauk (26 Jul 2015)

From Jo over at the other place.

*Day 205:* Another 220 Wisconsin miles from Kurt, 125 tapered miles from Steve and small, but perfectly formed 45 from Miles. _(Brief report as I'm off on holiday for a week in the land of uncertain wifi.)_


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## Mugshot (26 Jul 2015)

Kurt is looking very strong now, still a way to go but it's looking like Steve will have a new target for his challenge.
Not seen an HAMR update for a while, have I missed one?


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## Mugshot (26 Jul 2015)

I assume THIS is up to date.

Edit: Yes it is


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## Mugshot (26 Jul 2015)

For @Supersuperleeds


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## Mugshot (26 Jul 2015)

[QUOTE 3819708, member: 9609"]not really, they have missed 219.3 out for kurt on day 194[/QUOTE]
Oh aye, they've missed stacks out for The Ox too!!! Never mind, it was close enough for me


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## Supersuperleeds (26 Jul 2015)

They have my data wrong as well, I think it's missing about 100 miles


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## Mugshot (27 Jul 2015)

[QUOTE 3820973, member: 9609"]I am now just over 600 miles in front of the Ox - not sure why he is in the challenge.[/QUOTE]
I'm just over double his mileage, personally I find I'm embarrassed on his behalf it makes him look like a joke. However if his aim was to get more Strava followers and to get more hits and likes on the Facebook page of the company that he works for then he's a genius.


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## Supersuperleeds (27 Jul 2015)

[QUOTE 3820973, member: 9609"]I am now just over 600 miles in front of the Ox - not sure why he is in the challenge.

@Supersuperleeds nearly 12½ thousand for the year so far, very impressive, averaging 60 mile per day !!! wow that is one serious amount of cycling, what sort of speeds are you averaging ?[/QUOTE]

It's all the commuting miles that builds it up. Commuting I am around 15-16mph, if I get on the road bike that goes 16+, in the winter on the hybrid and the winter tyres I'm lucky to hit 14-15mph.


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## Mugshot (28 Jul 2015)

Bad news for Kurt, this from his Facebook
_*Tarzan Rides the HAM'R Kurt Searvogel*
5 hrs · 
This morning Kurt was having trouble breathing when riding the recumbent again. We thought it might be congestion or a lung infection. I had him quit early so that he could be seen. His X-ray showed that in his right lung he has a hemi-elevated diaphragm. What that means, we don't know until he sees a pulmonologist. We already know he has a large heart and now less space in his lungs? Blood work shows he's a bit anemic too. Yet, he keeps HAM'Ring on!!! - Alicia_


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## Aperitif (28 Jul 2015)

Thanks, Mugshot. Get well soon, Kurt.


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## summerdays (28 Jul 2015)

Oh dear that doesn't sound good!


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## ianrauk (28 Jul 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 206:* Kurt rides south from Baileys Harbor for another 226 miles. Steve rides a 138 mile loop through Cambridgeshire while Miles's 139 miles is ridden north of Melbourne. William Pruett makes a guest 40 mile appearance in Texas.







*Day 207:* Kurt heads inland to Wisconsin Rapids for a day's total of 231 miles. Steve makes the 124 mile return trip to Saffron Walden. Miles rides east of Melbourne, matching Tommy's early progress with a 145 mile day.






*Day 208:* Kurt interrupts his daily schedule for chest x-ray following some breathing difficulties. Initial diagnosis is a "hemi-elevated diaphragm" requiring some further exploration from a specialist. Remarkably he still manages to fit in 124 miles of riding in the Wisconsin Rapids area. Steve rides 102 miles to Cambridge and back. Miles does a couple of trips east to Trafalgar, presumably with an assisting wind for a 165 mile total within the 24 hours.


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## ianrauk (28 Jul 2015)




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## ianrauk (28 Jul 2015)




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## ianrauk (28 Jul 2015)




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## ianrauk (28 Jul 2015)




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## w00hoo_kent (28 Jul 2015)

Kurt really is the only one looking likely for this one this time round isn't he. Let's hope his health doesn't fail him. I think it's becoming really obvious what a task this is and how 'just breaking through it' isn't the sure thing it first appeared.


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## ianrauk (28 Jul 2015)




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## MisterStan (28 Jul 2015)

[QUOTE 3823070, member: 9609"]and the constitution of an Ox[/QUOTE]
Not an Iron Ox though


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## cisamcgu (28 Jul 2015)

The original record of Tommy Godwin - is anyone beginning to wonder if the mileage he did was accurately measured ?

Just a thought ...I'm not for one moment decrying the record, just pondering the difficulties in measurments in the years before GPS


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## Mugshot (28 Jul 2015)

cisamcgu said:


> The original record of Tommy Godwin - is anyone beginning to wonder if the mileage he did was accurately measured ?
> 
> Just a thought ...I'm not for one moment decrying the record, just pondering the difficulties in measurments in the years before GPS


I think ths was discussed to some degree in the discusssion thread for the HAMR which is around somewhere. I suppose whilst there may be question marks around the validity of the mileage the fact that it is accepted as the highest annual mileage achieved means that any debate is moot to some to degree and that it is the milestone which the competitors are trying to pass means it is valid.


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## w00hoo_kent (28 Jul 2015)

cisamcgu said:


> The original record of Tommy Godwin - is anyone beginning to wonder if the mileage he did was accurately measured ?
> 
> Just a thought ...I'm not for one moment decrying the record, just pondering the difficulties in measurments in the years before GPS


It does seem fantastical doesn't it. But as mentioned, you kind of have to take it. I am thinking that being in America and choosing the weather and roads a bit is a massive advantage over trying to do it in the UK.


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## Mugshot (29 Jul 2015)

Teeny tiny updatish on Kurt HERE


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## ianrauk (30 Jul 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

Average moving speed of the three riders in 2015. Thin lines are daily averages, thicker lines are weekly moving averages.






Interesting to see that Steve was actually riding faster than Kurt towards late June. Kurt has been remarkably consistent through the year (the obvious dip was when he had a stomach virus).


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## Mugshot (30 Jul 2015)

*Chris 'Hoppo' hopkinson*
1 hr ·
On my way down to meet up with Steve Abraham for a couple of days riding on the 1YTT and to discuss tactics ahead of the start of Steve's concurrent attempt.
Photos and news will be posted here over the next couple of days


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## Dogtrousers (30 Jul 2015)

I think that Steve is only doing the concurrent attempt because he feels that the graphics being produced aren't complicated enough.


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## ianrauk (30 Jul 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 209:* Kurt bounces back after his breathing difficulties and x-ray diagnosis with a 232 mile day. Steve continues to build his distance in preparation for his August reboot with a 145 mile loop through Cambridgeshire. Miles heads out east again for a 168 miles of riding. William appears to have woken from hibernation but is currently 39,980 miles behind WR pace.


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## ianrauk (30 Jul 2015)

*Day 210:* Kurt continues to show the world that he is undaunted by possible health issues by riding 236 miles from central Wisonsin back to Manitowoc. Steve pushes his daily fenland loop a little further to 193 miles. Miles rides east of Melbourne back home for 86 miles.


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## ianrauk (31 Jul 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 211:* Kurt knocks off another 219 miles from central Wisconsin to the lake with a little help from the wind. Steve does exactly one Godwin (205.6 miles) on a trip to Boston and back. Miles takes the train north and rides back to Melbourne for 201 miles.


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## Mugshot (31 Jul 2015)




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## MartinQ (31 Jul 2015)

Great to see. When he came up for the Mersey Roads 24, he openly said he was tired/lost a bit of speed. 
It looks like he's found his legs again, go Steve.


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## ianrauk (2 Aug 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 213: *Kurt rides 228 miles south towards Milwaukee. Steve does another trip to St Ives, this time for a 130 mile total. Miles rides 181 miles east from Melbourne to Bairnsdale (oh, and William does 43 miles making his annual total to date 2,428 miles).


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## ianrauk (3 Aug 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 214:* Kurt knocks out another 232 miles, interrupted briefly by afternoon storms. Steve takes a long loop around Cambridge for 167 miles. Miles does 108 heading east from Melbourne to Traralgon.


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## Supersuperleeds (3 Aug 2015)

I thought Steve would have started August with a bang and done 200 miles a day minimum in order to get ahead before winter comes. His mileage is still more than impressive mind.


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## Mugshot (3 Aug 2015)

Supersuperleeds said:


> I thought Steve would have started August with a bang and done 200 miles a day minimum in order to get ahead before winter comes. His mileage is still more than impressive mind.


I think he's saving it all up for the 8th.


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## Supersuperleeds (3 Aug 2015)

Mugshot said:


> I think he's saving it all up for the 8th.



What's happening on the 8th?


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## ianrauk (3 Aug 2015)

Supersuperleeds said:


> What's happening on the 8th?




He's restarting the challenge.
Please pay attention at the back


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## Mugshot (3 Aug 2015)

Restart


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## Dogtrousers (3 Aug 2015)

ianrauk said:


> Steve does exactly one Godwin (205.6 miles)


Interesting. I think I may make that my challenge for next year - to ride one Godwin: 205.6 miles in a day. I may even start flat route planning.


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## w00hoo_kent (3 Aug 2015)

Dogtrousers said:


> Interesting. I think I may make that my challenge for next year - to ride one Godwin: 205.6 miles in a day. I may even start flat route planning.


I'd get it in this year, otherwise it looks like you'll be riding a Searvogel and it'll be a few extra miles...


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## Supersuperleeds (3 Aug 2015)

ianrauk said:


> He's restarting the challenge.
> Please pay attention at the back



Sorry headmaster.

I thought the restart was the 1st, hence my original comment


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## Mugshot (3 Aug 2015)

Supersuperleeds said:


> Sorry headmaster.
> 
> I thought the restart was the 1st, hence my original comment



Sir, sir, Supersuper keeps throwing things at me when I'm trying to get on with my work. Don't forget you asked for the homework you set to be in today too, the one about the HAMR.

Supersuperleeds didn't do his!!


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## Supersuperleeds (3 Aug 2015)

Mugshot said:


> Sir, sir, Supersuper keeps throwing things at me when I'm trying to get on with my work. Don't forget you asked for the homework you set to be in today too, the one about the HAMR.
> 
> Supersuperleeds didn't do his!!



Grass


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## Dayvo (3 Aug 2015)

Dogtrousers said:


> Interesting. I think I may make that my challenge for next year - to ride one Godwin: 205.6 miles in a day. I may even start flat route planning.



You know what! I'll join you in that challenge. One day next summer (obviously not the _same_ day), I'll give it a go.

There, it's in black and white now.


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## Dayvo (3 Aug 2015)

I've got a route sorted:

https://www.google.no/maps/dir/Domb...1b6f88edc94a595!2m2!1d10.7918933!2d59.8405721

Some time around mid summmer. (gulp).


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## ianrauk (4 Aug 2015)

From Jo over at the other place
*Day 215: *Kurt rides 215 miles east back to Manitowoc including some time on the 'bent suggesting his breathing problems may be lessening. Four days before his restart, Steve does 91 miles to Royston and back. Miles makes a couple of trips east from Melbourne giving him 195 miles.


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## ianrauk (5 Aug 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 216:* A 209 mile loop from Manitowoc from Kurt. Steve loops via Peterborough for 150 miles. Miles does another 107 mile trip out east to Traralgon.


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## Mugshot (5 Aug 2015)

_*Steve Abraham*
48 mins ·
Steve re-launches his concurrent World Record attempt next weekend and is feeling ready to give his best again.

An outline of his plans for the coming year can be found in this month's copy of Arrivee Magazine, the membership magazine for the British Long Distance Cycling Association (Audax UK).

If you have an interest in riding long distances, as Steve does, why not find out more about Audax UK on their website: http://www.aukweb.net/aboutauk/_





Is it me or has Steves hair grown?


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## deptfordmarmoset (5 Aug 2015)

Mugshot said:


> _*Steve Abraham*
> 48 mins ·
> Steve re-launches his concurrent World Record attempt next weekend and is feeling ready to give his best again.
> 
> ...


He appears to have sprouted a fluffy bobtail too.


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## Mugshot (5 Aug 2015)

deptfordmarmoset said:


> He appears to have sprouted a fluffy bobtail too.


Oh aye, now that doesn't look very aero!


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## w00hoo_kent (5 Aug 2015)

Maybe he's experimenting swapping candy floss for flapjacks?


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## ianrauk (5 Aug 2015)

Mugshot said:


> _*Steve Abraham*
> 48 mins ·
> Steve re-launches his concurrent World Record attempt next weekend and is feeling ready to give his best again.
> 
> ...




There's a pic of me in that mag. Page 18.. not that anyone would be interested.


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## Supersuperleeds (5 Aug 2015)

ianrauk said:


> There's a pic of me in that mag. Page 18.. not that anyone would be interested.



come on then, get it scanned and posted on here


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## Mugshot (5 Aug 2015)

ianrauk said:


> There's a pic of me in that mag. Page 18.. not that anyone would be interested.


That's not you on the cover then?


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## ianrauk (5 Aug 2015)

Mugshot said:


> That's not you on the cover then?


On a red bike? I should coco...


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## Norry1 (5 Aug 2015)

Dayvo said:


> You know what! I'll join you in that challenge. One day next summer (obviously not the _same_ day), I'll give it a go.
> 
> There, it's in black and white now.


Sounds like a plan


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## Mugshot (5 Aug 2015)

ianrauk said:


> On a red bike? I should coco...


Ah, is that the reason, thought maybe you weren't model material like the cover star


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## Mark Grant (5 Aug 2015)

ianrauk said:


> There's a pic of me in that mag. Page 18.. not that anyone would be interested.


Looks like @deckertim above too.


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## ianrauk (6 Aug 2015)

Mark Grant said:


> Looks like @deckertim above too.


Yup it is


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## ianrauk (6 Aug 2015)

From Jo over at the other place
*Day 217: *After a ride of headwinds the previous day, Kurt rides west with the wind for a 211 mile total. Steve does a 164 mile there-and-back to Newmarket. Miles rides east to Yarragon giving him 106 miles for the day.


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## ianrauk (6 Aug 2015)

Supersuperleeds said:


> come on then, get it scanned and posted on here


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## ianrauk (7 Aug 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 218:* Kurt sticks to inland Wisconsin for another 212 miles passing 75,065km. Now he just has to do the same in miles. With just one more ride before his reboot, Steve does a 132 mile loop of Cambridgeshire and approaches Arthur Humbles' 1932 record. Miles heads east to Sale for a 149 mile day.


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## ianrauk (7 Aug 2015)

And tomorrow is the day.. the reboot.... *GO STEVE!!!*


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## Banjo (7 Aug 2015)

To get this far then reset the clock shows determination beyond description.
Good Luck Steve


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## Pale Rider (7 Aug 2015)

ianrauk said:


> View attachment 99086



The other bloke looks like he's struggling.

Unlike our Ian, who can chalk off 300km no bother.


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## ianrauk (7 Aug 2015)

Pale Rider said:


> The other bloke looks like he's struggling.
> 
> Unlike our Ian, who can chalk off 300km no bother.




The other bloke, (Trickdem) did LEL, WindsorChesterWindor and is doing PBP.. I can only dream of doing those type of rides. . But must admit, that 300 was a fairly easy ride. Only one really nasty, long hill, Capel Le Ferne.... where the pic was taken.


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## Mugshot (8 Aug 2015)

*Steve Abraham*
1 hr ·
This morning when Steve hit the road it was pretty much the same as any other day this year - but his new Highest Annual Mileage Cycling Record attempt has started today. We all wish him well for the next 365 days of riding!!!


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## ianrauk (8 Aug 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 219: *On the final day before his reboot, Steve does another Cambridgeshire loop via St Ives for a 122 mile total. Kurt battles with Wisconsin storms (and loses) giving him a slightly shorter than usual 170 miles. This places him just shy of Ossie Nicholson's 1933 record. Miles heads out east again for 159 miles.


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## Supersuperleeds (8 Aug 2015)

Steve's 135 miles in and if he is going home tonight then he should be on for 200+ miles.


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## ianrauk (9 Aug 2015)

From Jo over at the other place.

*Day 220 / 1:* Steve reboots his attempt with a tidy 217 fenland loop via Spalding and King's Lynn. The OYTT chart now shows both his attempts - a thicker red line for the reboot, thinner one for the 2015 attempt. The table at the bottom of the page also shows progress of both concurrent attempts. 

Kurt heads south from Manitowoc for 231 miles, passing Ossie Nicholson's 1933 record of 43,966 miles. Miles returns to doing a bay trip, this time for 129 miles.

Returning to day one for all challengers, Steve set off later but rode faster than his January 1st ride, but not yet matching Kurt's speed or Tommy's day one distance. But it's a good start, being 11 miles up on the required average distance per day.


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## Supersuperleeds (9 Aug 2015)

Steve's 150 miles in to his ride today, looks like another 200+

*GO STEVE!!!* *


***(shamelessly nicked from @ianrauk )


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## ianrauk (10 Aug 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 221 / 2:* Kurt rides 220 miles from the south of the state back north towards Manitowoc. Steve does 214 miles in a Thetford Forest loop, putting him ahead of his January day two distance and passing Arthur Humbles' 1932 record. Miles does a return trip of the bay for 130 miles.


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## Supersuperleeds (10 Aug 2015)

Does anyone know if there is something wrong with Miles as he is just dropping further and further behind, or is he trying to mirror the Tommy actual daily miles and therefore will ramp it up as Tommy did?


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## ianrauk (10 Aug 2015)

I just don't think he's up for the challenge. In fact, I don't think anyone actually realises the scale of the challenge until they actually start and get into it. If he doesn't up his game immediately, Miles is nearing to become too far behind to be any sort of serious challenger.


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## ianrauk (10 Aug 2015)

Miles's chart. As you can see he's way behind already.


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## srw (10 Aug 2015)

Not if you look at the data in another way. He's only about 300 miles beyond Tommy Godwin's equivalent distance at the same stage of the year.


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## ianrauk (10 Aug 2015)

srw said:


> View attachment 99641
> 
> 
> Not if you look at the data in another way. He's only about 300 miles beyond Tommy Godwin's equivalent distance at the same stage of the year.




At his current rate of daily mileage. He needs to up his game considerably and quickly as he will have too much to catch up. And as we have seen, you really can't skimp on the mileage for any length of time or you will always be playing catch up.


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## Pale Rider (10 Aug 2015)

Early days - literally - for Steve's second attempt, but I see he's addressed his problem of riding too slowly.

Average so far of 18.7mph, which means he can do 200 miles + in a riding time of about 12 hours.


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## srw (10 Aug 2015)

ianrauk said:


> At his current rate of daily mileage. He needs to up his game considerably and quickly as he will have too much to catch up. And as we have seen, you really can't skimp on the mileage for any length of time or you will always be playing catch up.


Just like Mr Godwin did....


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## Mugshot (10 Aug 2015)

*Tarzan Rides the HAM'R Kurt Searvogel*
22 mins ·
Kurt has had this annoying cough and chest irritation going on for a while now. He tried the recumbent yesterday, but that didn't last long. He has an appointment to see a doctor on Wednesday. His motivation, energy and spirits were low yesterday. I had to help him get out of this funk. So, I told him to find an area I could park the van and we both could ride. We cruised around Fox Lake enjoying the scenery like tourists. His spirits lifted and he was off again. Yeah! He wanted to end his ride at this outdoor pub/restaurant we had passed so many times (we NEVER have time to eat out or go to dinner). I was to jump ahead and meet him there, but it was packed with a long wait. Oh well... I'm really proud of him for staying on his bike. It was a long day and he got through it. He did it... again. ~ Alicia


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## w00hoo_kent (10 Aug 2015)

ianrauk said:


> At his current rate of daily mileage. He needs to up his game considerably and quickly as he will have too much to catch up. And as we have seen, you really can't skimp on the mileage for any length of time or you will always be playing catch up.


Although he is currently riding through the back end of winter...


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## Supersuperleeds (10 Aug 2015)

w00hoo_kent said:


> Although he is currently riding through the back end of winter...



....winter in Australia, he'll still be able to ride in shorts and not worry about ice or 'owt.


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## Mugshot (10 Aug 2015)

Supersuperleeds said:


> ....winter in Australia, he'll still be able to ride in shorts and not worry about ice or 'owt.



Sounds pretty miserable, here are some recent posts.

_*Go Miles*
5 August at 13:36 · 
"As you get to spend extended periods on the bike, say anything over an Audax 300 in winter, you are going to be riding in the dark.

Reading route directions, looking at maps, changing a tyre, fixing that thing that only happens when its dark, cold and raining or when you need to conserve your battery's on your various Garmin devices, you'll need a separate light source. This is what I use. It's ripped out of one of those cheesy peaked caps with lights built into the peak. I can switch it on and off with thumb of left hand even in the thickest water proof sealskin gloves. Previous one I had, even had a solar panel to keep batteries topped up.

Clear skies in Port Melbourne = Cold. I can cope with cold down to zero, below this I suffer. Suffering in the head more than anything. Last night I made Dandenong just out side of one hour and Pakenham in two, quick all the way to Yarragon but had to stop as so cold hands were loosing grip, spray off trucks plus misting up glasses, and the uncontrollable shakes. Same shakes kept waking me up on train back. Anyway six hours sleep now then up at midnight, no probs with chest, no colds, no flu (biggest fear re catching trains and inclement weather)." ‪#‎GoMiles‬_

_*Go Miles added 3 new photos.*
1 August at 12:59 · 
"On train back from Bairnsdale. Severe winds, gale force on the coast, warnings on radio all day. Wet and very grey all day.

It's a strange feeling having the bike lent over to the left as you pedal up the road, stranger still when you are taking a right bend.

Intend to get a quick 4 hrs sleep then out again to Bairnsdale to catch midday train back which will give me options for tomorrow PM - maybe Shepparton, Seymour or back down the bay.

Yesterday was a right stuff up. Found myself riding into 40 kph winds.

Still on my original Durano performance plus tyres. Any truck drivers reading this needing several winch/buckles for the side tarps on their 18 wheelers (up to 30 now on the doubles) just have a look on the hard shoulder 10 kms either side of Moe. 

Can't sleep anymore as nearby passenger doesn't seem to comprehend 'noise gain' technology built into both the phone and the network for several generations of equipment. "I'll just shout into the phone".

I'm sounding more and more like someone's Dad." ‪#‎GoMiles‬_












_Poor Miles, wet and cold again....
"It is soooo cold in Gippsland. Made it as far as Trafalgar, but wet to the skin and 1 degree C, when your pushing 30+ kph means you freeze. The interchangeable mud guards (fenders in the USA) are of course on the other bike, some pommy idiot forgot to swap them over when changing bikes. So water in my boots and everywhere else. Currently stuffing my face at BK's Takeaway(local cafe) with a giant bacon and egg roll. 

Managed to rack up 130 miles this morning and currently I'm awaiting train home by 9.30 am, then out again by 10.30. This means I miss the 4 hrs sleep I was looking forward to, on the train from Bairnsdale." ‪#‎GoMiles‬
_


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## swansonj (10 Aug 2015)

Mugshot said:


> Sounds pretty miserable, here are some recent posts.
> 
> _*Go Miles*
> 5 August at 13:36 ·
> ...


It's dashed unsporting of these competitors of Steve's, trying to make us feel sorry for them.....

Go all three of them. Just Steve a bit more than the others.


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## Supersuperleeds (10 Aug 2015)

Mugshot said:


> Sounds pretty miserable, here are some recent posts.
> 
> _*Go Miles*
> 5 August at 13:36 ·
> ...




Sounds like a typical summer day in Manchester


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## ianrauk (11 Aug 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 222 / 3: *After a day of rain, Kurt heads west out of Manitowoc, this time with a day of headwind for a total of 210 miles. Steve rides north with the wind for 210 miles for a stop overnight in Goole. Miles does a couple of trips north of Melbourne for 170 miles.


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## Supersuperleeds (11 Aug 2015)

Looks like Steve is heading back home today, tracker has him at 37 miles, though it looks further than that on the map


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## Mugshot (11 Aug 2015)

*Steve Abraham shared their video.*
1 hr ·
We need YOUR help...

Many of us have filmed Steve at various events - or just on the road - during his various rides this year. Due to popular demand, we have decided we will begin to collect and collate various video clips and interviews taken of Steve during his One Year Time Trial, so that they can potentially be used in a documentary film about this incredible challenge.

Details will be given shortly of what we are doing with the film, as we do not yet have a film maker officially commissioned to work on this project. However, if you know someone who might be interested in the making of such a film (and can demonstrate the capability to work commercially on a project like this) please ask them to contact Idai on media@oneyeartimetrial.org.uk with more details.

In the meantime, please feel free to film or interview Steve if you should happen meet him on the road - or at an event. As always, we ask that his timings and schedules be respected first and foremost (and if he's in a rush he should not be held up for interviews and video clips). But if you can catch him at an opportune time for a quick chat on camera we would love you to do so. If you do so, please feel free to ask him any questions you like (within the bounds of decency) when you interview him - and make sure the picture and sound quality is decent. Then get the footage across to us!

More information to follow shortly....


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## Saluki (11 Aug 2015)

Supersuperleeds said:


> ....winter in Australia, he'll still be able to ride in shorts and not worry about ice or 'owt.


Melbourne is very South and it's not very warm down there at all. Pretty much on a par with here in winter. We know people in the NT and they fly down to Victoria area to ski.
Nope, deffo not shorts. There might well be ice.


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## ramchip (11 Aug 2015)

Interesting interview with Alicia Snyder, Kurt's Chief Crew here


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## Supersuperleeds (11 Aug 2015)

Saluki said:


> Melbourne is very South and it's not very warm down there at all. Pretty much on a par with here in winter. We know people in the NT and they fly down to Victoria area to ski.
> Nope, deffo not shorts. There might well be ice.



I stand corrected..........


No I don't, he's just a southern softy


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## Saluki (11 Aug 2015)

Supersuperleeds said:


> I stand corrected..........
> 
> 
> No I don't, he's just a southern softy


Oh totally. They are a bit thin skinned down there.


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## ianrauk (12 Aug 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 223 / 4:* On the day that Tommy Godwin's average exceeded his eventual 205.6 miles per day, both Steve and Kurt ride south for 228 miles placing them 46 and 811 miles ahead of that average pace respectively. Miles does one bay trip and then heads north out of Melbourne for 158 miles.


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## Mugshot (12 Aug 2015)

_*Steve Abraham*
15 hrs · 
We're all off on our hols shortly. Riding our bikes, of course. Steve and the team are heading to France for the biggest event of the year, the Paris-Brest-Paris Randonneur . 1,200km of pure pedalling pleasure. This does mean that we might be a little slow to respond to your questions, but we plan to keep some updates coming. Normal service will be resumed in a little over a week.
Good luck if you're riding too. Bonne route!_


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## ianrauk (13 Aug 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 224 / 5:* Kurt fits in a 3 hour stop for an appointment with a pulmonary specialist (diagnosis: some asthma but nothing serious) into a day's riding yet still manages a total of 194 miles. Steve fits in a stop to buy a backup front light in his tour de Cambridgeshire for a day's total of 211 miles. Miles takes the train north and rides back south to Melbourne though the night, 32 miles of which were within the 12th August.


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## Supersuperleeds (14 Aug 2015)

Steves slacking, he only did 205.8 miles yesterday , Kurt banged out nearly 234 miles


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## ianrauk (14 Aug 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 225 / 6:* Kurt rides east with the wind from Wisconsin Rapids back to the lakeshore for 234 miles with an impressive 18 mph moving average. Steve does a couple of more local loops through Northants and Oxon pushing him a smidgen over one Godwin. Miles rides south from Shepparton to Melbourne after completing similar the previous night giving him 201 miles for the 24 hours of the 13th.


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## Supersuperleeds (15 Aug 2015)

208 miles for Kurt yesterday and 207 miles for Steve


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## MartinQ (16 Aug 2015)

*ALLEZ STEVE
saucisson pour le petit dejeuner?*

http://audaxclubhackney.co.uk/tg.html


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## jo from the other place (16 Aug 2015)

While Ian has a rest, updates from me at the other place...
*
Day 226 / 7:* One week into his rebooted challenge Steve rides another 208 miles via Spalding to keep him 54 miles ahead of Tommy's WR pace. Kurt sticks to more local roads in the Egg Harbor region also for 208 miles and taking him past one-armed Walter Greaves' record distance of 45,383 miles for the year. Miles rides the bay a couple of times for 129 miles.


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## Saluki (16 Aug 2015)

MartinQ said:


> *ALLEZ STEVE
> saucisson pour le petit dejeuner?*
> 
> http://audaxclubhackney.co.uk/tg.html


Wow. Steve has a pedalo?


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## jo from the other place (16 Aug 2015)

*Day 227 / 8:* Steve rides 201 miles south via Shrivenham to Newhaven to catch the ferry to France for his Paris-Brest-Paris ride tomorrow. This places his reboot attempt 49 miles above Tommy's WR pace and 220 miles ahead of his first attempt at this point. Miles rides the bay with an extra diversion thrown in to give him 172 miles for the day. William does a couple of rides today for 75 miles, making this his second highest daily total since he started the challenge. 

Nothing posted from Kurt as yet.


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## MartinQ (16 Aug 2015)

Saluki said:


> Wow. Steve has a pedalo?



Wouldn't put it past him to have cycled across ...


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## w00hoo_kent (16 Aug 2015)

MartinQ said:


> Wouldn't put it past him to have cycled across ...


If only they had Sky's pull/glamour.


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## Supersuperleeds (16 Aug 2015)

Steve's up to 115 miles for the day so far, currently west of Paris. Still no ride on Strava for Kurt for yesterday, but he is over 60 miles for today so far


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## Dogtrousers (16 Aug 2015)

w00hoo_kent said:


> If only they had Sky's pull/glamour.


Steve, @w00hoo_kent just suggested that Chris Froome.is more gamourous than you. What do you think of that?


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## ColinJ (16 Aug 2015)

[QUOTE 3856599, member: 9609"]
Just astonishing isn't it - riding 120 mile to the start of a 750 mile audax - It is all out of my comprehension.[/QUOTE]
_Why?_ I could ride 120 miles to the start of a 750 mile audax, _NO PROBLEM! 




_
Er, you wouldn't want me to ride the audax afterwards, would you?


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## velovoice (16 Aug 2015)

[QUOTE 3856599, member: 9609"]I am sure Kurt was at 173 just before 1am (sunday morning) yesterday, so I guess it will be the usual 210ish from kurt for Saturday.

The Paris Breast Audax kicked off 2½ hrs ago (at 3pm BST) Steve still seems to be heading to the start point with a mile or so to go - not that a few hours late will make any difference to him finishing the 1200km (750 mile) in the allocated 80 hours. Just astonishing isn't it - riding 120 mile to the start of a 750 mile audax - It is all out of my comprehension.[/QUOTE]

Several dozen PBPers from the UK cycle to the start, not just Steve. And Steve's start time may not be til tomorrow morning.


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## Sea of vapours (16 Aug 2015)

From a thread elsewhere, his start time is 2100 today.


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## ColinJ (16 Aug 2015)

I think my '_beyond comprehension_' point was reached way back in January! 

And let's face it ... he has already done tens of thousands of miles over the past few months so I don't think an extra 120 miles is exactly going to kill him!


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## MartinQ (16 Aug 2015)

I guess he's trying to make sure he does at least a Godwin each day, especially when the weather is good / just after the restart.
So riding there is the only way to do this if he's got a late start. Even if he does the PBP in 3-4 days, he's really only keeping pace with what's required for the next 12 months .


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## velovoice (16 Aug 2015)

Yes, his priorities are cycle, sleep and eat, and he has to maintain rigid discipline on that. No time for idle time spent sitting in a car and/or on a ferry!


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## w00hoo_kent (16 Aug 2015)

velovoice said:


> Yes, his priorities are cycle, sleep and eat, and he has to maintain rigid discipline on that. No time for idle time spent sitting in a car and/or on a ferry!


That's sleeping and/or eating time.


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## Scoosh (17 Aug 2015)

Ah - remember the days when we thought PBP was tough ??


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## ianrauk (18 Aug 2015)

Steve is doing PBP
Here's his update.


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## ianrauk (18 Aug 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 228 / 9:* Kurt rides 226 miles up to and along the lake shoreline. He now requires less than 200 miles per day for the remains of the year in order to beat Tommy's record. Steve disembarks from the ferry at Dieppe, rides down to Paris and starts riding west on the 2015 Paris-Brest-Paris. Hanging around at the start of PBP interrupts his day's riding a little, but he still manages to put in 195 miles before midnight. Miles does another 130 miles of bay riding.


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## ianrauk (18 Aug 2015)

*Day 229 / 10:* Kurt rides south reversing his previous day's ride but this time facing headwinds and storms. He finishes the day with a 205 mile total. Steve continues his PBP ride making it to Carhaix before sleeping for a pretty continuous 261 miles within the 24 hours of the 17th. Miles sticks to Melbourne for only 14 miles of riding.


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## ianrauk (19 Aug 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 230 / 11:* Kurt follows a meandering route to match the changing wind direction until rain stopped play, leaving him with a total of 210 miles for the day. After a comparatively long sleep stop by PBP standards, Steve rides from Carhaix to Brest and back then continues east for a sleep stop between Loudeac and Tinteniac for 192 miles. Miles rides 112 miles of the bay.


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## ianrauk (19 Aug 2015)

[QUOTE 3860699, member: 9609"]Is Steve doing enough considering it is August ? Godwin was averaging 242 per day for the first half of August, whereas Steve is only doing 212. I would have thought considering our weather this would be the time of year to be making up for poor days in Dec Jan Feb.[/QUOTE]


As long as Steve stays above the 204 miles a day average.. every day... then it will be enough.
Also remembering that before the incident, Steve had 2 winters and 1 summer to contend with, he now has 2 summers and 1 winter.


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## MartinQ (19 Aug 2015)

Seeing how tired Steve was a few weeks before the restart, I'd presume he's trying not to smash it at the start.

It seems like all the competitors are finding it difficult to put monster summer 300+ rides in and then getting on their bikes the following day after day after day ... so to beat TG, they'll have to ride consistently in the winter close to record pace and just up it a bit in summer. Kurt seems to be successfully doing this.


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## w00hoo_kent (19 Aug 2015)

Agreed, it's really easy to look at this and think any day under 206 is a failure (I know that's where my mentality would be going) but the important thing has to be to keep the final goal in view. The problem is when the only way to do it is by having to do infeasible days, day after day and that's something that comes later in the challenge (or, already if you're the guy who's only done 3k odd miles to date).

There's a bit of assumption that this record has sat for so long because it wasn't available to try, as I've said before this isn't trivial, even in the realms of people who are riding at this level already. Beating it isn't a given and possibly presuming from the off that you were going to clear it by 10k or more was a bit of hubris that missed the fact that to do the miles, you have to be well enough to do the miles and constant work & sleep deprivation does some rotten things to the body. It's managing the low days, and not letting them mount up that will be the key.

There's a lot of drama in this still.


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## ianrauk (19 Aug 2015)

[QUOTE 3860890, member: 9609"]lol

and in all fairness to Steve, he did average 188 a day during Jan Feb as opposed to Tommy's 155 (I guess winters were tougher back then) But still, if Steve can av 188 for the winter months, then he needs to Av 222 for the Summer months.

Anyway, back to the PBP - Steve has a big today today, from his 8am start this morning to 3am tomorrow (Thur) he is needing about 255 miles to complete the PBP in the 80 hours, and as of 12:30 he has done 70, only another 185miles needed in the next 14½ hrs Go Steve[/QUOTE]


Not sure why you are LOL'ing to be honest.
Surely better weather over 2 summers is far better then over 1 summer.


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## w00hoo_kent (19 Aug 2015)

ianrauk said:


> Not sure why you are LOL'ing to be honest.
> Surely better weather over 2 summers is far better then over 1 summer.



Have you seen the summer we've just had? :-)


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## ianrauk (19 Aug 2015)

w00hoo_kent said:


> Have you seen the summer we've just had? :-)




Yes I have, and it's been pretty good for cycling.


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## w00hoo_kent (19 Aug 2015)

ianrauk said:


> Yes I have, and it's been pretty good for cycling.


Down here (not that I've been able, 4 weeks and counting with labyrinthitis and I still can't walk straight at any given moment currently. It's getting on my wick.) but I think it's been worse as you get up the country. Anyway, I'm putting 'English summers' in as my guess as to why there was a 'lol'.


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## ianrauk (19 Aug 2015)

w00hoo_kent said:


> Down here (not that I've been able, 4 weeks and counting with labyrinthitis and I still can't walk straight at any given moment currently. It's getting on my wick.) but I think it's been worse as you get up the country. Anyway, I'm putting 'English summers' in as my guess as to why there was a 'lol'.




He's not that far away from 'down here'.
And remember, Steve is no mere mortal when it comes to cycling.


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## w00hoo_kent (19 Aug 2015)

True, although even gods must be happier when it isn't blowing a huge headwind (except for headwind gods I suppose.)


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## ianrauk (19 Aug 2015)

[QUOTE 3861027, member: 9609"]I didn't think you were being serious - whenever he starts and finishes he will experience 3 months of winter, and 3 months of summer - there is no hiding from the winter or gaining extra summer. Pluses and minisus when ever the campaign begins, other than get the winter over early in case there is no cycling due to snow for 3 or 4 weeks which would wreck the attempt (which is very likely where I live but I would imagine less likely around milton keynes)[/QUOTE]


Fair enough. Being Oop Norf as you are I guess you have far more winter type days then summer. Us down in the Sarf East have far less crappy days, even through the winter which are usually very dry. Anyway, that's immaterial as we are talking about a very exceptional cyclist here, not one of us mere mortals.


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## summerdays (19 Aug 2015)

[QUOTE 3861027, member: 9609"]I didn't think you were being serious - whenever he starts and finishes he will experience 3 months of winter, and 3 months of summer - there is no hiding from the winter or gaining extra summer. Pluses and minisus when ever the campaign begins, other than get the winter over early in case there is no cycling due to snow for 3 or 4 weeks which would wreck the attempt (which is very likely where I live but I would imagine less likely around milton keynes)[/QUOTE]
in the case of serious snow would it be worth decamping to somewhere with none for a few weeks whether it be Ireland or Spain etc? Though then you are travelling over much less well known roads.


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## ianrauk (19 Aug 2015)

summerdays said:


> in the case of serious snow would it be worth decamping to somewhere with none for a few weeks whether it be Ireland or Spain etc?




Or the South East


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## summerdays (19 Aug 2015)

Every now and again the SE does get those big snow dumps from the near continent....  just the last couple of years seemed mild, wondering if we are due a harsher one which wouldn't be good for the challenge!


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## ianrauk (19 Aug 2015)

summerdays said:


> Every now and again the SE does get those big snow dumps from the near continent....  just the last couple of years seemed mild, wondering if we are due a harsher one which wouldn't be good for the challenge!




It does, but not for any length of time. And even then the main roads are still ridable. 
But yes, it would be advantageous to go to a warmer climate. Kurt has proved that.


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## T4tomo (19 Aug 2015)

Whenever you start the attempt you have every day of each of the 12 months available for the challenge and no more. I was assuming that's what prompted the Lol, that a summer start some how conferred an advantage.


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## w00hoo_kent (19 Aug 2015)

T4tomo said:


> Whenever you start the attempt you have every day of each of the 12 months available for the challenge and no more. I was assuming that's what prompted the Lol, that a summer start some how conferred an advantage.


