Author Topic: [HAMR] Current thoughts on the record attempt? (Read 253712 times)

LMT · « **Reply #900 on:** 23 December, 2015, 08:59:10 pm »

'tis a shame though. It'll be a longer than usual chalk over the next few days with the rough weather. Would be nice to catch a tail wind and then get a lift back to MK.

LittleWheelsandBig · « **Reply #901 on:** 23 December, 2015, 08:59:15 pm »

Believe what you want TEC. I've already supported Steve for 3 x 24hr TTs.

Arry-R · « **Reply #902 on:** 23 December, 2015, 09:16:09 pm »

I am sorry that the offer of help wasn't accepted. It cannot be easy obtaining meals on the move on Christmas day as often it is Fine dining for groups of friends etc. However perhaps the TEAM have it all in hand and thanks in advance to you all if you have.

Jaded · « **Reply #903 on:** 23 December, 2015, 09:47:34 pm »

Quote from: LittleWheelsandBig on 23 December, 2015, 08:08:01 pm

Apparently Steve doesn't need this experienced helper at all between Christmas and New Year. Good to see that Hoppo has Steve's best interests at heart.

Are you hurt for Steve's campaign, or your ego?

Pale Rider · « **Reply #904 on:** 23 December, 2015, 09:54:58 pm »

Quote from: LittleWheelsandBig on 23 December, 2015, 08:08:01 pm

Apparently Steve doesn't need this experienced helper at all between Christmas and New Year. Good to see that Hoppo has Steve's best interests at heart.

Don't take it to heart, wheelers, I'm sure it's nothing personal.

Looking at it kindly, the organisation of the attempt is now ad hoc.

Or one could describe it as shambolic.

LMT · « **Reply #905 on:** 23 December, 2015, 10:20:20 pm »

Quote from: Pale Rider on 23 December, 2015, 09:54:58 pm

Quote from: LittleWheelsandBig on 23 December, 2015, 08:08:01 pm
Apparently Steve doesn't need this experienced helper at all between Christmas and New Year. Good to see that Hoppo has Steve's best interests at heart.

Don't take it to heart, wheelers, I'm sure it's nothing personal.

Looking at it kindly, the organisation of the attempt is now ad hoc.

Or one could describe it as shambolic.

Do you have direct knowledge of Steve's team/organisation to describe it as shambolic?

LittleWheelsandBig · « **Reply #906 on:** 23 December, 2015, 10:24:55 pm »

Jaded, nothing would make me happier than Steve reaching his goal but that isn't going to happen unless his campaign dramatically changes, which obviously won't occur now. At the current rate, in about a week's time, Steve will be too far behind to catch up by August.

It was becoming obvious before Steve got knocked off that he couldn't do enough daily miles at that slow pace. He then had the opportunity to heal properly, get his speed back (he's done 449 miles in 24hrs twice) and restart at a decent pace. Instead, he mucked about riding one-legged and never recovered properly. All of Steve's effort and determination, along with huge amounts of goodwill and support, has been pissed away.

Jaded · « **Reply #907 on:** 23 December, 2015, 10:33:05 pm »

Well, I still support him because he has done something that almost nobody has done before. I'm not upset that my money or my hosting has not resulted in a record, or may not result in the new record. I never had 100% expectations of that. That would have been silly.

I'm upset that a drunk person can cause so much grief, but more so that so many can take such glee in calling Steve a failure.

Shame on them.

danridesbikes · « **Reply #908 on:** 23 December, 2015, 10:36:56 pm »

considering how active Hoppo is on Facebook with his own self promotion, you'd think he'd mention Steve once in a while

toontra · « **Reply #909 on:** 23 December, 2015, 10:38:58 pm »

Quote from: Jaded on 23 December, 2015, 10:33:05 pm

Well, I still support him because he has done something that almost nobody has done be
I'm upset that a drunk person can cause so much grief, but more so that so many can take such glee in calling Steve a failure.

