[HAMR] Tarzan (Kurt Searvogel)

[Citizenfish]

"We don't know if Tommy had any special differences to me that enabled him to do what I cannot."

I think the main thing was that he had Charlie on the road with him during these extended days, to some extent goading him on and also helping with logistics as the need arose. Bennett started doing 270+ days as well when he had Menzies shouting at him from the motorbike. Even then neither of them could sustain the 300 days.

Thanks for the comments on pre-orders. The book is up on Amazon but please don't .... Vertebrate Publishing will have  a buy direct link soon

[Justin(e)]

it's really puzzling how TG was able to but in those incredible consecutive daily distances

I always assumed toothgrinder was a play on words.

Either by coincidence or design it also echoes Tommy's initials.

[red marley]

Kurt has put an appeal out on Facebook for pacing support.

I read that earlier but though it was more a bit of fun at his own expense than a serious plan.  Let's face it, what are the chances of getting anything like a steady stream of elite riders who have the time/inclination to spend days on the roads of Arkansas doing loops around Little Rock.

Even if jokey in style, I think the appeal was a real one. Here's the latest post from Alicia, describing Kurt's big 244 mile day on Tuesday:

Yesterday was a good day! Tarzan put down some sizzling miles despite the miserable humid heat in the high 90's (van registered over 100 degrees and heat index 110 - ouch). Local superstar Greg Eberdt caught up with Kurt and gave him a good pull dragging me along too. If you're out riding give him a wave, cheer him on, or turn around and ride with him! Give him a pull or just ride as long as you can, anything helps the cause. He loves the company, it boosts his moral and you will be part of history in the making!!! Thanks ~ The Crew

[tonyh]

Brilliant, thanks for taking the time out to post an update, Steve. 

We are all gunning for you, even though it is you doing all the work. And giving your best.

Yes!!!

And, of course, gunning for Kurt (and Alicia) as well!

[Exit Stage Left]

Thanks for putting the record  straight CF. Not sure where I got the misinformation from  That really does make TG's effort staggering.

Possibly from the Cycling Weekly articles about the record. Cycling Weekly being the successor to 'Cycling'. Somehow the story has mutated to 'Plucky Brit against the odds'. There are enough 'Patriots' around to float that boat. There are three people in the world who are wrestling with the reality. Four if you count Alicia, which I'm inclined to do.

However, the two men refused to be deterred by these hardships. Egged on by each other and their sponsors, their monthly figures quickly began to dwarf those set by Nicholson. Bennett took the honours between March and June, consistently riding further than Godwin each month and clawing back Godwin’s advantage.

In July 1939, Godwin rode a massive 8,583 miles in response, barely pausing for sleep, as both riders were being paced by other riders or their sponsors setting mileage objectives. It had got out of hand, and by mutual consent the pacing ceased, leaving the riders to complete the year riding solo.


Read more at http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/cycling-weekly/tommy-godwin-75065-miles-in-a-year-45701#myzfHCBz5htzz44I.99

[clarion]

I've got a book covering all of this coming out next month called "The Year".

Where do I pre-order?

And me!

I'm Spartacus!

er... I mean, me too!

[Tim Hall]

I've got a book covering all of this coming out next month called "The Year".

Where do I pre-order?

Pre order? Pre order?  Gah. 

(Where do I order?)

[L CC]

Yesterday was a good day! Tarzan put down some sizzling miles despite the miserable humid heat in the high 90's (van registered over 100 degrees and heat index 110 - ouch). Local superstar Greg Eberdt caught up with Kurt and gave him a good pull dragging me along too. If you're out riding give him a wave, cheer him on, or turn around and ride with him! Give him a pull or just ride as long as you can, anything helps the cause. He loves the company, it boosts his moral and you will be part of history in the making!!! Thanks ~ The Crew

If I were there I'd go join him on the road.
GO KURT!

(GO A BIT FURTHER, STEVE!)