I think it does. If you start and finish in crappy weather it's going to be harder to make up miles at the end. You're going to have to be much more focussed on what you are doing and the odds for minor injuries are greater. If you put all of those crappy days in the middle it causes its own problems, but it allows you to start hard without as much hindrance and if you need to really push it at the end to achieve your target then again the weather is less likely to be a factor. If nothing else you end up with much more daylight and if you are pushing long days then daylight is (to most people anyway) a big factor. You get a low ebb around 3-5 am in the morning where it is tough to keep going, but once you hit dawn the burst to go on for another 4-5 hours significantly invigoured just by the presence of daylight is huge. It'll catch up with you but when it does the need to sleep for hours is less. I think it's quite an advantage despite the fact that you are always going to do all the days.


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## KneesUp (19 Aug 2015)

ianrauk said:


> It does, but not for any length of time. And even then the main roads are still ridable..



Much like the rest of England


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## Mugshot (19 Aug 2015)

He could come to Wales, it's always sunny here!


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## Dogtrousers (19 Aug 2015)

Mugshot said:


> He could come to Wales, it's always sunny here!


And flat too, don't forget the famous Welsh flatness


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## swansonj (19 Aug 2015)

ianrauk said:


> As long as Steve stays above the 204 miles a day average.. every day... then it will be enough.


Except, won't Steve now be aiming for whatever mark Kurt sets, rather than just the Godwin record?


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## Mugshot (19 Aug 2015)

Dogtrousers said:


> And flat too, don't forget the famous Welsh flatness


Oh aye, that too!


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## w00hoo_kent (20 Aug 2015)

swansonj said:


> Except, won't Steve now be aiming for whatever mark Kurt sets, rather than just the Godwin record?


I'd expect he'd have to. Little point (and that opens up so much debate!) in aiming for second place.


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## ianrauk (20 Aug 2015)

Steve Abraham just finished Paris Brest Paris






Which makes 764.5 of your imperial miles in 87 and half hours. Which works out at about 209 miles per day for the challenge.


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## ianrauk (20 Aug 2015)

User3094 said:


> So he's outside the time limit, has barely achieved a 'Godwin' and is no where near a 'Kurt'... and its summer....
> 
> ... I have my doubts...




..remembering that this was Paris Brest Paris.... Godwin's were achieved, and it's very early days in the (restarted) challenge.


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## velovoice (20 Aug 2015)

User3094 said:


> So he's outside the time limit


?? Isn't the cut at 90 hours?


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## MartinQ (20 Aug 2015)

I think Kurt's current average is ~210, so Steve is matching that and as mentioned above, I think the time limit is 90, its 84 if they started on Monday morning.
I'd be presuming that Steve was treating these occasions (PBP, Mersey Roads) as a chance to catch up with people, rather than trying to set any records. 
He's on track, had a smashed foot a few months ago, ... 
Go Steve


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## ianrauk (20 Aug 2015)

User3094 said:


> Yehbut he's been practising for over 6 months!




During PBP he couldn't have done more then what the course/route allowed. It's not like a normal Audax where you can do any course as long as you fill in the dots. PBP you have to stay on course.


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## MartinQ (20 Aug 2015)

It's pointless going for a time if you're tired for the next day (or even for the ride home in the afternoon).
Sounds to me like Steve hit his average spot on and hopefully he had some decent rest during the nights.


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## Saluki (20 Aug 2015)

User3094 said:


> So he's outside the time limit, has barely achieved a 'Godwin' and is no where near a 'Kurt'... and its summer....
> 
> ... I have my doubts...



Off you go then @User3094. Show us how it's done.



ianrauk said:


> ..remembering that this was Paris Brest Paris.... Godwin's were achieved, and it's very early days in the (restarted) challenge.



Not to mention that bones take longer than a regulation 6 weeks to heal properly, however fit you are. I am sure that Steve is riding with that in mind. No point giving himself ankle problems on a newly fixed bone so early in the challenge.


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## Saluki (20 Aug 2015)

User3094 said:


> Dont be silly.
> 
> Was just half expecting him to be putting in the mega days by now, what with winter coming and all that.


I am pretty sure that Steve knows what he's doing. I was expecting more mileage from him too but, having smashed an ankle in the past, I know how long these things take to get back to full strength. I was competing in triathlons when I did mine and it was a good 6 months of hard work to get it properly on track. Cycling might have less impact than the running but even so.


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## MacB (20 Aug 2015)

User3094 said:


> Dont be silly.
> 
> Was just half expecting him to be putting in the mega days by now, what with winter coming and all that.



You're not alone I thought he was going to suddenly ramp up and get a lo of miles in the bank


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## velovoice (20 Aug 2015)

I did not get that impression from his last interview (longer version in latest issue of Arrivee): http://www.bikingtimes.com/steve-abraham-announces-concurrent-one-year-time-trial-record-attempt/

Thing is, he has to balance two conflicting issues:
low heart rate so that he can recover well enough overnight, every night, to go do the same again versus needing to ride fast enough cover the miles in (hopefully) less time so that he has more time each night to recover / sleep. 

That's a pretty tough balancing act with room for a lot of overlap/deficit resulting in not quite fast enough, not quite 'enough' miles, not quite recovered enough for each new day.

Steve knows his body. He knows he needs to keep his heart rate down if he's to recover sufficiently each night. That's the chief limiting factor on his speed and I think, if/when he's ever undecided how to play it each day, he may opt for fewer miles at a manageable heart rate than risk not being able to recover even if he's gone 'fast enough' to gain an 'extra' hour.


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## ianrauk (21 Aug 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 231 / 12:* Kurt rides 221 miles north from central Wisconsin to the shoreline. Steve continues on the PBP riding 188 miles from west of Tinteniac towards Dreux, on schedule for a 90 hour finish. Miles rides along the bay with some extra diversions to give him a 221 mile total.







*Day 232 / 13:* Kurt rides with the wind for a fast 219 miles. Steve completes PBP in under 90 hours then immediately heads north to Dieppe to catch the ferry home but ends up a few miles south of the port. In total, a 186 mile day. No substantial ride from Miles today.


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## ianrauk (21 Aug 2015)

User3094 said:


> Looks like he's in a camp site, did he miss the ferry?




Apparently so, by about 15 minutes.


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## ianrauk (23 Aug 2015)

From Jo over at the other place.

*Day 233 / 14:* Kurt sticks to the lakes of NE Wisconsin for 222 miles of riding. Steve does a couple of post-PBP loops from Dieppe giving him 159 miles for the day and taking his reboot pace back down to Godwin's average. Miles rides north of Melbourne for 145 miles, presumably with a fixed bottom bracket.


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## ianrauk (23 Aug 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 234 / 15: *Kurt rides 218 miles north through central Wisconsin. Steve does 217 miles in a long day after disembarking the ferry at Newhaven, travelling back to Milton Keynes via Hungerford (Tutti Pole?). Miles heads back to riding the bay for 136 miles.


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## ianrauk (24 Aug 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 235 / 16: *Kurt rides 213 miles east to Manitowoc. Steve rides slowly and only for 30 miles so takes the opportunity for a post-PBP recovery. This puts him 56 miles behind Kurt after the first 16 days. Miles puts in 188 miles along the bay.


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## ianrauk (25 Aug 2015)

From Jo over at the other place.

*Day 236 / 17:* Kurt follows the wind from east to west for most of the day with a moving average approaching 20mph and a total of 218 miles. Steve, still suffering with a post-PBP cold keeps it shorter (by the standards of the OYTT) and slow for 130 miles. Miles sticks to the bay for 172 miles.


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## ianrauk (26 Aug 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 237 / 8: *Kurt takes it comparatively easy in windy conditions with more stops and shorter day giving him a total of 142 miles. Steve, while still recovering from his cold, begins to increase his speed and distance with a 144 mile Cambridgeshire loop. This puts him just 20 miles ahead of 'January Steve' by day 18. Miles does a couple of bay rides for 129 miles. He is now 4,100 miles behind Tommy's WR pace.


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## srw (26 Aug 2015)

ianrauk said:


> From Jo over at the other place
> 
> *Day 237 / 8: *Kurt takes it comparatively easy in windy conditions with more stops and shorter day giving him a total of 142 miles. Steve, while still recovering from his cold, begins to increase his speed and distance with a 144 mile Cambridgeshire loop. This puts him just 20 miles ahead of 'January Steve' by day 18. Miles does a couple of bay rides for 129 miles. *He is now 4,100 miles behind Tommy's WR pace.*


...but only about 20 miles behind "January 1939 Tommy".


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## ianrauk (27 Aug 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 238 / 19: *Kurt rides to Manitowoc for 210 miles. Steve continues to recover from illness with a 162 mile loop via Peterborough putting him marginally ahead of his January self but 267 miles behind Kurt's first 19 days. Miles does the bay with some diversions for 163 miles. As we edge towards the end of a northern hemisphere summer and Australian winter, we may be seeing the beginnings of a convergence in daily distances.


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## Legs (27 Aug 2015)

srw said:


> ...but only about 20 miles behind "January 1939 Tommy".


Ah, this is where the graphic is misleading. The green line shows Miles' progress, but not all of it - only the first 20 days. Jo's only drawn the horizontal axis out as far as Steve Abraham's progressed (you will also note that Kurt's line is/was below the Average Godwin Line, whereas his current position is above) There is a whole lot more line than that, which is just not shown on the graph. If you go to http://gicentre.org/oytt/ you can see that since his restart on 18 June, Miles has slipped about 900 miles behind Tommy Godwin's actual progress (4100 miles behind Average Godwin, whereas March 1939 Tommy was 3200 miles behind Average Godwin.)


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## Pale Rider (27 Aug 2015)

Legs said:


> Ah, this is where the graphic is misleading. The green line shows Miles' progress, but not all of it - only the first 20 days. Jo's only drawn the horizontal axis out as far as Steve Abraham's progressed (you will also note that Kurt's line is/was below the Average Godwin Line, whereas his current position is above) There is a whole lot more line than that, which is just not shown on the graph. If you go to http://gicentre.org/oytt/ you can see that since his restart on 18 June, Miles has slipped about 900 miles behind Tommy Godwin's actual progress (4100 miles behind Average Godwin, whereas March 1939 Tommy was 3200 miles behind Average Godwin.)



Or put another way, he's Miles behind.


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## ianrauk (28 Aug 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 239 / 20: *Kurt, feeling the OYTT blues, sticks to the Fort Atkinson region and so far has only posted a ride of 74 miles. Steve continues with his recovery from his post-PBP cold and does another Cambridgeshire loop via Peterborough for 193 miles, creeping ahead of January Steve. Miles does a there-and-back-again trip along the bay for 107 miles.


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## T4tomo (28 Aug 2015)

The graphs show that's it's very easy to slip behind pace, with something as minor as a cold etc, but very hard to catch up a couple of lost or low mileage days. Given how long it's takes to do 200+ miles eat and sleep enough, there isn't much too play catch up. Even doing an Epic like PBP Steve had to ride to and from to avoid slipping behind target. This is the enormity of the challenge.


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## Mugshot (28 Aug 2015)

[QUOTE 3876835, member: 9609"]Although it now seems to have been deleted, there was a very down in the dumps message from Kurt last night saying he was sick of the whole thing, he may or may not continue tomorrow! Although looking at the weather for Wisconsin yesterday it was a bit cloudy and sub 70°F, and Kurt seems to struggle with any sort of winter conditios - looks like it will be back up into the 80s tomorrow so hopefully he will be back on form...[/QUOTE]
That would explain the short day. He does seem prone to a touch of the blues and seems to have wobbled a couple of times. He posted a video a week or so ago saying how much he was enjoying it. Lets hope he manages to keep going.


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## w00hoo_kent (28 Aug 2015)

I think he's the best bet to take it, but the mental toll must be huge. I guess he could cheer himself up with the fact he's only doing it for 12 months, not 18.


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## Pale Rider (28 Aug 2015)

w00hoo_kent said:


> I think he's the best bet to take it, but the mental toll must be huge. I guess he could cheer himself up with the fact he's only doing it for 12 months, not 18.



I'm not convinced by Steve's second attempt.

He made a bright start to it, but is now building up a mileage deficit against the average required at a time of year when he ought to be banking miles.

His moving average speed has also dropped back to his usual 14.5mph.

That is unlikely to be fast enough to get the job done.

It requires an average moving time of more than 14 hours a day.

Adding breaks means there is not enough time for rest, sleep and preparation for the next day.

Particularly so as I gather he is now unsupported for much of the time.

Less and less daylight in the coming weeks and months will add to his difficulties.


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## Mugshot (28 Aug 2015)

Kurt is back on the road again and has done 3.5 miles, Steve is on 44.5 miles so I'm guessing it was a late start.


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## w00hoo_kent (28 Aug 2015)

Pale Rider said:


> I'm not convinced by Steve's second attempt.
> He made a bright start to it, but is now building up a mileage deficit against the average required at a time of year when he ought to be banking miles.



I really think Kurt is the only one likely to break it (I know this is unpopular but I think @Pale Rider is right, Steve just isn't hitting the miles when he needs to be. The luck might just not be with him for this.) I'd love to be proved wrong.

The more I watch this the more I can't help wondering how vigilant Tommy's time/mileage keepers were. Considering different equipment, worse backup regimes, worse roads all round his achievement just looks more and more incredible (TM every cycling pundit out there). I know he basically broke himself doing the ride and didn't he shatter the previous record when he did it but it does start to look too amazing when you see the struggle it takes to match it with all the modern benefits. Equally all you can do this far removed is presume it was all square but it'd take a particular type of person to fall short and not wonder.

I think if Kurt manages it, and it's still quite a big *if* then it might gee other attempts but it might equally just sit there. I guess Steve and Kurt are going to set something because beating Tommy and being the current holder of the thing a lot like what Tommy did are different things aren't they?


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## w00hoo_kent (28 Aug 2015)

As much as anything I was wondering how careful they were about recording the mileages. We know how stringent they are being now. I know there is a book about him, don't know how much it goes in to the minutiae though. I could imagine he just noted it in to a book at the end of each day, or took map mileage, either could comfortably add a few miles here and a few miles there without any intention of cheating just the same as you see how riding under 205 soon mounts up, an extra couple of miles here and there would work the same way.


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## jo from the other place (28 Aug 2015)

Tommy used a sealed, tamper-proof odometer in addition to having a witnessed diary of places visited. So causal cheating would have been difficult I think.

There will be a new book on the historical attempts at the OYTT coming out in a month or so from Dave Barter which should give some more detail on what the early 20th century riders faced.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Year-Reawakening-Cyclings-Hardest-Endurance/dp/1910240435

(I have produced one of the OYTT graphics for the book, in a style familiar to anyone on this thread).


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## ianrauk (29 Aug 2015)

From Jo from the other place

*Day 240 / 21: *Kurt heads west following the Wisconsin River but runs out of ridable roads and weather so quits the day with 149 miles of riding. Steve heads NE with the blustery wind for 202 miles and ends up at a Norwich Travelodge rather than face a long journey back into the wind. His summer pace keeps him comfortably ahead of January Steve. Nothing posted from Miles today.


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## T4tomo (29 Aug 2015)

ianrauk said:


> From Jo from the other place
> 
> *Day 240 / 21: *. Steve heads NE with the blustery wind for 202 miles and ends up at a Norwich Travelodge rather


Very Alan Partridge


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## ianrauk (30 Aug 2015)

From Jo from the other place.

*Day 241 / 22: *Kurt begins the long migration south from Wisconsin towards home at Little Rock Arkansas with 210 miles for the day. In his slightly less glamorous homeward road trip Steve heads back from a Norwich Travelodge to Milton Keynes with a couple of extra loops thrown in via Northampton and Buckingham giving him 201 miles. A second day from Miles with no riding posted. On this day in 1939, Tommy passed 50,000 miles.


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## ianrauk (31 Aug 2015)

From Jo from the other place.

*Day 242 / 23:* Kurt continues his migration back towards Little Rock, but because of dental problems for Alicia, takes a circuitous 195 mile route via Decatur and Bloomington, Illinois. Steve passes the 40,000 milestone on another 204 mile fenland loop via Ely. Still nothing from Miles.


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## ianrauk (1 Sep 2015)

From Jo from the other place

*Day 243 / 24:* Two rides from Kurt in Illinois and Missouri leave him south of St Louis with a 155 mile total by the end of the day. Steve, on a wet, wet, wet day, rides an enlarged loop around Cambridge for 201 miles. No ride from Miles for the fourth consecutive day.


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## ianrauk (1 Sep 2015)

[QUOTE 3882745, member: 9609"]speak of the devil - Miles has just put up 71 miles for 1st sept after his 4 day rest - I no longer think he is a contender.

Kurt's once 4000+ mile lead over Godwin has now slipped to only 226 mile, and considering Godwins pace during sept and october, Kurt is almost certain to fall behind - it will be interesting to see how he reacts, hopefully he will get his act back together. I am really not getting this about Alicias teeth - is there not a dentist in Wisconsin?[/QUOTE]


Kurt seems to be going though a bit of a rough patch at the moment. His girlfriend Alicia too. (She's had teeth problems). Hoping he starts ramping it up again. So GO KURT... BUT GO STEVE JUST THAT LITTLE BIT MORE. It does just go to show the enormity of the challenge. Just a few missed miles on any given day means a lot of effort to make up.

Miles I never thought was a serious contender in the first place. It just seemed to be that his preparation and application was just a little too half hearted. He also suffered a serious illness that put him back.


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## w00hoo_kent (1 Sep 2015)

[QUOTE 3882745, member: 9609"]I am really not getting this about Alicias teeth - is there not a dentist in Wisconsin?[/QUOTE]
I'd assume it's some weird quirk of American healthcare, although they were never that far from Madison and I'd happily go to UW for anything health related if the need was there.


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## velovoice (1 Sep 2015)

w00hoo_kent said:


> I'd assume it's some weird quirk of American healthcare, although they were never that far from Madison and I'd happily go to UW for anything health related if the need was there.


If she's on state benefit even just for health care (which I'm assuming to the case if she has no income), then she needs to go back to Arkansas for any treatment... until they establish residency in Wisconsin and do all the paperwork which I doubt they have any time for right now.


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## themosquitoking (1 Sep 2015)

How much fuel are they putting in that camper van do you reckon?


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## ianrauk (2 Sep 2015)

From Jo from the other place.

*Day 244 / 25:* Kurt is back at Little Rock, although currently with no ride posted on Strava. Steve does another fenland loop of 203 miles, reporting that he has still not fully recovered from his post-PBP illness. Despite this, his recent consistency sees him increasing his gap over January Steve. After a four day gap Miles is back on the road with 101 miles of bay riding.


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## ianrauk (2 Sep 2015)

Yet more Kurt problems.


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## w00hoo_kent (2 Sep 2015)

[QUOTE 3884548, member: 9609"]I think this may be the third time he has destroyed bikes by them not being attached correctly to the carrier - once is a mistake, twice is bad luck, thrice .....[/QUOTE]
Is probably a suggestion that he's too tired on some days to be trusted to attach bikes to a rack and should maybe store them inside the RV if he is constantly taking them on and off the rack.

I guess needing a lot of bikes is the flipside of riding weeks away from home. I know all of these are being done on a budget, I'm kind of surprised nobody (Giant? Trek?) sponsored him a couple of identical bikes for the challenge. Would have made maintenance etc. easier and would be a fairly cheap feather in the cap at the end of it all.


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## Mugshot (2 Sep 2015)

It would appear that somebody isn't beaten yet though, good girl!!


*Tarzan Rides the HAM'R Kurt Searvogel*
_1 hr · 


I asked A when is it time to admit defeat - she said "when your dead - now get on your bike and ride"_


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## Mugshot (2 Sep 2015)

It's that girl again, i think I kinda like her 


*Tarzan Rides the HAM'R Kurt Searvogel*
_32 mins · 


The summit is within view, but still a long ways away. This is our Everest. It seems we are on this razor thin ridge trying to just get across without falling off into oblivion. Gotta stay focused and let everything else go. We are here to bag this monumental mountain, dammit! We have sacrificed nearly everything in our lives to be here. It's taking its toll. The wear and tear on us and equipment has reached ridiculous. If I go down, Kurt goes down - not an option. We've come too far. Four months to go and it's my job to get him there even if it ... HE WILL SET A NEW WORLD RECORD. ~ Alicia_


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## Mugshot (3 Sep 2015)

Not sure if Kurt is still struggling but he's posted 108 miles for yesterday, that actually puts him behind now according to the HAMR spreadsheet by 53 miles at the start of September, at the start of June he was over 4000 miles up. He needs 202 miles a day now until the end of his challenge to tie.
For all you stat fans HERE's the latest HAMR spreadsheet, frustratingly it's not showing Steve's restarted data (is that around anywhere?) By the looks of it Miles (and of course Ox) appear to be so far behind that their challenges are effectively over already, well certainly the Ox as he needs over 590 miles a day to tie.


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## ianrauk (3 Sep 2015)

From Jo from the other place

*Day 245 / 26: *Kurt, now back at home in Little Rock Arkansas, has to spend half the day assembling a fourth emergency bike while sourcing parts for his three broken bikes. He spends the other half riding local roads for 108 miles. Steve does a 220 mile Cambridgeshire and Essex loop in better weather than previous days reporting he is now recovering well from illness. Miles does 132 miles of bay riding.


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## Mugshot (4 Sep 2015)

*Tarzan Rides the HAM'R Kurt Searvogel added 2 new photos.*
10 hrs · 


Kurt is having some issues. I took him in to Urgent Care to see why he is having so much pain in his foot near the little toe. Nothing showed up there although the problem still exists. The wheezing in his lungs though was a concern so they gave him a breathing treatment. He's back out there in 100 degree heat. Looks like he'll be doing some night riding and I'll be out there too if anyone wants to join us back in the "hamster wheel"... Arkansas.


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## Mugshot (4 Sep 2015)

*Tarzan Rides the HAM'R Kurt Searvogel*
3 hrs · 


ARKANSAS CYCLISTS ARE RISING TO THE OCCASION! 
We would like to thank all those who have helped us in more ways than one. This competition is getting tough, but the support of the cycle community here in Arkansas has been amazing! A special thanks to Brent Findley for his after hours bike mechanic skills; to the guys at ACF; to the Carve 5 Hr Century Group; to Jack Tiemeyer for loaning us his bomb proof rack; to Michele Eakin Smith for arranging a massage; to Joe Jacobs for referring a dentist who was not on vacation and to everyone who has offered to help in some way. This does wonders for our spirits and all the personal encouragement really motivated Kurt to finish his mileage goal for the day.


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## ianrauk (4 Sep 2015)

From Jo from the other place

*Day 246 / 27: *Arkansas cyclists rally round to help Kurt with his recent mechanical and health problems providing replacement components and some on-the-road company. Facing high daytime temperatures, he completes an impressive 221 miles keeping him marginally above Tommy's accumulated distance. Steve is also back on form completing a fenland figure of eight via Spalding for 215 miles. Nothing posted from Miles, which leaves him further behind the pace than Steve was at the end of his post-crash hospital recuperation.


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## ianrauk (5 Sep 2015)

From Jo from the other place.

*Day 247 / 28: *Kurt is back in the heat of Little Rock Arkansas doing repeats on local roads for a day's total of 216 miles. His bike problems seem to be sorted and breathing issues tolerable as he mixes upright with recumbent riding. Steve puts in a long day and late finish as he does a 220 mile loop of Cambridgeshire and Essex, continuing to pull away from January Steve. Miles does a couple of short Melbourne trips, only logging 9 miles of riding.


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## ianrauk (6 Sep 2015)

From Jo from the other place

_*Day 248 / 29:*_ Big miles from Kurt as he's back on the Little Rock hamster wheel doing 231 miles of local road repeats. Steve does a 195 mile Ely loop to maintain his lead over his January riding. Miles is back to the big rides with several bay trips for a 233 mile total.


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## Supersuperleeds (6 Sep 2015)

Looks like Kurt has got over his blues


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## Simpleton (6 Sep 2015)

Good to see Searvogel back on track. His strategy regarding this record attempt and its execution have near enough been spot on. Abraham needs to ramp up the miles over the next couple of months before the clocks go forward and it gets colder. Don't know if he should have postponed the new attempt until PBP was done and dusted. Time will tell.


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## themosquitoking (6 Sep 2015)

PBP has cost him miles and will be seen as an expensive folly if he fails at the end of the attempt.


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## StuAff (6 Sep 2015)

Large female isn't singing, not even in the opera house. And Steve's a winner, not a failure, regardless of the final result. Attempt #2 is barely started in any case.


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## ianrauk (7 Sep 2015)

From Jo from the other place.

*Day 249 / 30: *Kurt settles in to a pattern of two local rides per day, one in early morning and the other in the afternoon/evening, avoiding the worst of the Arkansas heat. This gives him 208 miles, placing him within a day of the 50,000 milestone. Steve, in better weather than recent days, rides north and south to Boston for 215 miles. Miles does a there-and-back again ride along the bay for 131 miles.


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## Mugshot (7 Sep 2015)

*Tarzan Rides the HAM'R Kurt Searvogel updated their cover photo.*
1 hr ·



141 Likes8 Comments2 Shares


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## ianrauk (8 Sep 2015)

From Jo from the other place

*Day 250 / 31: *The Arkansas high temperatures push Kurt's riding to the early morning and late evening along local roads. He passes the 50,000 milestone with a ride of 201 miles and remains ahead of Tommy's September 7th 1939 pace. Steve rides up to the Wash and back for 210 miles. Miles takes the train north to Shepparton and rides back to Melbourne for 112 miles.


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## ianrauk (9 Sep 2015)

From Jo from the other place

*Day 251 / 32:* Big miles from Kurt – 244 of them on Little Rock roads. This puts him 629 miles in front of Tommy's WR pace and 97 miles ahead of Tommy's actual riding at this stage of the challenge. Steve continues his climb away from his January riding, completing 212 miles through Cambridgeshire and Essex. Miles does another bay ride for 127 miles.


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## ianrauk (10 Sep 2015)

From Jo from the other place

*Day 252 / 33: *Both Kurt and Steve ride 220 miles – Kurt doing 20 repeats on a 11 mile stretch of local roads in Little Rock, Steve doing another Cambridgeshire/Essex loop. Their rides keep Kurt 57 miles ahead of Tommy's 243rd day total and pushes Steve further ahead of his February progress. Miles does another bay there-and-back for 135 miles.


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## ianrauk (11 Sep 2015)

From Jo from the other place

*Day 253 / 34: *Kurt rides a slightly wider selection of roads from Little Rock than recent days giving him another 233 miles. Steve heads east to Sudbury than takes a Cambridgeshire route home for 206 miles. Nothing posted from Miles today.


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## Mugshot (11 Sep 2015)

*Tarzan Rides the HAM'R Kurt Searvogel*
2 hrs ·
While in Little Rock, I get to sleep in sometimes (a normal 8 hours). Kurt gets up at four in the morning and goes. You would think he would be beat? But no, he gets back in the saddle and keeps riding through the heat of the day, looking for anything or anyone to amuse him. My days are devoted to taking care of him and keeping him on the bike. There are days that aren't so easy and we have to push through, especially when one of us isn't feeling so well. Yet, we keep doing our job. Honestly though, I'm in awe of how he can keep cranking out the miles. Truly, it is amazing. ~ Alicia


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## Beebo (12 Sep 2015)

Kurt is constantly out performing Steve, i fear this is a lost cause unless Steve can up his mileage significantly over the winter months. 
Kurt could smash the record as high as 210 - 215, and steve has a long 6 months ahead of morning and nights in which he needs to be smashing out conistent 210 plus mileage.


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## Pale Rider (12 Sep 2015)

Beebo said:


> Kurt is constantly out performing Steve, i fear this is a lost cause unless Steve can up his mileage significantly over the winter months.
> Kurt could smash the record as high as 210 - 215, and steve has a long 6 months ahead of morning and nights in which he needs to be smashing out conistent 210 plus mileage.



It appears things may not be going too well off the bike as well - judging from some posts in the other place.

Roger the Moneyman has quit, as has another member of the team.

Neither has posted much about that, presumably out of loyalty to Steve, but what they have posted indicates to me an organisation which is disorganised, and possibly suffering from personal tensions.

The good news is Roger says Steve should have enough money to complete the second attempt.

But he appears to be rather on his own, no word from the crew chief or the guy who was supposed to be doing publicity, and the overnight hosting system appears to have come to a stop.

Donors are starting to complain about the apparent news blackout.

That may not matter directly, but it does add to the general aura of discontent.


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## jo from the other place (12 Sep 2015)

Ian is off cycling in foreign parts this week, so it's over to our YACF correspondent for an update...

*Day 254 / 35: *Kurt goes back to the hamster wheel – 20 repeats of a 10 mile stretch of road beside the Arkansas River giving him 208 miles for the day. Steve does another fenland loop for 209 miles bringing him a little closer to Kurt's February pace. Miles does the bay as a single there-and-back for 111 miles.


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## jo from the other place (13 Sep 2015)

*Day 255 / 36: *Kurt leaves some of his hamster wheel repeats to ride an extended loop down to Pine Bluff for a day's total of 221 miles. Steve heads northeast, and them some more east until there's no more (dry) east to ride, ending his 211 mile day just north of Lowestoft. Miles does several bay road trips for a total of 202 miles.


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## Mugshot (13 Sep 2015)

Pale Rider said:


> It appears things may not be going too well off the bike as well - judging from some posts in the other place.
> 
> Roger the Moneyman has quit, as has another member of the team.
> 
> ...


That sounds a little concerning, perhaps @Ian H could shed more light on it?


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## Ian H (13 Sep 2015)

Mike got a job abroad, and we wish him well. Otherwise, the money is fine and whatever personal tensions there might have been have suddenly disappeared. The team, apart from all being tired after PBP and trying to catch up with their own lives, are functioning better than ever.


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## Mugshot (13 Sep 2015)

Ian H said:


> Mike got a job abroad, and we wish him well. Otherwise, the money is fine and whatever personal tensions there might have been have suddenly disappeared. The team, apart from all being tired after PBP and trying to catch up with their own lives, are functioning better than ever.


Thank you Ian


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## jo from the other place (14 Sep 2015)

*Day 256 / 37: *Steve takes a 220 mile meandering journey back from the Norfolk coast to MK. He's now less than 300 miles behind Tommy's WR pace. Kurt says he's back on the "hamster wheel", but nothing posted on Strava as yet. Miles focuses on doing regular trips up and down the first 30 mile stretch of the bay road giving him a 171 mile total for the day.


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## jo from the other place (15 Sep 2015)

*Day 257 / 38:* Kurt "Mr Consistent" Searvogel rides Little Rock roads for another 221 miles, keeping him 66 miles ahead of Tommy's total for the same period. Kurt's WR target is now back under 200 miles per day for the remains of the year. Steve has a day of battling fenland winds and finishes at 1:30am with 209 miles for the day. Miles continues to ride up and down the bay for a total of 139 miles, give or take a couple of dodgy GPS uploads to Strava.


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## Mugshot (15 Sep 2015)

Bored at work? Got a bit of spare time to fill? Maybe you're just procrastinating? 
If you answered yes to any of the above you might enjoy this 25 minute video of Steve.


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## Scoosh (15 Sep 2015)

Very good innerview - nicely light-hearted too. 

Thanks.


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## jo from the other place (16 Sep 2015)

*Day 258 / 39: *A long day for Kurt with 233 miles of riding from Little Rock, edging further ahead of Tommy's total for the same period. Steve heads to the Norfolk coast in changeable autumnal weather, ending at the Acle Travelodge with a 199 mile total. Miles logs only 43 miles riding bay roads, bringing him close to 12,000 miles since his restart.


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## ClichéGuevara (16 Sep 2015)

I was wondering how much mind games were involved between the two main contenders. Not that I could match them for even one day, it would play on my mind to think I could be putting in all that effort, to see someone else take it at the post so to speak, but Steve just comes over as having an enviable come day, go day approach to the whole thing and life in general. He seems to waste no energy on stress. It puts the pressure onto Kurt.

Such a refreshing change to some of the egos in some others to see such a humble, pragmatic, almost phlegmatic approach.


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## Dogtrousers (16 Sep 2015)

I could be totally wrong but from Steve's interviews I get the impression that he wants to set his own record. If that beats Tommy, good. If that beats Kurt, good. But if it doesn't, and he's done his attempt I don't think he would (nor should he) consider it in any way a "failure". Maybe I'm extrapolating a bit too far in reading his mind from a few interviews.

If he completes his restart attempt I don't foresee anyone ever taking on his 18-month (ish) record!


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## jo from the other place (17 Sep 2015)

*Day 259 / 40: *Kurt stated that after his long day yesterday, today would be a recovery day of 'only' 205 miles. In the event, he posts 139 miles of riding on his regular local roads. This still keeps him with a target of less than 200 miles per day for the remains of the year, but he dips below Tommy's riding for the first time. Steve's shrewd anticipation of the changeable weather gives him a wind advantage but very wet day from north Norfolk back to MK for a total of 213 miles. Miles posts another short day 44 miles.


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## Mugshot (17 Sep 2015)

*Tarzan Rides the HAM'R Kurt Searvogel*
1 hr · 
If I go down, he goes down. Bummed, I've been sick for a few days now. Kurt's moral, attitude, energy and endurance is directly affected. He may be getting sick too because he's so tired already and it's early. All we can do is try to take care of ourselves and push through it. Hopefully we will get a break and feel better soon. I'm getting a lot more rest, but he needs more right now also. There's too much at stake... we're down climbing from the summit, the most dangerous section of all. ~ Alicia


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## jo from the other place (18 Sep 2015)

*Day 260 / 41: *Alicia reports that she and Kurt have come down with illness again, but despite this Kurt rides a fast 217 miles south of Little Rock to bring him back within 20 miles of Tommy's like-for-like total. Steve puts in 220 miles on a Cambridgeshire-Essex loop. He is now less than a day away from Ossie Nicholson's 1933 record. No ride posted from Miles.


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## jo from the other place (19 Sep 2015)

*Day 261 / 42: *Another long day of Little Rock roads for Kurt – 226 miles – puts him just 16 miles behind Tommy's distance over the same period. Steve heads to the Wash and back for 220 miles, passing Ossie Nicholson's 1933 record of 43,966 miles. No ride posted from Miles for the second day running.


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## jo from the other place (20 Sep 2015)

*Day 262 / 43: *Kurt heads south for a day punctuated with flat tyres, a broken rear wheel and rain giving him a 209 mile total. Steve does a 235 mile loop via the Wash in good cycling weather – his longest day's distance since PBP. Miles is back doing repeats of the northern section of the Port Phillip bay road for 164 miles.


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## ianrauk (21 Sep 2015)

From Jo from the other place

*Day 263 / 44: *A less eventful day for Kurt as he sticks mostly to local Little Rock roads and knocks off another 217 miles. He's currently just 34 miles behind Tommy's like-for-like distance. Steve's strategy of cutting back on stopped time and increasing his average speed pays off with another 235 mile day as he figure-of-eights his way through Cambridgeshire and Norfolk. This takes him within 40 miles of Kurt's equivalent day 44 distance and around 200 miles behind WR pace. Miles also appears to be changing strategy with faster riding as he keeps to the northern half of the Port Phillip Bay road, although only for 85 miles. He's now around 7,200 miles behind WR pace.


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## ianrauk (22 Sep 2015)

From Jo from the other place

*Day 264 / 45: *A good day for Kurt as he clocks up another 225 miles with a trip out east to Lenoke followed by repeats on his local roads. He remains around 30 miles behind Tommy's like-for-like distance and about 199 miles per day required for the WR by the end of his year. Steve rides north to the Humber before bedding down for the night at the Doncaster Travelodge for a total of 214 miles. His 2015 attempt now requires around 300 mpd, his rebooted attempt, 206 mpd. Miles rides 88 miles of his bay route. He now requires 233 mpd for the record.


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## ianrauk (23 Sep 2015)

From Jo from the other other place

*Day 265 / 46: *Kurt rides a loop out to the east before returning to home roads for an afternoon of riding with others for a day's total of 225 miles. This puts him around 760 miles ahead of WR pace and 35 behind Tommy's like-for-like distance. 100 days to go until the end of the 2015 attempt for Steve (and 319 days until the end of his rebooted attempt). He returns from Doncaster to MK via Peterborough on a 230 mile route putting him ahead of Kurt's like-for-like total and within 175 miles of WR pace. No substantial ride posted from Miles. Taking his average daily distance to date, Miles' end of year projection is currently around 46,600 miles.


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## Mugshot (24 Sep 2015)

*Tarzan Rides the HAM'R Kurt Searvogel shared Kurt Searvogel's post.*
4 hrs ·



Kurt Searvogel
This afternoon - my HR spike up over 210 and wouldn't come back down below 170 after 30 minutes so against my will, Alicia made me ride over to the urgent care. At urgent care my HR was 65 but garmin was recording 170. The top half of my heart was beating at 170 and the bottom half was beating at 65. So they hooked me up to an EKG and determined I was in Atrial Fibrillation and was sent over to the Heart Hospital. By the time I got to the Heart Hospital my heart was beating normally again. They took blood and determined my thyroid is wack and that I was dehydrated. I now wear a live tracking heart rate monitor and have an appointment with a cardiologist. No restriction on my activities for now. May sleep in tomorrow or may ride not sure how I'm feeling about all this. It was epic enough before - I don't need anything else to make this more challenging..


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## Mugshot (24 Sep 2015)

*Tarzan Rides the HAM'R Kurt Searvogel*
6 hrs ·
Kurt is now at the Arkansas Heart Hospital. Looks like he has Atrial fibrillation.


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## Mugshot (24 Sep 2015)

*Tarzan Rides the HAM'R Kurt Searvogel*
3 hrs · Edited ·
A few weeks ago this article was sent to me by a friend who is a legend in mountaineering. I read and shared with my friend Dr Steve Chillinski. Without going into detail with Kurt, I did make him agree to call me if he had anything irregular happen regarding his heart rate like fluttering, racing, light headedness or dizziness, etc... we had a plan. Although Kurt wanted to continue riding, I did demand he go to the hospital to get evaluated and with Steve's help convincing him, he did. I believe today would have gone down differently if it weren't for the friends who surround us, inform us and care about us. ~ Alicia 
http://velonews.competitor.com/cycling-extremes




Cycling to extremes - VeloNews.com
Are endurance athletes hurting their hearts by repeatedly pushing beyond what is normal? The scary science on the damage caused by overtraining
velonews.competitor.com


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## Scoosh (24 Sep 2015)

Am I right in thinking (without having read the link ) that Steve is less likely to suffer from these issues, as he is riding to a HRM and thus not really straining himself - or his heart, at any rate - nearly as much ?


GWS, Kurt ! Much as I want Steve to take the record, there is no doubting that KS is an increfible athlete.


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## ianrauk (24 Sep 2015)

From Jo over at the other place

*Day 266 / 47:* Kurt has to cut his day a little short at 172 miles because of heart issues that need careful attention (unexpected elevated heart rate and, after examination, confirmed atrial fibrillation). His heart rate subsequently returned to normal, but he and Alicia are evaluating whether he will need some recovery time or change in strategy.

Steve complets a 208 mile loop through Cambridgeshire, putting him within a day of Walter Greaves' 1936 record. Miles is back to longer distances with a 178 mile day north of Melbourne.






Get well Kurt and GO STEVE!!


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## ColinJ (24 Sep 2015)

I have read a lot about this kind of thing over the past 3 years since my own health problems. (I got bouts of AF repeatedly back then and it is not good!)