Shame on them.

Not this again! Please, for the sake of sanity, if you are going to make accusations like that then quote posts where someone - anyone - has taken glee in calling Steve a failure.

danridesbikes · « **Reply #910 on:** 23 December, 2015, 10:39:18 pm »

Quote

but more so that so many can take such glee in calling Steve a failure.

don't think anyone has have they, theres been nothing but support, and lately concern for Steve, 99.9% of it positive

Wowbagger · « **Reply #911 on:** 23 December, 2015, 10:48:19 pm »

No-one has called Steve a failure. He's an absolutely incredible cyclist, an inspiration to us all. It would take about 20 of us, on average, to match the miles he has cycled this year. I have seen pretty much nothing but support for him on these pages, and out of that, concern for his well-being.

Jaded · « **Reply #912 on:** 23 December, 2015, 10:52:05 pm »

Shambolic. Pissed away. Steve doesn't need this experienced helper.

That's just the last page.

LittleWheelsandBig · « **Reply #913 on:** 23 December, 2015, 10:56:32 pm »

None of that gleefully calls Steve a failure and all of it is true.

It is also true that Steve is failing at taking the record. Steve has the talent to take the record, if he and his team maximised his distance, but that isn't happening. Sad but true.

Martin · « **Reply #914 on:** 23 December, 2015, 10:58:54 pm »

Quote from: LittleWheelsandBig on 23 December, 2015, 10:56:32 pm

None of that gleefully calls Steve a failure and all of it is true.

It is also true that Steve is failing at taking the record. Steve has the talent to take the record, if he and his team maximised his distance, but that isn't happening. Sad but true.

+1; didn't Steve do a 280 mile day this year? the potential was there.

I can't help wondering how genuine (as in ridden on a bike without drafting verified distances etc) the Tommy record pace actually is, given the Herculean effort Kurt has been required to make to keep above it on nominally faster roads across the pond...

Von Broad · « **Reply #915 on:** 23 December, 2015, 11:23:26 pm »

Quote from: Martin on 23 December, 2015, 10:58:54 pm

I can't help wondering how genuine (as in ridden on a bike without drafting verified distances etc) the Tommy record pace actually is, given the Herculean effort Kurt has been required to make to keep above it on nominally faster roads across the pond...

I've been thinking the same thing myself of late.

Anybody who goes to those lengths to break a record like this, and does so within the parameters set down before them, deserves a good crack at the fortune whip IMO. If Kurt manages to break Godwin's record, all those kind of doubts about the credibility of his predecessor will be history, because the new focal point will be this new guy from Arkansas. Any doubts about what he did, and how he did it....then, well ..... it's all out there. Go see for yourself.

LittleWheelsandBig · « **Reply #916 on:** 23 December, 2015, 11:24:20 pm »

Don't doubt Tommy's distances. They are real. Tommy was plenty fast enough to cover those miles on his bike but there was a lot of support required to achieve them.

Don't confuse 'real' with purely unpaced/ non-drafting. There has never been anything stopping riders from drafting in this record.

Von Broad · « **Reply #917 on:** 23 December, 2015, 11:39:21 pm »

Sure....I don't doubt the credibility of the man [quite the opposite in fact], but for me, the crazy magnitude of the challenge has been thrown into sharp focus by how our two riders have been fairing in their respective attempts.
Steve has been struggling, losing miles in the process which are so hard to claw back, and Kurt, despite his tenacious riding, is hardly going to blow this thing out of the water is he? - incredible as his achievement is.

LMT · « **Reply #918 on:** 23 December, 2015, 11:42:18 pm »

Not quite sure what is going on at the moment looking at Steve's tracking page but it looks to be a low milage day.

I'd recommend a power meter, Steve could incorporate a power tap hub into a wheel build. That way he can maximise speed whilst still keeping his effort hovering around the endurance zone.

PAC · « **Reply #919 on:** 23 December, 2015, 11:59:01 pm »

I think the actual mileage will be significantly higher, but we'll see.