[hillbilly]

Me too.  Although I suspect I'd hinder his daily miles rather than help them, given how fast he trundles up and down the highway (as I think the leftpondians call it).

(Separate point.  Although a bit cheesy, and although he isn't a member, and although this probably isn't the place to raise it, I did wonder whether AUK could give Kurt some sort of "merit" recognition for the interest he has generated in long distance cycling.  Solidarity and all that).

[Justin(e)]

I did wonder whether AUK could give Kurt some sort of "merit" recognition for the interest he has generated in long distance cycling. 

What a great idea

[toontra]

Thanks for putting the record  straight CF. Not sure where I got the misinformation from  That really does make TG's effort staggering.

Possibly from the Cycling Weekly articles about the record. Cycling Weekly being the successor to 'Cycling'. Somehow the story has mutated to 'Plucky Brit against the odds'.

Ah - thanks for that.  I knew I'd read somewhere earlier in the year about Godwin being paced.  I suspect we'll never know exactly what went on in those summer months, although CF's book should be as close to definitive as we're ever likely to get, by the sounds of it.  Looking forward to reading it. 

[TimC]

We're not sure, as a team, whether or not I can do the 300 mile days or if that is the best way to go about it.
The real headscratcher is how Tommy got by on so little sleep.
I have to keep an open mind on how to tackle it and as much as I like the idea of the 300 mile days, I have to do whatever works best for me. We don't know if Tommy had any special differences to me that enabled him to do what I cannot.
However, I remain hopeful of the 300 mile days even though I accept that they may not happen.
Hoppo may have put me on to something that may enable me to thrive on less sleep.
I have my theories about how it could work but it's early days.
The schedule is pretty much out the window. I am only really picking up from where I left off before the broken ankle so I am expecting the miles to increase until the weather knocks it down.
Kurt has proven that I don't need to do consecutive 300 milers but I will do whatever I can and give it my best.

Thanks for taking the time to post, Steve. Dealing with lack of sleep is a real problem - take it from someone who does it for a a living! People react in very different ways - I'm lucky, after 40-odd years of it I can function quite well on repeated days of very little sleep, and continue doing it indefinitely (though Dog knows what it's doing to my health in the long term...). The important thing is to work within your own limits, and don't push them too far while you're engaged in the OYTT. The consequences of chronic fatigue will have at least as bad an effect on your progress as a broken ankle!!

[Citizenfish]

Thanks for putting the record  straight CF. Not sure where I got the misinformation from  That really does make TG's effort staggering.

Possibly from the Cycling Weekly articles about the record. Cycling Weekly being the successor to 'Cycling'. Somehow the story has mutated to 'Plucky Brit against the odds'.

Ah - thanks for that.  I knew I'd read somewhere earlier in the year about Godwin being paced.  I suspect we'll never know exactly what went on in those summer months, although CF's book should be as close to definitive as we're ever likely to get, by the sounds of it.  Looking forward to reading it. 

Embarrassingly I wrote the CW piece ;-) The scant information I found showed that he occasionally had "some" company, hence the "other riders" comment, but the main commentary relates to his coach/mentor following him in a car (I have a picture of it somewhere). I read every inch of the Raleigh archives and every cycling magazine in 1939 to try and dig further, but little detail remains. Godwin was notoriously off-hand about the record post war and revealed little to even his closest friends/family. There is a book about his coach Charlie Davey, but this only has a few paragraphs to cover his management of Godwin's record.

This is why all of the current riders deserve huge accolade regardless of where their mileages end up. They've given us the empirical evidence that has been lost (Cycling apparently binned all of their records of these years including the mileage cards, imagine the stories these cards would tell?) and we're starting to properly understand the year record again. If I had my way I'd get them all knighted.

[Exit Stage Left]

Do we know who wrote this piece, in a history of the Raleigh Record Ace?