Severe osteoporosis, and exercise-induced Iliac artery endofibrosis are some other significant risks of ultra long distance cycling.

I don't want to be the party pooper and drone on about the health implications of these record attempts because this isn't the place to do it, but I have been concerned for the competitors - extreme fitness and good health do not necessarily go hand in hand! 

Good luck to Kurt. I hope that all of the riders get through this without doing themselves permanent harm.


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## Mugshot (24 Sep 2015)

Kurt is on the move and has done 27miles so far for the day.


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## Beebo (24 Sep 2015)

It goes to show that it isnt in the bag until the very end. Hope Kurt can get through this, he only has to do a 200mile per day average now, maybe we will stop banging out the big 230 milers and get some extra rest.


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## swansonj (24 Sep 2015)

Would it make me a very bad person if I were to harbour a secret desire that Kurt's health problems turn out to be nothing serious or lasting, but nonetheless enough to slow him down a bit, so that he takes Godwin's record - which I think he thoroughly deserves - but only by a small margin, thereby leaving an easier task for Steve to come through and take the new record at the end of his reboot - which he also thoroughly deserves?


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## Mugshot (24 Sep 2015)

Kurt is showing 86 miles on the tracker, that means he's done 60 miles in the last 5 hours, I haven't checked Facebook but it would appear that his issues are not over.

Edit: 188 for the day in the end, so not so bad after all


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## Mugshot (24 Sep 2015)

swansonj said:


> Would it make me a very bad person if I were to harbour a secret desire that Kurt's health problems turn out to be nothing serious or lasting, but nonetheless enough to slow him down a bit, so that he takes Godwin's record - which I think he thoroughly deserves - but only by a small margin, thereby leaving an easier task for Steve to come through and take the new record at the end of his reboot - which he also thoroughly deserves?


No I don't think so, I suspect most of us on this side of the pond would like to see Steve take the overall record but Kurt has proved himself to be an extraordinary athlete and it would be such a shame for him (and Alicia) to get so close and fail, I really would feel for the two of them.


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## MartinQ (24 Sep 2015)

Collapsed lung, AF, broken ankle, ... HAMR should carry a health warning ...


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## Mugshot (24 Sep 2015)

MartinQ said:


> Collapsed lung, AF, broken ankle, ... HAMR should carry a health warning ...


It's certainly not for mere mortals.


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## ianrauk (25 Sep 2015)

From Jo from the other place

*Day 267 / 48: *Kurt starts late after an eventful day of heart issues, but he keeps up his high average speed on local roads to complete 189 miles. He remains around 710 miles above WR pace and less than a day's riding behind Tommy's like-for-like distance. Steve rides out to the Norfolk coast passing Walter Greaves's 1936 record with 220 miles for the day. Miles returns to riding repeats of the northern section of the bay for a 162 mile total.


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## Legs (25 Sep 2015)

Scoosh said:


> Am I right in thinking (without having read the link ) that Steve is less likely to suffer from these issues, as he is riding to a HRM and thus not really straining himself - or his heart, at any rate - nearly as much ?


Kurt's (normal) riding heart rate is phenomenally low, though. I'm not sure he actively uses his heart rate as a guide to how fast he should be going in the same way that Steve suggests he does, but for the most part Kurt's HR has been around 80-100 bpm, like Steve's has.


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## ianrauk (26 Sep 2015)

_*F*rom Jo from the other place_
*
Dlay 268 / 49: *Kurt's speed appears unaffected by his recent heart diagnosis as he manages to fit 212 miles of Little Rock riding around an appointment with the cardiologist. Steve sticks to north Norfolk with a 205 mile loop from the Acle Travelodge, putting him within a day of Bernard Bennett's 1937 record. Miles rides up and down the bay for a 184 mile total.


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## Mugshot (26 Sep 2015)

*Tarzan Rides the HAM'R Kurt Searvogel*
54 mins ·
TARZAN UPDATE: Kurt was out the door before 5:AM heading east then south/southwest. BDB is today and he was planning on riding, but he's had enough excitement for the week. We hope everyone understands and has a great ride today. Yesterday, the cardiologist was encouraging and said, "Don't give up!" So, he is good to go. Although, he does need to get his hypothyroid under control and see an endocrinologist asap. And yes, I'll be dragging his stubborn butt in to see whoever he needs to see to make sure he is healthy enough to continue. I expected this last lap around the earth to be the most difficult with unexpected road blocks and challenges. We have both taken big hits, yet there is no stopping us. This is just what we were meant to do. Thank you for all of your well wishes and support. ~ Alicia


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## Mugshot (27 Sep 2015)

*Tarzan Rides the HAM'R Kurt Searvogel*
Just now ·
Yesterday I was attacked by a giant pothole while riding in my aero bars. I have never skidded down the road on my helmet before and don't think I'll try it again. A little road rash and a bruised hip. Oh well we keep on rollin.


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## ianrauk (27 Sep 2015)

From Jo over the other place
*Day 269 / 50: *Kurt heads southward to the Arkansas-Texas border at the well-named Texarkana. To add to the events of this week, he has _"a little crash today - feeling battered up"_, yet still manages 208 miles. Steve, on day 50 of his reboot, rides back to MK while passing the 10,000 milestone and Bernard Bennett's 1937 record of 45,801 miles. Miles continues to get familiar with the Port Phillip coastal road for a 161 mile day.


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## ianrauk (27 Sep 2015)

So Steve passes 10,000 miles for the reboot in 50 days
Wow big deal, I passed 10,000 today too.. oh hold on... thats for the year....

GO STEVE!!!


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## ianrauk (28 Sep 2015)

From Jo from the other place

*Day 270 /51: *Kurt rides back north from Texarkana towards Little Rock, nursing the road rash and bumps from yesterday's pothole induced off and adding 205 miles to his total. Steve does a Cambridgeshire loop via Ely for 219 miles putting him 758 miles ahead of his like-for-like February self. Miles does 3 repeats of the northern part of the bay road for 176 miles.


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## ianrauk (28 Sep 2015)

[QUOTE 3926554, member: 9609"]still 3 months to go - will you pass 13 for the year - what is your biggest year ?
[/QUOTE]

I'm not going for 13, but would be nice to achieve that as it would be my longest yearly mileage by a huge margin. Previous being 10,801miles. Though I won't be disappointed if I don't.

It just goes to show how phenomenal these long distance athletes are that they can knock out +200 milers day after day after day. After my longish ride yesterday of 157 miles.. my legs are feeling it big time on this mornings commute.


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## Mugshot (28 Sep 2015)

ianrauk said:


> I passed 10,000 today too



*GO IAN!!!!*


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## ianrauk (29 Sep 2015)

From Jo from the other place

*Day 271 / 52: *A day of familiar routes for all three riders. Kurt heads out east followed by repeats on his local roads to give him a day's total of 220 miles. Steve does a 207 mile Cambridgeshire loop. Miles does several repeats of the northern section of the bay road for 235 miles. As the Melbourne weather eases, he now appears to be completing longer distances after a fallow period but has a long way to catch up to WR pace.


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## ianrauk (30 Sep 2015)

From Jo from the other place
*Day 272 / 53: *A late start, some wet weather, a couple of punctures and a terminal problem for his recumbent all make interesting times for Kurt. Nevertheless he rides fast for a total of 212 miles. Steve does 215 miles of Cambridgeshire and Suffolk in good early autumn weather. Miles does a couple more bay trips for 126 miles.


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## ianrauk (30 Sep 2015)




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## ianrauk (1 Oct 2015)

*Day 273 / 54: *Kurt does one Godwin (plus another 100m for luck) on his usual route at a slightly slower speed than usual. With 101 days to go he is a good buffer of 740 miles ahead of WR pace and around 200 miles behind Tommy's like-for-like distance. October was the last month in which Tommy was making substantial gains over his average pace; in his final couple of months he began to ease off his long daily distances. Steve consolidates his September distance with another 210 mile loop through Cambridgeshire and Suffolk. Miles rides through the night and on into the day on familiar bay roads for 212 miles.


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## ianrauk (2 Oct 2015)

From Jo from the other place

*Day 274 / 55: *Kurt rides 211 miles south to the Louisiana border. Steve keeps up his recent pattern of Cambridgeshire/Suffolk loops for one Godwin's worth of riding. Likewise Miles does the northern section of the bay for 189 miles.


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## ianrauk (4 Oct 2015)

From Jo from the other place.

*Day 275 / 56:* Kurt rides south from LR towards the Louisiana border again, squeezing in 211 miles and a marriage proposal to Alicia into the day. Steve and Miles follow a similar pattern to previous days completing a 215 mile loop and 180 mile back and forth respectively.


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## Mugshot (4 Oct 2015)

*Tarzan Rides the HAM'R Kurt Searvogel*
56 mins · Edited ·
Yesterday was rough. Kurt rode about 164 miles. We found a stretch of 50 miles along a highway that had a great shoulder with a rumble strip next to the white line. His energy was very low and he was complaining about being very tired. In an effort to maximize road and wind conditions of 10 to 15 mph, I would shuttle him back to the starting point giving him a chance to rest or nap. This worked for a while, but he just didn't have it in him. By the time we got home last night I had driven 480 miles. We are both pooped. He's gotten up a few times this morning only to go back to bed, then I thought he was leaving when I found him curled up in the overstuffed chair. Kurt is currently laying on his yoga mat wrapped up in a blanket... oh yea, it's gonna be a big miles day. ~ Alicia


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## ianrauk (4 Oct 2015)

From Jo from the other place.

*Day 276 / 57:* Kurt finds a fast stretch of road, east of Hope heading to El Dorado, and rides it four times at a moving average of over 20mph and a day's total of 163 miles. Steve rides up to Wisbech and back for 218 miles. Miles continues around the bay accumulating 173 miles today.


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## Mugshot (5 Oct 2015)

*Tarzan Rides the HAM'R Kurt Searvogel*
6 hrs · 
Took a rest day today - I have more than 2 rest days in the bank - but want to keep them there. It was really nice not riding - looking forward to January 10th.


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## ianrauk (5 Oct 2015)

From Jo from the other place

*Day 277 / 58: *Kurt takes a rest day after accumulated fatigue, riding 53 miles around Little Rock. This keeps him around 550 miles above WR pace, so leaves him with a couple more days in the bank should he need to rest again before the end of the challenge. But again it demonstrates just what a perilous position all three riders are in – this one day of riding a quarter of his normal distance undoes all the gains made over the last month. Steve does another 218 miles, following familiar roads through the flatlands of eastern England and putting him within 100 miles of WR pace. Miles rides 187 miles of familiar bayside roads.


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## Mugshot (5 Oct 2015)

*Tarzan Rides the HAM'R Kurt Searvogel*
2 hrs · Edited · 
Kurt had a good night sleep and he's out there riding. Not at 100%, but doing the best he can. His spirits are good this morning, although, his battery went dead on his electronic shifters. He had to ride for a while before I caught up with him and we got that changed out and he was good to go again. At a critical point... keeping him healthy and riding is a challenge right now. Fast food has not been part of his diet since we've been back in Arkansas... well, maybe once or twice. Home cooking and whole foods with daily doctored up fresh fruit and veggie smoothies helps to satisfy his sweet tooth. But, he still loves his Pop-tarts and Little Debbie Swiss Rolls. ~ Alicia


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## Ian H (5 Oct 2015)

The magnitude of the task is becoming more apparent each day. Good luck to all of them.


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## ianrauk (6 Oct 2015)

From Jo from the other place

*Day 278 / 59: *In a partial reverse of the previous day, Kurt is back up to longer rides with 221 miles of Little Rock roads while Steve, battling wet autumnal weather, manages a shorter 172 miles. This undoes Steve's gains made over the last week putting him around 130 miles behind WR pace. Miles shows consistency with another 194 miles of the bay.


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## ianrauk (7 Oct 2015)

From Jo from the other place

*Day 279 / 60: *A steady day for Kurt sees him riding his local roads for 214 miles, leaving him around 580 miles in front of WR pace and passing 90,000km. Steve has a long wet autumnal day riding 232 miles from Ipswich to York. This puts him around 105 miles behind WR pace, undoing the loss of the previous day's shorter ride. For a bit of variety Miles rides the roads north of Melbourne for 100 miles.


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## Mugshot (8 Oct 2015)

*Steve Abraham*
12 hrs ·
Steve's average riding distance is 203.5 miles per day at the moment. He's working very hard to get it above the 205-miles per day required to break the highest annual mileage record (after a few days of illness set him back last month). Below is a link to yesterday's 232 mile ride:

http://www.strava.com/activities/morning-ride-407796193




Click here to see Steve Abraham's 232.3 mi bike ride
strava.com


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## ianrauk (8 Oct 2015)

From Jo from the other place

How consistent have the OYTT challengers been day-by-day? Below are the proportions of daily ride distances placed in 20km bands (0-20km, 20-40km, 40-60km etc.) for Tommy, Steve, Kurt and Miles. For a change I've used kilometres rather than miles, but have highlighted all the distance bands above Tommy Godwin's average record pace (331km or 206 miles).


















Kurt's strategy of consistently riding a little above WR pace for as many days as possible is clearly evident. As is Steve's injury and recovery period and subsequent climb back towards WR pace. Miles stands out as having a much more variable pattern of daily distances – something he's going to have to improve upon if he stands any chance of nearing the record.


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## ianrauk (8 Oct 2015)

From Jo from the other place

*Day 280 / 61: *221 steady Little Rock miles from Kurt sees him approaching 600 miles ahead of WR pace. Steve rides back home from York with a late finish and 228 miles for the day. This puts him around 85 miles behind WR pace and now ahead of Kurt's like-for-like distance. Another short day for Miles as he rides for 80 miles north of Melbourne.


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## Mugshot (8 Oct 2015)

Did Miles do a restart after his lung problems?


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## ianrauk (8 Oct 2015)

Mugshot said:


> Did Miles do a restart after his lung problems?




I think he just carried on the challenge.


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## Mugshot (8 Oct 2015)

ianrauk said:


> I think he just carried on the challenge.


Ok ta . 
In which case his average distance a day to tie of 277 miles according to the HAMR spreadsheet would be correct. You have to assume that it's pretty much over already really. It's a shame they aren't showing it with Steve restart, just his original start date, I guess it's to do with the concurrent challenge.


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## ianrauk (9 Oct 2015)

From Jo from the other place

*ay 281 / 62: *More of the same from Kurt – 218 fast miles ridden from Little Rock. Steve rides a fenland loop for 209 miles, moving him steadily towards that WR pace. He has now been moving on his bike for exactly 50% of every hour of 2015, including his time when recovering after his broken ankle. Another comparatively short day from Miles, covering 126 miles of the bay.


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## Mugshot (9 Oct 2015)

*Steve Abraham*
11 mins ·
Steve thought he might struggle to achieve 200-miles yesterday, after a late start. But the weather conditions were very good and his average speed was better than usual.

The only downside he noted on yesterday's ride was that it did get quite cold in the last hour of riding. Winter is certainly approaching...




Click here for details of Steve Abraham's 209.0 mi bike ride...
strava.com


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## ianrauk (10 Oct 2015)

From Jo from the other place

*Day 282 / 63: *Familiar roads for all three riders. Kurt has a semi-recovery day with 122 miles covered at a slightly slower pace (by Kurt standards). Nevertheless he continues with a 500 mile buffer over the record pace and only 13 weeks to go. Steve rides for 211 miles in good autumn weather. Rebooted October Steve is now 1000 miles ahead of March Steve and 75 behind WR pace. Miles rides 118 miles – a steady accumulation – but his overall daily average is taking him further and further away from the pace he requires to have a realistic chance of the record. He now has to make up approximately 8,400 miles on top of a 206 mpd average to take the record from Tommy (and probably more if Kurt raises it further).


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## Mugshot (10 Oct 2015)

*Steve Abraham with EgoManiac Idai and Grant Strong*
34 mins ·
A massive thank you goes out to MK Cycling (http://www.mk-cycling.com) the mobile bike mechanic service who attended to Steve's two ailing bikes at just an hour's notice.

The broken tri-bars have now been replaced on one bike and the failed bottom bracket on the other. The show goes on...


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## Mugshot (10 Oct 2015)

Just been reading the comments on Strava for Steves ride yesterday; 

_Shammy Moyalan Dominic 

It's just unbelievable dear . I think you are not a human you are a cycling Robert . God bless you . Out pray's are with you _

Shammy is from India, I'm not making fun, but it did make me smile.


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## Mugshot (11 Oct 2015)

*Tarzan Rides the HAM'R Kurt Searvogel*
18 hrs · 
Kurt was just plain tired yesterday and I was down after a reaction from a dental procedure, so that didn't help. If I go down, he goes down. He asked me, "Is this were we fell off the mountain?" I said, "No, we fell into a crevasse and now we are dangling by our ropes. If the rope breaks we fall into the dark cold abyss below. We need to find a way to climb out or wait to be rescued." Boys and girls, it's getting tough. There was a Wounded Warriors riding event this morning and he planned to ride with Ben. This got him to climb back into the saddle. His motivation lowers in the evening and that's when I need to get out there. To the cyclists in the Little Rock area, you have no idea how encouraging it is for Kurt that you show up, turn around on your own training, ask him to join your group ride, etc... know that you've come to the rescue. Thank you. ~ Alicia


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## ianrauk (11 Oct 2015)

From Jo from the other place

*Day 283 / 64: *Kurt is back on form with a 220 mile local ride including joining the start of Wounded Warrior event and some much needed company on the road. Steve knocks out another eastward loop for 213 miles on his refurbished bike taking him to around 67 miles shy of WR pace. Miles does more bay riding for another 178 miles towards his total.


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## ianrauk (12 Oct 2015)

From Jo from the other place

*Day 284 / 65: *Kurt does a couple of longer loops to the south of Little Rock before finishing on his usual river trail for a day's total of 227 miles. Steve loops 209 miles east via Thetford Forest inching him closer to that WR line. Miles continues with 177 miles of repeats of the northern section of the bay road.


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## Mugshot (13 Oct 2015)

I don't often post anything from Miles, to be honest I think his attempt is finished so I'm not that interested, I thought this was a nice picture though. 
*
Go Miles*
3 hrs ·
_"My new best mate Blake. It was Blake's birthday on Sunday and guess what he got? Here's a hint, two wheels, saddle, handle bars, the ability to leave your Dad kilometers behind. I waited with Blake till his Dad caught up and whilst we waited advised him not to 'beat your Dad until your 18+ years old'."
_


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## ianrauk (13 Oct 2015)

From Jo from the other place

*Day 285 / 66: *After a van fuelling mixup, Kurt is left without motorised support, but nevertheless completes 215 miles of local riding. Steve tries an out and back route through Essex for 207 miles. Miles does a single bay trip for 75 miles.


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## Mugshot (13 Oct 2015)

*Steve Abraham*
1 hr ·
Steve getting ready to hit the road this morning - for another long day in the cold autumn weather...


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## Dogtrousers (13 Oct 2015)

Mugshot said:


> I don't often post anything from Miles, to be honest I think his attempt is finished so I'm not that interested,


I'm becoming a big Miles fan. Sure, he's unlikely to pass the Godwin mark, or the Searvogel mark, or the Abraham mark, but he's achieving something pretty incredible all the same.

Go Miles!


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## Mugshot (13 Oct 2015)

Dogtrousers said:


> I'm becoming a big Miles fan. Sure, he's unlikely to pass the Godwin mark, or the Searvogel mark, or the Abraham mark, but he's achieving something pretty incredible all the same.
> 
> Go Miles!


I like him, I like his little write ups and he posts some good pics. He certainly sounds like he's having an adventure and that's to be applauded in itself. I'm certainly not taking anything away from what he's done or what he is likely to do, but as a challenger, nah.


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## ianrauk (14 Oct 2015)

From Jo from the other place
*Day 286 / 67: *Kurt has a slightly slower start, but is soon buoyed up by some company on the road to complete 209 miles by early evening. Steve also manages 209 miles on a wide loop of Cambridge at a slightly faster pace than recent days. He is within 3 days of reaching 50000 miles in 2015. Miles does three there-and-back bay trips for 188 miles. On this day in 1939, Tommy passed the 60,000 milestone.


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## ianrauk (15 Oct 2015)

From Jo from the other place

*Day 287 / 68: *Kurt keeps it local for 220 miles lifting him to around 580 miles above WR pace. As the weather in the UK continues to cool, Steve contends with a northerly wind across the fens for 215 miles. He is now about 50 miles behind Tommy's average. Miles puts in a long day for 232 miles of Port Phillip Bay.


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## ianrauk (16 Oct 2015)

From Jo from the other place

*Day 288 / 69:* Kurt follows a now regular pattern of riding out east in the early morning then being joined by others on the road as he rides back to Little Rock. All in for 216 miles. Steve has a late start but virtually no stopping time as he rides out to Thetford Forest before returning home for a total of 206 miles. He's now a day away from 50,000 miles in 2015. Miles rides north of Melbourne for 189 miles after being knocked off his bike yesterday on his usual bay roads (thankfully no injuries reported).


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## Mugshot (16 Oct 2015)

*Steve Abraham*
1 hr ·
It's been a steady week for Steve - with variations in weather conditions making some of the daily rides even more challenging than they should be - but he's done well to limit his time off the bike to well under an hour of his total daily riding time... Have a great weekend everyone!


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## ianrauk (17 Oct 2015)

From Jo from the other place.

*Day 289 / 70: *Kurt has a steady day and fast evening on his usual roads riding one Godwin to keep him around 600 miles above WR pace. Steve passes *50,000 miles* on a day of biting NE winds across the fens. He continues his recent style of steady pace with little or no stopping, allowing him to complete 217 miles in 14h30m. Miles has a third consecutive day of Godwin+ distances, riding the bay for 211 miles.


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## Mugshot (17 Oct 2015)

*Tarzan Rides the HAM'R Kurt Searvogel*
40 mins ·
Thanks to a very generous supporter in South Africa, Kurt now has a new Orbea TT bike! And, thanks to the Orbea Little Rock crew for pulling it together.


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## ianrauk (18 Oct 2015)

From Jo from the other place

*Day 290 / 71: *Another 223 miles in the bank for Kurt has he rides around his usual roads with company from some local riders. Steve has a tough 199 mile day via Thetford Forest that is noticeably slower than usual, no doubt in part due to developing leg pain and a rear flat. Miles has a second day of around 212 miles moving him marginally towards record pace, but still with around an 8,500 mile deficit to make up over the next eight months.


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## Mugshot (19 Oct 2015)

*Tarzan Rides the HAM'R Kurt Searvogel*
5 hrs ·
"At this date Tommy [Godwin] had only 8 days to achieve his first goal and ride into the record books with a new year world record of 62,731 miles (on day 299) beating the Australian Ossie Nicholson record set in 1937. His next goal was to stretch his distance to around 75,000 miles. Unfortunately an early British winter coupled with blackout restrictions (Yes Britain was at war) meant severe nighttime riding restrictions." ~ Godfrey Barlow


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## Mugshot (19 Oct 2015)

*Go Miles*
7 hrs ·
"To answer Tim Corbett's question. I know what the minimum is I need to do each day. I keep only two running totals and that is the + or - figure with regard to the average daily and the target figures. Put another way how much over or under the current record set by Tommy and how much over or under the target I've set myself I am.

Like any large project you just got to slice and dice it into 'achievable and digestible' chunks. You don't get up and think 'OK 120,800 km's less the massive 400 I did yesterday wow that's only 120,400 km's to go'.

Went a bit too hard yesterday with the CTX guys, Catseye said 58 kph max on the flat. Can actually feel my legs working today. Normally 'numb from the bum' down.

Reading the four dailey local papers (yes actual newsprint, printed on paper - I like to know what happened two days ago) and smashing riders whilst smashing myself, are two pleasures I've had to give up whilst doing the HAM'R."


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## Mugshot (19 Oct 2015)

*Tarzan Rides the HAM'R Kurt Searvogel*
5 hrs ·
Morning Crew 100





Kurt is getting some good local support on his rides now.


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## ianrauk (19 Oct 2015)

From Jo from the other place

*Day 291 / 72: * 209 miles for Kurt with plenty of company on the road from various teams of local riders. Steve continues to have some leg pain and a consequent slow and long day via Ely for 182 miles. This leaves him around 64 miles from the WR pace. Miles keeps it shorter on a couple of bay trips with a total of 93 miles.


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## Scoosh (19 Oct 2015)

Do we know if Steve's leg pain is related to his ankle injury ?


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## Mugshot (19 Oct 2015)

Scoosh said:


> Do we know if Steve's leg pain is related to his ankle injury ?


I haven't seen so on Facebook, although it was his left that got broken wasn't it?

*Steve Abraham*
2 hrs ·
Steve had quite a tough time over the weekend, averaging a little over 190-miles per day, from Friday to Sunday. That's because he's been having a pain in his left leg since Saturday - and his rear tubeless tyre finally wore out and burst. He's still on the road today, slowly nursing himself back to health and putting in the miles...


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## Mugshot (20 Oct 2015)

Congratulations Kurt!!

*Tarzan Rides the HAM'R Kurt Searvogel*
4 hrs ·
We stopped at the Grant County Courthouse to pickup our marriage license today. After the clerk gave us the license I said "Now, all I need to do is find someone to marry us." The clerk proceeded to get on her cell phone and call her sister who was a Justice of the Peace and 30 minutes later we were husband and wife. Things move at jungle light speed when you hang around with Tarzan. So if your disappointed with my miles today I have an excuse _wink emoticon_


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## ianrauk (20 Oct 2015)

From Jo from the other place

*Day 292 / 73:* Congratulations to Kurt and Alicia.


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## Beebo (20 Oct 2015)

Blimey, my wedding tackle would be no good to anyone if I had cycled those kind of distances


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## ianrauk (21 Oct 2015)

From Jo from the other place

*Day 293 / 74: *A cycling honeymoon for Kurt and Alicia follow a familiar pattern of local roads with a 'drafternoon' accompanied by local riders for a day's total of 210 miles. Steve, still nursing an injured leg, has a fourth consecutive day of slightly shorter distances, today of 190 miles. This leaves him around 88 miles behind WR pace. Miles has a day away from the bay riding from the north for 167 miles.


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## ianrauk (22 Oct 2015)

From Steve's Strava


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## ianrauk (22 Oct 2015)

From Jo from the other place

*Day 294 / 75: *A steady day for Kurt with one Godwin covered and a tussle with the dozies. Steve is back on the Godwin+ distances with a 210 mile loop via Thetford Forest, matching Tommy's distance for the day in 1939. Miles does 174 miles riding from the north back towards Melbourne.


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## ianrauk (23 Oct 2015)

From Jo from the other place

*Day 295 / 76: *219 miles for Kurt as he follows a similar pattern to recent days – ride out east in the morning followed by a drafternoon with local riders and an evening riding with Alicia. No leg grumblings from Steve has he does a fenland loop with some helpful wind assistance for a day's total of 211 miles. Miles does more riding between Seymour and Melbourne with some night riding accumulating 207 miles, of which 129 were within the 24 hours of 22nd of October.


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## ianrauk (24 Oct 2015)

From Jo from the other place

*Day 296 / 77: *Kurt has an eventful 219 miles as he rides north to Jonesboro. Three flat tyres, an off on wet roads, someone throwing something at him and a stretch along a hard shoulder-free highway in fast traffic. But you don't get to this point in the OYTT without being resilient to such things. Steve makes good progress on another Thetford Forest round until the dozies strike late in the day when he takes a rest before finishing after midnight. All in for 210 miles leaving him 74 miles behind Tommy's WR pace. Miles completes his night ride back to Melbourne than starts on the bay for 111 miles in this 24 hour period.


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## ianrauk (25 Oct 2015)

From Jo from the other place

*Day 297 / 78: *Kurt, feeling bruised and tired after yesterday's crash and unmotivated by Arkansas wind and rain, keeps it short at 165 miles. This leaves him around 575 miles above Tommy's WR pace. Steve has a late start after the previous night's late finish, but zips round the fens for 213 miles. Miles rides the bay roads at night giving him 107 miles within the 24 hours.


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## Scoosh (25 Oct 2015)

*Go Steve !*


(haven't had one of them in a while … )

Ah - that's better !


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## ianrauk (26 Oct 2015)

From Jo from the other place

*Day 298 / 79: *Kurt continues his long dark days of the soul as he struggles with rain, wind and cold while riding south from Little Rock. He manages 156 miles, leaving him around 520 miles above Tommy's record pace. After a bonus hour of sleep thanks to the end of British Summer Time, Steve is back on form with a cool (veering to chilly in the evening) 220 mile fenland visit. Miles surfs a northerly tailwind by riding from Seymour to just north of Melbourne three times in 24 hours leaving him with a day's total of 182 miles.


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## Mugshot (26 Oct 2015)

That lead that Kurt has over WR pace is just being eaten into a little.


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## Dogtrousers (26 Oct 2015)

This is so relentless. Steve's slow creep towards the WR pace, just shows how a minor setback of a few miles on one day, or a couple of out-of-sorts days, really makes a difference.


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## ianrauk (26 Oct 2015)

Not only his 'slow creep towards WR pace. But his avg speed also.

This from Jo from the other place

_It looks like whatever was ailing Steve's left leg has now left him. His moving average speeds over the last 8 days:

18th Oct: 13.7
19th Oct: 14.5
20th Oct: 14.2
21st Oct: 15.0
22nd Oct: 15.0
23rd Oct: 15.1
24th Oct: 16.1
25th Oct: 16.9 mph_


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## summerdays (26 Oct 2015)

Beebo said:


> Blimey, my wedding tackle would be no good to anyone if I had cycled those kind of distances


Hmm lets just say Mr Summerdays wouldn't be much good if he decided to carry on cycling on our wedding day!


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## MartinQ (26 Oct 2015)

summerdays said:


> Hmm lets just say Mr Summerdays wouldn't be much good if he decided to carry on cycling on our wedding day!



When we got married, the only difference between our room and my brother's at the hotel was that the TV had been taken out. I was gutted, I couldn't watch match of the day.


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## Dogtrousers (26 Oct 2015)

From Steve's facebook:

_Tommy's daughter, Barbara Ford, reminds us that today is the anniversary of a momentous occasion. She posted this on Steve's website:-
"76 years ago today Tommy rode triumphant into Trafalgar Square having bought The Year Record back home.
An incredible achievement by an incredible man.
So proudly remembered by his loving family."

Thank-you, Barbara, for reminding us. 
Meanwhile, Steve is still churning out the miles._


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## ianrauk (27 Oct 2015)

From Jo from the other place

*Day 299 / 80: *October 26th 1939 was the day that Tommy Godwin took Ossie Nicholson's previous world record having accumulated 62,746 miles. Today, Kurt, starting 9 days behind, has ridden 60,131 miles. Steve, 52,124 miles. They should both overtake Ossie's total before the year is out. Whether either or both will take Tommy's record remains to be seen, and unlike Tommy, probably not to be decided until week 50 of their challenges.

Today Kurt faces more rain and so cuts short his evening riding for a total of 170 miles. Steve, who has found his autumn legs, rides through fenland winds to add 216 miles to his total. Miles, riding between Melbourne and Seymour to the north completes 153 miles.


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## ianrauk (27 Oct 2015)




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## ianrauk (27 Oct 2015)

55° in Centigrade is 13°. That's not exactly brass monkeys weather is it? Certainly not downright miserable. I would have thought at the power Kurt is putting out on these rides and we know he's no slouch, he would be generating more then enough heat to keep warm. Even in the rain.

But... being so far into the challenge. Knowing you have to get out there what ever the weather must be very hard on the mind, body and soul. I wonder why he's not moving back to Florida?


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## summerdays (27 Oct 2015)

ianrauk said:


> But... being so far into the challenge. Knowing you have to get out there what ever the weather must be very hard on the mind, body and soul. I wonder why he's not moving back to Florida?


Risk of hurricanes? And potentially other storms? I don't know enough about the area to know if that's a real problem?


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## ianrauk (27 Oct 2015)

More from Jo's brilliant interactive graph web page* HERE*

As you can see, even with Kurts few recent lower mileage days, he's still approximately 475 miles above the WR pace. 
Steve less then 50 miles away from WR pace.
Miles Smith is nearly 9000 miles behind WR pace.


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## Mugshot (27 Oct 2015)

ianrauk said:


> 55° in Centigrade is 13°. That's not exactly brass monkeys weather is it? Certainly not downright miserable. I would have thought at the power Kurt is putting out on these rides and we know he's no slouch, he would be generating more then enough heat to keep warm. Even in the rain.


No it's not what I would call cold, but it depends on what you're used to I guess. If he decides he's not going to ride in certain conditions though then he could very quickly give himself a problem, the 30 mile below WR pace soon add up and he could very quickly find himself needing some monsters to pull it back. According to the HAMR he needs 200 a day to tie, his average so far for the year has been 207.


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## Dogtrousers (27 Oct 2015)

You'll note that it was Alicia saying "I'm not not happy when it's below 59". Maybe she's complaining and Kurt is laughing in the face of minor chill.


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## velovoice (27 Oct 2015)

Dogtrousers said:


> You'll note that it was Alicia saying "I'm not not happy when it's below 59". Maybe she's complaining and Kurt is laughing in the face of minor chill.


Er, I took her comment as a suggested addition to what Kurt had said, i..e putting words in his mouth!


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## Dogtrousers (27 Oct 2015)

velovoice said:


> Er, I took her comment as a suggested addition to what Kurt had said, i..e putting words in his mouth!


OK, I see what you mean.

In which case, Kurt is a bit nesh


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## blazed (27 Oct 2015)

ianrauk said:


> I would have thought at the power Kurt is putting out on these rides and we know he's no slouch, he would be generating more then enough heat to keep warm. Even in the rain.


I don't think he's putting out much power at all, nobody could complete the record putting down high wattage.

Flat roads combined with tailwinds where possible allows him to sit in low heart rate/power zones and still make good speed.


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## Mugshot (27 Oct 2015)

*Tarzan Rides the HAM'R Kurt Searvogel*
37 mins · Edited ·
ZAPPED... the past few days of riding cold and wet in the wind have taken its toll on Kurt, it's his kryptonite. Today he is back in the "hamster wheel" staged out of Two Rivers Park. He could use all the support and company he can get right now riding. If you can pull, ride with him, cheer him on, give him a word of encouragement... every bit helps lift his spirits, moral and energy. ~ Alicia


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## ColinJ (27 Oct 2015)

Mugshot said:


> *Tarzan Rides the HAM'R Kurt Searvogel*
> 37 mins · Edited ·
> ZAPPED... the past few days of riding cold and wet in the wind have taken its toll on Kurt, it's his kryptonite. Today he is back in the "hamster wheel" staged out of Two Rivers Park. He could use all the support and company he can get right now riding. If you can pull, ride with him, cheer him on, give him a word of encouragement... every bit helps lift his spirits, moral and energy. ~ Alicia


Well, he has certainly made the term "_Fair weather cyclist_" a bit less of an insult!


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## ianrauk (28 Oct 2015)

From Jo from the other place

*Day 300 / 81: *Kurt endures another day of rain and cooler temperatures than he'd like but has the company of several riders throughout the 36 repeats of the Little Rock 'hamster wheel' trail for a total of 187 miles. While he's slipping a little towards the WR line, he is still 470 miles above it, so can afford a few more days like this if he needs to. Steve, in better spirits manages an Essex-Suffolk-Cambridgeshire loop of 217 miles, putting him just 31 miles behind WR pace. At the rate of recent progress, he will hit the WR line before the weekend. Miles heads out on a rare trip west of Melbourne for a total of 154 miles.


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## Beebo (28 Oct 2015)

Maybe this is where Steve's reboot plan suddenly makes sense. As he approaches the end of the year he will be riding in improving conditions.
Lets see how he copes with the next 4 months, as i expect these will be dark and cold.


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## ianrauk (28 Oct 2015)




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## ianrauk (29 Oct 2015)

From Jo from the other place

*Day 301 / 82: *Kurt finds his mojo, knocking out 220 miles with a boost from some company on the way. Steve feels better but a little shorter than he anticipated in his loop around Ely for 202 miles. Thus puts him around 34 miles short of WR pace. Miles take the train north and rides south back to Melbourne for 124 miles. He is now over 9,000 miles behind record pace.


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## Mugshot (29 Oct 2015)

*Tarzan Rides the HAM'R Kurt Searvogel*
6 mins ·
Just to let you all know what we are going through:
We hit a crux and I was worried about him. I do know his limit. I do know when he can be pushed harder and when to back off. He needs to be able to get up and do it again. It's going to be close, but he promised me he would get in 220 on the days it wasn't raining. He rode wet all day after the rainstorm without changing, he didn't want to burn away any daylight. I'm proud of him for getting his miles in yesterday. He was on the verge of quitting these past 5 days. Every bit of him was weakening. He's riding strong again. ~ Alicia


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## Mugshot (30 Oct 2015)

*Tarzan Rides the HAM'R Kurt Searvogel*
7 hrs · Edited ·
IS IT TRUE? 
HAS KURT RIDDEN THE MOST MILES OUT OF ANYONE IN THE UNITED STATES IN ONE YEAR?

"Just wanted to drop in and say you are doing just great-over 60,200 plus miles last time I checked in which makes you the 5th longest distance cyclist in the world so far as the record set by Tommy Godwin stands, along with the fact it is the longest distance cycled ever by any one from the United States.....you are now the first (and only by the looks of it) Long Distance Cyclist in the USA to rack up those miles and cycle further than any one has ever done on your side of the world!!!! _smile emoticon_ Congratulations Kurt-stay safe,keep well-your are awesome....!! Regards Pete (Steve''s Brother) and family in England...! _wink emoticon_ Wish you all the best _wink emoticon_" ~ Pete Abraham


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## ianrauk (30 Oct 2015)

From Jo from the other place

*Day 302 / 83: *Alicia reports that Kurt had been close to throwing the towel in at several points in the last week, but now seems to have surfaced from that dark place to add another 221 miles to his total. Steve also on good form, edges to within 30 miles of the WR line with a 216 mile day. Miles is back on bay road detail riding for 127 miles.


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## Supersuperleeds (30 Oct 2015)

I don't envy Steve having to face this weather today


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## summerdays (30 Oct 2015)

It's not bad in the west.... Just a bit breezy. How bad is it.?


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## ianrauk (30 Oct 2015)

There's a new challenger who has thrown his cycle hat into the ring. English chappy, Bruce Berkely. Known as Cycle_dr 1 on *Strava.*
When Steve started his attempt at the beginning of the year Bruce was putting in some serious miles in Australia. 10,000kms
Bruce will start his attempt 1st January 2016.

Road CC piece from earlier this year.
*Bruce Berkeley rides nearly 10,000km in January to set new Guinness World Record*

*



*

As was the case when he set the Guinness World Record for distance ridden in a week last year, there was no existing record ratified by the organisation for Berkeley to aim at.

He told Wade Wallace of Australian website Cycling Tips(link is external) that Guinness World Records had suggested he ride at least 5,000 kilometres, but he was aware other people on Strava were posting greater monthly distances so decided to aim for 10,000 instead.

That’s actually some distance short of the 13,813 kilometres that Tommy Godwin rode in 1939 on his way to establishing a new record for distance ridden in a year, and the likelihood is that Berkeley’s mark will be beaten at some point this year by Steve Abraham and Kurt Searvogel.

Both of those riders are aiming to break the 'unbreakable' Year record – but their attempts aren’t recognised by Guinness World Records, which considers the feat too dangerous to attempt.

