[HAMR] Tarzan (Kurt Searvogel)

[Nuncio]

Are we seeing a rest day today? 33 miles by 11AM isn't Kurt's normal pace.

I expect he's had a lot of post to open after over 2 months away from home.

It's only 10:20 in Little Rock by my reckoning. Forecast for this evening: "Strong thunderstorms."

[TGS]

I thought it was a 4 hour time difference at the moment?

[Oaky]

I make it 187 miles for the day - he had a vehicle transfer to Arkansas and put in late day 30 miler after his main ride.

186.7, according to the official spreadsheet: 152.6+34.1.

This does not add up up.

His own page says 142.1 plus 34.02. Alicia Snyder called it ".. 170miles plus". His Strava activity has a weird bit in the middle.

I see what you mean.  Strava for Kurt's first 11^th March ride shows a total of 152.6, but with an odd ~10 mile jump from 62 to 72 miles.  The track on Garmin Connect has the same 10 mile teleport, but doesn't include it in the total, so it reads 142.1.

We'll have to wait and see which total the UMCA decide to use.

Well, the UMCA "leader board" and "spreadsheet" pages are using the Strava figure, giving him 186.7 for 11 March instead of 176.1 

Of course, neither of those are the official results.  Those are published here, but are only updated to 4th March as things stand at the moment.

[Sea of vapours]

It's five again now: he changed timezones within the US. It'll be six when the UK moves to summer time in a couple of weeks from now.

[Wowbagger]

under-prepared......  normally relies on a lot of other people:....... he had to take time out for visiting bike shops...........

May I suggest you have severely underestimated the advantage of individualism and self sufficiency.  Tarzan doesn't need the new bikes or someone else to recharge his GPS, nor to tuck him in bed every night.  As helter skelter as it may appear his method has him almost 1000 miles ahead  during the first two months.  Tarzan is doing just fine.

Maybe, maybe not. The real target isn't what Steve does, it's Tommy's total. OK, he's over 2000 miles ahead of Tommy at the same stage, but as we have been saying ad nauseam, he has had perfect riding conditions and a lot more daylight than either Tommy or Steve has had. Also, he knows what he has to beat. Tommy didn't know, I'm sure, that he was going to have such a fantastic 6 months between May and October. Steve and Kurt know that they have to build a buffer because it's going to be incredibly difficult to keep up with Tommy at the same stage.

Take a look at the past week. Steve has had the best weather of the year so far and Kurt's has taken a turn for the worse, combined with his transition from Florida to Arkansas. For the first time in the year, Steve has ridden more miles in a week than Kurt. Even though Steve has increased his miles, the past week's figures, if repeated until December, would see him fall short of the target, and for Kurt it would be touch and go.

It's such a massive challenge that maintaining the required rate is still going to be incredibly difficult. We know that Kurt, when at his best, can knock out 220 mile days with apparent ease. It's what happens when things are not going so well that matters, and that is all uncharted territory.

Fascinating stuff, giving us the opportunity for endless speculation. Great, isn't it?

[TGS]

It's five again now: he changed timezones within the US. It'll be six when the UK moves to summer time in a couple of weeks from now.

  Doh.

I never realised that US timezones bisect some states. There must be people who cross timezones to go to work.

[mrcharly-YHT]

under-prepared......  normally relies on a lot of other people:....... he had to take time out for visiting bike shops...........

May I suggest you have severely underestimated the advantage of individualism and self sufficiency.  Tarzan doesn't need the new bikes or someone else to recharge his GPS, nor to tuck him in bed every night.  As helter skelter as it may appear his method has him almost 1000 miles ahead  during the first two months.  Tarzan is doing just fine.

No, you are right. Tarzan doesn't have someone following him in a camper van to recharge his GPS, tuck him into bed, cook for him. Oh, wait, he does.

[Von Broad]

under-prepared......  normally relies on a lot of other people:....... he had to take time out for visiting bike shops...........

May I suggest you have severely underestimated the advantage of individualism and self sufficiency.

I'd have thought that those qualities are a distinct disadvantage with a challenge like this.
Whether you choose the road of three new bikes or the road of old bikes that break and need bike shops to fix them, one thing is for sure - you need support, and you need bucket loads of it.

And as for Steve being tucked up in bed, well.....not sure he's alone on that front either.

Tommy Goodwin had support up and down the country. With so many miles being ridden, there is little time for much else. Without it, I don't think anybody would have a cat in hells chance to be honest.

[geraldc]

Steve's effort does seem more of an amateur audax community effort, and on a shoestring budget. Tarzan's effort although self financed seems to have bigger budgets. e.g. In one of the webpages it was written that a crew chief was "hired". Hired implies payment, which in the UK means professional. As people like to support the underdog, for the man on the street, they'll always support the amateur over the professional.

[Exit Stage Left]

I wonder what the amateur year record is? Tommy was never allowed to ride as amateur again, following his professional year ride.

[La Tortue]

With so many miles being ridden, there is little time for much else. Without it, I don't think anybody would have a cat in hells chance to be honest.

When accounting for the lack of preparation, inferior equipment, lack of lodging, age, home turf knowledge, and 50 person support team one has to marvel at the fact that the two person Tarzan team isn't farther behind than they are.
The reason is obvious to some of us though. 

[Wowbagger]

No-one is doubting Tarzan's ability as a cyclist. His website tells you all you need to know about his achievements and anyone who can knock up consecutive 200 mile days is clearly very exceptional. However, he is still behind the overall asking rate despite the very good riding conditions in Florida in Jan and Feb.