Looking at the graph, Steve was fine until about day 100 of the consecutive attempt...Kurt had similar drops and recovered, so it's quite possible Steve will do the same, but if he's not able to then at least he tried which is a huge amount more than any of us has ever done. I'm glass half full on this and think Steve needs encouragement rather than negativity, so on a positive note....GOOOO Steve

Von Broad · « **Reply #920 on:** 24 December, 2015, 12:23:15 am »

Quote from: PAC on 23 December, 2015, 11:59:01 pm

I think the actual mileage will be significantly higher, but we'll see.

Looking at the graph, Steve was fine until about day 100 of the consecutive attempt...Kurt had similar drops and recovered, so it's quite possible Steve will do the same, but if he's not able to then at least he tried which is a huge amount more than any of us has ever done. I'm glass half full on this and think Steve needs encouragement rather than negativity, so on a positive note....GOOOO Steve

Well.. I see he's just past 100,000kms since Jan 1st.
That's 100,000kms more than me some years!
I couldn't get my head round this whole thing on Jan 1st.
Not sure I still can!

Kim · « **Reply #921 on:** 24 December, 2015, 12:29:35 am »

Personally, I reckon Steve should abandon the restarted attempt on the 31st, having done a spectacular job and beaten several records on the original attempt *with a broken ankle*. Then he can take some time to recover and have a good hard think about strategy before having another go at it at a later date. I'm sure most of us would continue to support him...

Peter · « **Reply #922 on:** 24 December, 2015, 01:07:47 am »

I only dip into this thread, so I don't know if anyone has mentioned that when he set the record, Tommy Godwin, as well as being an established long distance cyclist with some pretty fast rides to his credit, was 27. I say again, "was 27". I think this is hugely important. Of course it also emphasises what astonishing efforts Kurt and Steve have made. But Tommy Godwin was 27.

Exit Stage Left · « **Reply #923 on:** 24 December, 2015, 01:27:11 am »

Quote from: Peter on 24 December, 2015, 01:07:47 am

I only dip into this thread, so I don't know if anyone has mentioned that when he set the record, Tommy Godwin, as well as being an established long distance cyclist with some pretty fast rides to his credit, was 27. I say again, "was 27". I think this is hugely important. Of course it also emphasises what astonishing efforts Kurt and Steve have made. But Tommy Godwin was 27.

If a Brit wanted to be a professional cyclist in the 1930s, they had to do distance records. Time Trialling was semi-underground, and was resolutely amateur. Road Racing didn't exist. Any interaction between cycling, the media and manufacturers was via distance records, hence a talented young rider spending a year of his life on this. Even then, Raleigh only got involved when Godwin was well under way.

It's possible that a future rider will pick up big money sponsorship, especially as the groundwork has been done, much as the 'round the world' now has more currency.

TimC · « **Reply #924 on:** 24 December, 2015, 03:03:53 am »

Quote from: Kim on 24 December, 2015, 12:29:35 am

Personally, I reckon Steve should abandon the restarted attempt on the 31st, having done a spectacular job and beaten several records on the original attempt *with a broken ankle*. Then he can take some time to recover and have a good hard think about strategy before having another go at it at a later date. I'm sure most of us would continue to support him...

I totally agree. If a dispassionate look at things shows that the probability of breaking the record on the concurrent attempt is now out of realistic reach, I see no point in continuing it. Whatever happens, Steve will finish 2015 with an incredible total, which will stand among the top 5 ever achieved (I believe). To plug on for another 8 months without a realistic chance of taking the top spot seems perverse, at best. Far better to take a year off, regroup and decide if a different strategy would produce the desired result and, if it looks unlikely, let this effort stand on its merits and move on to something else. I doubt anyone here would regard that as any kind of failure.

Author Topic: [HAMR] Current thoughts on the record attempt? (Read 253712 times)

LMT

LMT

Martin

LMT