While they covered less distance than Berkeley last month, as the days lenghten in the Northern Hemisphere over the coming months, so too will the distances they put in.

Likewise, the 2,825 kilometres Berkeley rode to establish that weekly record last year is less than the distance covered in the Race Across America (RAAM), though Guinness World Records doesn’t tend to recognise events where sleep deprivation may be an issue.




We’re aware of other examples of riders putting in more than 3,000 kilometres in a week – Mike Hall during the first seven days of last year’s inaugural Trans Am Bike Race for instance.

None of that is to disparage Berkeley’s achievements – almost 10,000 kilometres is something many cyclists would be happy to be able to ride in a year let alone a month, and being able to put in a daily distance greater than that of the longest one-day pro race, Milan-San Remo is beyond all but a handful.


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## Mugshot (30 Oct 2015)

Well, well, best of luck to the fella. Fair play if you haven't been put off by the trials and tribulations of the current challengers.
I do wish they'd put the distances in miles though.


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## Dogtrousers (30 Oct 2015)

Totally OT but ...


ianrauk said:


> Guinness World Records doesn’t tend to recognise events where sleep deprivation may be an issue.


When I was at university I knew a guy who attempted a world record snooker marathon, which IIRC was Guinness recognised. Perhaps they've become more enlightened/safety aware in the past 30-odd years. He fuelled himself on coffee and Lucky Strike fags. I seem to remember he fell ill (I think heart palpitations or something) and failed. Given the state of my memory, this is only marginally better than "I made it all up".

But back on topic, with the existence of the ultracycling HAM'R as a benchmark, with associated rules etc, doesn't Guinness rather become irrelevant?


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## ianrauk (30 Oct 2015)

Dogtrousers said:


> with the existence of the ultracycling HAM'R as a benchmark, with associated rules etc, doesn't Guinness rather become irrelevant?



I would say that's a yes.


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## jay clock (30 Oct 2015)

sa


ianrauk said:


> There's a new challenger who has thrown his cycle hat into the ring. English chappy, Bruce Berkely. Known as Cycle_dr 1 on *Strava.*
> When Steve started his attempt at the beginning of the year Bruce was putting in some serious miles in Australia. 10,000kms
> Bruce will start his attempt 1st January 2015.
> 
> ...


says Bruce starts 1 Jan 2015. Does it mean 2016?


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## ianrauk (30 Oct 2015)

jay clock said:


> sa
> 
> says Bruce starts 1 Jan 2015. Does it mean 2016?




Yes, my typo


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## Ian H (30 Oct 2015)

I think of Guinness as the repository for bizarre and comedic records. I understand the 'too dangerous' thing is a myth; they weren't approached.


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## Pale Rider (30 Oct 2015)

Americans seem to like riding a long way, perhaps it's the size of their country.

This guy is going for one million miles and reckons he will do it by the time he's 70.

http://dannychew.com/


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## Ian H (30 Oct 2015)

He's also a former winner of RAAM and a bit of a legend in ultra-cycling.


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## Mugshot (31 Oct 2015)

*Steve Abraham*
18 hrs ·
Please spare a thought this weekend for a man whose life seems to revolve around numbers:

- 216 miles (yesterday's ride)
- 70kg (his average weight)
- 75,065 miles (we all know what that is) 
- the list just goes on, and on, and on (a lot like this riding challenge) _wink emoticon_ ...


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## ianrauk (1 Nov 2015)

From Jo from the other place.

*Day 303 / 84: *With only one day more of riding in Little Rock before Kurt migrates south, he completes 209 miles on his local roads. Steve has a demanding day of headwind, some "tummy troubles" and traffic holdups but completing an Essex/Cambridgeshire Godwin nonetheless. Miles sees 151 miles of bay action.


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## Mugshot (2 Nov 2015)

*Steve Abraham*
14 hrs · Edited ·
Steve's daily mileage in his new World Record attempt is now at 205.4 miles per day - which is about even with the existing record. His goal now is to continue to lift that daily average mileage - much as he had done last winter - and to then survive safely into the summer.


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## srw (2 Nov 2015)

If it's as foggy in the flatlands today as it is in the Chilterns he'll have a challenge on his hands.


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## ianrauk (2 Nov 2015)

From Jo from the other place.

*Day 304 / 85: *Kurt's last day in Little Rock is a wet and shorter one, completing 119 miles of the hamster wheel. He will no doubt be happy to see the last of those roads, which he must have ridden many hundreds of times now. A long day for Steve riding to King's Lynn and back, getting home at approaching 2am but with 221 miles on the clock. Miles also has a longer day than usual with 192 miles of bay road riding.


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## ianrauk (2 Nov 2015)

From Jo from the other place.

*Day 305 / 86: *Kurt starts flying south for the winter with somewhere between 188-200 miles ridden subject to ironing out a few GPS problems. He ends the day in Louisiana and potentially within a couple of days of passing René Menzies' 1937 record. After yesterday's late finish, Steve does takes it marginally easier with a trip to the Peterborough area and back for 203 miles taking his reboot attempt within a gnat's whisker of Tommy's WR line (to be continued tomorrow...). Miles takes the train out west and rides east back towards Melbourne for 127 miles.


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## Ian H (2 Nov 2015)

Excellent reporting. Thanks!


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## ianrauk (3 Nov 2015)

From Jo from the other place

*Day 306 / 87: *Kurt continues his migration to Florida heading south through Louisiana towards Baton Rouge. His healthy total for the day of 226 miles puts him within a day of René Menzies' 1937 record. Miles has a shorter 24 hours totalling 84 miles heading north to Seymour.

Steve heads to King's Lynn starting well, but with a short sleep stop towards the end of the day and completing his 215 miles after 2am. The chart doesn't show it yet as the ride finished after midnight, but Steve finished his ride within 2 miles of the ghost of Tommy Godwin riding a steady 8.57mph. Day 307/88 will be a significant one for Steve as he may well surface above that WR pace. And it was on day 88 of his first attempt that he was knocked off by an inattentive moped rider.


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## ianrauk (4 Nov 2015)

From Jo from the other place

*Day 307 / 88: *Kurt continues his migration to warmer climes riding though Louisiana to the Mississippi gulf coast for exactly one Godwin. Steve, on day 88 of his reboot with continuing tummy troubles, tickles the WR line ending the day just 1.5 miles behind Tommy's ghost. Miles does a couple of trips north to Seymour before heading off to the west and a 24 hour total of 200 miles.


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## ianrauk (5 Nov 2015)

From Jo from the other place.

*Day 308 / 89:* Kurts spends a day at the gulf coast doing steady laps to accumulate 201 miles. Having passed Rene Menzies' total, his next targets will be 100,000km and then Ozzie Nicholson's 1937 record, both of which he should achieve within a week. Steve starts a little later heading on another NE loop at his normal speed, but begins to slow towards the end of the day, eventually finishing around 2am with 206 miles. Little activity from Miles, who completed his night ride from the previous day with 67 miles.


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## JohnClimber (5 Nov 2015)

For those interested in this record and reading the stats from this thread get this on your Christmas list off Santa

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Year-Reawak...=UTF8&qid=1446758205&sr=8-3&keywords=the+year


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## blazed (5 Nov 2015)

[QUOTE 3990262, member: 9609"]1000 foot of ascent in 201 miles - the maximum ascent on an international competitions snooker table would equate to 150 foot of ascent for the same distance. So pretty dam flat! That distance on my roads would be close on 16,000 foot of ascent.[/QUOTE]

It is insane how flat the roads are. His strategy has been perfect for the record.

Flat roads and tailwinds where possible means he can cover ground fast and get adequate sleep. Most importantly it means he can always maintain a low riding heart rate. The stress on his body is minimal.


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## Mugshot (6 Nov 2015)




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## Mugshot (6 Nov 2015)

[QUOTE 3990262, member: 9609"]1000 foot of ascent in 201 miles - the maximum ascent on an international competitions snooker table would equate to 150 foot of ascent for the same distance. So pretty dam flat! That distance on my roads would be close on 16,000 foot of ascent.[/QUOTE]
I don't know if you do strava but here's a couple of little stats for November

Steve - 1711km ridden - 5364ms climbed

Kurt - 1677km ridden - 3120ms climbed

Me - 273kms ridden - 2341ms climbed


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## ianrauk (6 Nov 2015)

From Jo from the other place.

*Day 309 / 90:* Kurt continues with loops along the Mississippi gulf coast in high temperatures and humidity accumulating 220 miles for the day. A 217 mile Thetford Forest loop for Steve takes him above Tommy's WR pace for a while, but another finish after midnight means he is yet to end the 24 hour period comfortably above the line. Very little riding for Miles with only 2 Melbourne miles logged.


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## srw (6 Nov 2015)

Mugshot said:


>



[grumpy]
Looking at the trackers, at best that's on the very outskirts of Amersham.
[/grumpy]


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## MossCommuter (8 Nov 2015)

velovoice said:


> Kajsa Tylen - http://www.ayearinthesaddle.com/.
> She starts 1 Jan 2016.



http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-34638370


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## velovoice (8 Nov 2015)

MossCommuter said:


> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-34638370


Yep, and an interview on the recently launched Strongher channel:
http://www.strongher.cc/news/a-chat-with-kajsa-tylen


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## ianrauk (8 Nov 2015)

From Jo from the other place.

*Day 310 / 91: *Kurt spends another day based at Waveland on the Mississippi gulf coast passing a significant milestone – 100,000km in 301 days. Steve has a challenging day in blustery conditions, heading south and west for the first time in many months including the first visit to Marsh Gibbon since June 12th. He finishes with an early night and 141 miles ridden, leaving him 58 miles below the Godwin line. No ride posted by Miles today.


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## ianrauk (8 Nov 2015)

From Jo from the other place.

*Day 311 / 92: *More Waveland loops for Kurt who cuts things a little short (for him) at 195 miles when the Mississippi rain gets a bit much. Steve, starting from St Neots, has miserable wet and windy weather and some ongoing tummy troubles to contend with and makes it back home with 200 miles on the clock, 25 of them after midnight. Miles has a 65 mile night time ride to Seymour.


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## ianrauk (9 Nov 2015)

From Jo from the other place

*Day 312 / 93: *Kurt battles strong crosswinds and rain along the Mississippi coast managing 154 miles but passing Ossie Nicholson's 1937 record. He only has two more to pass now – Bernard Bennett's and Tommy Godwin's 1939 milages. Steve also has some windy weather looping through Thetford Forest and another 2am finish for 214 miles. This leaves him 55 miles below the Godwin line. No ride posted from Miles, who is now around 2750 miles behind pace.


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## Dogtrousers (9 Nov 2015)

Mugshot said:


>



What does he carry in that big pack of his? Looks big enough for touring.


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## Mugshot (9 Nov 2015)

Dogtrousers said:


> What does he carry in that big pack of his? Looks big enough for touring.


I think it's a pillow in case he spots a comfy looking bus shelter.


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## Mugshot (9 Nov 2015)

*Steve Abraham*
1 hr ·
Steve averaged about 205-miles per day, across a weekend of unseasonally warm temperatures (but in wet & windy conditions). This week promises to be even windier, so he'll have his work cut out. Steve says he'd actually prefer a cold wet day with no wind, to a warm dry one with strong winds...


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## User482 (9 Nov 2015)

Mugshot said:


> I think it's a pillow in case he spots a comfy looking bus shelter.



He's carrying a sleeping bag, according to the chatter on YACF. When he's finished, he could write reviews of audax hotels...


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## Mugshot (9 Nov 2015)

*Tarzan Rides the HAM'R Kurt Searvogel*
2 hrs ·
Yesterday was rough. Kurt is simply exhausted. We got up early and drove so that if he must ride in the rain he'll at least have a tailwind. Well, it was a crosswind blowing south and he could only go west. He got beat up. Every stop he changed his cloths. Too cold, too wet... the wind was just slapping him around. When we got back to our temporary base, he did laps in the unforgiving wind. He was wiped out after 82 miles. He took a little break and then he was off again. I went out there with him and did a few laps, but it was miserable and slow, he was slow. He wanted to quit but I wouldn't let him. "This is shitty isn't it," he said. Even if it's slow it's miles, I told him. He disagreed, but kept riding. 
Earlier in the day I had received a message from a friend who's 16 year old daughter has a rare incurable genetic disorder. She is losing the strength in her ligaments and her bones are falling loose. In short, she can't walk, her jaw is dropping and her arms are coming out of the sockets. I had to share this with him even though it was not uplifting. Although this sucks, I had to remind him that we forget how lucky we are. We can move our arms and legs when others are struggling. He rode as much as he could in the "shitty" weather. 
A nice dinner and good nights rest... maybe today he can get some big miles in. ~ Alicia


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## Neilsmith (9 Nov 2015)

Mugshot said:


> *Tarzan Rides the HAM'R Kurt Searvogel*
> 2 hrs ·
> Yesterday was rough. Kurt is simply exhausted. We got up early and drove so that if he must ride in the rain he'll at least have a tailwind. Well, it was a crosswind blowing south and he could only go west. He got beat up. Every stop he changed his cloths. Too cold, too wet... the wind was just slapping him around. When we got back to our temporary base, he did laps in the unforgiving wind. He was wiped out after 82 miles. He took a little break and then he was off again. I went out there with him and did a few laps, but it was miserable and slow, he was slow. He wanted to quit but I wouldn't let him. "This is shitty isn't it," he said. Even if it's slow it's miles, I told him. He disagreed, but kept riding.
> Earlier in the day I had received a message from a friend who's 16 year old daughter has a rare incurable genetic disorder. She is losing the strength in her ligaments and her bones are falling loose. In short, she can't walk, her jaw is dropping and her arms are coming out of the sockets. I had to share this with him even though it was not uplifting. Although this sucks, I had to remind him that we forget how lucky we are. We can move our arms and legs when others are struggling. He rode as much as he could in the "shitty" weather.
> A nice dinner and good nights rest... maybe today he can get some big miles in. ~ Alicia


Paints a picture of how tough these challenges are, well beyond what most could cope with and keep going.


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## ianrauk (9 Nov 2015)

Neilsmith said:


> Paints a picture of how tough these challenges are, well beyond what most could cope with and keep going.




Indeed.
I am happy to pump out 100+ milers and the odd 200+ miler every week. But to do 200+ every day in all weathers is totally beyond me and probably most people.
Steve and Kurt are both amazing athletes. On a total different level.


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## StuAff (9 Nov 2015)

ianrauk said:


> Indeed.
> I am happy to pump out 100+ milers and the odd 200+ miler every week. But to do 200+ every day in all weathers is totally beyond me and probably most people.
> Steve and Kurt are both amazing athletes. On a total different level.


^That. For most of the higher-mileage persuasion, it's a challenge (to a lesser or greater extent), fun (ditto), and something you can and will bail on if the weather's not right/you're sick/you don't feel up to it/you've got something else to do. For these two, and Bruce Berkeley, & whoever else takes up the baton, it's work. For 365 days, no leave, no breaks. That alone would put most of us off, before the effort.......


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## Mugshot (10 Nov 2015)

Not seen a ride for Steve for yesterday yet, anybody heard anything?


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## Mugshot (11 Nov 2015)

*Steve Abraham*
12 hrs ·
The support Steve's received from all of you - in cash and kind - has been quite overwhelming. Today we'd especially like thank Bryan (from Steve's cycling club) for popping in to refit Steve's tyres and chainsets. Bryan's currently recovering from a life-changing surgery but he was more than happy to help...


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## ianrauk (11 Nov 2015)

From Jo from the other place

*Day 313 / 94:* Kurt rides east along the coast into Alabama being on much better form that the previous tough day, accumulating 215 miles. Steve also rides east with the benefit of a blustery autumn tailwind. He continues for 194 miles until he runs out of east, spending the night in Lowestoft. Miles is back to long rides, doing a couple of trips to Seymour to the north with 185 miles for the day.


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## ianrauk (11 Nov 2015)

From Jo from the other place

*Day 314 / 95:* Kurt rides loops along the coast around Orange Beach flirting with the Florida border and a total of 207 miles for the day. Steve faces the prospect of returning west from Lowestoft into a day of strong headwinds, eventually getting back to Milton Keynes with 181 miles covered. Miles rides another trip up north for 120 miles.


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## Mugshot (11 Nov 2015)

Looks like a big one for Steve today, 216 on the tracker and still a reasonable trek from home.


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## Mugshot (12 Nov 2015)

Yep.


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## Mugshot (12 Nov 2015)

Mind you the lazy sod has only done 20 miles so far today.


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## ianrauk (12 Nov 2015)

From Jo from the other place

*Day 315 / 96: *Kurt rides Pensacola Beach surrounded by white sand and blue sea for a reported 226 miles (although nothing uploaded to Strava yet). Steve has a longer than usual day riding a figure of eight through the counties of SE England and accumulating 246 miles. This takes him back to within 50 miles of WR pace after a week with some shorter windy days. Miles heads out west to Warrnambool for 160 miles.


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## Mugshot (12 Nov 2015)

*Steve Abraham*
1 hr ·
Steve now weighs 68kg - down from nearly 80kg at the beginning of this year. It obviously pays to 'watch your diet'... _wink emoticon_


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## Dogtrousers (12 Nov 2015)

So will Steve be publishing "The Abraham Plan" weight loss book after this is over do you think? Eat as much as you like! Lose weight! (there's just one catch ...)


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## Scoosh (12 Nov 2015)

Maybe the 'HAMR** Plan Diet' ?
H - Have
A - A
M - Meal
R - Replacement**

**determination, life-on-hold, cycling ...


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## ianrauk (12 Nov 2015)

From Jo from the other place

There was a request for the OYTT Eddington Numbers of the three riders on one of the other threads, so here they are with a graphical summary:














_(Both Steve's and Miles's charts include all rides in 2015, not just their most recent rebooted attempt)_


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## jo from the other place (12 Nov 2015)

^--- Large Print Version 

There's also a video too: 
View: https://vimeo.com/145562182


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## themosquitoking (12 Nov 2015)

Considering that so far two out of the three attempts have had to be rebooted and that cycling these sorts of miles every day for a year without having an incident of some kind meaning you spend a few days off the bike seems unlikely i've just caught myself wondering what would happen to Kurt now if he were also to have an incident. It's late into his year and if he needed to spend 4 or more days off the bike it could ruin all the effort he's put in so far. Steve and Miles both got theirs out of the way early, so to speak.


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## ianrauk (13 Nov 2015)

From Jo from the other place

*Day 316 / 97: *Kurt moves away from the gulf coast heading 206 miles east to Tallahassee at a faster pace than of late. He is currently about 400 miles above the Godwin line. Steve has another day duelling with autumnal winds looping around the wider Cambridge area and back in home for bed after 201 miles. Miles completes his tip from Camperdown out to the west back towards Melbourne for 83 miles at a slower pace than normal.


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## swansonj (13 Nov 2015)

Does anyone know what Steve's lifetime Eddington number is?

At the start of the year, someone predicted that he would accumulate a massive E number in the course of the attempt, but I thought his E number was probably already well into the 200s and therefore unlikely to be increased much over the attempt. Does anyone know?


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## Mugshot (13 Nov 2015)

*Steve Abraham*
26 mins ·
Seriously big storms are predicted in the weather forecast for this weekend - and Steve Abraham will be out there, riding...


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## Scoosh (13 Nov 2015)

*GO STEVE !*

 +  +  ... repeat as necessary ...


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## ianrauk (14 Nov 2015)

From Jo from the other place

*Day 317 / 98: *Kurt journeys for 217 miles though Florida from Tallahassee south east towards the start his challenge in January. Steve passes the 20,000 mile reboot milestone on another Cambridgeshire loop in windy conditions completing 195 miles for the day. Nothing posted from Miles.


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## ianrauk (15 Nov 2015)

From Jo from the other place

*Day 318 / 99: *Kurt spends the day on the Withalcohee trail in mid-Florida for some welcome relief from motor traffic and 210 miles added to his total. Steve facing yet another week of autumnal weather first heads into the wind riding to the Cotswolds then about turns with the wind all the way to Peterborough for a 222 mile day. Nothing again from Miles today.


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## ianrauk (15 Nov 2015)

From Jo from the other place

Here are the average moving speeds of the three riders over the last few months:


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## ianrauk (15 Nov 2015)




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## velovoice (15 Nov 2015)




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## Mugshot (16 Nov 2015)

*Tarzan Rides the HAM'R Kurt Searvogel*
10 hrs ·
Kurt went over the 64,000 mile mark today!


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## Mugshot (16 Nov 2015)

It's all over for Miles. This from Facebook;

_*Go Miles*
Just now · 
"Due to recent events, the compounding effects of prior problems, and discussion with my support team, I have decided to pull out of the HAM'R.

I wish the remaining competitors, and new competitors due to start in the new year, a good tailwind and thanks to all who boosted my sometimes flagging efforts with your messages of support and goodwill."_


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## Scoosh (16 Nov 2015)

Oh ... 

What's happened ?


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## ianrauk (16 Nov 2015)

From Jo from the other place

*Day 319 / 100: *Miles announces his retirement from the official UMCA HAM'R citing 'prior problems' and 'recent events'. Nevertheless he his efforts have involved riding over 27,320 miles in 8 months, which only a tiny proportion of people have ever achieved making this a considerable achievement.

Kurt has a good day boosted by some company on the road and clocking up 235 miles on the Withalochee trail and Flatwoods area. Steve has a somewhat tougher one heading back from Peterborough's Audax AGM meet to MK into 177 miles of headwind. This leaves him around 80 below the Godwin line.


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## Ian H (16 Nov 2015)

A slightly jerky video of Steve leaving the reunion in the morning.


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## Dogtrousers (16 Nov 2015)

Massive respect to Miles! Enjoy your lie in.


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## totallyfixed (16 Nov 2015)

Would anyone with a camper van please take Steve at the end of each windy day to a place where he will have a tailwind for his next 200 miler. I guess that might be seen by Steve as not playing fair, oh wait a minute.....


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## ColinJ (16 Nov 2015)

totallyfixed said:


> Would anyone with a camper van please take Steve at the end of each windy day to a place where he will have a tailwind for his next 200 miler. I guess that might be seen by Steve as not playing fair, oh wait a minute.....


I suggested much earlier in the thread that I thought that the rules for this record should have included the riders starting each day where they finished the previous day's ride. That would prevent the driving out to get tailwinds trick, and also driving to the top of long descents, though that one may already be covered by the rules.


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## Custom24 (16 Nov 2015)

ColinJ said:


> I suggested much earlier in the thread that I thought that the rules for this record should have included the riders starting each day where they finished the previous day's ride. That would prevent the driving out to get tailwinds trick, and also driving to the top of long descents, though that one may already be covered by the rules.


No, the rules cover neither 

http://ultracycling.com/sections/records/max-mileage.php


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## Mugshot (16 Nov 2015)

Scoosh said:


> Oh ...
> 
> What's happened ?


He definitely had some health issues, which prompted the restart. I believe from reading some Facebook posts that a close friend died recently. Plus he was falling further behind, so I guess it all got a bit much.
Massive kudos to him though, he's done something phenomenal and given it a good go, unlike that idiot Iron Ox who I suspect was simply trying to drive traffic to his work website/Facebook page.


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## ColinJ (16 Nov 2015)

Custom24 said:


> No, the rules cover neither
> 
> http://ultracycling.com/sections/records/max-mileage.php


Rule #6 says no teams, but rule #19 says that drafting is allowed. So ... the rider does actually have to ride all of the miles, but that can be achieved by being driven to the top of the nearest mountain, deciding which direction to descend based on the wind direction, and then being paced down the descent by an entire peloton if one happened to be available.

I really don't think that would be in the spirit of the challenge, but there appears to be nothing to stop somebody doing it!

I think if someone did that then it would bring the record into disrepute, so then the UMCA would have to change the rules to what they should have been in the first place, and put the unsporting records to one side.


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## ianrauk (16 Nov 2015)

ColinJ said:


> I really don't think that would be in the spirit of the challenge, but there appears to be nothing to stop somebody doing it!



Godwin used to get trains in to the wind and tailwind it back


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## Ian H (16 Nov 2015)

totallyfixed said:


> Would anyone with a camper van please take Steve at the end of each windy day to a place where he will have a tailwind for his next 200 miler. I guess that might be seen by Steve as not playing fair, oh wait a minute.....



The logistics are pretty daunting, which is why we haven't tried it so far.


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## ColinJ (16 Nov 2015)

ianrauk said:


> Godwin used to get trains in to the wind and tailwind it back


That makes my proposition a bit awkward then ... 

Still, you can see what I am getting at?


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## Custom24 (16 Nov 2015)

ColinJ said:


> That makes my proposition a bit awkward then ...
> 
> Still, you can see what I am getting at?


Steve Abraham himself helped draft the rules for the HAMR, if I remember correctly.
With a challenge like this, you're never going to be able to make the playing field entirely level.


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## Dogtrousers (16 Nov 2015)

ianrauk said:


> Godwin used to get trains in to the wind and tailwind it back


Thanks for posting that. I was going to post similar but I couldn't remember where I'd read it, and I feared that I might have made it up.


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## totallyfixed (16 Nov 2015)

Ian H said:


> The logistics are pretty daunting, which is why we haven't tried it so far.


Fully understand, unfortunately it is of course entirely possible for strong winds to blow for a week or more at a time, a couple of days you can deal with but much more than that and mileages will inevitably drop, to say nothing of the mental and physical strain Steve will have to endure. Having ridden with him I know how single minded he is, but even Steve is not super human, if I had a camper van I would definitely be helping as much as I could. Any chance of Steve riding from west to east then someone driving him back to MK at the end of the day to repeat the following day? Very strong winds forecast for tomorrow, going to be a tough one, our thoughts are with him.


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## ianrauk (17 Nov 2015)

From Jo from the other place

*ay 320 / 101: *Kurt does 28 repeats of a loop through Flatwoods with friends providing welcome relief from motor traffic and and 228 miles. He's now over 460 miles above the Godwin line. Steve heads though the Chilterns for a visit to Amersham and a shorter, hilly and windy day. His 147 miles leaves him around 140 miles below WR pace.


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## ianrauk (18 Nov 2015)

From Jo from the other place.. The OYTT Website *HERE*


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## Dogtrousers (18 Nov 2015)

Go Steve. Fiercely windy in Steve's neck of the woods over the last 24 hours.

A tree blew down onto the railway power lines at Harpenden last night, causing my comfortable enclosed, train travel some minor inconvenience. I imagine it may be even more inconvenient if you happen to be riding a bike. Flags flapping wildly on flagpoles in Northamptonshire at the moment.


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## Mugshot (19 Nov 2015)

*Steve Abraham*
10 hrs ·
It's been a brutal few days of slow riding for Steve, with ferocious winds battering the UK since the weekend. But he's 'slaving on' and trying to work with the conditions. Nobody said this would be easy _wink emoticon_


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## Mugshot (20 Nov 2015)

*Steve Abraham*
1 min ·
Steve Abraham is contemplating yet another windy weekend and one wonders how many miles he'll manage to cover on Saturday and Sunday. Any predictions...?


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## ianrauk (20 Nov 2015)

[QUOTE 4015021, member: 9609"]Steve is certainly not a 'morning' person, yet again we have a late start, 10am, he seems very content to cycle into the wee hours but regularly misses a few hours daylight at the beginning of the day.

Saturday looks like it is going to be horrendous with force 7 Northerlies, he should try to get up to Darlington today and take advantage of the wind the morn.

GO STEVE[/QUOTE]


He's always been one for late riding. The few times I rode with him at least a couple of those times he had a sleeping back on the back of his bike.


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## ianrauk (20 Nov 2015)

From Jo from the other place.. The OYTT Website *HERE*

*Day 322 / 103:* Kurt sticks to central Florida passing through the appealingly named Green Swamp Wilderness. Some minor GPS problems don't prevent him from accumulating another 222.3 miles. Poor weather continues for Steve, although he largely benefits from a wind assisted trip to the Norfolk coast also for exactly 222.3 miles.


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## ianrauk (20 Nov 2015)

From Jo from the other place.. The OYTT Website *HERE*

*Day 323 / 104:* Another 220 mile day for Kurt as he rides north to the east Florida coast at St Augustine. He is now within a gnat's whisker of overtaking Bernard Bennet's 1939 record of 65,127 miles. Steve battles his way back from Great Yarmouth to Milton Keynes. For every tailwind there is an unequal and opposite headwind. He eventually makes it home at 1:40am with 185 miles leaving him around 180 miles below the Godwin line.


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## Mugshot (20 Nov 2015)

*Tarzan Rides the HAM'R Kurt Searvogel*
1 hr ·
Happening today!!!


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## Neilsmith (20 Nov 2015)

Mugshot said:


> *Tarzan Rides the HAM'R Kurt Searvogel*
> 1 hr ·
> Happening today!!!


Fantastic what an achievement he has his eye firmly on the prize superb effort


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## si_c (20 Nov 2015)

Mugshot said:


> *Tarzan Rides the HAM'R Kurt Searvogel*
> 1 hr ·
> Happening today!!!


What's ridding? How does it differ from cycling? Is it cycling with a goatee?

Edit: couldn't help myself


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## Mugshot (20 Nov 2015)

Neilsmith said:


> Fantastic what an achievement he has his eye firmly on the prize superb effort


It's pretty awesome really, I know he's had some stick from some quarters regarding his lack of climbing and his search for the best weather conditions, but to get off your arse and ride that many miles is just incredible.



si_c said:


> What's ridding? How does it differ from cycling? Is it cycling with a goatee?
> 
> Edit: couldn't help myself


I assume it's the American spelling.


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## Neilsmith (20 Nov 2015)

The stick is ridiculous, anybody doing this challenge should be applauded for the magnificent achievement it is


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## ColinJ (20 Nov 2015)

Mugshot said:


> It's pretty awesome really, I know he's had some stick from some quarters regarding his lack of climbing and his search for the best weather conditions, but to get off your arse and ride that many miles is just incredible.


If you look at his past cycling achievements, he wasn't exactly sitting about on his arse/ass even before starting this challenge ...

Unless there was a saddle underneath it! 



Mugshot said:


> I assume it's the American spelling.


American spellings are generally more logical than ours, not arbitrarily odd - it's a typo!


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## Mugshot (21 Nov 2015)

*Steve Abraham*
40 mins ·
Steve's lucky that his sponsor Milltag sent him some new layers of cycling kit and additional winter gloves earlier this week (because today he's going to be riding in temperatures below freezing - and he will probably be hit by snow showers this afternoon)...


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## Mugshot (21 Nov 2015)

*Tarzan Rides the HAM'R Kurt Searvogel*
7 hrs ·
As of today 65,245 total miles so far!!!
Kurt will be riding (not ridding) the Withlacoochee Trail in Inverness Saturday and Sunday morning if anyone would like to join him. Follow him on Spot tracker and you can find him.
We would like to thank everyone from all over for their support and cheers. Your comments go a long ways and we still have 50 days to go. ~ Kurt & Alicia


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## Mugshot (21 Nov 2015)

*Tarzan Rides the HAM'R Kurt Searvogel*
22 mins ·
THIS IS ALL ABOUT MILES. 
This competition is not about elevation gain, level of suffering, heart rate, cadence, watts, heat, humidity, rain, wind, ice or depth of snowfall, tornados, equipment, clothing, sunglasses, color of hair, etc... - it's about miles cycled in one year! To compare anyone from the past or present, minimize their efforts in such an enduring grind is pointless. No one knows all the facts about what each competitor is dealing with moment by moment unless they are there. "If this were easy, more people would be doing it." Right now, there are only two on this entire planet! Remember, this goes way beyond anything most can comprehend attempting day after day after day after day... Uplifting, positive and helpful comments are received and go a long way. If there is anything you can do to assist either man in their world record attempt - DO IT!!! They are proving the impossible possible. No regrets. ~ Alicia


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## Mugshot (21 Nov 2015)

Which I'm assuming is a reply to this little lot;


Vikas Kirola (Siddhant)
This is not real.. inappropriate readings

11 hours ago




Edward Coad
Looks like you were leaving on a jet plane! ✈️

11 hours ago
Vikas Kirola (Siddhant)
Pls delete the activity... this is very demoralising for the real hard working riders

11 hours ago




Edward Coad
flagged on strava....sorry!

10 hours ago




Graham Easton
Yes the last 14 miles very suspicious.

8 hours ago




Vijay Chandran
This unrealistic elevation keeps people suspicious on your horizontal distance as well.... Correct it soon friend...

7 hours ago




Rich Stephens (Sotonia)
A lot of this guys rides seem suspicious.Can't always be "garmin failure" can it?

7 hours ago




Nathaniel Pak
And we can’t go on together with suspicious miles. Actually the lap totals (not the ride mileage) for today’s rides on strava match the 214.5 reported on the facebook page and shown on garmin connect. It looks like strava failed to distinguish the actual start of the rides from the point that the devices were turned on, adding the extra mileage. Should be pretty easy to straighten out so that the official totals are correct and the record unquestioned. In any case, technical glitches do not detract from what has been and will be achieved. And I, like most people, am inspired not “demoralised” by what Kurt is doing. Once again kudos to both Searvogels and GEEVUM!

6 hours ago




Vijay Chandran
This particular ride after 50 km seems unrealistic, both in terms of the speed and the route. Seems there is no such road ( for the last lap).

6 hours ago




Edward Coad
small technical glitch...ride flagged to strava...no harm done! Let's remember this gps malarkey is "free"!

6 hours ago




Vijay Chandran
Cheers !

6 hours ago
Vikas Kirola (Siddhant)
Dear Nathaniel Pak, kudos to you

4 hours ago




Adam Day
Abraham cycles in freezing temperatures and high winds. Kurt rolls on flats with tailwinds.

3 hours ago




Adam Day
If Kurt and Abraham swapped locations, Abraham would excel and go MUCH quicker. Kurt would not even be able to contemplate the challenge as the constant up hill down hill, high winds and cold temperature would be too much for his delicate body.

3 hours ago




Graham Easton
Agreed Steven has much tougher weather conditions

3 hours ago




Simon Baywatch
I agree as well, kurt would be miles behind if he was based in the UK any hills he has ridden he haa slowed massively compared to Steve Abraham but I guess it's all about how you ride the year so chapeau Kurt. Not long to go !!!!

2 hours ago




Jim shu 51 minutes ago


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## Saluki (21 Nov 2015)

Mugshot said:


> *Tarzan Rides the HAM'R Kurt Searvogel*
> 7 hrs ·
> As of today 65,245 total miles so far!!!
> Kurt will be riding (not ridding) the Withlacoochee Trail in Inverness Saturday and Sunday morning if anyone would like to join him. Follow him on Spot tracker and you can find him.
> We would like to thank everyone from all over for their support and cheers. Your comments go a long ways and we still have 50 days to go. ~ Kurt & Alicia


I lived in Inverness. I'm sure that I'd have remembered something called the Withlacoochee Trail 

All our collective hats are off to Steve today. We've only walked the dogs and walked from the car to a client's home and back to the car again, and that was quite enough of outdoors, thank you very much. The thought of 20 miles in this weather is quite enough, let alone 10 times that. Steve is just an astonishing athlete.


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## ianrauk (21 Nov 2015)

That Adam Day chap is a well known troll that has been banned on Steve's strava.


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## Mugshot (21 Nov 2015)

ianrauk said:


> That Adam Day chap is a well known troll that has been banned on Steve's strava.


That's the fella, utter pillock.


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## ianrauk (22 Nov 2015)

From Jo fromthe other place.. The OYTT Website *HERE*

*Day 324 / 105: *Kurt rides 216 miles back to the Green Swamp Wilderness (plus/minus 10 miles or so subject to GPS problems) and in the process passes Bernard Bennett's 1939 record. Only Tommy's distance to beat now. With a forecasted change in wind direction over the weekend, Steve heads north to Goole. He finds the going tough after a difficult week of windy, wet and cold weather, managing 185 miles before bedding down.


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## ianrauk (22 Nov 2015)

From Jo fromthe other place.. The OYTT Website *HERE

Day 325 / 106: Kurt rides through the Witlacoochee Forest a couple of times ending the day with 213 miles. Steve makes the journey back from Goole via a detour north to the Humber and a late evening snooze stop, eventually covering 198 miles before getting home to MK.




*


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## ianrauk (23 Nov 2015)

From Jo from the other place.. The OYTT Website *HERE*

*Day 326 / 107: *Kurt heads south towards Tampa for a rainy morning then spends the remains of the day doing loops of Flatwood park, all in for a total of 217 miles. This leaves him around 560 miles above the Godwin line. Steve does a 189 mile Cambridgeshire loop via Peterborough and Ely in colder but generally drier and less windy conditions. He finishes a little earlier than of late in order to regain some lost sleep. He is currently around 240 miles below the Godwin line.


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## Dogtrousers (23 Nov 2015)

Witlacoochee Forest rivals Marsh Gibbon on my cool-name-ometor.


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## ianrauk (24 Nov 2015)

From Jo from the other place.. The OYTT Website* HERE*
*
Day 327 / 108: *Kurt does loops of Flatwoods park, 27 of them, in colder and windier conditions than of late. He covers 210 miles for the day taking him up to 565 miles above the Godwin line. Steve has to deal with sub-zero temperatures as he does another Cambridgeshire loop. Following nutritional advice he is changing his feeding regime and so feels weak while his body adapts. A day's total of 157 miles leaves him around 290 below the Godwin line.


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## Mugshot (25 Nov 2015)

*Steve Abraham*
23 hrs ·
Here's a recent interview Steve did at the Long Distance Cycling Association Annual reunion, earlier this month. In this interview he gives wide-ranging insights into his mindset, ideas and experiences as he rides into the winter...

Steve Interview


----------



## Scoosh (25 Nov 2015)

Isn't he just brilliant !  So relaxed about it all and obviously very, very strong mentally.





*GO STEVE !*


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## Mugshot (25 Nov 2015)

_*Steve Abraham*
1 hr · 
Steve's currently in the middle of a dietary transition to a more nutritionally balanced, fat burning, metabolic diet. 

Normally this transition requires complete abstinence from exercise for 2 weeks, but Steve's had to compromise by riding fewer miles. It's mentally and physically tough for him - and he's lost 5kg in weight - in less than 2 weeks. But we believe it will be better for the long term.

Keep going Steve..._





They do like to post flattering photos of him don't they


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## Pale Rider (25 Nov 2015)

Mugshot said:


> _*Steve Abraham*
> 1 hr ·
> Steve's currently in the middle of a dietary transition to a more nutritionally balanced, fat burning, metabolic diet.
> 
> ...



Please tell me it hasn't taken the team 11 months to work out Steve was on the wrong diet.


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## Saluki (25 Nov 2015)

Pale Rider said:


> Please tell me it hasn't taken the team 11 months to work out Steve was on the wrong diet.


I was thinking that myself.


----------



## Scoosh (25 Nov 2015)

I would think it more likely that Steve was basing his diet on what he knows about his own body, what has worked for him in the past on his endurance rides. What he is now discovering is that he has not done this level of endurance, for this length of time before and his body is beginning to complain.

It's really extreme, as we all know, so good nutrition is going to be key to his long-term health and staying-power. I'm sure there are plenty of folk over on yacf who can advise him - there are some pretty smart folk over there regarding nutrition and long distance cycling.


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## velovoice (26 Nov 2015)

From the discussion on Facebook, it appears he was strongly advised to make some dietary changes before he started in January but he was, shall we say, resistant. But what works for the audax life hasn't worked so well for the HAM'R, especially as he has to carry on into next August.