We know Steve plans to increase his output with the longer days and better weather and he's stuck to his plan - or slightly ahead of it - throughout the first 70 days of this challenge. Kurt hasn't. He published a plan of 6 "long" days followed by a short one and has manifestly failed to follow it. I initially thought that this was him being deliberately misleading, but I don't think so now. I now think his original plan was published simply because he wanted to give the impression that he had a plan when in reality he rushed into this challenge.

He's a great cyclist, no question. But is that, on its own, enough? Time will tell.

[mrcharly-YHT]

With so many miles being ridden, there is little time for much else. Without it, I don't think anybody would have a cat in hells chance to be honest.

When accounting for the lack of preparation, inferior equipment, lack of lodging, age, home turf knowledge, and 50 person support team one has to marvel at the fact that the two person Tarzan team isn't farther behind than they are.
The reason is obvious to some of us though.

Are you trolling, because this sort of post sounds awfully like it.

[Von Broad]

With so many miles being ridden, there is little time for much else. Without it, I don't think anybody would have a cat in hells chance to be honest.

When accounting for the lack of preparation, inferior equipment, lack of lodging, age, home turf knowledge, and 50 person support team one has to marvel at the fact that the two person Tarzan team isn't farther behind than they are.
The reason is obvious to some of us though.

La Torture.... in your previous post you mentioned individualism and self-sufficiency. And you advocated the advantages of these attributes. Ok, fine.
But err.....a two person team operating from a motorized vehicle is not being individual, nor is it self-sufficient. Nor are you an individual of self-sufficient when you rely on bike shops, hotels and companies to send you replacement parts for broken bike racks. What's wrong with all that? Absolutely nothing. I've never intimated there was. Never have done. These things are all necessary pillars of support. It's all support, and you gonna need it - stacks of it. Both these riders do. How you get that support is down to how you set your ride up. But to talk about individualism and self-sufficiency...sorry it's complete and utter nonsense.

[red marley]

I think La Tortue is being given a bit of a hard time here. It has often been commented that Steve has a tougher time of things compared to Kurt due to climate and terrain. But it seems less remarked upon that one of Steve's big advantages over Kurt has been the larger number of people providing moral and actual support. I took the Tortoise's comment as a reminder of that fact.

I don't think there is a need to be judgemental about either rider's situation - both are taking advantage of what is available to them.

P.S. Go Steve!

[La Tortue]

Are you trolling, because this sort of post sounds awfully like it.

I hope I'm not trolling, I don't mean to be.  I'm hooked on this race and wish the very best for both riders.  I obviously feel for Tarzan as you do Steve.  ( well maybe not as emotional to Kurt as ya'll are Steve.  (I'll be OK if Kurt doesn't win).  I'm here because this board has the best coverage of HAMR.   

[Von Broad]

I obviously feel for Tarzan

A lot of us like Tarzan. I know I do. He's a phenomenal cyclist and an interesting bloke.
And, I said the other day, he's nearer my age than Steve is

I'm here because this board has the best coverage of HAMR.   

That's cool. 

[mrcharly-YHT]

Are you trolling, because this sort of post sounds awfully like it.

I hope I'm not trolling, I don't mean to be.  I'm hooked on this race and wish the very best for both riders.  I obviously feel for Tarzan as you do Steve.  ( well maybe not as emotional to Kurt as ya'll are Steve.  (I'll be OK if Kurt doesn't win).  I'm here because this board has the best coverage of HAMR.   

I'm sorry if my accusation was unjust, I'm feeling extremely grumpy and out of sorts. You've made several oddly veiled hints at times that have seemed like you wanted to provoke a response.

What I really think about Kurt is that he is a phenomenal high-speed ultradistance cyclist who is at a point of changes in his life. Casting around for meaning, he heard about what Steve was doing, realised that the record rules were set up properly and decided to go for it. He hasn't been as well prepared as Steve but his superior speed when racing have really shown his ability. I think several here (me included) have been amazed that he's kept up the speed and distance. 

[mattc]

I think La Tortue is being given a bit of a hard time here. It has often been commented that Steve has a tougher time of things compared to Kurt due to climate and terrain. But it seems less remarked upon that one of Steve's big advantages over Kurt has been the larger number of people providing moral and actual support. I took the Tortoise's comment as a reminder of that fact.

Steve has earned (and nurtured) that support. He  also took a leap of faith putting himself into the hands of this happy band. Which I think is really cool 


Go both of them!

[Mr Larrington]

I never realised that US timezones bisect some states. There must be people who cross timezones to go to work.

I nearly fell foul of it in Oregon a few years ago.  Hotel and restaurant about a mile apart but in different time zones.

[citoyen]

You've made several oddly veiled hints at times that have seemed like you wanted to provoke a response.

I would say the same about some of the pro-Steve comments.

Some of the posts about Kurt here would probably be seen as trolling if posted in a less partisan forum.

[TGS]

I think La Tortue is being given a bit of a hard time here.

+1. There can not be anywhere more biased towards Steve than this place, quite understandably. Myself included.

I'm here because this board has the best coverage of HAMR.   

 

[Ham]

I'm really enjoying Kurt's game-ness, strikes me that it smacks of the spirit of the early days of motor racing where the frightfully nice chaps would drive to the race in the car with their mechanic alongside, tootle around the track at high speed for a while then drive home.

One thing I'm sure is that it is making the whole thing a lot more fun than if only one were riding.

ps: go steve!

[Mr Larrington]

I'm really enjoying Kurt's game-ness, strikes me that it smacks of the spirit of the early days of motor racing where the frightfully nice chaps would drive to the race in the car with their mechanic alongside, tootle around the track at high speed for a while then drive home.

I still do that¹ with my valet.  Doesn't everyone?

1: Lie.

[Nuncio]

I would do were he not so inexperienced. (3,5,3,2,6/5)