George Berwick on the radio!

[Phil Tomlinson]

There I was looking out at a grey drizzly morning, trying to find the motivation to get out and ride.
The radio was on and suddenly I heard the word Audax mentioned.
Paying a little more attention I realised they were interviewing George Berwick on, "Out of doors".

During the interview George mentioned that he'd cycled about 790,000 miles in his life. He also last year rode across Scotland and back, covering about 400 miles in 34 hrs. On his own....just sleeping out as and when he felt the need. He is 72!

So, feeling that maybe I wasn't such a "badass" rider after all, I thought I'd better get out for a spin.

The program is available on the iplayer at http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01r5pdk/Out_of_Doors_09_03_2013/
The interview was on around 7.30, so about an hour into the show.

[jogler]

Have you met the guy?

Put his name into Google search.The results will keep you entertained & impressed for a looooong time.

He often wears a black baggy wooly pullover.He is Superman in disguise.

[Pingu]

The program is available on the iplayer at http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01r5pdk/Out_of_Doors_09_03_2013/
The interview was on around 7.30, so about an hour into the show.

56 minutes.

[Phil Tomlinson]

Have you met the guy?

Put his name into Google search.The results will keep you entertained & impressed for a looooong time.

He often wears a black baggy wooly pullover.He is Superman in disguise.

Yes I've done a few events which George has ridden. However, I can't say I know him.
I knew he'd been a good rider in his youth, (well he still is!), but I hadn't fully realised the extent of his exploits.

[David Martin]

I've only spoken to George a few times but he is a lovely guy - great face for radio.

..d

[Sergeant Pluck]

Most entertaining!

While I knew it was possible to pee while riding, the extra difficulty of doing it on a fixed gear hadn't occurred to me. Or, it hadn't occurred to me that someone would try it on a fixed gear

[Philip Whiteman]

Superb!

[Pingu]

Or, it hadn't occurred to me that someone would try it on a fixed gear

But now that it has...

[αdαmsκι]

I've seen photos of what a fixed chain can do to a finger so there's NO WAY I'm going to try peeing. The dangers are just too great.

[Canardly]

Excellent stuff.

[jogler]

I've seen photos of what a fixed chain can do to a finger so there's NO WAY I'm going to try peeing. The dangers are just too great.

you wish

[Wobbly]

"They call me McNasty"

[Phil Tomlinson]

I've seen photos of what a fixed chain can do to a finger so there's NO WAY I'm going to try peeing. The dangers are just too great.

Now you're just boasting.....

[LindaG]

That was fab wasn't it?  He's inspiring is McNasty.

[Bairdy]

Brilliant stuff and a good reminder to get up to Scotland for a ride sometime.

[Ian H]

My favourite photo of George.

[Tewdric]

"The James Bond of Audax."  I had the privelige of riding with McNasty on the Elenith a few years ago.  What a lovely guy!  Enjoyed every minute.  This interview is essential listening!

[Ian H]

A couple of years ago I was supporting a friend on the East Sussex 24. George was there, and so was his wife, which was unusual. I went say hello and she explained that she'd come to keep an eye on him as he was" under doctor's orders not to ride his bike". He finished with a modest 300 and something. As it was his 50th 24, they'd laid on a presentation. There was a list of all his finishing mileages. For the first 25 events he only once went less than 400 miles. 

[Von Broad]

I had the privelige of riding with McNasty on the Elenith a few years ago.

I met him on that ride too, back at the village hall after the event.
To me he's hardcore - not so much because of how far he's ridden, but because he doesn't really care whether anybody's there or not to see him do it.

[Rainmaker]

Posted by: Tewdric Yesterday at 10:25:24 PM »"The James Bond of Audax."

I can't really imagine George asking for a "dry martini, shaken, not stirred" but a hard man he certainly is.

On one of the Daylight 600's I came accross George laid out at the side of the road, apparently he was suffering from a severe case of cramp, he said he would be okay, so I carried on.
Later I was told that he had been taken into hospital (Fort William?Oban?) for a couple of hours before he discharged himself and completed the ride!

[Bairdy]

My favourite photo of George.

This should be on the front page of the AUK website. 

[marcusjb]

I will listen to the program later (BBC Scotland doesn't appear to work on the iPad iplayer app), it sounds great.

I have only once, briefly met George, and he was everything I expected of him.

A true hard man of the road. Inspiring stuff.

[Lightkeeper]

I generally ride a bit faster than George (who is old enough to be my father), and yet he always seems to be in front of me after a control.  There's no stopping the man. 

That photo of him, linked up-thread, was taken at the end of Hamburg-Berlin-Koln-Hamburg, a 1500 km audax event entered by George and a number of others including some of this parish who could tell the story better than me, but here goes.  His frame broke in a ride-ending kind of way, but of course it didn't end George's ride.  He beat a drink-can into a shim, strapped it on with zip-ties, rode 500 km like that and finished the event.  Someone who tried his bike at the end said it didn't feel like you could ride across the car-park on it, far less 500 km. 

More photos and links here.

Class.

[Ian H]

And another link that shows he's more than just a cyclist.
link

[Manotea]

It's probably easier if you're used to pushing a big gear up hill.