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## velovoice (26 Nov 2015)

Scoosh said:


> I would think it more likely that Steve was basing his diet on what he knows about his own body, what has worked for him in the past on his endurance rides. What he is now discovering is that he has not done this level of endurance, for this length of time before and his body is beginning to complain.
> 
> It's really extreme, as we all know, so good nutrition is going to be key to his long-term health and staying-power. I'm sure there are plenty of folk over on yacf who can advise him - there are some pretty smart folk over there regarding nutrition and long distance cycling.


He now has nutritionists and physiologists advising him.


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## ianrauk (26 Nov 2015)

From Jo from the other place.. The OYTT Website* HERE*

_Day 328 /109: _More loops through Flatwoods Park for Kurt as he rides in windy conditions on his recumbent for around 220 miles. Steve continues to adjust to a new diet which, although more sustainable in the long term, means he is struggling to keep up his speed and daily distance while his body adapts. He rides north for an overnight stop in Lincoln with 147 miles on the clock.

*



*


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## ianrauk (26 Nov 2015)

From Jo from the other place.. The OYTT Website* HERE*

_Day 329 /110: _A long day for Kurt as he adds further 251 miles of riding round Flatwoods Park. He is now around 620 miles above Godwin's world record pace and with the possibility of taking the record within 2015. Steve makes the return from Lincoln to MK still adjusting to a new diet. His 159 mile ride leaves him around 400 miles, or two days, behind the Godwin pace.

*



*


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## ianrauk (27 Nov 2015)

From Jo from the other place.. The OYTT Website* HERE*

*Day 330 / 111: *Kurt rides up and down the Withlacoochee trial for just over one Godwin. Steve does another Cambridgeshire loop in slightly better weather but continuing adaptations to his new diet limits his speed and distance to 151 miles.


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## Dogtrousers (27 Nov 2015)

This diet business is worrying. I hope he's being well advised.


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## totallyfixed (27 Nov 2015)

When you combine the dietary requirements with the current weather it does not make happy reading. If at all possible we will try and ride with Steve when we are able. He will record / already has recorded some phenomenal distances, unfortunately weather conditions here compared with those in the southern USA are vastly different. Lower temperatures and strong winds here mean a greater toll is taken on your body which translates into more food and rest, without which you are much more likely to succumb to illness. We want him to succeed but the odds really are stacked against him. Attempting to do this in the manner he is without daily support on the ground is quite amazing and a little bit bonkers. Luck will play a larger part than it should.
I see today he is heading back towards MK but into a severe headwind and shortly rain as well. Another tough finish to what is likely to be a below average mileage. Makes difficult reading.


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## velovoice (27 Nov 2015)

[QUOTE 4027808, member: 9609"]its always risky trying to fix something that isn't broken - Get him back on the sausages, that's what his body is good at turning into big miles.[/QUOTE]
Wrong way round. Steve has "caved in", if you will, and decided to go with what he was advised to do back in 2014, precisely because the "stuff your face with whatever you like, as much as you like, wherever you can find it" (including sausages) hasn't been working for this challenge as "well" as it seemed to do all those years of "simply" audaxing.


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## ianrauk (28 Nov 2015)

Interview with Steve on BBC Look East* Here*

Skip to 17 minute mark.


----------



## ianrauk (28 Nov 2015)

From Jo from the otherplace.. The OYTT Website* HERE*

_Day 331 / 112: _More Withlacoochee fun for kurt as he adds another 209 miles to his ever nearer WR total. Steve rides another Cambridgeshireshire loop finishing late, but with a slightly faster pace and 178 miles suggesting he might be on the way up after his diet adjustment.

*



*


----------



## velovoice (28 Nov 2015)

ianrauk said:


> Interview with Steve on BBC Look East* Here*
> 
> Skip to 17 minute mark.


Nice one. Still looking very comfortable and relaxed with that set up.


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## ianrauk (29 Nov 2015)

_From Jo from the other place.. The OYTT Website HERE
_
*Day 332 / 113: *Kurt rides southward down to Flatwoods Park where he repeats loops to bring his day's total to 217 miles. Steve faces yet more strong winds while having to keep his exertion down as his body adapts to a new diet, eventually accumulating 145 miles.


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## Dogtrousers (29 Nov 2015)

Steve's appealing for drivers to drive him upwind so he can ride downwind. I can't help as I've just started a new job (first 8 months of the year I'd have been glad to help.)

There's a quick bit of text on that vid that describes Steve's new diet as zero sugar.


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## Scoosh (29 Nov 2015)

Sadly, I don't think Steve is planning to come this far north just now ... 

A wise move 

*GO STEVE !*


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## cyberknight (29 Nov 2015)

Dogtrousers said:


> Steve's appealing for drivers to drive him upwind so he can ride downwind. I can't help as I've just started a new job (first 8 months of the year I'd have been glad to help.)
> 
> There's a quick bit of text on that vid that describes Steve's new diet as zero sugar.



Is drafting illegal ? Get a moped etc giving him a bit of shelter like a derny ?


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## Dogtrousers (29 Nov 2015)

cyberknight said:


> Is drafting illegal ? Get a moped etc giving him a bit of shelter like a derny ?


No, drafting isn't illegal under the HAM'R rules (rule 19 "_There is no prohibition on drafting_")

Steve's record on interacting with mopeds is none too good.


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## cyberknight (29 Nov 2015)

Dogtrousers said:


> No, drafting isn't illegal under the HAM'R rules (rule 19 "_There is no prohibition on drafting_")
> 
> But anyway, that isn't what is being suggested.


Yup , i was just offering an alternative.


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## Dogtrousers (29 Nov 2015)

cyberknight said:


> Yup , i was just offering an alternative.


Yes .. I figured that out eventually and edited my post as you were replying.  Sorry.


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## cyberknight (29 Nov 2015)

Dogtrousers said:


> Yes .. I figured that out eventually and edited my post as you were replying.  Sorry.


He needs that vehicle that guy martin drafted ............


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## rowdin (29 Nov 2015)

Steve stopped about 3 hours ago, I wonder if he is planning on ride through the night. Less windy.


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## ianrauk (30 Nov 2015)

Unfortunately, not a good day for Steve today.


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## ianrauk (30 Nov 2015)

Article about Steve and his attempt in *MAMILSPORTS.COM*


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## ianrauk (1 Dec 2015)

From Jo from the other place.. The OYTT Website* HERE*
*
Day 333 / 114: *Kurt spends the day doing many loops of Flatwood park some in company of fast riders and others alone. By the end of the day he accumulates 236 miles. Steve, starting the day at Barton Mills rides SW back to Milton Keynes largely with the wind. A short day of 150 miles in preparation for an anticipated longer day tomorrow.


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## ianrauk (1 Dec 2015)

From Jo from the other place.. The OYTT Website* HERE*
*
Day 334 / 115: *Another day and another 26 laps of Flatwoods Park and another 221 miles for Kurt. Steve has a troublesome day. As his adjustment to his new diet continues, he plans for a long day riding NE before the wind picks up and then riding with the wind for the majority of the day. But technical difficulties with his heart rate monitor and GPS means he starts much later than anticipated and faces his toughest day of the challenge so far, riding into a brutal headwind. He calls it a day after 93 miles to allow recovery before a planned long day tomorrow.

*



*


----------



## Dogtrousers (1 Dec 2015)

Phew. Worryingly drastic effects of diet change just at the windiest time of year seems to be hitting Steve hard. Technical snafu seems to have been the icing on the cake yesterday. Fingers crossed for a nice spring and summer.

Go Steve.


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## Pale Rider (1 Dec 2015)

That ruddy moped rider has a lot to answer for.

Up to the crash, Steve was rocking along nicely, churning out Godwins and more each day.

Since then all momentum appears to have been lost, both on the road and off it.


----------



## velovoice (1 Dec 2015)

Dogtrousers said:


> Phew. Worryingly drastic effects of diet change just at the windiest time of year seems to be hitting Steve hard.


"Worryingly drastic". I wouldn't go _that _ far! I've been through keto-adaptation 3-4 times and Adam's been through it twice. How the body responds and adjusts can be surprising, but it's not worrying. The only real difficulty here is that Steve has not got the option of taking it easy while his metabolism switches from carb burning to fat burning. However, I'm willing to bet that Steve is finding he sleeps better than ever before. Which is a huge huge plus and a real moral booster. Or at least so I have found.


Dogtrousers said:


> Technical snafu seems to have been the icing on the cake yesterday. Fingers crossed for a nice spring and summer.
> 
> Go Steve.


+1


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## Neilsmith (1 Dec 2015)

Steve is still doing an amazing job and he hasn't lost too man miles, I wish him all he best and look forward to him getting back on track which I'm sure he will


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## Mugshot (1 Dec 2015)

Neilsmith said:


> Steve is still doing an amazing job and he hasn't lost too man miles


Very true, there's still a long long way to go, if the wind could just do one things would likely be a lot more healthy looking! Kurt however can now see the finishing line and _seems_ to have settled into a very steady groove racking up additonal miles over the daily average on a daily basis. Now I'm not knocking it, honestly I'm not, it's all about the mileage, but 220miles with 400ft of climbing...I can't even picture it to be honest. Mind saying that he is just going round and round and round a 7 mile loop (mind numbing I would have thought) could Steve do similar on that track he was using when he first started using the trike?


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## Dogtrousers (1 Dec 2015)

I didn't realise it was a ketogenic diet. That's not without significant controversy isn't it? I don't know anything about it though, so I'll just keep my fingers crossed that it works out OK. And hope that the weather cheers up a bit.


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## Mugshot (2 Dec 2015)

Pale Rider said:


> That ruddy moped rider has a lot to answer for.
> 
> Up to the crash, Steve was rocking along nicely, churning out Godwins and more each day.
> 
> Since then all momentum appears to have been lost, both on the road and off it.


This is true in many respects, however a quick check back and Steve _only _acheived two Godwins in January, Februarys mileage was much the same. Also Kurt certainly appeared to be shadowing Steve adding 5 - 10 miles or so onto Steves daily totals, it gave Kurt a big advantage whereas now of course that advantage is with Steve. If, as seems likely, Kurt gets the record Steve will know exactly what he has to do. The struggle that Steve has been having lately, due to weather conditions not diet, would still have presented themselves, but had the moped incident not have occurred Steve would have been nearing the end of the challenge possibly seeing Kurt with a comfortable cushion over him and faced with neither the time nor the weather conditions to be able to do anything about it. At least now he has time on his side despite things looking rather gloomy right now, it's also worth remembering that Kurt, the champ in waiting, had some _very_ dodgy weeks.

It's not over yet, *GO STEVE!!!*


----------



## ianrauk (2 Dec 2015)

From Jo from the other place.. The OYTT Website* HERE*
*
Day 335 / 116: *211 miles of laps of Flatwoods for Kurt takes him to around 690 miles above the Godwin line. Steve shows significant recovery from difficulties around his diet change managing 188 Cambridgeshire miles in continuing windy conditions. This leaves him around 725 miles below Godwin's pace.


----------



## Mugshot (2 Dec 2015)

Here's Steves ride from yesterday, he certainly seems to be feeling a little more positive


----------



## Scoosh (2 Dec 2015)

Mugshot said:


> Here's Steves ride from yesterday, he certainly seems to be feeling a little more positive


"The wind was only tough, instead of brutal" - love it !  Realism, not hype.


----------



## User482 (2 Dec 2015)

You've got to love 188 miles being described as an "easy day".


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## Neilsmith (2 Dec 2015)

User482 said:


> You've got to love 188 miles being described as an "easy day".


That's a good week for me


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## tallliman (2 Dec 2015)

^ sometimes that's a good month in winter!


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## T4tomo (3 Dec 2015)

The weather sounds pretty brutal outside right now, no idea how that man does it. Hats off to him.


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## ianrauk (4 Dec 2015)

From Jo from the other place.. The OYTT Website* HERE*

Day 336 / 117: Kurt relieves the boredom of loops of Flatwoods and instead rides NE to St Augustine on the east coast. A couple of punctures don't stop him completing 212 miles for the day. Steve has yet more wind to deal with as he rides and east-west loop through southern Cambs and Essex for 178 miles.

*




*


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## ianrauk (4 Dec 2015)

From Jo from the other place.. The OYTT Website* HERE
*
Day 337 / 118: Kurt sticks the Florida east coast riding south though Orlando towards Palm Beach with some rain but helpful tailwind for a day's total of 225 miles. He is now around 715 miles above the Godwin line. Steve has a planned short day, although technical problems force him to start later than anticipated. He loops to the south west, including a Marsh Gibbon visit and ends the day with 138 miles and around 820 below the Godwin line.

_*



*_


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## Dogtrousers (4 Dec 2015)

I was riding about 50 miles or so North of MK yesterday and the wind gusts were almost bringing me to a standstill at times (I was on my Brommie so very upright, and quite slow anyway). Yet it seemed like just an ordinary day from inside.


----------



## Mugshot (4 Dec 2015)

*Steve Abraham*
4 hrs ·
It's been a stormy week for Steve Abraham, with various equipment failures and dreadful weather, but he remains optimistic. A number of people have bet money on Steve breaking this World Record - and he is still confident you'll get your reward in August...


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## BSRU (5 Dec 2015)

I hope Steve's team realise that next year is a leap year


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## velovoice (5 Dec 2015)

BSRU said:


> I hope Steve's team realise that next year is a leap year


As the challenge is explicitly 365 days long, that isn't a problem.


----------



## ianrauk (6 Dec 2015)

From Jo from the other place.. The OYTT Website* HERE*

Day 338 / 119: Kurt heads back to the west Florida coast at Sarasota ending the day with a few repeats of the last stretch to make it 225 miles. Steve starts early, heading west into yet another brutal headwind. He finishes the day early at the Severn View services overlooking the Welsh border. At a 145 miles he is now around 880 miles below Godwin pace but set up nicely for return with the wind over the weekend.

*



*


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## summerdays (6 Dec 2015)

Drat just realised he was close by and I missed the opportunity to cheer him on!


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## Supersuperleeds (6 Dec 2015)

ianrauk said:


> From Jo from the other place.. The OYTT Website* HERE*
> 
> Day 338 / 119: Kurt heads back to the west Florida coast at Sarasota ending the day with a few repeats of the last stretch to make it 225 miles. Steve starts early, heading west into yet another brutal headwind. He finishes the day early at the Severn View services overlooking the Welsh border. At a 145 miles he is now around 880 miles below Godwin pace but set up nicely for return with the wind over the weekend.
> 
> ...



I think this is Fridays ride. Saturday Steve road 233 miles to east of Norwich


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## ianrauk (6 Dec 2015)

Supersuperleeds said:


> I think this is Fridays ride. Saturday Steve road 233 miles to east of Norwich


Indeed. Jo hasn't put up yesterday ride yet.


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## ianrauk (6 Dec 2015)

From Jo from the other place.. The OYTT Website* HERE*

*Day 339 / 120: *Kurt is back doing loops of Flatwood park, today's windy conditions allowing him to do 211 miles of them. For the first time in many many days Steve gets a long tailwind from the Severn to the Norfolk Broads. His day's total of 233 miles leaves him around 850 miles below the Godwin line.


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## jo from the other place (6 Dec 2015)

Just a note on the slightly more erratic posting times from me recently (and therefore for Ian who has to look out for my posts over there to copy them here). It takes about 30 minutes for me to assemble the data, update the graph and add a brief commentary. I had been doing this around 6am every morning where I can squeeze it into a work day or weekend of RL. More recently Steve has been posting his rides to Strava mid-morning or sometimes even late the following day by which time other things are going on. Hopefully once Steve is back in to a more regular routine, the diet settles down and the wind drops, normal service can be resumed.


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## ianrauk (7 Dec 2015)

From Jo from the other place.. The OYTT Website* HERE*

*Day 340 / 121: *Kurt is towed around the Flatwood Park circuit by some fast riders for most of the day followed by an evening ride with Alicia. In total an impressive 247 miles takes him around 765 miles above the Godwin line and only 235 miles behind Tommy's like-for-like ride distance. Steve has a late start intending to miss the worst of the headwind as he heads back from Acle to Milton Keynes via the north Norfolk coast. He heads home with 158 miles on the clock by midnight but a few more in store for the following 24 hours.


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## Mugshot (8 Dec 2015)

*Steve Abraham*
3 mins ·
Steve almost got himself a warm dry room for the night, on Saturday (when the police tried to arrest him for cycling on an A-road). Luckily, he was able to explain that he hadn't actually contravened any rules of the road - and they had to let him go - so he went on to complete his 233-mile ride that night...


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## ianrauk (8 Dec 2015)

From Jo from the other place.. The OYTT Website* HERE*

Day 341 / 122: More laps of Flatwood Park for Kurt, some with fast company, most without, giving him a day's total of 215 miles edging him ever closer to Tommy's like-for-like distance. Steve does an Essex there-and-back-again for 183 miles including the last section of the previous night's ride. He is now within a day of the 60,000 milestone and around a week to ten days from Rene Menzies' 1937 record.

*



*


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## swansonj (8 Dec 2015)

Mugshot said:


> *Steve Abraham*
> 3 mins ·
> Steve almost got himself a warm dry room for the night, on Saturday (when the police tried to arrest him for cycling on an A-road). Luckily, he was able to explain that he hadn't actually contravened any rules of the road - and they had to let him go - so he went on to complete his 233-mile ride that night...


We need an emergency mailing list, so that, should Steve actually be arrested, we can form a posse, converge on the jailhouse, and break him out without delay - a kind of version of the jailbreak scene in Convoy, only with bicycles instead of thirty ton trucks.


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## glenn forger (8 Dec 2015)

http://www.ctc.org.uk/blog/duncandollimore/super-steve-stopped-cycling-road


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## Mugshot (9 Dec 2015)

*Steve Abraham*
1 hr ·
We noticed a lot of polarisation regarding mention of Steve's recent A-road 'incident'. Our intention is not to polarise cyclists - or make the police look bad.

However, the CTC, of which Steve is a member, would like to share an important (related) message, via the link below:

http://www.ctc.org.uk/…/du…/super-steve-stopped-cycling-road





A little more meat on glens post.


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## ianrauk (9 Dec 2015)

From Jo from the other place.. The OYTT Website* HERE*

Day 342 / 123: Another 228 miles of Flatwood Park loops for Kurt continues to push him away from the Godwin line. Steve heads SW towrds Oxford and returns home for a mid-afternoon finish in order to catch up on missed sleep. His day total is 81 miles which drops him over 1000 miles below the Godwin line.

*



*


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## Mugshot (10 Dec 2015)

*Go Miles shared CyclingTips's post.*
5 hrs ·
"In ultra-endurance cycling the best-laid plans don’t always come to fruition. Things can and do go wrong."




CyclingTips
6 hrs ·
"In ultra-endurance cycling the best-laid plans don’t always come to fruition. Things can and do go wrong."




Failure while daring greatly: Miles Smith’s year record attempt is over … for now | CyclingTips
Earlier this year we took a look at Miles Smith’s attempt at the year cycling distance record. Unfortunately Miles experienced some major health…
cyclingtips.com.au4

Little article here about Miles and his failed attempt, actualy I'm not keen on "failed" it sounds too negative considering the efforts involved, I'll say aborted instead.


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## fimm (10 Dec 2015)

Has this been posted before?
http://www.outsideonline.com/2039276/hello-i-must-be-going
?
(Taken from the link Mugshot posted)
I hadn't read it, anyway.


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## Scoosh (10 Dec 2015)

Good article that.  Must have been written a while ago, as no mention of his other 'non-interruption' - his marriage to Alicia Snyder !


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## ianrauk (10 Dec 2015)

From Jo from the other place.. The OYTT Website* HERE*

Day 343 / 124: Kurt continues to do what he does best, fast loops around Flatwood for prodigious distances. With help from other fast riders who join him for 'only' 100 miles at a time, he manages 241 for the day, catching up with Tommy's total fast. Steve heads to the Cotswolds, breaking the 60,000 mile barrier and then after a rest back at home continues NE to Peterborough, managing 188 miles by midnight.
*




*


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## tallliman (10 Dec 2015)

fimm said:


> Has this been posted before?
> http://www.outsideonline.com/2039276/hello-i-must-be-going
> ?
> (Taken from the link Mugshot posted)
> I hadn't read it, anyway.



Thanks for that, interesting article.


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## ianrauk (10 Dec 2015)

From Jo from the other place

Working on a new way of rendering the heat maps. Here's a preview of Steve's to date:


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## MossCommuter (10 Dec 2015)

ianrauk said:


> From Jo from the other place
> 
> Working on a new way of rendering the heat maps. Here's a preview of Steve's to date:
> 
> View attachment 112338


Cool!


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## Supersuperleeds (10 Dec 2015)

ianrauk said:


> From Jo from the other place
> 
> Working on a new way of rendering the heat maps. Here's a preview of Steve's to date:
> 
> View attachment 112338



I like that


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## Saluki (10 Dec 2015)

ianrauk said:


> From Jo from the other place
> 
> Working on a new way of rendering the heat maps. Here's a preview of Steve's to date:
> 
> View attachment 112338


That's fantastic. Would make a great poster


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## summerdays (10 Dec 2015)

Saluki said:


> That's fantastic. Would make a great poster


I thought it would make a great T-shirt!


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## Scoosh (10 Dec 2015)

Saluki said:


> That's fantastic. Would make a great poster





summerdays said:


> I thought it would make a great T-shirt!


 

Not yet !


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## jo from the other place (10 Dec 2015)

Here's the cool version for Kurt


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## Dayvo (10 Dec 2015)

Can't see the incessant sun and tail winds on Kurt's!


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## Banjo (10 Dec 2015)

Anyone know where Steve was when police stopped him for riding on an A road?
I know he was in Cardiff around that time and the police have stopped people before cycling on the A48 going East from Cardiff. Admittedly it really is a motorway in all but name but he had every right to ride there.


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## Pale Rider (10 Dec 2015)

Banjo said:


> Anyone know where Steve was when police stopped him for riding on an A road?
> I know he was in Cardiff around that time and the police have stopped people before cycling on the A48 going East from Cardiff. Admittedly it really is a motorway in all but name but he had every right to ride there.



http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news...pped-by-police-for-riding-on-an-a-road-203275


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## ianrauk (11 Dec 2015)

From Jo from the other place.. The OYTT Website* HERE*

*Day 344 / 125: *More Flatwood loops for Kurt adding another 226 miles to his total. This leaves him with a minimum of 'only' 177 mpd required to match Godwin's record. Steve continues to recover from his change in diet regime, now being able to ride for 100 miles before stopping for food. His East Anglian loops give him 204 miles for the 24 hours suggesting he is capable of halting the recent decline from Godwin's pace.


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## ianrauk (12 Dec 2015)

From Jo from the other place.. The OYTT Website* HERE*

_Day 345 / 126: Kurt leaves the Flatwood loops for a day, heading through Withlacoochee and then back southward towards Tampa. His 210 miles takes him within a day of the 70,000 milestone. Steve does a Cambridgeshire loop and a relatively early finish for 170 miles. He is currently around 1,100 miles below the Godwin line on his reboot and 10,500 miles down for his 2015 attempt.

*



*_


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## Pale Rider (12 Dec 2015)

ianrauk said:


> From Jo from the other place.. _Steve does a Cambridgeshire loop and a relatively early finish for 170 miles. He is currently around 1,100 miles below the Godwin line on his reboot _



One or two in the other place think Steve is already too far behind Godwin schedule for the second attempt to succeed.

Seems a bit early to say that, although Kurt could well put another fly in Steve's ointment by increasing the record by 1,000 miles or so.


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## srw (12 Dec 2015)

Pale Rider said:


> One or two in the other place think Steve is already too far behind Godwin schedule for the second attempt to succeed.


That's very negative. He's still within his original estimated schedule, and is well ahead of where Godwin was at the equivalent stage of his successful attempt.

FWIW, I wouldn't be surprised to see Tarzan break Godwin's record by a small amount rather than a lot - he doesn't give the impression of someone who's having a whale of a time doing it, or of someone who will be motivated by carrying on one's his goal is secure.


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## T4tomo (12 Dec 2015)

1200 miles behind mean he needs a solid month of hitting 240-250 mile days, so not impossible once we get to the better weather and longer nights, a couple of months if Kurt pushes the record out further. 

steve can't afford too many days significantly below 200 though, and we still have the worst of winter ahead of us.


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## ianrauk (13 Dec 2015)

From Jo from the other place.. The OYTT Website* HERE*

Day 346 / 127: Kurt flies though the 70,000 mile mark as he returns to doing Flatwood Park loops with plenty of supporters helping him complete 222 miles for the day. Steve first heads SW to Oxfordshire before reversing to ride with the wind. Plans for a long day are cut short by stomach problems at Thetford Forest, nevertheless he manages 199 miles by midnight.

*



*


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## Dogtrousers (13 Dec 2015)

From Facebook...


*Steve Abraham*
1 hr ·
Steve slept on a church porch on Saturday night (an unscheduled pitstop due to a stomach bug). Thankfully, he's back on the road now - and getting on with things...


​


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## Scoosh (13 Dec 2015)

Better than the 'average audax' bus shelter !


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## ianrauk (15 Dec 2015)

From Jo from the other place.. The OYTT Website* HERE*

Day 347 / 128: A fast day for Kurt as he rides with with a couple of speedy groups around Flatwood Park in the morning. The wind slows things down a little in the afternoon, but he still manages 235 miles by the end of the day and finally overtakes Tommy's like-for-like total. He has now ridden further in 338 days than anyone else. Ever.

Steve struggles after a night kipping a church doorway with stomach troubles. He heads for Norwich from Thetford Forest and then makes the journey home while battling with sleep deprivation for a 24 hour total of 168 miles. 

_*




*_


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## Legs (15 Dec 2015)

srw said:


> That's very negative. He's still within his original estimated schedule, and is well ahead of where Godwin was at the equivalent stage of his successful attempt.



Not so much negative as realistic, really. Don't forget that Steve has used up August, September and part of October, whereas his original estimated schedule started in January. Furthermore, it's already been established that Steve cannot sustain 280+ days in the summer which is what his original estimated schedule called for. Comparing with Godwin is pointless because Godwin's summer mileage is unmatchable without assistance (be it motorised, or other riders), and the winter of 1938-9 was especially harsh.



srw said:


> FWIW, I wouldn't be surprised to see Tarzan break Godwin's record by a small amount rather than a lot - he doesn't give the impression of someone who's having a whale of a time doing it, or of someone who will be motivated by carrying on one's his goal is secure.



Kurt's progress of late has been very, very impressive. But then, he's not carting a whole load of kit around with him, and he's trusting others to ride with him, and he's subsequently riding faster and getting more rest. In short, he's riding smart.

There was speculation at the other place that Steve was trying to keep his attempt 'pure', but he's dismissed that:


Steve at the other place said:


> I will take whatever advantage I can.
> I am not doing most of what is suggested because I don't think they will work and some could potentially be very damaging.
> No ideas are new and all have been considered.
> Motor transfers will most likely happen.



So it seems that his failure to actually exploit tactics which _would_ be advantageous (such as travelling lighter) is based on what he _thinks_ will work... There's a whole lot to be learnt from the successes and mistakes of Kurt, Steve and Miles this year: Kurt has used this to his advantage.


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## ianrauk (15 Dec 2015)

From Jo from the other place.. The OYTT Website* HERE*

Day 348 / 129: More loops of Flatwood Park for Kurt...and then some more loops. As he smells the finish line, Kurt manages 238 miles, lifting him to around 940 above the Godwin line. In contrast, with continuing grey wintery weather, Steve struggles with sleep deprivation brought on by his unscheduled overnight stop to complete a Northants loop for 140 miles. This leaves him just over 1200 miles below the Godwin line.

*



*


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## ianrauk (16 Dec 2015)

From Jo from the other place.. The OYTT Website* HERE*

Day 349 / 130: Kurt continues to increase his daily distances with a formidable 254 fast miles of Flatwood Park loops largely accompanied by John and Jacquie Schlitter on recumbents. He is approaching 1000 miles above the Godwin line. Steve fits in a doctor's appointment and sleep recovery into a shorter 116 mile day of riding down to Cirencester. He is currently 1300 miles below the Godwin line.

_*



*_


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## Supersuperleeds (16 Dec 2015)

At this rate Kurt will be able to have Christmas off and still take the record


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## ianrauk (16 Dec 2015)

Supersuperleeds said:


> At this rate Kurt will be able to have Christmas off and still take the record




I don't think he's going to let up.
He didn't take Thanksgiving Day off and that's just as big celebration day in the US, if not bigger, as Chrimble day.


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## velovoice (16 Dec 2015)

ianrauk said:


> Thanksgiving Day ... just as big celebration day in the US, if not bigger, as Chrimble day.


Not bigger, just different. But key thing is, Thanksgiving is the 'foodie' holiday i.e. all-day binge eating.
Whereas Christmas in the US means, once the presents are opened at dawn (or before), the rest of the day is free for cycling.


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## Glow worm (17 Dec 2015)

Only 5 miles so far today for Steve according to the tracker. I hope he's OK.


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## rowdin (17 Dec 2015)

He's doing laps around a 1 km loop, http://audaxclubhackney.co.uk/tg.html .


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## ianrauk (17 Dec 2015)

From Jo from the other place.. The OYTT Website* HERE*

*Day 350 / 131: *Kurt has a 'recovery' day around Flatwood Park, mostly riding solo. His 209 mile day puts him approximately 1000 miles above Godwin's average pace. Steve, still not quite well, rides back from Cirencester through MK continuing NE until he hits Peterborough at which point he heads back home for 175 miles.


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## ianrauk (19 Dec 2015)

From Jo from the other place.. The OYTT Website* HERE*

*Day 351 / 132: *Kurt leaves Flatwood for a day riding to the east coast at St Augustine. Rain at the end of the day cuts his ride a little short at 203 miles. Steve takes time to recover from recent tummy trouble so on doctor's orders keeps to a shorter local ride including laps of the Milton Keynes Bowl for a 100 mile total.


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## ianrauk (19 Dec 2015)

From Jo from theother place.. The OYTT Website* HERE*

*Day 352 / 133: *Kurt sticks to the Florida east coast, riding south from St Augustine to Vero Beach. Rain and highway detritus add interest to his 209 mile ride. Steve continue to suffer digestive health issues combined with the need to rest so has another short day mostly riding loops of the MK Bowl for a total of 107 miles.


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## Pale Rider (19 Dec 2015)

ianrauk said:


> From Jo from theother place.. The OYTT Website* HERE*
> 
> *Day 352 / 133: *Kurt sticks to the Florida east coast, riding south from St Augustine to Vero Beach. Rain and highway detritus add interest to his 209 mile ride. Steve continue to suffer digestive health issues combined with the need to rest so has another short day mostly riding loops of the MK Bowl for a total of 107 miles.



Oh dear, another 100 miles to make up later.

Some suggestions in the other place about Steve going for 100,000km this year then stopping, having a big reassessment of strategy, and having another go at HAMR from January 1, 2017.

I hope he thinks about that.


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## ianrauk (20 Dec 2015)

Pale Rider said:


> Oh dear, another 100 miles to make up later.
> 
> Some suggestions in the other place about Steve going for 100,000km this year then stopping, having a big reassessment of strategy, and having another go at HAMR from January 1, 2017.
> 
> I hope he thinks about that.


Yes I've been following the conversations over there. It's not looking good unfortunately. Far too much ground lost.


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## ianrauk (20 Dec 2015)

From Jo from the other place.. The OYTT Website* HERE *

Day 353 / 134: Kurt rides back to the Florida west coast mostly following the wind for exactly one Godwin. Steve begins his recovery, sticking to local roads and the Milton Keynes Bowl. His 184 mile total for the day sees him passing Rene Menzies' 1937 record of 61561 miles.

*




*


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## ianrauk (21 Dec 2015)

From Jo from the other place.. The OYTT Website* HERE *

Day 354 / 135: Back to Flatwood Park for Kurt as he does 213 miles of loops, half of which with company. Steve rides NE with the wind to Cromer before calling it a night and getting his first lift back to MK. The 185 miles takes him further ahead of Rene Menzies' 1937 total and edges him towards Ossie Nicholson's 62,657 record.

*



*


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## ianrauk (22 Dec 2015)




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## Dogtrousers (22 Dec 2015)

Wishing him all the best. Also wishing his specialist all the best, because Steve will be one of the more unusual cases that he gets to see.


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## DCLane (22 Dec 2015)

I can just imagine the conversation ...

Specialist: "now Mr Abraham, are you getting any exercise at all?"
Steve: "well I am riding my bike for ..."
Specialist: "that's good. Is this just occasional or regularly?"
Steve: "I'm aiming to ride over 200 miles a day"
Specialist: "erm ... are you normal?"


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## Pale Rider (22 Dec 2015)

DCLane said:


> I can just imagine the conversation ...
> 
> Specialist: "now Mr Abraham, are you getting any exercise at all?"
> Steve: "well I am riding my bike for ..."
> ...



Specialist: "Now let me get this right, some bloke or other suggested you significantly change your diet at a time when you are pushing yourself to the limit every day.

"You did change your diet significantly and now you have bad guts.

"Please don't tell me you are surprised."


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## ianrauk (23 Dec 2015)

From Jo from the other place.. The OYTT Website* HERE *

*Day 355 / 136: *More Flatwood Park loops for Kurt. Knee pain prevents him riding the recumbent but he manages a healthy 217 miles on the upright. Steve has still to shake off his tummy bug problems and after a vehicle transfer from Cromer to MK, sticks to a short day of Milton Keynes Bowl laps for 65 miles. This leaves him around 1720 miles below the Godwin line.


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## ianrauk (23 Dec 2015)

From Jo from the other place.. The OYTT Website* HERE *

*Day 356 / 137:* Kurt rides the Flatwood circuit with some fast company for a day's total of 223 miles. As he nears the end of his year, he's including some faster intervals and sprints in the mix. Steve starts from the Severn Bridge and rides NE with the wind. He fits in an appointment with a gastroenterologist for his digestive problems yet manages to squeeze 199 miles of riding into the day. In doing so, he passes 100kkm – that's 100,000km of riding since January 1st.


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## ianrauk (24 Dec 2015)

From Jo from the other place.. The OYTT Website* HERE *

Day 357 / 138: Kurt sticks to Flatwood where he is able to get the fastest miles in and a good chance of company. Today's total of 220 miles take him to nearly 1050 miles above the Godwin line. Steve has a day of respite in the weather between westerly storms, riding back from Newmarket to MK with some evening Bowl action for a total of 158 miles.

*



*


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## ianrauk (24 Dec 2015)




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## Ian H (24 Dec 2015)

Pale Rider said:


> Specialist: "Now let me get this right, some bloke or other suggested you significantly change your diet at a time when you are pushing yourself to the limit every day.
> 
> "You did change your diet significantly and now you have bad guts.
> 
> "Please don't tell me you are surprised."



Which is possibly amusing, but entirely fictional. The consultant was very supportive and helpful. Steve is recovering well from his illness.


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## Bollo (25 Dec 2015)

I know this is the progress thread but I thought it was classy of the Grauniad to give this some prominence on their website today.

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeands...-cycling-year-in-the-saddle-for-record-chaser


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## summerdays (25 Dec 2015)

I wish him a Merry Christmas, and hope that he has a good day's cycling maybe with some company with him today!


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## ianrauk (25 Dec 2015)

From Steve's Facebook.

Here is a Christmas message and progress update from Steve Abraham - to all of you who've supported him through the year:

"As you are all probably aware, I have had a heavy loss of miles over the last 6 weeks or so.

That is down to a number of reasons.

Adaption to my new diet was very tough, but has all gone pretty much as expected. 

My diet plan was modified so that I could take a few short cuts and also to account for my cycling demands. In theory I should not have been exercising for my first 2 weeks of adaption, which is why I lost so much weight.

My weight has been stable since my first week of adaption. My team and I took on the new diet for several reasons.

*Safeguarding my health so that I can keep going. 

*Improving my performance (though that was not the main reason, it is a likelihood, even if only through speeding up my recovery, which I believe it could be doing).

*Practical reasons. 

I was eating on the move during late summer and early autumn to save time. However, it wasn't working all that well because of the sheer volume of food I eat. It still takes time to prepare food to eat on the move and this was taking longer as the weather grew colder.

I could forsee spending as much time not moving as I did last winter. Once my new diet is in full flight I think I may be able to spend less time stopped in winter than I did last year, though this remains to be seen.

My new diet is well under way but not quite up to speed yet. I initially needed 4 big feeds a day and now only need 3. 

Next step is to space out those feeds and I should also not need to eat as much for each feed, which will save even more time.

While my adaption was going on, there was also a lot of bad weather. Bad enough that trucks and busses were literally blown off the road!

My team and I anticipated the losses of Adaption for my new diet to be between 700-1000 miles. It was more like 1040, so considering the bad weather I would say we were pretty much spot on.

The next problem was my getting my stomach trouble, which hit the miles very hard. I never felt especially bad, except for one weekend, it just took it out of me as well as caused practical delays from toilet stops.

Tests were done at a private clinic and things seem to be on the up. Some results from my tests at the clinic are indicating that the new diet is improving my health and is working. I have felt much better in the last two days - and feel stronger.

I have been preparing myself for the tough winter ahead since September and now that my new diet is beginning to work and my tummy trouble seems to be going away, feel ready to take on winter with gusto.

With very nearly a year done I feel as if I have had a good warm up and ready to go. Thanks to my team for all of your hard work - and I include those who are no longer in the team. 

I couldn't have done what I have without your help and support and I will never forget all that you have put in to help me even get started as well as keeping me going.

Also many thanks to the many people who have helped along the way by helping me get started as well as volunteering to help.

I also thank everyone who enjoys watching my progress and those who come out to cheer me along on the road.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all - and hope to see you on the road sometime next year.

Steve Abraham"


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## ianrauk (25 Dec 2015)

From Jo from the other place.. The OYTT Website* HERE *

Day 358 / 139: Kurt continues to push out the miles doing loops around Flatwood Park. Today, on Christmas Eve, with plenty of company to keep the morale and speed up he manages 229 miles. Steve has the benefit of a tailwind as he rides from MK to the north Norfolk coast and beds down for the night at Acle with 160 miles ridden.

_*



*_


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## ianrauk (26 Dec 2015)

From Jo from the other place.. The OYTT Website* HERE *

Day 359 / 140: Christmas day. Kurt leaves Flatwood for a 'recovery day' riding NW for a series of repeats totalling just over one Godwin. He is currently around 1070 miles above the Godwin line. Steve rides back from the Norfolk Broads to MK, suffering a major tyre cut on the way and a forced stop while he waits for repairs. He makes up some of the distance by doing some evening repeats and circuits of the MK Bowl, all in for 182 miles and within a day of taking Ossie Nicholson's 1937 record.

*




*


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## Aperitif (26 Dec 2015)

Article about Steve Abraham, today in The Guardian.




Photo: John Robertson for The Guardian


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## ianrauk (28 Dec 2015)

From Jo from the other place.. The OYTT Website* HERE *

*Day 360 / 141: *Yet another day of Flatwood loops for Kurt. He decides to call it a day after 214 miles when rain stops play. On recent progress, he should be exceed Tommy's record by around 1200 miles by the end of his 365 days. Steve rides 185 miles to Great Yarmouth and in doing so passes Ossie Nicholson's 1937 record of 62,657 miles.


