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

[User169]

Just been there done exactly that. If anyone deserved a couple of cold ones it's those two.

Yep. I've donated a few cold ones. To Kurt and Alicia's credit, the way I read it is that they're trying to raise cash to stand some beers for the peeps that have helped over the last year.

 

[Racing roadkill]

It will be interesting to see how this challenge evolves, over the next few years. I just hope it remains a fair fight, as far as is reasonably practicable, and that the endemic cheating that has been a part of cycling in the past doesn't start to rear its head. I think if the need to 'clarify' certain rules ( type of machine eligibility / routes used ) becomes necessary, the whole thing will lose its appeal. I hope it evolves, rather than devolves.

 

[Legs]

We will never truly know what help Tommy had in 1939 but even he could not have done it in they way Steve is attempting it. my guess is that he was probably draughting lorries and cars as much as possible..

Having seen the issues that Kurt and Steve have come up against this year - the unsustainability of knocking out consecutive days upwards of 225 miles - I consider it highly likely that Tommy's big mileage days (300 miles plus!) in the summer were spent tucked behind the bumpers of lorries on the A1, which were limited to 20mph at the time. It would still have involved riding for a long time each day, but he could have been crystal-cranking quite nicely, barely exerting himself.

 

[Dogtrousers]

I think if the need to 'clarify' certain rules ( type of machine eligibility / routes used ) becomes necessary, the whole thing will lose its appeal. I hope it evolves, rather than devolves.

I dunno ... Making up rules is always a fraught affair as you have to think very hard about all the different ways in which they can be (mis)interpreted. There's already a ban on faired recumbents. I'm not sure what rules you can apply on routes. They're already quite clear that there's no ban on drafting.

If someone wants to spend a whole year in a velodrome doing laps on a 'bent all day every day that may seem like the easy way out but they may well go stark staring bonkers after 6 months. I suppose if someone found a 200 mile long hill and freewheeled down it, then got in a camper van and slept all the way up over and over and over that would be a bit off, but I may be getting into the realms of fantasy. (Goes off to atlas to find a 200 mile long hill )

 

[Justinslow]

I know many have said this, but, I've just done 101 miles today, took me just under 6 hours (6 and a half total time) and it was bloody tough. I think sometimes I/we can take what Steve is doing for granted, to do the rides he's doing day after day for longer than a year is utterly amazing, how he does it I just can't comprehend.
I'm off to use a tube of ibuprofen gel.........

 

[Louch]

So if I rode my bike, motor paced, this would be legal in attempt?

 

[Supersuperleeds]

I think this is the Strava profile of the fella in Aus.

https://www.strava.com/athletes/389932

 

[tommaguzzi]

, but he could have been crystal-cranking quite nicely, barely exerting himself.

Please pardon my ignorance but what is "crystal-cranking"

 

[tommaguzzi]

So if I rode my bike, motor paced, this would be legal in attempt?

No it's not legal under current rules to drought motor vehicles.

 

[Dayvo]

Please pardon my ignorance but what is "crystal-cranking"

I didn't know, either, but I just googled this:

http://gplama.blogspot.no/2015/04/how-to-talk-like-cyclist-deeper-edition.html

with this quote: Crystal Cranking: Pedalling as if your cranks are made of crystal and will break at any point. Possibly true for some early model carbon crank-sets.

 

[Dogtrousers]

For reference, the HAMR rules are here: http://ultracycling.com/sections/records/max-mileage.php

 

[tommaguzzi]

Thanks Dayvo
When I searched all I got was a load of crystal meth and drug abuse related references. I know Tommy was probably on speed but i didn't think that was what Legs ment.

 

[Legs]

Yeah, crystal-cranking is synonymous with soft-pedalling!

 

[summerdays]

Yeah, crystal-cranking is synonymous with soft-pedalling!

Would that be the same as what I call pootling?

 

[Legs]

Hmmm, pootling to me means bimbling along at <10mph. Soft-pedalling means going quite fast but not really having to push to pedals hard, as enabled by a strong tailwind, a good tow, a push to the backside, a cooperative tandem partner or a downhill gradient.