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## ianrauk (28 Dec 2015)

From Jo from the other place.. The OYTT Website* HERE *

Day 361 / 142: Alicia's birthday. To celebrate Kurt rides more laps of Flatwood adding another 210 miles to his total. Steve returns from Great Yarmouth in somewhat better weather for 176 miles.

*



*


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## ianrauk (29 Dec 2015)

From Jo from the other place.. The OYTT Website* HERE *

Day 362 / 143: Kurt counts down on his virtual RAAM by riding another 219 miles around Flatwood Park in the company of various supporters and other riders. Fatigue gets the better of Steve who limits himself to a short trip to the MK Bowl for 25 miles. He is now 2075 miles below the Godwin line, requiring 215 mpd for the next 6 months to equal Tommy's record and over 220 mpd to beat Kurt's likely total.

_*



*_


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## Dogtrousers (30 Dec 2015)

From Facebook

*Steve Abraham*
3 hrs · 


This video shows the conditions Steve's facing this week! Not fun! But we also have another health update, which is somewhat more positive.

The good news is that the medical tests we did last week show significant improvements in all Steve's health parameters.

His initial tests - taken back in October and November - had shown serious organ stress from high levels of muscle breakdown and an overly sugar-based diet, which was hindering his post-ride recovery.

To cement this health progress the doctor has told Steve to take a number of forced-rest days, to fully get back to strength for the longer term (hence his full day-off on Monday and his lower miles for the rest of this week).

Steve will begin to build up his daily mileage again - gradually - from this weekend (in order to avoid reversing any health gains from the rest days).

We'll keep you posted as he progresses.​_Followed by a video of trees blowing in the wind.

_


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## Pale Rider (30 Dec 2015)

Dogtrousers said:


> From Facebook
> 
> ​_Followed by a video of trees blowing in the wind.
> _



Could have been followed by a video of Steve peeing in the wind, which I think is what he's now doing in terms of the record attempt.


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## ianrauk (30 Dec 2015)

Pale Rider said:


> Could have been followed by a video of Steve peeing in the wind, which I think is what he's now doing in terms of the record attempt.




Have to agree.
This attempt is all but over.


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## rowdin (30 Dec 2015)

Wasn't Tommy at one point two thousand miles behind his own average pace ?


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## T4tomo (30 Dec 2015)

yep 4000+actually from graph above, he made it up in the long days of the summer months being paced by chain gangs of willing helpers I think.


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## Dogtrousers (31 Dec 2015)

Pale Rider said:


> Could have been followed by a video of Steve peeing in the wind, which I think is what he's now doing in terms of the record attempt.


Not looking good is it? Speaking purely as a layman, ignorant of mega distance cycling.


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## Pale Rider (31 Dec 2015)

Dogtrousers said:


> Not looking good is it? Speaking purely as a layman, ignorant of mega distance cycling.



No it isn't looking good, although as @T4tomo and @rowdin point out, Tommy also fell way below what turned out to be his year daily average.

Against that is Tommy was moving into the better weather at the same number of days in, and had not already done 60K+ miles.

Steve has never shown the ability to put in the consistent 220+ mile days which will be needed to drag him up to and above the Godwin average.

Steve's team has hardly played a blinder.

In the last couple of weeks, vehicle transfers have suddenly been deemed to be a good idea.

If that's the case, why were transfers not considered from day one?

The diet change fiasco would be bordering on laughable, were it not having a serious impact on a person's health.

I hope Steve draws a line under the current attempts at close of play today, then takes as much time as he needs to get well and reassess the viability of a new attempt.


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## ianrauk (31 Dec 2015)

From Jo from the other place.. The OYTT Website* HERE *

*Day 363 / 144: *212 miles of Flatwood laps for Kurt has he continues to tick off the virtual RAAM checkpoints. Steve has a late start and rides to 141 miles to Basingstoke via the Cotswolds yet again battling winter headwinds.


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## ianrauk (31 Dec 2015)

From Jo from the other place.. The OYTT Website* HERE *

Day 364 / 145: Kurt puts another 216 miles in the bag via Flatwood Park and his virtual RAAM. He and Alicia agree to stick to Flatwood until the record is broken. Steve makes the return from Basingstoke with some wet weather but the benefit of some tailwind. He passes MK ending his 176 miles in King's Lynn.

*



*


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## velovoice (31 Dec 2015)

Just a reminder... there is also a discussion thread *HERE*. 
Shall we see about getting some of these, ahem, what I call "armchair critics" posts moved over there?


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## Pale Rider (1 Jan 2016)

Just a reminder... there is also a discussion thread in the other place.

One of the armchair experts over there is Fidgetbuzz, the bid's former accountant.

His posts are very illuminating, mentioning as they do being threatened with the sack for posting, a five-figure surplus, hostility from the team to offers of help, and a request from team members to have access to Steve's main account.

As a cunning old detective inspector once told me: "If you want the real story, follow the money."

The trail starts at the top of page 55:

https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=90295.1350


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## Ian H (1 Jan 2016)

Pale Rider said:


> His posts are very illuminating



Of his particular prejudices and snide gripes.


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## rowdin (1 Jan 2016)

The new challenger Bruce Berkeley, did 207.6 miles. Moving time of 11:01 hours with 8,074 ft of climbing.
No heart rate data, but power meter data of 181w average.


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## ColinJ (1 Jan 2016)

Surely that would be 8,074 ft?


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## Saluki (1 Jan 2016)

ColinJ said:


> Surely that would be 8,074 ft?


I would hope so.
I wonder if there is anywhere, flat enough to do less than 9' of climbing over a 200 mile route?


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## rowdin (1 Jan 2016)

Thanks, I didn't see my mistake.


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## swansonj (1 Jan 2016)

Saluki said:


> I would hope so.
> I wonder if there is anywhere, flat enough to do less than 9' of climbing over a 200 mile route?


I think there may be several people who have accused Kurt of specialising in finding just such...


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## Pale Rider (1 Jan 2016)

swansonj said:


> I think there may be several people who have accused Kurt of specialising in finding just such...



If you divide the total elevation by the total miles for each rider it indicates Kurt has done slightly more climbing per mile than Steve.

That sounds unlikely given Kurt's routes in recent weeks, but someone in the other place reckoned Kurt spent much of the year in hillier parts of America.

The figures are here:

http://ultracycling.com/sections/records/data/hamr/


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## blazed (1 Jan 2016)

Pale Rider said:


> If you divide the total elevation by the total miles for each rider it indicates Kurt has done slightly more climbing per mile than Steve.
> 
> That sounds unlikely given Kurt's routes in recent weeks, but someone in the other place reckoned Kurt spent much of the year in hillier parts of America.
> 
> ...


Their recordings are inaccurate. I seem to remember his garmin had issues and he was doing rides with 200,000ft elevation. I guess ultracycling is taking into account those rides. 

It's hard to imagine rides as flat as Tarzan does, to be able to do 200 miles with less than 1000ft elevation. Crazy.


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## Pale Rider (1 Jan 2016)

blazed said:


> Their recordings are inaccurate.



They could be, but that could mean Kurt's climbing difference over Steve is even greater.

I think it more likely the recordings are accurate.

Both men are looking for flat routes, and over so many miles I would expect any differences to even themselves out and for them both to have done about the same amount of climbing.

Which is what the figures show.


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## toontra (1 Jan 2016)

Looking at some of the video clips on FaceBook from Wisconsin, the roads were definitely "rolling" in a way you don't really see in the UK. Long, straight roads with shallow-looking elevations, but the crests are actually quite substantial and added up they equate to a lot of climbing. Only the Florida sections have been pan-flat.


----------



## blazed (1 Jan 2016)

The good thing about both adding rides to strava is you can see both their elevations. Go browse through their rides, see how many days you can find where Tarzan did more elevation...

There were many innacurate rides because of his waterlogged garmin which through up huge elevation numbers, strava corrected this but ultracycling didn't, simples.


----------



## blazed (1 Jan 2016)

toontra said:


> Looking at some of the video clips on FaceBook from Wisconsin, the roads were definitely "rolling" in a way you don't really see in the UK. Long, straight roads with shallow-looking elevations, but the crests are actually quite substantial and added up they equate to a lot of climbing. Only the Florida sections have been pan-flat.


It's irrelevant what the roads looked like in a video, the numbers are there on strava.


----------



## ianrauk (1 Jan 2016)

From Jo from the other place.. The OYTT Website* HERE *

*Day 365 / 146: *Kurt has a fast and long day looping around Flatwood with friends. In so doing, he adds 227 miles to his total. He is now within a week of taking the record, or if he wants to take it easy, just 88 miles per day until Jan 9th.

Steve completes his year of cycling with a total of 63,565 miles – exactly 11,500 miles behind Tommy Godwin, or around 66 days of riding at his average pace. That places Steve third in the all-time list of annual distance records behind Tommy and Bernard Bennett, although shortly to be shunted down one position when Kurt completes his year on January 9th. Over the year, including his time off in hospital and recovery after his broken ankle, he has averaged 174.2 miles per day and has spent 51% of every hour of the year moving on his bike.


----------



## Tin Pot (1 Jan 2016)

Blimey.


----------



## Dogtrousers (1 Jan 2016)

Tin Pot said:


> Blimey.


O'Reilly


----------



## Racing roadkill (1 Jan 2016)

Dogtrousers said:


> O'Reilly


Wasn't he a builder in an episode of Fawlty Towers?


----------



## jo from the other place (2 Jan 2016)

Pale Rider said:


> If you divide the total elevation by the total miles for each rider it indicates Kurt has done slightly more climbing per mile than Steve.
> 
> That sounds unlikely given Kurt's routes in recent weeks, but someone in the other place reckoned Kurt spent much of the year in hillier parts of America.
> 
> ...



The figures directly from the GPS are misleading (and the link you include only has Steve's restart data). By my calculation Steve has been riding with about double the elevation gain of Kurt. This is what I said in the other place:

----------

Elevation gain is tricky to measure in a reproducible way because it depends on how frequently you record elevation and is also more sensitive to GPS error (see the few days of atmospheric climbing for Kurt when his GPS was on the blink).

To compare more reliably, I've polled elevation every 5 minutes through the year for both riders and calculated the elevation gain from the change between those 5 minute elevation snapshots. This absolute figure is a little lower than Strava's (which poll elevation more frequently), but is consistent between riders so provides a good basis for comparison.

Over the year:

Kurt has gained around 113 vertical km in elevation, while Steve has gained around 235 vertical km. Standardising by distance covered this works out at around 0.94m elevation gain per km for Kurt and 2.25m per km for Steve. So Steve has been riding approximately 2.4 times as 'hilly' a terrain than Kurt. To put those figures in the context of typical UK riding, Audaxers would usually assume around 10m per km marks the boundary from gently rolling to hilly. So both are generally riding easier terrain than most UK rural riding.

To see the daily variation, I've graphed both riders with the thick line representing the 7 day rolling average elevation gain.




You may notice that Kurt's Wisconsin riding was his hilliest, but was still less than Steve's typical routes thought the year.


----------



## Pale Rider (2 Jan 2016)

jo from the other place said:


> The figures directly from the GPS are misleading (and the link you include only has Steve's restart data). By my calculation Steve has been riding with about double the elevation gain of Kurt. This is what I said in the other place:
> 
> ----------
> 
> ...



One might expect the figures on the HAMR website to be accurate.

Equally, your graphs and calculations have a good reputation.

Both cannot be correct in this instance.

There is no good reason to automatically favour one source of information over the other.

Of course, it isn't a climbing challenge, it's a distance one.

But I do wonder if one measurement can be so far out, how accurate all the others are.


----------



## ianrauk (3 Jan 2016)

From Jo from the other place.. The OYTT Website* HERE *

*Day 147 / 1: *A new year and two new challengers: Bruce Berkeley currently based in Adelaide, Australia and Kajsa Tylan based in Nottingham, UK. Both get off to promising starts with Bruce clocking up 208 hilly miles, a couple above Godwin pace and Kajsa completing a 102 mile loop through Notts and the W. Midlands putting her 28 miles ahead of Billy Dovey's average of 79.6 mpd.

Meanwhile Kurt has just over a week to go and continues to put in long and fast days around Flatwoods Park. Jan 1st's loops add 222 miles to his total. Steve begins to up the his daily distance following enforced easier days under doctor's orders. His return from Acle to MK gives him another 202 miles for his August-August shot at the record.


----------



## ianrauk (3 Jan 2016)

*Day 148 / 2: *Smelling the finish line, Kurt edges ever closer to the record with today's Flatwood laps adding an impressive 240 miles. He is now within one or two days of the record. Steve does a there-and-back-again trip to Cirencester in the rain for a total of 191 miles. Bruce shows his ability to climb and ride fast with a 211 mile loop over the mountains east of Adelaide. Kajsa's wet 102 loop of the East Midlands and Lincolnshire keeps here well above Dovey pace.


----------



## ianrauk (3 Jan 2016)




----------



## ianrauk (4 Jan 2016)

From Jo from the other place.. The OYTT Website* HERE *


*Day 149 / 3: *Kurt eases off the gas just a little, completing 188 miles around Flatwood Park some of which was in heavy rain. This leaves him just 142 miles short of Tommy Godwin's record and 6 days remaining. Steve feeling a little rough rides north to Goole in poor winter weather, bedding down for the night after 161 miles. Bruce puts in another strong performance with more climbing and high average speed for a total of 210 miles. Kajsa rides a loop south of Nottingham with the poor weather cutting her day a little shorter than planned at 87 miles. This still leaves her 55 miles ahead of the Dovey line though.


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## Supersuperleeds (4 Jan 2016)

If anyone is interested Kajsa's Strava profile is https://www.strava.com/athletes/2276762


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## ianrauk (4 Jan 2016)

And Kurt has just broken the record.


----------



## Supersuperleeds (4 Jan 2016)

ianrauk said:


> And Kurt has just broken the record.


----------



## Rickshaw Phil (4 Jan 2016)

Well done Kurt.


----------



## summerdays (4 Jan 2016)

Congratulations Kurt... It's a fantastic achievement


----------



## Scoosh (4 Jan 2016)

It seems like no time at all when they were starting out on their adventures and now, here we are, with a new record ! 

An amazing feat of physical and mental stamina, determination, some ruthlessness thrown in and above all, incredible attitude from all the serious competitors. 

_Chapeau_ to Kurt and he'll probably celebrate by doing a couple of 250mile days !


----------



## Donger (4 Jan 2016)

I rode 62 miles on New Year's Day, and ended up so sore I felt like I'd just laid an egg. There was no way I was riding anywhere the next day. I cannot even imagine doing the same thing every single day this year...... and that would still have got me only about 30% of the way to the record. To anyone who continues to niggle at Kurt's amazing achievement, I just invite you to put it all into context by comparing it to your own best efforts in this way. It is truly astounding.

To Steve:, "Chapeau, Sir". Brilliant achievement, given your motorised yokel encounter. To Kurt: "Congratulations. We are not worthy".


----------



## tommaguzzi (4 Jan 2016)

Well done Kurt and Alicia a brilliant team effort! Now everyone needs to go an buy them a beer.

https://www.gofundme.com/ts9xac


----------



## ClichéGuevara (5 Jan 2016)

Maximum respect to both riders. Most people on the planet would need a flat road and a back wind to do just one day at their average distance.

An incredible achievement, stick at it Steve.


----------



## Mugshot (5 Jan 2016)

*Tarzan Rides the HAM'R Kurt Searvogel*
6 hrs ·
He did it. What a day we have had. So many people to thank and pictures/videos to share. I'm sure those who were with us will be posting, and we will be sleeping to ride out the rest of the week. The biggest surprise tonight I must mention came from across the pond. YACF, we were very touched. Thank you.


----------



## Mugshot (5 Jan 2016)

*Steve Abraham*
1 hr ·
Well done Kurt and Alicia Searvogel.
Enjoy your last few days as the new World Record holder


----------



## gaz (5 Jan 2016)

ClichéGuevara said:


> Maximum respect to both riders. Most people on the planet would need a flat road and a back wind to do just one day at their average distance.
> 
> An incredible achievement, stick at it Steve.


Which is actually what Kurt did. He was smart and followed the weather and the winds and picked the flattest courses.


----------



## Mugshot (5 Jan 2016)




----------



## ianrauk (5 Jan 2016)

From Jo from the other place.. The OYTT Website* HERE *

Day 360 / 150 / 4: After 360 days of hard toiling,* Kurt takes the new world record for the furthest ridden in a year.* His 190 day of Flatwood loops takes his total to 75,113 miles with five more days of riding left to lengthen the record.

In other news, Steve loops around the flatlands of east Yorkshire avoiding the worst of the floods to the north and rain to the south. His 181 mile day sees him around 2,240 below the Godwin line approximately midway between Tommy's average pace and his actual pace by day 150. Bruce continues to push out fast and hilly miles around Adelaide, this time accumulating another 210 miles. Kajsa has a longer day making up for the previous day's shortfall then riding her planned route, in all giving her 104 miles and 77 above the Dovey line.

*




*


----------



## Mugshot (6 Jan 2016)

*Steve Abraham*
18 mins ·
Steve Abraham is behind bars today - testing the cycling track on a windless day, to see how it compares to the road...





Are we about to see a change in tactics?


----------



## Mugshot (6 Jan 2016)

*Tarzan Rides the HAM'R Kurt Searvogel*
2 hrs ·
Kurt has broken the record. No question, a monumental accomplishment! This is what we set out to do. 
Now, his goal is to keep his average at 208 per day.

So now we know the target.


----------



## ianrauk (6 Jan 2016)

From Jo from the other place.. The OYTT Website* HERE *

*
Day 361 / 151 / 5: *Kurt celebrates his record breaking achievement by "only" riding 168 miles around Flatwood. He is currently pushing the world record to 75,290 miles with four days to go. Steve rides back south from his stay in East Yorkshire clocking up 195 miles. Kajsa rides from Newark towards Peterborough but a puncture and dark winter weather keeps her distance to exactly one 'Dovey' (81 miles). Bruce takes a break from the hills and sticks to repeats along the coast around Adelaide 218 miles taking him to 32 miles above the Godwin line in only 5 days.


----------



## ianrauk (7 Jan 2016)

From Jo from the other place.. The OYTT Website* HERE
*
Day 362 / 152 / 6: After a couple of farewell laps of Flatwoods Park, Kurt heads south ending his day in Naples and with another 166 miles added to the record (now standing at 75,446 miles). Steve spends the day riding round and round and round and round the Milton Keynes Bowl for 157 miles. Kajsa also rides a loop, but just the one, circumnavigating Peterborough for 94 miles. Bruce does another 212 miles with a couple of large climbs and plenty of headwind.

*



*


----------



## Supersuperleeds (7 Jan 2016)

I know it is early in his attempt but if Bruce keeps going as he is then he is going to smash the record.


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## Legs (7 Jan 2016)

Agreed, Bruce seems to have started well, though there is a very, very long way to go. I believe that he's doing his attempt under the purview of Guinness (like Kajsa Tylen) rather than UMCA, which means that he'd not be allowed to draft and that he'd have to begin each ride wherever he left off the previous one. This poses a problem for when he wants to come back to the UK, surely?


----------



## Dogtrousers (7 Jan 2016)

Supersuperleeds said:


> I know it is early in his attempt but if Bruce keeps going as he is then he is going to smash the record.


Or, on the other side of the coin, he might burn out completely. Very early days. Good luck Bruce!


----------



## ianrauk (7 Jan 2016)

[QUOTE 4092218, member: 9609"]who's Bruce ?[/QUOTE]


*Bruce Berkeley*


----------



## Joshua Plumtree (7 Jan 2016)

[QUOTE 4092218, member: 9609"]who's Bruce ?[/QUOTE]

The bloke who lived next door to Alice.


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## ianrauk (7 Jan 2016)

From Jo from the other place

I've added a few new enhancements to the OYTT visualizer at http://gicentre.org/oytt


Kajsa's and Bruce's progress can now be plotted.
Billie Dovey's (Flemming) progress through the year can now also be plotted.
Rather than only scale progress relative to Tommy Godwin's total, you can now choose between five different targets ranging from Billie Dovey's 81 mpd right up to an ambitious 80,000 miles (219 mpd). These are selectable from the bottom row of buttons. The 'Kurt Searvogel' button will scale to whatever his current total is until his final WR total on January 9th is confirmed.

Here's an example showing Kajsa's progress so far in comparison to the 'Dovey line':


----------



## Mugshot (7 Jan 2016)

Am I missing something obvious or isn't the trip back from oz going to adversely affect Bruces attempt in more ways than one?


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## Supersuperleeds (7 Jan 2016)

Mugshot said:


> Am I missing something obvious or isn't the trip back from oz going to adversely affect Bruces attempt in more ways than one?



I was thinking that when I was riding home tonight from work!


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## Mugshot (7 Jan 2016)

Supersuperleeds said:


> I was thinking that when I was riding home tonight from work!


That's when it occurred to me


----------



## jo from the other place (7 Jan 2016)

Bruce is doing the OYTT under UMCA rules, not Guinness.

I do believe though that Kajsa was planning to move on to the continent at some point in the year, so perhaps Guinness waive the rule for travel across water (which would make sense for round the world records).


----------



## Mugshot (7 Jan 2016)

jo from the other place said:


> Bruce is doing the OYTT under UMCA rules, not Guinness.
> 
> I do believe though that Kajsa was planning to move on to the continent at some point in the year, so perhaps Guinness waive the rule for travel across water (which would make sense for round the world records).


OT, Jo your graphs are superb, thank you for the work you've been and continue to put into them!!


----------



## ianrauk (8 Jan 2016)

From Jo from the other place.. The OYTT Website* HERE *

Steve's heatmaps for all of 2015:

*



*

*



*

*And day and night riding combined:*

*



*

Full sized images here:

http://gicentre.org/oytt/images/heatmapAbraham2015Day.png
http://gicentre.org/oytt/images/heatmapAbraham2015Night.png
http://gicentre.org/oytt/images/heatmapAbraham2015All.png


----------



## Saluki (8 Jan 2016)

Legs said:


> Agreed, Bruce seems to have started well, though there is a very, very long way to go. I believe that he's doing his attempt under the purview of Guinness (like Kajsa Tylen) rather than UMCA, which means that he'd not be allowed to draft and that he'd have to begin each ride wherever he left off the previous one. This poses a problem for when he wants to come back to the UK, surely?


Pedallo?


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## Dogtrousers (8 Jan 2016)

Saluki said:


> Pedallo?


Yeah, but if he had a kip, and woke up and found that he'd drifted from his previous position, he'd have to pedal around until he got back there! So he'd need a Pedalo with a gurt big anchor.


----------



## Legs (8 Jan 2016)

jo from the other place said:


> Bruce is doing the OYTT under UMCA rules, not Guinness.
> 
> I do believe though that Kajsa was planning to move on to the continent at some point in the year, so perhaps Guinness waive the rule for travel across water (which would make sense for round the world records).



Where did you get this from, Jo? There's no information I can see on the UMCA HAM'R page about it... It makes sense, though, because I know that Bruce is a sociable rider and is intending to ride with West London/Surrey/Hants/Berks/Bucks-based riders when he returns to the UK. And it obviates the requirement for a pedalo, as Saluki suggests!


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## jo from the other place (8 Jan 2016)

Dave Barter (Author of 'The Year'), who is involved in validating the UMCA data, reported so in the other place: https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=93962.msg1966703#msg1966703


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## ianrauk (8 Jan 2016)

From Steve's *Website*


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## Scoosh (8 Jan 2016)

Can't say he doesn't have A PLAN !

*GO STEVE !*


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## Supersuperleeds (8 Jan 2016)

You'd think he would do an extra half mile for feck sakes


----------



## Legs (8 Jan 2016)

jo from the other place said:


> Dave Barter (Author of 'The Year'), who is involved in validating the UMCA data, reported so in the other place: https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=93962.msg1966703#msg1966703


Thanks Jo.


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## jo from the other place (8 Jan 2016)

Actuals. He's a little down on the January average (by about 40 miles), but his more detailed daily planning accounts for this with Godwin milages from today onwards.


----------



## Dogtrousers (8 Jan 2016)

Wow. There we have it. No more sub-Godwin days, according to plan. 10% increase in Feb from 201 to 221 mpd. Building up to 237 mpd in April.


----------



## Beebo (8 Jan 2016)

Forecast results and actual results are too very different beasts.
I wish him luck, and dont want to put a downer on things but I will be amazed if he can pull this off, 4 straight months of 230+ miles per day seems very ambitious.


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## Mugshot (8 Jan 2016)

User3094 said:


> I was beginning to lose hope, looking at his recent performances


Me too, it was starting to resemble a particulalry damp squib, however, if that's a proper plan and not some back of a fag packet calculations it's great news


----------



## Dogtrousers (8 Jan 2016)

Beebo said:


> Forecast results and actual results are too very different beasts.
> I wish him luck, and dont want to put a downer on things but I will be amazed if he can pull this off, 4 straight months of 230+ miles per day seems very ambitious.


He only has a mere _*three*_ straight months of 230+ (Apr, May, Jun). In July he tapers off to 227.

So that's all right then


----------



## Legs (8 Jan 2016)

Mugshot said:


> Me too, it was starting to resemble a particulalry damp squib, however, if that's a proper plan and not some back of a fag packet calculations it's great news


Well, we thought his Jan15 plan was a proper plan, but it wasn't enactable (how ridiculous do 280mpd summer months seem now?). I can't help thinking that he's just not fast enough to put in the miles without running into sleep deprivation and having _jours sans._


----------



## Supersuperleeds (9 Jan 2016)

"only" 185 miles for Steve yesterday


----------



## ianrauk (9 Jan 2016)

From Jo from the other place.. The OYTT Website* HERE *

Day 363 / 153 / 7: A week in for the two new challengers and only two more days left for Kurt. He continues to ride south onto the Florida Keys to finish his day with 183 miles more on the WR. Steve rides up to the Norfolk coast with the benefit of a tailwind eventually getting to Great Yarmouth with exactly 200 miles on the clock. Kajsa also rides east with the tailwind until changing heading into the fens makes the cross wind too hazardous to carry on much further. Her 60 mile day still leaves her 70 miles above the Dovey line. On the other side of the world Bruce also battles with headwinds on his 210 miles of circuits around Adelaide.


----------



## ianrauk (9 Jan 2016)

*Day 364 / 154 / 8: *With only one more day to go for Kurt he rides north from the Keys past Miami, Fort Lauderdale towards West Palm Beach. He keeps his consistently fast pace despite over 75,000 miles in his legs ending the day with the world record advanced by another 211 miles. Steve's team publish a new riding schedule for 2016 that aims to deliver a 77,000 mile record in August. This involves immediately increasing his daily average to beyond 205 mpd. Things don't get off to a good start with the headwind from Yarmouth back to MK keeping his distance down to 185 miles. Kajsa has a better day and despite one puncture she completes her planned 100 miles of fenland riding taking her 88 miles ahead of Billie Dovey's pace. Bruce also has a good day joining team Astana on the road for a while and completing around 210 miles.


----------



## Dayvo (9 Jan 2016)

ianrauk said:


> Bruce also has a good day joining team Astana on the road for a while and completing around 210 miles.



Wonder if they were able to keep up with him?


----------



## Scoosh (9 Jan 2016)

User said:


> With assistance.


... or with 'assistance'  ??? 

It is Astana, after all ...


----------



## srw (9 Jan 2016)

Scoosh said:


> ... or with 'assistance'  ???
> 
> It is Astana, after all ...


@User - ASJT?


----------



## Mugshot (10 Jan 2016)

*Tarzan Rides the HAM'R Kurt Searvogel added a new photo.*
8 hrs ·


----------



## summerdays (10 Jan 2016)

Well Done Kurt - it is an effort that is well beyond the most of us, both physically and mentally!


----------



## Mugshot (10 Jan 2016)

Sleep


----------



## summerdays (10 Jan 2016)

Drink alcohol


----------



## Pale Rider (10 Jan 2016)

User said:


> So, now what is he going to do?



Kurt was self-funded and has mentioned money a few times, so I expect getting a few dollars coming in will be one of his priorities.


----------



## Pale Rider (10 Jan 2016)

It seems one of the things Kurt may be doing is supporting Alicia in her attempt to get the women's record.

I didn't see that coming, but I'm not surprised there is interest in the record from other women.

It won't be easy, but it's a softer target than the men's.

There are lots of very strong lady riders who I reckon could give it a good go.

https://www.facebook.com/tarzanrides/?fref=ts


----------



## velovoice (10 Jan 2016)

Pale Rider said:


> It seems one of the things Kurt may be doing is supporting Alicia in her attempt to get the women's record.
> 
> I didn't see that coming, but I'm not surprised there is interest in the record from othee women.
> 
> ...


Another not quite concurrent UK vs US "battle", then?

http://www.ayearinthesaddle.com in case you missed it upthread.

Daily ride reports and videos at
https://m.facebook.com/ayearinthesaddle/


----------



## Pale Rider (10 Jan 2016)

velovoice said:


> Another not quite concurrent UK vs US "battle", then?
> 
> http://www.ayearinthesaddle.com in case you missed it upthread.
> 
> ...



I have been keeping an eye on Kasja, not least because I fancy doing part of one of her Sunday group rides.

I should have a fighting chance of keeping the pace for at least a few miles, although one of the audaxers in the other place rode with her this morning and got dropped.

Seems Kasja may be a stronger cyclist than suggested by her self-description on the website.


----------



## ianrauk (10 Jan 2016)

From Jo from the other place.. The OYTT Website* HERE *


*Day 365 / 155 / 9:* After 365 days of riding without fail, including when barely able to stand with food poisoning, when having emergency heart monitoring, being knocked of his bike, numerous punctures,long dark nights of the soul and getting married, Kurt Searvogel clocks up a new world record of 76,076 miles.


----------



## ianrauk (12 Jan 2016)

From Steve's Facebook


----------



## Mugshot (13 Jan 2016)

*Steve Abraham*
3 hrs ·
Steve's fighting back from the setback last night and hoping to even his average mileage out (for yesterday and today) at about 200 miles per day - despite losing over 60 miles against schedule.

He says: "After 2 steaks for breakfast (in Stowmarket) and a 10 minute nap, I am ready to have a crack at another 155 miles (before I plan to be in bed at around midnight )."
GO for it Steven - but stay safe!


----------



## ianrauk (14 Jan 2016)




----------



## tallliman (14 Jan 2016)

Good on him. Hope he slept enough!


----------



## Legs (14 Jan 2016)

That doesn't seem likely, @tallliman - those 225 miles were clocked up in the course of 24 hours in 18 hours' riding. He'd actually clocked up another 10 miles just before midnight on Monday night. You've got to admire his determination, but this attempt is nothing but a fool's errand now.


----------



## Legs (14 Jan 2016)

There's a new schedule which has cut off a lot of the margin, but which accounts for many (though not all) of the losses of the last week. http://oneyeartimetrial.org.uk/the-preparation


----------



## Mugshot (15 Jan 2016)

15 days in for Bruce, having done a bit of furious calculating I think the scores on the doors are as follows;

After 15 days

Bruce - 3197
Kurt - 2940
Steve - 2727


----------



## Mugshot (15 Jan 2016)

*Tarzan Rides the HAM'R Kurt Searvogel*
2 hrs ·
It wasn't the homecoming that we would have ever wanted. We arrived in Little Rock late Wednesday afternoon and went right to the river bike trail to do a lap before going home and unloading a years worth of camping. When we left, everything was still green and plush. Now, you can see through the trees and the drab brown of winter is here. Terry greeted us and we saw just a few riders out. It was a short, cold and sunny ride. It felt strange to be back.
We split the chores, Kurt unloaded the van while I went to the grocery store. Sorting and putting things away will have to wait until tomorrow. We were beat. Ah, we could sleep in (although, we really haven't yet).
The phone woke us up early. I could hear Kurt downstairs. "What? Jim died last night?" Kurt came back upstairs. "My dad died." My heart dropped.
He didn't get a chance to see him. In fact, he hasn't seen him all year.

Thank you for all your thoughts, comments and prayers. The victory celebration for Saturday has been postponed. 
As many have said, "I'm sure your dad was so proud of you." ~ Alicia


----------



## Mugshot (15 Jan 2016)

Terrible news for him, as you say, very very sad.


----------



## ColinJ (15 Jan 2016)

Oh ... that really _IS_ sad. What a terrible end to an amazing year! 

I only popped in here to mention a short interview with Kurt in Cycling Weekly yesterday. He was very blunt about the weather question ...

*KS:* _"If I'd had to do it in England, I wouldn't have broken the record, there's no way in hell I'd be riding in the cold. I know that will make Tommy's fans happy!_" 

*CW: Does Steve Abraham, who is currently challenging the record in the UK, have a chance? *_"If he doesn't get out of England, no. If he'd had a different plan for the winter, he'd have definitely had a chance."

_


----------



## Mugshot (17 Jan 2016)

Apparently Bruce has been disqualified for "non-compliance with the rules", no more details than that at the moment.


----------



## Supersuperleeds (17 Jan 2016)

Mugshot said:


> Apparently Bruce has been disqualified for "non-compliance with the rules", no more details than that at the moment.



This could be interesting, nowt on his twitter yet but he has uploaded a ride for the 17th to Strava


----------



## Arrowfoot (17 Jan 2016)

Mugshot said:


> Apparently Bruce has been disqualified for "non-compliance with the rules", no more details than that at the moment.



There has been a concern about drafting. I wonder if this is the issue.


----------



## 13 rider (17 Jan 2016)

Did Steve ride on Friday no ride on strava or website ?


----------



## Mugshot (17 Jan 2016)

There's some speculation on yacf as to the reason but nothing concrete yet. Apparently Bruce has put on his Facebook that it is an admin error, according to Chris Hopkinson (Stevens crew chief) he's received notification from UMCA that Bruce is done. Someone on yacf has suggested it is because he didn't have a live tracker, I dunno, but I'm sure we'll find out soon.


----------



## Mugshot (17 Jan 2016)

13 rider said:


> Did Steve ride on Friday no ride on strava or website ?


Steve did 194 miles on Friday, it is on strava


----------



## Mugshot (17 Jan 2016)

Chris Hopkinson has said on Facebook that he found out first because he has his finger on the pulse and he put it on Facebook because he doesn't like yacf, someone yacf has said they reckon he made the complaint and it was held up which is how he found out first.


----------



## Supersuperleeds (17 Jan 2016)

Mugshot said:


> Steve did 194 miles on Friday, it is on strava



It looks like Friday on his main page, but if you go into the ride it is dated Thursday?

https://www.strava.com/activities/470899611


----------



## Mugshot (17 Jan 2016)

Supersuperleeds said:


> It looks like Friday on his main page, but if you go into the ride it is dated Thursday?
> 
> https://www.strava.com/activities/470899611


Oh aye, my apologies. I wonder if it's one of those midnight cross over things, but yes, 5 rides posted for the week so far!


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## Mugshot (17 Jan 2016)

*Steve Abraham*
58 mins ·
Steve's facing rather 'interesting' weather conditions today...


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## Supersuperleeds (17 Jan 2016)

Mugshot said:


> *Steve Abraham*
> 58 mins ·
> Steve's facing rather 'interesting' weather conditions today...



Days like this along with my total lack of ability would kill any chance of me cycling 200+ miles every day for a year


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## Mugshot (17 Jan 2016)

Supersuperleeds said:


> my total lack of ability


I don't think anybody that has seen your exploits would agree with that!!
However, I do agree that getting up to that certainly doesn't put me in the mood for riding 200 miles.


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## ColinJ (17 Jan 2016)

Supersuperleeds said:


> Days like this along with my total lack of ability would kill any chance of me cycling 200+ miles every day for a year


Days like this along with my total lack of ability would kill any chance of me cycling 200+ miles every day for a day!


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## Supersuperleeds (17 Jan 2016)

There's talk on YACF that Tommy Godwin rode further than the record that Kurt set in a 365 day period, anyone know more on this?


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## Mugshot (17 Jan 2016)

They sound like they're just being peanuts to me, some are saying it doesn't count because it wasn't started from Jan 1st.


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## Mugshot (17 Jan 2016)

Mugshot said:


> They sound like they're just being peanuts to me, some are saying it doesn't count because it wasn't started from Jan 1st.


I was wondering which one was peanuts


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## Supersuperleeds (17 Jan 2016)

Mugshot said:


> I was wondering which one was peanuts



Give us a clue or do I have to start typing rude words

pricks isn't it
bastards isn't it


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## tallliman (17 Jan 2016)

I think its to do with the fact that Godwin continued to 100k miles in 500 days but not sure


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## Mugshot (17 Jan 2016)

Supersuperleeds said:


> Give us a clue or do I have to start typing rude words
> 
> pricks isn't it
> bastards isn't it


It's rather tame to be honest, think orifice.


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## Supersuperleeds (17 Jan 2016)

peanuts


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## Pale Rider (17 Jan 2016)

Mugshot said:


> Chris Hopkinson has said on Facebook that he found out first because he has his finger on the pulse and he put it on Facebook because he doesn't like yacf, someone yacf has said they reckon he made the complaint and it was held up which is how he found out first.



A fair few on yacf are not keen on Hoppo.

Putting it neutrally, it appears opinions of him in the long distance cycling community are divided.


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## T4tomo (17 Jan 2016)

So did he have a 365 day period within the 500 days that he rode more than the first 365 days? That would be a bit of a bummer for Kurt if so, as he seemed to have enough in the tank to have hit a higher target had he known what that target was.


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## Mugshot (17 Jan 2016)

So it would appear, but I think the rules are that you pick a start and finish date.


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## Mugshot (18 Jan 2016)

Here's the link to the UMCA statement, not much info but it is what it is.

www.ultracycling.com/wp_news/


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## Mugshot (18 Jan 2016)

The boy don't care!!


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## Dogtrousers (18 Jan 2016)

Is he bovvered? It seems not.

I had a read of the YACF threads on the Godwin challenges over the weekend. A lot of long running rancour and bitterness seems to be rumbling on there. Somebody on here - I forget who - hilariously described the CTC as being like "Game of Thrones with mudguards". That came to mind.


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## Mugshot (20 Jan 2016)

*Tarzan Rides the HAM'R Kurt Searvogel*
7 hrs ·
Quote from Tommy Godwin's daughter:
"Congratulations to Kurt on successfully completing his challange on Tommy Godwins 76 year old "Year Record." The controvercy between the two attempts will no doubt be discussed for some time to come. There can never be a true comparison between the two attempts how could you replicate WW2, poor roads, food rationing, the wortst winter in decades, a heavy bike and the "blackout" But one thing I am very sure of, the first person to shake Kurts hand would have been Tommy Godwin, my hero, my father. Barbara Ford Tommys daughter" - 
http://road.cc/…/174612-76076-miles-kurt-searvogels-record-…




76,076 miles - Kurt Searvogel's record breaking year ends
American says he won't stress over prospect of Steve Abraham or Bruce Berkeley going further
road.cc


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## User42542 (20 Jan 2016)

Is Steve still going? The updates seem to have dried up, and its all gone a bit quiet...


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## tommaguzzi (20 Jan 2016)

It seems Bruce has been disqualified for non payment of hamr membership fee and not using a spot tracker he knew was required by the rules. He claims lack of funds. Hamr membership is $39, a spot tracker is about $140 and about $50 a year for the live service updates.
If Bruce is on such a tight budget for his one year of riding ( I can no longer call it a record attempt) that he finds it impossible to pay for these essentials then I seriously doubt he will complete his goal. The first major setback he has will finish him financially.


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## Mugshot (20 Jan 2016)

User42542 said:


> Is Steve still going? The updates seem to have dried up, and its all gone a bit quiet...



He is indeed. If you have a look HERE you'll find the spread sheet for the riders and you'll see that Steve has an entry on the 18/1/16, there appear to be some missing but I think that's a glitch in the system caused by riding past midnight. I don't think we're getting the graphs because Jo from the other place is not updating them at the moment.
HERES a link to Steves strava for you too so you can see his daily rides and progress.


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## Mugshot (20 Jan 2016)

tommaguzzi said:


> It seems Bruce has been disqualified for non payment of hamr membership fee and not using a spot tracker he knew was required by the rules. He claims lack of funds. Hamr membership is $39, a spot tracker is about $140 and about $50 a year for the live service updates.
> If Bruce is on such a tight budget for his one year of riding ( I can no longer call it a record attempt) that he finds it impossible to pay for these essentials then I seriously doubt he will complete his goal. The first major setback he has will finish him financially.


You wonder how he afforded the trip to Oz if he was that skint. I've heard a fair bit about the tracker and you can see the issue, apparently for those in the know it's relatively easy to falsify a gpx or whatever file to show you've ridden x number of miles when in fact you've done nothing of the sort, the live tracker does in theory allow for official or independant witnesses to turn up on your route.


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## Dogtrousers (20 Jan 2016)

Further to @Mugshot 's post, Steve has picked up his mileage a bit, I think, but seems to be falling short of his January target. His general trend is falling further behind the target rather than closing in on it. Other links
OYTT website 
Strava which can be a bit confusing esp when Steve rides through the night.
Live tracker which doesn't always work


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## Mugshot (20 Jan 2016)

Here's Steves ride for yesterday 186 miles.


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## Mugshot (20 Jan 2016)

Steves target for January is 6250 miles, he's currently on 3352 miles for the year according to strava, that would leave him needing 2898 or 241.5 miles a day.
Is that right??!!?? I've made a mistake there surely.


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## Mugshot (20 Jan 2016)

I've rechecked my figures and I don't think I've made a mistake. Steve has hit or exceeded his January daily target 5 times out of 19. He's basically two days behind schedule.


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## Dogtrousers (20 Jan 2016)

@Mugshot I've not double checked but I think you're right re the Jan target. I did some calculations a few days ago and his target for the record is a bit over 220mpd now. 223 or something like that. I think the appropriate sporting cliché is "a mountain to climb".


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## Mugshot (20 Jan 2016)

Dogtrousers said:


> @Mugshot I've not double checked but I think you're right re the Jan target. I did some calculations a few days ago and his target for the record is a bit over 220mpd now. 223 or something like that. I think the appropriate sporting cliché is "a mountain to climb".


Definite on the target, assuming that hasn't changed from when it was posted here, I've checked and rechecked strava rides and the total is 3352, which would leave him 2898, he's got 12 riding days left including today for January, which gives us 241.5 miles per day. Unless something is missing from strava, which is not unknown of course, I think I've got it right.
As you say, "a mountain to climb" although that may be something of an understatement.


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## rowdin (20 Jan 2016)

He's only posted 1 ride for this week so far.


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## Mugshot (20 Jan 2016)

Berkeley Gate - The full report

Douglas Hoffman‎_to_Ultracycling
12 hrs ·


A full report on the Disqualification of Bruce Berkeley from the UMCA HAMR attempt started on January 1, 2016

We have been asked by many for the full reasoning behind our disqualification of Bruce Berkely's record attempt. Our records chair has prepared the following complete accounting. Please note that by using the Spot Tracker and GPS with Heart Rate Monitor we have been able to identify errors in reporting and get them corrected. The accounting of mileage for such an endeavor is no small task. It is our records chair's job to make sure he gets what he needs. What follows is the full report, including emails between Bruce and Drew and other members of the UMCA Board of Directors. Email addresses are redacted:

1. Dec 30: Bruce Berkeley was notified that he needed to get Spot tracker; reasons in the following email. Bruce had previously selected a live tracker that was inadequate. Anyone who wanted to track him had to first submit a request and wait for it to be approved before tracking was enabled. Given that Bruce (or any HAM’R rider) might not be able to approve such a request for several days make this entirely unacceptable. Rules do give this authority to the Records Chairman.
From the Rules for Record Attempts:
Riders will be required to have an active live tracking device in operation for all mileage to be credited for the attempt. In addition, riders will have a trip recording device (such as a Garmin) that will record the route taken, speed, elevation/gradient and at least one of heart rate or power. Riders will be responsible for carrying backup batteries to power whatever device/app we decide upon. The devices used will be subject to the approval of the Records Chairman.

Dear Bruce,

You definitely need to get the Spot tracker for the following reasons.
1. Spot will allow open access. Any neutral observer can go to the Spot website and track your rides, as opposed to the Find My Friends app which requires a friend request to be approved. Spot will serve the fan base of ultracycling as well as serve you better; once your attempt begins, you do not need to spend any time approving friend requests for the live tracker, nor should the ultracycling fan base need to wait for approval. Even as simple as the process may be, we do not want to deter observers in the least.

2. Spot leaves a trail. I do not know if Find My Friends does or not; I think not. What I mean is this: I can go to Spot for days AFTER one of your rides and see where you were at any selected time. On occasion during the past year, I was able to use this feature to reconstruct a ride for which Strava/Garmin had a glitch.

3. Use of Find My Friends virtually guarantees your will lose miles when Strava has a glitch (because it is a near certainty that Strava will have one or more glitches during your year of riding).

As soon as you sign up for Spot, please see me a link to one of your rides. Thanks.

UMCA Records Chairman
Drew Clark

2. Jan 2: Bruce is notified that he has not become member of UMCA, as is required by the rules. At this point, I was willing to treat this as a misunderstanding (no penalty or warning) but only if prompt corrective action were taken.
On 2 Jan 2016, at 13:58, Drew Clark wrote:

Dear Bruce,

It has been brought to my attention that you have not yet enrolled as a member of UMCA. You must do so immediately.

UMCA Records Chairman
Drew Clark

3. Jan 2: Bruce promises prompt action.
On Jan 2, 2016, at 2:43 AM, Bruce Berkeley wrote:

Drew

Was this not included? This is the first I have know about this! I'm 2 days in and pretty tired tonight, so probably won't get it sorted this evening.

I will sort as soon as I get a chance.

Been getting some serious interest on Strava, nearly 1000 likes on yesterday's ride! Massive

Bruce

4. Jan 2: Drew Clark affirms membership requirement.
January 2, 2016
Dear Bruce,

The rules clearly require UMCA membership for a record attempt.
An application for a record attempt is entirely separate from membership. 
You do need to do this immediately. It takes about 5 minutes. 
If not, adherents to Steven Abraham and Kurt Searvogel may well challenge your mileage.

UMCA Records Chairman
Drew Clark

5. Jan 4: Drew Clark again affirms membership requirement.
January 4, 2015
Dear Bruce,

I have not heard back from you yet regarding membership in UMCA.

I understand that you thought membership was part of the application fee; it is not.
I am willing to allow for the misunderstanding, but only up to the point where you were notified of the problem.

I wrote on January 2:
The rules clearly require UMCA membership for a record attempt.
An application for a record attempt is entirely separate from membership. 
You do need to do this immediately. It takes about 5 minutes. 
If not, adherents to Steven Abraham and Kurt Searvogel may well challenge your mileage.

Paul Carpenter (who is copied on this email) handles membership and can help you with any issue on that front and he will notify me as soon as you join.

UMCA will not post any official data for your attempt until this is accomplished.

UMCA Records Chairman
Drew Clark

6. Jan 4: Paul Carpenter, President of UMCA, offers to help Bruce complete his membership process. This email was also sent to Bruce.
January 4, 2016

Please let me know if I can help Bruce. Basic membership is $35 and can be paid through the on line store.

http://ultracycling.com/store/index.php…

Paul.

7. Jan 5: Paul Carpenter, President of UMCA, again offers to help Bruce complete his membership process. This email was also sent to Bruce.
January 5, 2016
Paul Carpenter again offered help to Bruce
Hi Bruce,

If you use the link I included in the email you can use PayPal to pay when you checkout of the store.

Paul.

8. Jan 5: Bruce replied, promising to complete the membership process “in the morning."
On Tue, Jan 5, 2016 at 1:06 AM, Bruce Berkeley wrote:
Hi Drew/Paul

I will sort the payment for the membership in the morning. Can I pay it with PayPal? Just a quick one though Drew, this was an error at your end not informing me that I had to pay the membership fee as well, so I was under the impression it was all sorted! So apologies for this, but would appreciate if you could work with me here! I have started the attempt and I do not have a lot of time at the end of the day.

Thanks and I'll send the payment in the morning

Bruce

9. Jan 5: Drew Clark replied on the same day. Please note that Bruce was strongly urged (again) to enlist crew to help prevent exactly the kind of situation that ultimately resulted. Bruce declined to utilize ANY crew.(Note: Because HAM’R riders are not required to use a follow vehicle, no crew was required in the past. This will be rectified by a new HAM’R rule that will require a HAM’R rider to have at least one crew designated to handle communication in the future.)
January 5, 2016
Dear Bruce,

Great! I look forward to getting you fully into HAM’R.

Please be aware that you still also need to sign up for Spot tracker, per my previous email, pasted here for reference:
You definitely need to get the Spot tracker for the following reasons.
1. Spot will allow open access. Any neutral observer can go to the Spot website and track your rides, as opposed to the Find My Friends app which requires a friend request to be approved. Spot will serve the fan base of ultracycling better as well as serve you better; once your attempt begins, you do not need to spend any time approving friend requests for the live tracker, nor should the ultracycling fan base need to wait for approval. Even as simple as the process may be, we do not want to deter observers in the least.

2. Spot leaves trail. I do not know if Find My Friends does or not; I think not. What I mean is this: I can go to Spot for days AFTER one of your rides and see where you were at any selected time. On occasion during the past year, I was able to use this feature to reconstruct a ride for which Strava/Garmin had a glitch.

3. Use of Find My Friends virtually guarantees your will lose miles when Strava has a glitch (because it is a near certainty that Strava will have one or more glitches during your year of riding).

As soon as you sign up for Spot, please send me a link to one of your rides. Thanks.

You wrote: "but would appreciate if you could work with me here!"
I will be delighted to work with you. Per the rules, the Records Chairman (me) is your official-of-record for your HAM’R attempt. I will spend many hours this year compiling documentation for your attempt. I will even spend more out-of-pocket to create and preserve this documentation than your membership will cost. I am not paid for my work for UMCA; this is purely voluntary. As your official, I am rooting for you to succeed. But a big part of the role of the official is to build a "defensible wall” around your attempt so that your efforts can survive a challenge. I have already received queries about your live tracker (or absence thereof).

If anyone files an actual complaint or challenge, your attempt may be subject to penalties as prescribed in the rules, which could range from warning to a loss or miles.

So, please complete the membership application ASAP and also the Spot tracker.

I will again urge you to enlist crew persons to assist you. I know you prefer to go it alone, but this approach will likely cost you time and maybe miles. Crew persons can perform many time-saving tasks for you such as: answering communications, fetching bicycle parts in case of unexpected breakdowns, and many other tasks. I know Steven Abraham and Kurt Searvogel did effectively use support crew for many such things. Enlisting crew will not be required of you, but it it s certainly recommended.

UMCA Records Chairman
Drew Clark

10. Jan 9: Drew Clark notified Paul Carpenter and Doug Hoffman of noncompliance by Bruce, though both were previously aware of the situation.
January 9, 2016
Dear Paul and Doug,

We have a problem with Bruce Berkely. After promising on Jan 5 to make membership payment on Jan 6, I have received no confirmation of his having done so.
Have either of you seen anything from him?

Nor is he complaint with his live tracker.

But he is riding and has thousands of followers.

I have to issue a warning, a penalty, or a DQ. I have some latitude, but in my opinion, he has gone past a mere warning already. 
I am thinking along these lines: a) A penalty of loss of miles, or b) no miles count until he is compliant (essentially a restart on new date), or c) DQ

Any thoughts before I do so?

UMCA Records Chairman
Drew Clark

11. Jan 10: Official warning issued to Bruce.
January 10, 2016
Dear Bruce,

The purpose is twofold:
1. We do encourage you to continue your effort and want to work with you.

2. This is an official warning that you’re out of compliance with UMCA rules for a HAM’R attempt, specifically a) No UMCA membership and b ) No Spot tracker
This is serious enough that if you need to take time off from riding, you should do so.

If you need help to attain either of these, please let us know immediately. Paul can help with membership. I can re-send info for the Spot tracker.

More severe consequences will follow very rapidly. These include loss of miles or a restart or DQ.

Notes: You were first notified on Jan 2 about the membership issue. Your response was: "I will sort as soon as I get a chance.”
You were reminded again on January 5. You promised: "Thanks and I'll send the payment in the morning.”

It is now January 10, and no action has been taken.
Please respond immediately with action.

UMCA Records Chairman
Drew Clark

12. Jan 16: After six more days of no action by Bruce and no communication from Bruce, he is disqualified.
January 16, 2016
Dear Bruce,

This is official notice that your HAM’R attempt is officially over.
You are not in compliance with UMCA rules for your HAM’R attempt.
Despite repeated chances and repeated warnings, you were not in compliance when you started and never accepted our offer to become compliant.

Best wishes if you continue riding, but none of your mileage will be certified by UMCA.

UMCA Records Chairman
Drew Clark

13. Jan 17: Bruce finally replies, with two emails in succession
January 17, 2016
Hi Drew

Thanks for the email, pretty shocked with the content. To give me an official warning seems pretty over the top. Surely that should relate to some form of bending the rules, this is not something I have done.

1. I am sorry I have been riding every day as you can no doubt see, and forgot to make the payment.
2. I looked into the spot tracking and simply do not have the funds to spend more money on this option. I sent you a option that does provide live tracking and it would do the job required. It does not say on your website that I have to use a specific brand of live tracking, simply that I must have live tracking. I think I have not breached any rules here either.

As a result of the email and the issues we are having I have left the group and I no longer want you to officiate on my record attempt, as a result of this can you please refund my payment, less an Admin fee, as I will now use Guinness to verify my attempt.

I can do without the extra agro that I am getting at the end of very long and hard days in the saddle. I would have thought you guys would understand this better than anyone as you officiate on these distance records. I expected to work with you guys, not be treated like I am doing something wrong.

Please advise me when the refund has been processed.

Bruce

Drew

I hope you got my last email! This is not on!! You have tarnished my reputation and not done anything to help me out here! I now hear I have been disqualified!? I do not want your organisation involved in my record attempt! You are overly officious and did nothing to understand or help me out!

I expect a full refund and have raised a claim with PayPal regards the fee!

I am annoyed that I ever got you involved with this challenge!

Please advise about the refund

Bruce

14. Jan 17: Bruce files a “buyer complaint” with Paypal. It is interesting that he did not have time to pay for his membership, but did have time to file a buyer complaint.
January 17, 2016
From Mark Newsome:
FYI -- Seems that Bruce (David?) Berkeley is seeking a refund of his record attempt fees. (The site receives notifications of PayPal activity.) Looks like he's filed a "buyer complaint" (see text below).

Whomever manages our PayPal account should see the message from PayPal...

--Mark

15. Jan 17: Decision regarding a refund to Bruce
From the Rules of Record Attempts:
"Fees are non-refundable, non-transferable, and cannot be applied toward other future record attempts. In other words, once you submit your fee, you are indicating your intention to make the attempt."

As Records Chairman, my job is to uphold the rules. The Rules state that the application fee is not refundable, so I cannot authorize that. But the Board does have authority to freely male whatever decision they wish regarding a refund.

Drew Clark, UMCA Records

16. Jan19, 2016: UMCA Board approves a full refund (no admin fee taken) to Bruce Berkeley even though the rules clearly state that the application fee is non-refundable, as a gesture of good will towards Bruce. The UMCA Board wishes Bruce Berkeley well in his attempt, but UMCA will not certify the attempt and will not verify mileage for the attempt.


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## Mugshot (20 Jan 2016)

Assuming that's all there is to it, to me it sounds like Bruce is a Berk.


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## Dogtrousers (20 Jan 2016)

I think it's a shame that he's going ahead un-scrutinised, if indeed that's what he's doing. He doesn't seem to be very good at advance planning.

Oh well. Never mind.


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## si_c (20 Jan 2016)

Dogtrousers said:


> I think it's a shame that he's going ahead un-scrutinised, if indeed that's what he's doing. He doesn't seem to be very good at advance planning.
> 
> Oh well. Never mind.



His decision to have nobody helping him at all seems seriously shortsighted. His inability to respond to administrative problems indicates a lack of organisation which I think, will in the end cause him serious problems in his attempt.

As has been shown with Steve and Kurt, cycling ability alone is insufficient to complete a herculean task such as this. They've both suffered problems throughout the year which would have been insurmountable without outside assistance.


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## tallliman (20 Jan 2016)

Not sure how it has come to this with Bruce, sounds like there was enough time to sort something out.


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## goody (21 Jan 2016)

How many year record olders have there been and how many of those records were legitimized by the UCMA. I think he's more interested in riding his bike than dealing with bureaucrasy.


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## Dogtrousers (21 Jan 2016)

Speaking of trackers, Steve's was offline yesterday.


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## Mugshot (21 Jan 2016)

goody said:


> How many year record olders have there been and how many of those records were legitimized by the UCMA. I think he's more interested in riding his bike than dealing with bureaucrasy.


Tommy Godwin's record has many question marks over it, however, as his record could not be disproved it was universally accepted as the bench mark. That of course is immaterial now as Kurt has surpassed it and he has done so using the technology which is available today and which he agreed to use when he approached the UMCA, his mileage should be accepted as indisputable, of course the argument will rage on about the spirit of the thing but that's merely a side show. The problem with Bruce is if he does go on to post a mileage higher than Kurt's there will be a huge problem with it not being ratified, if the mileage files are as easy to manipulate as I've read (and I'm not suggesting he's cheating) then it makes absolute sense to me to have an independent body govern the attempt, I can't see the point in potentially putting yourself in a position where your achievement will always be questioned and never accepted.
I also think that assuming the post above is the full transcript from the UMCA then they were more than fair and reasonable.


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## blazed (21 Jan 2016)

goody said:


> How many year record olders have there been and how many of those records were legitimized by the UCMA. I think he's more interested in riding his bike than dealing with bureaucrasy.



A few here https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cycling_records interesting they are all within a calender year, so the umca have never officiated a single winning record. Bruce seems to be a fairly well known cyclist he will get just as much attention without them than he would with.


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## Arrowfoot (21 Jan 2016)

blazed said:


> A few here https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cycling_records interesting they are all within a calender year, so the umca have never officiated a single winning record. Bruce seems to be a fairly well known cyclist he will get just as much attention without them than he would with.



It might be the case if he had not approached UMCA in the first place. His responses to UMCA is less then convincing and goes to the heart of validation. He has stated that he will rely on Guiness to ratify and if he fails to get their acknowledgement, then he would have certainly painted himself into the corner and credibility would be an significant issue. 

The attention in this case would be the wrong type.


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## Dogtrousers (21 Jan 2016)

Of course he's perfectly free to ride his bike and expect people to trust his Strava uploads, or even just his word if he has technical issues, and to keep his tracker hidden from all except specific people that he invites.

If, as he says, he's going to rely on Guinness then he may find himself out of the frying pan into the fire, with both a lot more regulation and, I believe, expense.

It seems like he hasn't really thought this through at all. It's not as if the UMCA requirements are particularly onerous or unreasonable. Kurt and Steve have managed them OK.

It also seems the UMCA were remiss in not being crystal clear that a private iphone app is not an acceptable tracker. Which may seem like be common sense but, as Bruce's case shows, you can't assume that. It would have been more sensible of them to list the requirement for openness, and also to list some example devices. Including, but not limited to, "Spot".

Edit. That said, he is still saying that Guinness will be certifying him [edited for accuracy]. See http://road.cc/content/news/175956-...ld-records-certifying-his-year-record-attempt


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## Mugshot (21 Jan 2016)

There are three rides on Strava for Steve this week, however one of them is only 36 miles, this is due to the midnight cut-off so although it shows for Wednesday it is actually part of Tuesdays ride, which means he rode 240 miles on Tuesdayish, which would be what he needs to do 'til the end of the month to achieve his January target, I think 
HERE we go.


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## Mugshot (21 Jan 2016)

The HAMR is still only showing a ride for the 18th of Jan and nothing after, it is also _missing_ several before that too.


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## Mugshot (21 Jan 2016)

@Ian H I hope you don't mind me pinging you but Steves progress is a litle confusing (well it is for me anyway) at present, could you tell us how things are looking as far as the team is concerned please?


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## Dogtrousers (21 Jan 2016)

Mugshot said:


> The HAMR is still only showing a ride for the 18th of Jan and nothing after, it is also _missing_ several before that too.


Steve's tracker was last active at 3am yesterday:
http://trackleaders.com/oneyeartimetrial15i.php?name=Steve_Abraham


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## ianrauk (21 Jan 2016)

Posted just now


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## jo from the other place (21 Jan 2016)

Dogtrousers said:


> Edit. That said, both he and Guinness say that they (Guinness) will be certifying him. See http://road.cc/content/news/175956-...ld-records-certifying-his-year-record-attempt



I don't think there's anything in that road.cc news item that confirms Guinness says it is (or will be) ratifying the record attempt. Yes, Bruce says they will be, but that's quite a different matter.

It wouldn't surprise me that in a week's time, the only person continuing with an officially monitored record attempt will be Kajsa.


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## Dogtrousers (21 Jan 2016)

jo from the other place said:


> *I don't think there's anything in that road.cc news item that confirms Guinness says it is (or will be) ratifying the record attempt.* Yes, Bruce says they will be, but that's quite a different matter.
> 
> It wouldn't surprise me that in a week's time, the only person continuing with an officially monitored record attempt will be Kajsa.


You're right. I mis-read the paragraph beginning "We have spoken to Guinness World Records..." My mistake.

I've corrected the original post.


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## User482 (21 Jan 2016)

ianrauk said:


> Posted just now
> 
> View attachment 116587



Hmmm... that doesn't tell us if he's riding or not. There's speculation in the other place that Steve has quit.


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## Beebo (21 Jan 2016)

jo from the other place said:


> It wouldn't surprise me that in a week's time, the only person continuing with an officially monitored record attempt will be Kajsa.


So even jo from the other place thinks the writing may be on the wall for Steve. How sad, but given the scale of what is needed, it isnt a difficult conclusion to reach.


----------



## Mugshot (22 Jan 2016)

*Steve Abraham*
6 mins ·
With great sadness, Steve Abraham has made the decision to end his second attempt on the Highest Annual Mileage World Record.

More details, including videos from Steve can be found at

http://us9.campaign-archive2.com/…


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## Dave Davenport (22 Jan 2016)

It's a real shame but after he was hit by the moped the record never looked likely.


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## ianrauk (22 Jan 2016)

A great shame
A great effort that us mere mortals can only wonder at
And a great guy.
A legend. 

I have no doubt that Steve will do a reboot some time in the future.


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## Mugshot (22 Jan 2016)

I remember reading a while ago that he was determined to get the record and that he was aware that people had put money on him getting the record and he didn't want to let them down. It was a monsoon here this morning, flooded roads and cycle paths which were just streams of running water and I thought about Steve riding until 3am maybe with the thought that he needed to do it for others and not just himself, it's very sad and a great shame for him but I'm glad he's stopped because he was going to hurt himself.


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## Mugshot (22 Jan 2016)

Here's a direct link to the longer video, the shorter one is just the first few minutes of this one before the Q+A.


----------



## Mugshot (22 Jan 2016)

*A Year in the Saddle - Kajsa Tylen's 2016 Cycling WR Attempt*
26 mins ·
Sorry to see that Steve Abraham has decided to pull out of his record attempt. Was hoping to bump into him at some point in the year (not literally of course, that would've been awkward). I wish him all the best for the future!


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## totallyfixed (22 Jan 2016)

They don't come any more modest than Steve, personally I think the hardest part for him now is getting over it mentally, feeling he has let everyone down. The one question that was missing from the interview with Steve was, if he attempted it again what would he and the team do differently, aside from relocating to another country. For me, I believe having a camper van in close proximity at all times is a must, both for recovery and utilising the wind. The other thing, slightly more intangible is luck. Tommy Godwin must have been an amazing individual.
All the best Steve if you are reading this, perhaps we will see you again in the 12 or 24hr later this year.


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## Dogtrousers (22 Jan 2016)

I'll still wear my OYTT jersey with pride, and I'd support any future attempt - or similar venture.

Well ... when the weather warms up a bit I'll wear it, and I may need to lose a bit of winter weight.


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## Glow worm (22 Jan 2016)

What an amazing bloke. I think he's probably made the correct decision in terms of his health and I'm pleased that in true Steve style he's made it on his own terms. I also hope there's lots of support now to help him get back into things now the attempt is over. 
I still have no doubt he has the strength to crack this one day.


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## Justinslow (22 Jan 2016)

Fair play to Steve in all that he has achieved, outstanding.
Was only talking to some mates the other day about riding in howling wind and rain/sleet/snow at 0 degrees for up to 18 hours on top of all the riding he'd been doing, like he did the other day, just mind blowing.


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## Ian H (22 Jan 2016)

Mugshot said:


> @Ian H I hope you don't mind me pinging you but Steves progress is a litle confusing (well it is for me anyway) at present, could you tell us how things are looking as far as the team is concerned please?



Apologies for the radio silence, but we had to take the time to see what Steve wanted to do and then release the news in a proper fashion. The support for Steve has been amazing (but nothing more than he deserves). All I can say for the future is that I haven't yet heard the fat lady sing.


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## Mugshot (22 Jan 2016)

Ian H said:


> Apologies for the radio silence, but we had to take the time to see what Steve wanted to do and then release the news in a proper fashion. The support for Steve has been amazing (but nothing more than he deserves). All I can say for the future is that I haven't yet heard the fat lady sing.


Thank you @Ian H, to be honest I did wonder whether something big was happening when you hadn't replied (not that you are under any obligation to of course) It is fully understandable why you kept things under wraps until Steve and the team were ready to make the announcement. You have nothing to apologise for and it is my opinion that you and the rest of the team are to be congratulated for all the work you have done to get Steve as far as you have and for ending the attempt at the right time too.


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## themosquitoking (22 Jan 2016)

Good luck to Steve in a future attempt, hopefully a way can be found to find him favourable roads, weather and support for it. I have no doubt that given the same flat roads and favourable winds as can be found in florida he would smash this record.


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## T4tomo (23 Jan 2016)

Right decision from the team, but you have to really feel for Steve, you can tell he almost felt compelled to carry on so as not to let anyone down, but all the time caught in a conundrum of not getting enough rest to get fitter/faster and running out of hours to get the miles in.

Good luck to him if/ when he tries again and. Well done for what he has achieved, both in his own pursuit and inspiring others to take up the challenge.


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## Mugshot (23 Jan 2016)

*Tarzan Rides the HAM'R Kurt Searvogel*
10 hrs ·
Kurt is in Guinness!
http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/…/greatest-distance-cyc…


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## Mugshot (25 Jan 2016)

*Steve Abraham*
26 mins ·
Please note the final summary of Steve's 2015 efforts on this link to the Ultra Marathon Cycling Association:

http://www.ultracycling.com/wp_news/?p=978





Well done Steve!!!


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## Mugshot (25 Jan 2016)

By Steve, from YACF

* teethgrinder *









* Re: Steve ends his second attempt *
« *Reply #106 on:* January 22, 2016, 01:50:07 pm »
I could have pushed on even more but I couldn't see how I could get the record because I was falling further behind when I needed to be getting ahead. I saw this week as my last chance to average at least 205 a day, but it wasn't going to happen. I needed to be building up to 225 for February and wasn't even getting 200. Getting furthe behind would have left a lot more to do later on.
The whole purpose was to get the record, not do as much as I can regardless of it being the record.
The combination of getting further behind and later into the year makes it much harder to regain losses. Losing 1000 miles in the first week amounts to a few extra miles a day for the rest of the year. Losing 1000 miles in the last week is impossible to regain.


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## Mugshot (26 Jan 2016)

*Steve Abraham*
44 mins ·
Our Friends at Strava have done a nice summary of Steve's One Year Time Trial on their Blog, which can be read by following the link below...




Steve Abraham: “I’ve decided to stop” | Strava
January 25th, 2016 Max Leonard Share this story Steve Abraham: “I’ve decided to stop” January 25th, 2016 Max Leonard Remember Steve Abraham – the British cyclist we featured last year, at the start of his…
blog.strava.com


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## steveindenmark (26 Jan 2016)

I hope Steve does not think he has let anyone one. In reality he would have left most of us for dead on the first day. So well done to you Steve for even attempting this record.

But looking at Tommy Godwins record of 1939, it mut now put him in the super hero class. He had none of the modern advantages. Not the bike, the gear, the team, the medical support, navigational aids. The poor bloke didnt even have the same road surfaces. I think this is one of those records that will now last forever.


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## iandg (26 Jan 2016)

steveindenmark said:


> I hope Steve does not think he has let anyone one. In reality he would have left most of us for dead on the first day. So well done to you Steve for even attempting this record.
> 
> But looking at Tommy Godwins record of 1939, it mut now put him in the super hero class. He had none of the modern advantages. Not the bike, the gear, the team, the medical support, navigational aids. The poor bloke didnt even have the same road surfaces. I think this is one of those records that will now last forever.



It's been broken by Kurt Searvogal - 76,076 miles


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## Pale Rider (26 Jan 2016)

Kurt said he thought it impossible to get the record in English conditions.

He might have been being genuinely magnanimous in victory, but he expanded on the point a little, and I thought he meant it.

I reckon Steve could get the record in England with appropriate training and support.

I posted as much in the other place, and Steve posted to say he agreed.


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## iandg (26 Jan 2016)

Aye, Kurt had the 'luxury' of moving to different parts of the USA to get the best of weather conditions (where possible). He didn't have to ride through an English winter.


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## steveindenmark (26 Jan 2016)

wicker man said:


> It's been broken by Kurt Searvogal - 76,076 miles


Thank you for that. I didnt know. I will have to read up on it.


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## Mugshot (26 Jan 2016)

If only there was a website or summat with some sort of resource where one could access such information, which may or may not have been shared by several separate individuals.


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## Mugshot (27 Jan 2016)

*Steve Abraham added 2 new photos.*
14 hrs ·
I went over to visit Steve today. As I arrived, I found him cleaning his windows. No need to clean your place for my arrival!

After some tea we headed out to a carvery to eat. It was quite amusing following Steve's directions. He'd only ever ridden there, and cars can't go on the Milton Keynes red ways. We found it.

Steve had the roast chicken and I had the Balti pie. As Steve went up to get seconds, I guessed that he'll have a mighty appetite for a while yet. Anyway an enjoyable leisurely lunch and chat was had.

Meanwhile his One Year Time Trial bikes breath a sigh of relief in the bike cave, as the wind blows outside.

Phil


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## Mugshot (27 Jan 2016)

How many more times is that poor bloke going to have someone taking his picture while he has a bite to eat?


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## Mugshot (27 Jan 2016)

*Tarzan Rides the HAM'R Kurt Searvogel*
14 hrs ·
Very good read.

http://blog.brooksengland.com/wps/a-life-in-the-year/…


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## Scoosh (27 Jan 2016)

Mugshot said:


> Very good read.
> 
> http://blog.brooksengland.com/wps/a-life-in-the-year/…


Very much so - excellent article.
Thanks.


----------



## fimm (27 Jan 2016)

Mugshot said:


> *Tarzan Rides the HAM'R Kurt Searvogel*
> 14 hrs ·
> Very good read.
> 
> http://blog.brooksengland.com/wps/a-life-in-the-year/…


Aha
"Jo Wood, professor of visual analytics at the City University, London, and himself a long-distance cyclist, harvested the huge volumes of data produced by the riders and produced some stunning data visualisations that shed new light on the stories of their rides."
That explains @jo from the other place ... (whose contributions I have appreciated).


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## Mugshot (27 Jan 2016)

fimm said:


> Aha
> "Jo Wood, professor of visual analytics at the City University, London, and himself a long-distance cyclist, harvested the huge volumes of data produced by the riders and produced some stunning data visualisations that shed new light on the stories of their rides."
> That explains @jo from the other place ... (whose contributions I have appreciated).


It does indeed explain it, I had no idea what so ever, but being a professor of visual analytics and all that probably means you're pretty handy at cool graphs and things and from the evidence @jo from the other place certainly is.


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## jo from the other place (7 Feb 2016)

Not sure if anyone's still interested in following Bruce's progress given all the shenanigans with his Guinness claims. But just in case...

Bruce has had a particularly difficult week, dealing with knee problems, a day without riding and a slow recovery while doubts remain about the official status of his record challenge. A few days of low mileage leaves him over 700 miles behind Kurt's record pace. The record distance is still recoverable at this stage but the reality is that his task is now 700 miles more difficult than it was a month ago.


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## rowdin (7 Feb 2016)

I can't see him getting past his knee trouble with 11 months still to go. Hasn't he had trouble with his knees before?


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## Ian H (14 Feb 2016)

Today at the London Bike Show, the Velominati man asked Steve to sign his book.


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## Mugshot (16 Feb 2016)

Just in case you were wondering or in any way interested, I wasn't to be honest but I saw it so thought I'd post it.


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## Mugshot (4 Mar 2016)




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## Scoosh (4 Mar 2016)




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## Mugshot (26 Mar 2016)

*Steve Abraham*
11 mins ·
Steve's One Year time Trial bike has been on display at Berlin Bike Week...


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## Dogtrousers (22 Apr 2016)

I notice Steve is still doing bonkers things. This week he's put in some big distances on an Elliptigo

Wednesday: 216 km *De feet hurt but I refuse to be defeated (or even de-feeted) Sunburnt, so ended the day with a monkey bath.*

Tuesday: 168 km *I went for a century and rode a century. In spite of a meeting and other appointment. Getting some elliptigo mojo. And a blister.*

In case you're wondering what a "monkey bath" is:

Steven Abraham If you ever get sunburnt, try having a hot bath. You'll probably make a noise like a monkey. Oooo ahh ahh ahh!​


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## velovoice (22 Apr 2016)

Dogtrousers said:


> I notice Steve is still doing bonkers things. This week he's put in some big distances on an Elliptigo
> 
> Wednesday: 216 km *De feet hurt but I refuse to be defeated (or even de-feeted) Sunburnt, so ended the day with a monkey bath.*
> 
> ...


Yes, he posted that his "Sweat Pledge" for Kajsa's challenge is to equal her distance each day for one week, but on an EliptoGo. He says he is hoping this machine will work different muscles and rebuild some of the strength he lost in some areas during his HAM'R attempt.


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## Dogtrousers (16 Aug 2016)

I don't know if this has been reported elsewhere, but it seems that Steve is going for the Month record. I saw this exchange on Strava here

https://www.strava.com/activities/678027867


Chris Riley what kind of mileage will you be looking at daily for your September effort Steve?
Steven Abraham The current record is 6680 miles (222 a day) but I'll be trying for 7000, which is 233.34 a day.


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## ianrauk (16 Aug 2016)

Dogtrousers said:


> I don't know if this has been reported elsewhere, but it seems that Steve is going for the Month record. I saw this exchange on Strava here
> 
> https://www.strava.com/activities/678027867
> 
> ...




That total amount must be close to that lady machine* doing circles in the US efforts so far.

*soz, cant remember her name. Amanda is ir?


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## rowdin (16 Aug 2016)

looking at her strava total for july she did 7000+ miles


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## tallliman (16 Aug 2016)

I've noticed Steve's last few long rides have been at 18mph which must help him a fair bit.


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## Aravis (17 Aug 2016)

As I understand it, anyone embarked on a year attempt is entitled to three goes at the monthly record for no additional fee, a month being defined as any period of 30 consecutive days. However, the start of the attempt must be nominated at least 21 days in advance.

Amanda's best so far during her "year in the treadmill" is 6955.7 miles in the 30 days ending on August 7th. My guess is that the best time to go for the record officially will be in the spring when the end is in sight. As long as there aren't any serious storms, a couple more turns of the wheel each day should see her approaching 7500 miles.


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## Pale Rider (24 Aug 2016)

tallliman said:


> I've noticed Steve's last few long rides have been at 18mph which must help him a fair bit.



Steve has mentioned in the other place he is in training, I get the impression with people who know what they are doing to increase his speed.

Put simply, lack of speed was his problem, there's not enough hours in the day to do the miles at his previous average of under 15mph.

He's still keeping his powder dry about actually starting another attempt, but it looks likely to me he will have another go.

I believe he favours Jan-Dec, so next January might work following another four months of training.


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## Dogtrousers (25 Aug 2016)

From Twitter


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## ianrauk (25 Aug 2016)

#gosteve


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## Mugshot (2 Sep 2016)

*Steve Abraham*
12 hrs ·
All set for tomorrow 
Setting off on a bid for the UMCA HAMR month record. Aiming for 7000 miles in 30 consecutive days.
Hope to get a film out explaining a bit more but no promises.
Apologies for non replies and ignored messages etc. Time is miles!


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## Mugshot (2 Sep 2016)

*Steve Abraham*
12 hrs ·
Here's a link to my live tracker for the UMCA HAMR Month Record attempt.
I'll be wearing the 1YTT kit from Milltag that I wore during my Year attempt, but with a red "Go Faster" hat this time.

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp…


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## Scoosh (2 Sep 2016)

Oh dear ! - more dots to follow ! 

Don't these cyclists realise some of have work/ leisure/ bike rides to do ??? 

#gosteve ..... (is that how its done these days ? )


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## Dogtrousers (2 Sep 2016)

Scoosh said:


> #gosteve ..... (is that how its done these days ? )


#yesithinkso #downwiththekids


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## Mugshot (2 Sep 2016)

EgoManiac Idai‎Audax UK
Follow · 34 mins near Milton Keynes ·

I shot this video on my phone just before midnight last night (
View: https://youtu.be/QQ-ujVqjSVw
) when I briefly caught up with Steve Abraham (as he prepared to set off on his attempt to cover 7,000-miles across the next 30-days). If he succeeds with this goal it will be a new UMCA World Record for the most miles cycled in a month. I basically asked him how he plans to achieve this feat - and why...


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## Supersuperleeds (2 Sep 2016)

I know we can't swear on here, but Steve did 300 miles (I presume yesterday), he averaged over 17mph and looks like out of 18 hours he only took 40 minutes of breaks. 

That is seriously farking impressive

https://www.strava.com/activities/698034917


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## ianrauk (2 Sep 2016)

Supersuperleeds said:


> I know we can't swear on here, but Steve did 300 miles (I presume yesterday), he averaged over 17mph and looks like out of 18 hours he only took 40 minutes of breaks.
> 
> That is seriously farking impressive
> 
> https://www.strava.com/activities/698034917




Yup awesome stuff indeed. Knew he had it in him. Fingers crossed he can keep it up.
#gosteve


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## Dogtrousers (5 Sep 2016)

Three days in and Steve has been averaging 260 miles per day The 7,000 mile target rate is 233miles

He's hitting a very consistent (moving) average speed of 17.2mph.

A particularly impressive stat - spotted by @Supersuperleeds above - is that, according to Strava, he's spending only 37 min stopped out of 15:42 hr spent each day riding on average.

btw I wore my red OYTT top on Saturday in support of Steve. Despite the fact that it's a bit too small. Commitment to the cause, y'see.


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## Ian H (5 Sep 2016)

We had a bit of a panic about the tracker (which is the evidence that UMCA require), but it's all sorted and Steve's looking good.


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## Beebo (6 Sep 2016)

Why has he chosen september instead of june or july? He would get about 4 extra hours of daylight each day.


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## velovoice (6 Sep 2016)

Beebo said:


> Why has he chosen september instead of june or july? He would get about 4 extra hours of daylight each day.


Several reasons:
1. He has spent the summer training.
2. The idea of the month record is that it's an experiment that, if it goes well, will launch a new HAM'R attempt on 1st January 2017.
3. September's weather patterns tend to be more settled and mild/clement than what can be predicted with any certainty during June or July.


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## Mugshot (7 Sep 2016)

View: https://www.facebook.com/stevenabraham2015/videos/1753280811587214/


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## Dogtrousers (7 Sep 2016)

Steve has averaged 253 miles per day over the first 5 days, against a target of 233






His moving average speed is a very consistent 17 point something mph. (Min day 17.24, max day 17.45)
His total elevation so far is 8,737 metres. Just shy of one Everest (8,848m)
He's averaging only 45 min of stopped time out of an average of 15hr 15min total elapsed time per day.
His real average speed (elapsed time not including stops) is similarly consistent, clustered around 16.5mph


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## T4tomo (7 Sep 2016)

velovoice said:


> Several reasons:
> 1. He has spent the summer training.
> 2. The idea of the month record is that it's an experiment that, if it goes well, will launch a new HAM'R attempt on 1st January 2017.
> 3. September's weather patterns tend to be more settled and mild/clement than what can be predicted with any certainty during June or July.


Given what he went thru with HAMR I don't supposed riding in the dark bothers him at all, and the likely lower average temps with help too.


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## ianrauk (7 Sep 2016)

T4tomo said:


> Given what he went thru with HAMR I don't supposed riding in the dark bothers him at all, and the likely lower average temps with help too.




Steve's always been a big 'through the night' rider anyway.


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## tallliman (7 Sep 2016)

ianrauk said:


> Steve's always been a big 'through the night' rider anyway.



Is there a reason for that?


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## ianrauk (7 Sep 2016)

tallliman said:


> Is there a reason for that?




Yes, he loves cycling long distances.


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## tallliman (9 Sep 2016)

@ianrauk, I definitely agree there from speaking to him!


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## T4tomo (9 Sep 2016)

Less traffic at night too so you/ he can hit some bigger flatter roads that wouldn't be an option in daytime I suppose


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## Dogtrousers (12 Sep 2016)

10 days in and Steve's still about 80 miles ahead of the required rate.






Over Fri/Sat/Sun he just nipped off to Essex and rode a 600k audax, as you do. Then nipped back home again. 
I imagine that was quite an organisational challenge, and probably threw him out of his daily rhythm. I see that his speed dropped a bit over the weekend. Be interesting to see if it picks back up once he's back into his home routine.


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## Dogtrousers (13 Sep 2016)

And to answer my question ...


Dogtrousers said:


> I see that his speed dropped a bit over the weekend. Be interesting to see if it picks back up once he's back into his home routine.


Steve has just put in 235 miles at 17.89mph. His fastest day (by a whisker) yet.


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## ianrauk (13 Sep 2016)

Dogtrousers said:


> And to answer my question ...
> 
> Steve has just put in 235 miles at 17.89mph. His fastest day (by a whisker) yet.




He's getting better and is way better and fitter then he was when he was attempting the yearly/


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## Rickshaw Phil (13 Sep 2016)

Dogtrousers said:


> And to answer my question ...
> 
> Steve has just put in 235 miles at 17.89mph. His fastest day (by a whisker) yet.


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## Supersuperleeds (13 Sep 2016)

Dogtrousers said:


> And to answer my question ...
> 
> Steve has just put in 235 miles at 17.89mph. His fastest day (by a whisker) yet.



Now he's just showing off

*GO STEVE*


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## Dogtrousers (17 Sep 2016)

Woah-oh ... he's half way there. 




Steve has covered 3,567 miles in the first 15 days.


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## steveindenmark (18 Sep 2016)

It looks like he has picked the best month of the year to do it in as well.


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## Pale Rider (21 Sep 2016)

A couple of posts in the other place suggest Steve is now almost exactly on schedule to beat the record.

That's good, although he's got very little wiggle room.

Does anyone, perhaps @Dogtrousers, have a link to his progress?

I can't make any sense of his tracker page.


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## Dogtrousers (21 Sep 2016)

To get a sense of progress, you have to go to Strava. His tracker page will tell you where he is at the moment, but precious little else.

He's still on track after 19 days He's done 4,456 miles, average 234 miles/day. Target average is 233 miles per day. So not much wiggle room, as you say.


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## Pale Rider (21 Sep 2016)

Dogtrousers said:


> To get a sense of progress, you have to go to Strava. His tracker page will tell you where he is at the moment, but precious little else.
> 
> He's still on track after 19 days He's done 4,456 miles, average 234 miles/day. Target average is 233 miles per day. So not much wiggle room, as you say.
> 
> View attachment 144868



There's a risk of me making a balls of interpreting the Strava page, so if I do it, I won't post anything on here for fear of misleading members.

Your graph is the much better source.

Looking at that, there is one more ride above the target than below it.

In comparison to Amanda, the distances are rather all over the place, but if anyone knows what they are doing, Steve does.

My hope is Steve will do it, and my prediction is that he will, and that he will throw in some mega-rides to beat the record by an unarguable margin.


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## Dogtrousers (21 Sep 2016)

If we remove his first day, which took advantage of being able to start rested at midnight, his average is 230/day. His speed started off very consistently between 17 and 18 mph, but it's a bit more up and down now. (Note that days 8,9 & 10 were a bit different as they were when he went off to Essex to ride a 600k audax) His overall average speed is 16.98mph.


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## Scoosh (21 Sep 2016)

Over the last 4 days, he seems to have 1 big mileage, 1 lower, 1 big, 1 lower ... I wonder of he is doing a recovery day in between, while still keeping the average above the line.


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## Ian H (21 Sep 2016)

Wind, weather, traffic, and shopping are affecting Steve's distances. But he sounds pretty comfortable at the moment.


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## Ian H (21 Sep 2016)

Food, dear boy, food. 
It has to be said that the record is not a shoe-in.


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## srw (21 Sep 2016)

It looks impeccably paced to just nip the record, barring major mechanicals or physical problems, and with far more sleep than I think he's used to getting - for instance yesterday's ride (a long 244 miles) got him home just before midnight, with over 8 hours before his usual 8:30-ish start. It also looks like very impressive preparation and information-gathering for another go at the main record.


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## Supersuperleeds (21 Sep 2016)

Amanda Coker is 248km ahead of him, could she nick the record off him?

1Current Leader  Amanda Coker  Florida 20 *7,420* -
2 -    Steven Abraham  Milton Keynes, England, United Kingdom 20 *7,171* 248.3


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## Pale Rider (21 Sep 2016)

Supersuperleeds said:


> Amanda Coker is 248km ahead of him, could she nick the record off him?
> 
> 1Current Leader  Amanda Coker  Florida 20 *7,420* -
> 2 -    Steven Abraham  Milton Keynes, England, United Kingdom 20 *7,171* 248.3



A post on the other place by C Miller - who I believe is part of Team Amanda - said she is not currently going for the month record.

He added the cyclist has to declare the start date of their attempt in advance.

So even if Amanda cycles more miles in September than Steve, she won't get the record.

Unless things have changed and she has declared herself in.

If so, her start date would be interesting to know.


----------



## Dogtrousers (21 Sep 2016)

Supersuperleeds said:


> Amanda Coker is 248km ahead of him, could she nick the record off him?
> 
> 1Current Leader  Amanda Coker  Florida 20 *7,420* -
> 2 -    Steven Abraham  Milton Keynes, England, United Kingdom 20 *7,171* 248.3


No, because she isn't riding a month record at the moment. You have to inform UMCA before your nominated month.

Also, are those figures calendar month totals for sep? Don't forget Steve started on the 2nd.

That's not to say she isn't capable of taking the record, she clearly is.

Edit. Cross post with @Pale Rider


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## Supersuperleeds (21 Sep 2016)

Pale Rider said:


> A post on the other place by C Miller - who I believe is part of Team Amanda - said she is not currently going for the month record.
> 
> He added the cyclist has to declare the start date of their attempt in advance.
> 
> ...





Dogtrousers said:


> No, because she isn't riding a month record at the moment. You have to inform UMCA before your nominated month.
> 
> Also, are those figures calendar month totals for sep? Don't forget Steve started on the 2nd.
> 
> That's not to say she isn't capable of taking the record, she clearly is.



Yes they are for the month of September. Whilst taking nothing away from Steve's amazing achievement, it will be a hollow record if someone has gone further but don't get it because they haven't declared they are doing it.


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## srw (21 Sep 2016)

Supersuperleeds said:


> Yes they are for the month of September. Whilst taking nothing away from Steve's amazing achievement, it will be a hollow record if someone has gone further but don't get it because they haven't declared they are doing it.


You might say that going round and round in circles also creates something hollow....


----------



## Supersuperleeds (21 Sep 2016)

srw said:


> You might say that going round and round in circles also creates something hollow....



I wouldn't disagree, which is why I've tried avoiding commenting on her year attempt


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## srw (21 Sep 2016)

Supersuperleeds said:


> I wouldn't disagree, which is why I've tried avoiding commenting on her year attempt


ASJT.....


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## Ian H (21 Sep 2016)

Steve started on the 2nd, so has two days in hand.


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## Supersuperleeds (21 Sep 2016)

srw said:


> ASJT.....



Lost me there.


----------



## srw (21 Sep 2016)

Supersuperleeds said:


> Lost me there.


https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/forum-cycling-acronyms.1590/post-4456686 and the next few.


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## velovoice (21 Sep 2016)

srw said:


> ASJT.....


Well, I for one got it immediately and thought it very good!


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## Mugshot (26 Sep 2016)

*Steve Abraham*
5 hrs ·
I will end my month record attempt on Saturday 1st October. For the last hour from 11pm I will be riding my 3 mile circuit around the grid roads of Milton Keynes encicling (or should that be ensquaring?) the estate of Two Mile Ash.
Everyone welcome to come and ride or cheer from the sidelines.


----------



## toffee (26 Sep 2016)

Mugshot said:


> *Steve Abraham*
> 5 hrs ·
> I will end my month record attempt on Saturday 1st October. For the last hour from 11pm I will be riding my 3 mile circuit around the grid roads of Milton Keynes encicling (or should that be ensquaring?) the estate of Two Mile Ash.
> Everyone welcome to come and ride or cheer from the sidelines.



I might just go along if I remember and haven't had too much to drink by 11pm 

Derek


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## Pale Rider (30 Sep 2016)

Steve's total so far is 6,641 miles, so he should break the monthly record of 6,679 today, if he has not already done so.

He has 369 miles to reach 7,000 miles with two rides to go.

https://www.strava.com/athletes/1419435


----------



## Dogtrousers (30 Sep 2016)




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## Scoosh (30 Sep 2016)

YAY !! WOOT ! WOOT !      
Keep going today, then ....


*STOP STEVE ! *


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## Ian H (30 Sep 2016)

Scoosh said:


> YAY !! WOOT ! WOOT !
> Keep going today, then ....
> 
> 
> *STOP STEVE ! *



Erm... there's tomorrow as well.


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## Scoosh (30 Sep 2016)

Ooops  - OK, then. 

  

*

GO STEVE ! *


----------



## Pale Rider (2 Oct 2016)

And the winner is...Steven Abraham.

Last ride not yet on Strava, but facebook says he has 'exceeded' 7,000 miles.

https://www.facebook.com/stevenabraham2015/?fref=ts


----------



## steveindenmark (2 Oct 2016)

But if Amannda Coker rode 7100 miles. How do things stand?


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## Dogtrousers (2 Oct 2016)

steveindenmark said:


> But if Amannda Coker rode 7100 miles. How do things stand?


See previous page


----------



## steveindenmark (2 Oct 2016)

I would imagine that Amanda will declare it at some stage and then smash it out of the park.

But at least Steve gets his name in the book.

Well done Steve.


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## Pale Rider (2 Oct 2016)

Steve has declared on facebook a still to be ratified 7,104.5 miles - about 238 miles a day.

I think Amanda might want to take the record along her way.

But 238 miles is quite a bit more than her average of 220.

It seems to me she is running to a strict plan, so I wonder if she won't want to disrupt that until later when the likely success of her main aim of the year record is clearer.


----------



## Aravis (2 Oct 2016)

By my calculation, if Amanda records over 366 kilometres today, her latest 30-day total will be greater than 7104.5, and it will be her biggest by quite a long way. But even this sequence includes storm-shortened days which could easily have thwarted a declared attempt.

I don't know Florida weather, but I'd guess the season least likely to experience storms is spring. So I'd expect her to make her official attempt(s) towards the end of her year, when she'll be going for broke anyway to maximise the yearly total.


----------



## jo from the other place (3 Oct 2016)

In the 30 days of Steve's official month challenge, Steve rode 7105 miles and Amanda rode 7087 miles. So Steve gets both the official and unofficial record for the month. I'm sure, should she want it, Amanda could take the official record at some point before she finishes her year though.

Here are the daily totals and averages for the two of them over the 30 days. Note that the vertical axis does not start at zero so the chart can focus on the interesting bit.


----------



## srw (3 Oct 2016)

jo from the other place said:


> In the 30 days of Steve's official month challenge, Steve rode 7105 miles and Amanda rode 7087 miles. So Steve gets both the official and unofficial record for the month. I'm sure, should she want it, Amanda could take the official record at some point before she finishes her year though.
> 
> Here are the daily totals and averages for the two of them over the 30 days. Note that the vertical axis does not start at zero so the chart can focus on the interesting bit.


I suppose there are two interesting questions that arise from this. 

First, we've been focussing on the UMCA-defined "highest monthly total" figure, where you have to pre-declare. Taking that constraint away, and looking at the database of Tommy's, Steve's, Tarzan's and Amanda's (and other riders') previous daily rides, what is the _actual_ highest monthly total figure? My impression of Steve is that (like Kajsa) he's less interested in getting his name in a record book and more interested in achieving something tangible that's never been done before.

Second, what does this tell us, and Steve, about the year record? He's not a great wordsmith, so I suspect that there's a lot sitting behind this, from Facebook:


> I'm happy with the way the month went. It went exactly as I expected, in that not everything went as I expected, which was what I expected would happen.
> I will be looking at data from the rides and get back into training when I have made a recovery.
> The year record isn't over yet.


----------



## tallliman (3 Oct 2016)

I seem to remember that Godwin's best month was around 8000 miles so possibly unattainable.

I think Steve will train for the next quarter and then go for the year again. The only mitigation is whether he wants to see how far Amanda gets.


----------



## jo from the other place (3 Oct 2016)

According to my records, the highest total rolling 30 day distances from the various OYTT challengers:

Tommy Godwin 8447 miles (28th June - 27th July 1939)
Steve Abraham 7105 miles (2nd September - 1st October, 2016)
Amanda Coker 7104 miles (3rd September - 2nd October, 2016)
Kurt Searvogel 6767 miles (25th June - 24th July 2015)
Kajsa Tylen 3027 miles (31st August - 29th September 2016)


----------



## srw (3 Oct 2016)

jo from the other place said:


> According to my records, the highest total rolling 30 day distances from the various OYTT challengers:
> 
> Tommy Godwin 8447 miles (28th June - 27th July 1939)
> Steve Abraham 7105 miles (2nd September - 1st October, 2016)
> ...


Thank you! I knew it would be a very simple database query. I'm surprised, and pleased, to see that Steve comes out top of the recent challengers - I was expecting something bigger from either Tarzan or Amanda.


----------



## Aravis (3 Oct 2016)

Since Amanda seems to have stopped yesterday about a quarter of a mile short of Steve's total, one has to assume she could have passed it if she'd wanted to. It makes me wonder if she deliberately refrained from doing so, which would be a classy thing to do. She'll nudge ahead today if she does about 380 kilometres, but I guess the nearby hurricane could make that difficult. Thereafter her 30-day totals may begin to drop back for the time being as the unbroken sequence of rides in the high 380s becomes over 30 days old.


----------



## Beebo (3 Oct 2016)

jo from the other place said:


> In the 30 days of Steve's official month challenge, Steve rode 7105 miles and Amanda rode 7087 miles. So Steve gets both the official and unofficial record for the month. I'm sure, should she want it, Amanda could take the official record at some point before she finishes her year though.
> 
> Here are the daily totals and averages for the two of them over the 30 days. Note that the vertical axis does not start at zero so the chart can focus on the interesting bit.


Steve's daily totals are far more erratic than Amanda's, without the benefit of starting fresh with a massive 300+ day at the start his total is less than hers.


----------



## velovoice (3 Oct 2016)

jo from the other place said:


> According to my records, the highest total rolling 30 day distances from the various OYTT challengers:
> 
> Tommy Godwin 8447 miles (28th June - 27th July 1939)
> Steve Abraham 7105 miles (2nd September - 1st October, 2016)
> ...


Do you have figures for Alicia? :-)


----------



## jo from the other place (3 Oct 2016)

Apologies to Alicia for missing her out. I will add hers tonight when I get home from work and have access to the data.


----------



## Mugshot (3 Oct 2016)

*Steve Abraham*
15 hrs ·
Well I've done my sums and I make it 7104.5 miles for the 30 consecutive days. 
That's 236.8 miles a day average and an average speed of 9.87mph for the month.
Thanks for all the help and support from everyone who helped out sent money and just took an interest. It simply wouldn't have happened without all of your help and support. The achievement isn't mine alone, I'm just the monkey who turned the pedals.
I intend to set up something on You Tube to answer questions and put stuff out about the record attempts.
I would have liked to have put more out during the attempt but had GPS, computer and phone problems. 
I'm happy with the way the month went. It went exactly as I expected, in that not everything went as I expected, which was what I expected would happen.
I will be looking at data from the rides and get back into training when I have made a recovery.
The year record isn't over yet.


----------



## Ian H (3 Oct 2016)

srw said:


> I suppose there are two interesting questions that arise from this.
> 
> Second, what does this tell us, and Steve, about the year record? He's not a great wordsmith, so I suspect that there's a lot sitting behind this, from Facebook:


I think you might have missed the humour in Steve's post. He writes very well.


----------



## Pale Rider (3 Oct 2016)

Steve has made a series of posts in the other place which all but say he will have another go at the year record.

A couple of quotes: "I can't wait to get going on the year again."

"I'd rather go sooner rather than later."


----------



## tallliman (3 Oct 2016)

I think he'll start on Jan the 1st again. I think he wanted to do it in the same way Tommy Godwin did.


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## Dogtrousers (3 Oct 2016)

tallliman said:


> I think he'll start on Jan the 1st again. I think he wanted to do it in the same way Tommy Godwin did.


I hope not.

Steve 2015, Kajsa 2016 ... not Steve 2017! I need a rest!


----------



## tallliman (3 Oct 2016)

Steve's been posting a lot on yacf about the month and his diet. All very interesting.


----------



## Aravis (4 Oct 2016)

I could be wrong, but it really does look as though Amanda has deliberately not put her nose in front of Steve's total these last few days, in order not to steal his glory. I hope so anyway. I'm impressed.


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## Mugshot (4 Oct 2016)

*Steve Abraham shared Amanda Coker- Ultracyclist - HAM'R 2016's photo.*
16 mins ·
Thanks Amanda




Amanda Coker- Ultracyclist - HAM'R 2016
8 hrs ·
Day 142 ended with 232 miles! 

Congratulations to Steven Abraham for succeeding and setting a new monthly mileage record! From experience I know how hard he had to work to set the new record. Way to set the bar high, whoo hoo! 

Oh and Dad had a close encounter (by his own goofy choice) with a huge rattlesnake. Yikes!


----------



## Dogtrousers (4 Oct 2016)

Mugshot said:


> Oh and Dad had a close encounter (by his own goofy choice) with a huge rattlesnake. Yikes!



And once again she trumps Steve, beating his mere slow worm with a "huge rattlesnake" 
*Saw a snake, unless it was a slo-worm.*


----------



## Mugshot (17 Oct 2016)

*Steve Abraham*
6 mins ·
Finally! My You Tube talk on my UMCA Month Record.
The whole thing goes on for almost an hour. I was going to have it as one You Tube movie, but that never went to plan. I simply pointed my camera at myself and said everything I thought I should say, however long it took. After a few bad starts, I just went straight through, recorded it. The lighting and camera angle isn't very good and I'm not practiced at giving talks. It's not edited.
When I uloaded to You Tube, I found that it had been split into 10 minute movies. I did think about trying to edit them all together, but thought that a series of 10 minute movies would be better. 
It took longer than I expected to get out. First I had to write a report for the UMCA and writing that made me realise how jumbled up my memory of the month was. Once I'd got that sorted, I just did the straight talk. It took about 24 hours to upload to You Tube.




1 1


----------



## Mugshot (17 Oct 2016)

View: https://youtu.be/L9C-Sd_TYoU


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## Mugshot (17 Oct 2016)

View: https://youtu.be/sOOFAThBy3k


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## Mugshot (17 Oct 2016)

View: https://youtu.be/bZufvtkhMLU


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## Mugshot (17 Oct 2016)

View: https://youtu.be/m3qidp4m2Yg


----------



## Mugshot (17 Oct 2016)

View: https://youtu.be/RPYWDC_Xlz8


----------



## Mugshot (17 Oct 2016)

View: https://youtu.be/4OMeBx20ylI


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## Mugshot (18 Oct 2016)

Official confirmation of Steves month record HERE


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## ColinJ (18 Oct 2016)

Mugshot said:


> Official confirmation of Steves month record HERE


I like this bit ...

*NOTES FROM THE FIELD*
All completed on open roads with wind, rain, hills, junctions and traffic to contend with.


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## Ian H (18 Oct 2016)

ColinJ said:


> I like this bit ...
> 
> *NOTES FROM THE FIELD*
> All completed on open roads with wind, rain, hills, junctions and traffic to contend with.



Ha! That's from my email to Drew this morning. I'm rather chuffed they used it.


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## Mugshot (20 Oct 2016)

*Steve Abraham*
1 hr ·
Just done a lactic threshold test at Phil Corley Cycles, Milton Keynes ready for further training for The Year. It looks like I've got fitter.


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## tallliman (20 Oct 2016)

I'm going for a Jan 1st start predication too.

Anyone else watched the YouTube video? I thought it was pretty interesting on the whole. When I met him earlier in the year, he came across much the same as he does there. still unnerved by the thought of 300miles being a days ride though.


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## Supersuperleeds (20 Oct 2016)

tallliman said:


> I'm going for a Jan 1st start predication too.
> 
> Anyone else watched the YouTube video? I thought it was pretty interesting on the whole. When I met him earlier in the year, he came across much the same as he does there. still unnerved by the thought of 300miles being a days ride though.



I could do 300 miles in a day very easily. If the day was 72 hours long


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## Mugshot (8 Dec 2016)

*Steve Abraham shared A Year in the Saddle - Kajsa Tylen's 2016 Cycling WR Attempt's event.*
14 mins ·
Training for the year record is going well after a bit of a bad start. After the month record, I took 3 weeks recovery, which might have been a bit generous. Then I got back into training. It didn't get off to the best start. I wasn't hitting the nubers and notced that my heart rate was about 10-20bpm faster than what I'd expect and I was failing training sessions. With the higher heart rate I suspected that I caught something, so instead of trying to force myself, I stopped when I couldn't hit the numbers. Within a week I was back to normal, including my heart rate.
I'm starting on preparations for the next attempt. It looks as if I have Trek Milton Keynes as my mechanic, but still a lot to sort out yet.
I will be needing a crew chief, which would involve communicating with the UMCA and being available 24/7, or at least making arrangements for me to have a contact. Realistically, it shouldn't be demanding because everything seemed to run itself pretty well last time with all the team doing their bit. But things do crop up and problems do occur. I have one or two thinking about it. A joint effort could be considered, but I don't think that'd be the best idea.
If anyone is interested, or knows anyone, then please get in touch.
I'm hoping to start sometime between 2nd week of January and the end of February, depending on when everything is ready and I have given the UMCA the 21 days notice (at least) I'm not in a great rush to start as it gives me time for training. On the other hand, I'm looking forward to get going again after my month record.

A relatively easy week for me this week. I'm staying at the Youth Hostel at the National Forest so I can do some hilly miles.
I have a recovery ride tomorrow (9th Dec) where I'll be joining Kajsa Tylen, who will have cycled over 50,000k (31,000 miles) since Jan 1st, which will be enough for her place in the Guinness Book of Records.
Saturday, I have a ride to Monsal Head planned for some more hilly miles.
On Sunday, before my 5 hour training ride home, I'll be celebrating Kajsa's success at her year record. Everyone is welcome and there's free cake! (and coffee or tea)
Kajsa would like you to come. I'm just going for the cake and coffee myself...
https://www.facebook.com/events/219355321832508/

Almost an official announcement.


----------



## Scoosh (8 Dec 2016)

Great news on 2 fronts there !


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## Pale Rider (13 Dec 2016)

Looks like Steve will need 230+ miles a day by time the cycling phenomenon that is Amanda Coker has finished her year.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...Oyd4VLkzQxi0c8ErqyFqBvnHk/edit#gid=2022488017

They will be riding in parallel for a few months.

Interesting to see if there's any reaction from her when Steve starts.

I doubt it, she seems to determined to stick to a consistent schedule.


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## Mugshot (29 Dec 2016)

Bit about Steve in Road CC

HERE


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## Dogtrousers (29 Dec 2016)

Steve's also planning ways for people to ride with him.
6 hours/100 miles is a bit out of my league though. 

https://www.facebook.com/events/350064145367575/

_A bit of an experiment for the Year Record 2017. During my last attempt I was getting people wanting to ride with me but it never really happened.
I am thinking of setting aside days where I'd encourage people to ride with me as events. And, I have a 14 hour training ride scheduled for January 1st.
This ride is a bit unusual, because of the midnight start (meet in Mc Donalds at 23:15 so you can have a coffee or whatever before the off) I'd usualy be starting at a more civilised hour. But, I intend to hang around Trek Milton Keynes, drinking coffee and chatting to anyone who wants to chat about year records and Audax etc and the shop will close at 5pm. Trek will be looking after my bikes for 2017. I have heard a lot of good stuff about Trek and if they're good enough for women's pro team, "Drops" and can keep them in race fit bikes, then that will be more than good enough for me.
Basic route is 230 miles, aiming for an average moving speed of around 16.7mph (6 hours for 100 miles) with minimal stops for filling bottles and possibly grabbing a quick bite, though I tend to eat on the go. 
I'll be riding at my own pace and taking no prisoners, though I will accommodate pee stops etc, especially if we get a group who are willing to work together.
Anyone just wanting the 100 mile ride, there is a 24 hour garage at St Ives, about 50 miles in, where you could get a coffee and quick bite before heading back home.
I also encourage anyone to ride the route I have at their own pace as well as anyone who wants to join me on the way round. I'll try to remember to use my live Spot tracker, which should help you find me on my set route.
Even if you like the idea but don't want to ride, plese register an interest on this event page and if you would like to ride, please register yourself as going.
If it gets very popular, I may have to limit the numbers, so my advice is to register early to avoid dissapointment!_


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## tallliman (29 Dec 2016)

Steve was discussing this the other day....he's quite keen to try and get some company or experience of his rides. I suggested 100 mile loops but he noted it would mess with his policy of fighting the wind at its weakest and so may cost miles. The idea of the 100 route is you have a long coffee stop whilst he does another ton and picks you up again.

My 100 mile best is 6:19 but that had two big stops in it.


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## Dogtrousers (29 Dec 2016)

The best I could manage would be to position myself ahead of him on the route, then when he (and others) pass, to up the pace and cling on for as long as I can and then drop off and carry on with my own ride. Could be a fun thing to plan ... and I do like planning.


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## Aravis (29 Dec 2016)

Pale Rider said:


> Looks like Steve will need 230+ miles a day by time the cycling phenomenon that is Amanda Coker has finished her year.
> 
> They will be riding in parallel for a few months.
> 
> ...


My guess, for what it's worth, is that Amanda will give it everything over the last couple of months, when from my limited knowledge of Florida, I believe conditions should be at their best. She'll no doubt be looking to set a spectacularly good month record at that time as well.

So I think Steve would be well advised to kick off assuming a target about 2000 miles further than current projections suggest Amanda will set.

I noted from something Steve said somewhere that he's hoping to make good use of the Cotswold Water Park, perhaps finding a productive loop. If so, I should be able to get some decent photos and videos. That may well be the extent of my involvement, although if he is regularly and predictably doing a loop in my neck of the woods, matching him for one lap at least once during the year seems like a sensible target.


----------



## Supersuperleeds (1 Jan 2017)

Has Steve set a start date yet?


----------



## ianrauk (1 Jan 2017)

Supersuperleeds said:


> Has Steve set a start date yet?




Apparently end of January or beginning of February.


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## Supersuperleeds (1 Jan 2017)

ianrauk said:


> Apparently end of January or beginning of February.



Cheers


----------



## velovoice (2 Jan 2017)

Unless something changed dramatically last night, his 3rd attempt is underway, having kicked off midnight yesterday morning i.e. 1/1/17.


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## Dogtrousers (2 Jan 2017)

velovoice said:


> Unless something changed dramatically last night, his 3rd attempt is underway, having kicked off midnight yesterday morning i.e. 1/1/17.


No that was a training ride. He did make a statement "no I haven't started again yet" on twitter or FB but I can't find it right now.


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## srw (2 Jan 2017)

Dogtrousers said:


> No that was a training ride. He did make a statement "no I haven't started again yet" on twitter or FB but I can't find it right now.


It's in a comment on a FB thread....
"
Steve Abraham Not starting, just a training ride. Recovery day on Monday.
Like · Reply · 1 · 31 December 2016 at 19:52"


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## tallliman (2 Jan 2017)

He told me most likely is late February for a restart.


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## velovoice (2 Jan 2017)

Ooops, I totally missed that crucial "training ride" statement! I was so excited! If I weren't in the middle of a house move, I'd be spot tracking. Or trying to, unsuccessfully it seems.


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## tallliman (2 Jan 2017)

^^ he did say he'd be using his spot tracker for some of his advertised rides like yesterday.


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## Mugshot (26 Feb 2017)

We're off, well soon.


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## tallliman (26 Feb 2017)

Good luck to Steve....hopefully he'll bring the record back to the UK!

Difficult for him to know what he needs to do to get there as Amanda Coker hasn't yet finished.


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## Mugshot (26 Feb 2017)

tallliman said:


> Good luck to Steve....hopefully he'll bring the record back to the UK!
> 
> Difficult for him to know what he needs to do to get there as Amanda Coker hasn't yet finished.


True, but she will finish before him.


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## 13 rider (26 Feb 2017)

Go Steve
We were talking about you starting again today


----------



## ColinJ (26 Feb 2017)

Mugshot said:


> True, but she will finish before him.


But not before he starts ... He will need to be on it from the start to stand a chance.

Good luck to him, but if he sticks to doing it on UK roads then I can't see it being possible, given what the target is likely to be. (Especially if he doesn't enlist groups of riders to shelter behind ...)


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## Mugshot (26 Feb 2017)

ColinJ said:


> But not before he starts ... He will need to be on it from the start to stand a chance.


I think that'd be a given.


----------



## Pale Rider (26 Feb 2017)

tallliman said:


> Good luck to Steve....hopefully he'll bring the record back to the UK!
> 
> Difficult for him to know what he needs to do to get there as Amanda Coker hasn't yet finished.



The cycling machine that is Amanda Coker is nothing if not consistent.

She's upped the miles a bit recently, but the arithmetic means the average increases very slowly.

That's currently just over 230 miles a day.

Hard to see how even she could put many miles on that in the time remaining.

Steve won't want to fall behind, and a small buffer would be nice.

I reckon he will set off at 235-240 miles a day.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...Oyd4VLkzQxi0c8ErqyFqBvnHk/edit#gid=2022488017


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## ColinJ (26 Feb 2017)

Mugshot said:


> I think that'd be a given.


True, but does he set off doing 232 miles a day, 235 ...? I would have thought that he wouldn't want to add too much to Amanda Coker's average because it would be very difficult to. OTOH, he'd have to exceed it and build up a surplus to allow for problems later on.

PS Beaten to it by Pale Rider!


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## Mugshot (26 Feb 2017)

The real question is do we start a new thread, 

"The 235 miles in a day (Amanda Coker Challenge) - Progress thread"

Maybe.


----------



## Aravis (26 Feb 2017)

A couple of days ago one of Amanda's regular support riders made a "You ain't seen nothing yet" comment on Strava, implying that next week she's going to move it up a level. I don't think she's announced a date for the month record yet, but it would make sense if she tests herself over a few consecutive days to see how many extra hours she can sustain. Any bets on the month record she'll set? I won't be surprised to see 8000.

Even level 250s from here onwards would give her 235 mpd for the year. If Steve can average 250 for the first 8 months, to beat 235 he'd still have to maintain Godwin pace through November, December, January and February. I may be about to faint.

My greatest hope for Steve is that he avoids mishap and truly demonstrates what he is capable of. I seriously doubt he can surpass Amanda, but I'll be delighted to be proved wrong.


----------



## Crackle (26 Feb 2017)

Aravis said:


> I seriously doubt he can surpass Amanda,


I'm afraid I do too. At least on normal UK roads in UK weather. But then again, if he surpasses Godwin's mileage, it'll be an achievment different than following the sun in a camper or going around a single route day in day out, all of which are admirable but somehow not directly comparable to each other.

It all becomes a bit meaningless until you analyse what each athlete has achieved and then work backwards to what it takes to do that and realize it takes an ability and commitment you can only just imagine, if you try hard.


----------



## Scoosh (26 Feb 2017)

Mugshot said:


> The real question is do we start a new thread,
> 
> "The 235 miles in a day (Amanda Coker Challenge) - Progress thread"
> 
> Maybe.


I think that would be good, even if just to separate Steve's different year efforts.


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## ianrauk (26 Feb 2017)

Mugshot said:


> The real question is do we start a new thread,
> 
> "The 235 miles in a day (Amanda Coker Challenge) - Progress thread"
> 
> Maybe.




Good call


----------



## Mugshot (26 Feb 2017)

Scoosh said:


> I think that would be good, even if just to separate Steve's different year efforts.


It may also encourage some new contributors, 194 pages can look a bit intimidating.


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## Mugshot (26 Feb 2017)

ianrauk said:


> Good call


If no one else does I'll do it tomorrow morning when I'm on the comp rather than the iPad so I can try to do the relevant links etc


----------



## Pale Rider (26 Feb 2017)

There's a schedule on the oneyeartimetrial website.

It's a bit more up and down than Amanda, but it looks like Steve has an average of 232 miles a day in mind.

*Month*

*Distance* *Total dist*
March 6160 (220mpd) 6160
April 6750 (225mpd) 12910
May 7130 (230mpd) 20040
June 7050 (235mpd) 27090
July 7440 (240mpd) 34530
August 7440 (240mpd) 41970
September 7200 (240mpd) 49170
October 7440 (240mpd) 56610
November 7050 (235mpd) 63660
December 7130 (230mpd) 70790
January 2018 6975 (225mpd) 77765
February 6160 (220mpd) 83925
March 660 (220mpd) 84585
*Total* *84585

http://oneyeartimetrial.org.uk/the-preparation
*


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## ianrauk (26 Feb 2017)

Pale Rider said:


> There's a schedule on the oneyeartimetrial website.
> 
> It's a bit more up and down than Amanda, but it looks like Steve has an average of 232 miles a day in mind.
> 
> ...




Yep... that's insane.


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## tommaguzzi (3 Apr 2017)

I've just noticed SA is having another go at hamr. 
Is he still riding the Raleigh with the rack complete with caradice bag, the guards and mudflaps?
If so, sorry he has no chance.
I know he is a phenomenal rider but handicaping himself like that when tiny differences become huge issues over a whole year makes his attempt doomed from the start.


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## MickeyBlueEyes (15 May 2017)

Forgot about this thread, not been around CC for a while. The 200 miler that I've wanted to do is definitely on this year. Having started time trialling and following a decent training plan I'm the fittest I ever have been so its time to just go for it. I recently did a 100 mile ride to give me an idea of pacing, I knocked this off in 4:20 so hoping I can crack 10 hours for the 200. I remember when I attempted a similar route back in 2012, I failed only making 193. I remember how proud my Mum was for me attempting this, so I told her one day I'll go back and complete it for her. Unfortunately just a few months later she suddenly passed away so I never had the chance to show her. This time, it's game time, and she's going to see me smash the hell out of it. Can't wait for it, just need a dry day in the forecast and it's on.


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## ianrauk (15 May 2017)

MickeyBlueEyes said:


> Forgot about this thread, not been around CC for a while. The 200 miler that I've wanted to do is definitely on this year. Having started time trialling and following a decent training plan I'm the fittest I ever have been so its time to just go for it. I recently did a 100 mile ride to give me an idea of pacing, I knocked this off in 4:20 so hoping I can crack 10 hours for the 200. I remember when I attempted a similar route back in 2012, I failed only making 193. I remember how proud my Mum was for me attempting this, so I told her one day I'll go back and complete it for her. Unfortunately just a few months later she suddenly passed away so I never had the chance to show her. This time, it's game time, and she's going to see me smash the hell out of it. Can't wait for it, just need a dry day in the forecast and it's on.




Nice one Mick and the best of British luck to you. Please keep us updated.


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## MickeyBlueEyes (15 May 2017)

ianrauk said:


> Nice one Mick and the best of British luck to you. Please keep us updated.


Thanks Ian. Will do fella


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## Beebo (15 May 2017)

MickeyBlueEyes said:


> Forgot about this thread, not been around CC for a while. The 200 miler that I've wanted to do is definitely on this year. Having started time trialling and following a decent training plan I'm the fittest I ever have been so its time to just go for it. I recently did a 100 mile ride to give me an idea of pacing, I knocked this off in 4:20 so hoping I can crack 10 hours for the 200. I remember when I attempted a similar route back in 2012, I failed only making 193. I remember how proud my Mum was for me attempting this, so I told her one day I'll go back and complete it for her. Unfortunately just a few months later she suddenly passed away so I never had the chance to show her. This time, it's game time, and she's going to see me smash the hell out of it. Can't wait for it, just need a dry day in the forecast and it's on.


It is 237 miles now, you should have done it last year!
Anyway good luck.


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## ianrauk (19 May 2017)

Steve on a long ride today/tonight 448kms


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## jay clock (19 May 2017)

I know he his busy cycling but his website really provides little way to work out his progress. I cannot see how far he has gone, average miles or even any basic data. Facebook and Twitter don't seem better


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## ianrauk (19 May 2017)

jay clock said:


> I know he his busy cycling but his website really provides little way to work out his progress. I cannot see how far he has gone, average miles or even any basic data. Facebook and Twitter don't seem better




*HERE*


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## Dogtrousers (20 May 2017)

jay clock said:


> I know he his busy cycling but his website really provides little way to work out his progress. I cannot see how far he has gone, average miles or even any basic data. Facebook and Twitter don't seem better


Or, closer to home (and only weekly-ish) here: https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/235-miles-a-day-for-a-year-amanda-coker-challenge.214868/page-11


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