Spending up to 18 hours a day in the saddle, Godwin's best day's run was an amazing 361 miles on 21 June 1939. After six months, he had ridden 34,610 miles. July saw the most miles, 8,581, chalked up (an average of 277 a day) and that month Godwin stopped riding with pacers and the rest of his record was accomplished solo. The 50,000-mile mark was reached on 29 August and with two months to spare, he broke the previous record riding into Trafalgar Square on 26 October completing 62,658 miles. By year's end Godwin had notched up 75,065 miles (averaging 205.6 miles a day), riding through the appalling winter of 1939-40 and despite wartime blackout restrictions and rationing. He reached the remarkable mark of 100,000 miles before finally halting on 14 May 1940 after an incredible 499 days awheel. These records remain unbroken to this day.

http://www.ipernity.com/blog/286349/633421

The Nottingham Post is quoted further up the page. They might have covered Godwin in some detail. Interesting that Ferris is listed as a Sturmey Archer rider. Godwin had previously used a Cyclo gear.

“The splendid performance of S.H. Ferris, latest recruit to the ranks of Nottingham’s ‘star’ cyclists, in beating (subject to EEA confirmation) in the early hours of this morning the national Edinburgh-London record for unpaced road riding is expected to bring a new phase of prosperity to the works of Messrs. Sturmey-Archer Gears Ltd. Ferris, who is riding professionally for this Nottingham concern, is expected to attach further records next year. His object is to emphasise the greater efficiency of the product of the British gear industry against many foreign types of chain gears which have invaded the country in recent years” Nottingham Post, 14 October 1936

[danridesbikes]

small note about 300 mile days,

Lee Fancourt is attempting 6200 miles in 20 days later this month

https://www.facebook.com/Leefancourtendurancecyclist?fref=ts

he's got a lot of previous records, i fully expect him to have a crack at the year at some point 2017 i guess

[CrazyEnglishTriathlete]

Kurt's mpd target rose with his mechanical and chest problems but recent days have dropped his target to 200.13 mpd, so should drop below 200 tomorrow.  Respect for Kurt increases - there are those who say he has had it easier but much of the US is 25 - 35C during the summer and have spent the last two weeks cycling in such heat and humidity its not easy, even for the locals.

[Clemo]

When this all started at the beginning of the year, I thought Kurt was a bit of a tart with the deep rims and recumbent and everything, however as time has gone on I really have warmed to him he really presents himself well. I enjoy the facebook videos which quite often show how much of a strain the record is having on him and Alicia both physically and mentally not to mention the wear and tear on the hardware.
I like the fact its a warts and all account, open and honest much kudos to Alicia for that.

I think as long as fate doesn't intervene then I think Kurt will get the record.

[Exit Stage Left]

I think the story about Tommy Godwin being drafted is probably quite old and Citizenfish tells us that his research indicates that it isn't true. It probably needs to be filed alongside the story that the Dun Run was started by a load of couriers who didn't know when to stop.

Tommy's year record wasn't a record in any meaningful sense. It used the same self-reporting that anybody could send to 'Cycling', and you can do today in the AUK 'Mileater' award.

Everyone would naturally count their club-run mileages, which are paced of course. There was some validation, in Tommy getting proof of passage, and there was a sealed speedometer. But this wasn't a Roads Record Association sanctioned record.

The story told has always been that the 300 plus days were the result of systematic pacing, that the competing manufacturers came to an agreement to stop doing that, and that the mileages returned to what they had been.

[Shreds]

When this all started at the beginning of the year, I thought Kurt was a bit of a tart with the deep rims and recumbent and everything, however as time has gone on I really have warmed to him he really presents himself well. I enjoy the facebook videos which quite often show how much of a strain the record is having on him and Alicia both physically and mentally not to mention the wear and tear on the hardware.
I like the fact its a warts and all account, open and honest much kudos to Alicia for that.

I think as long as fate doesn't intervene then I think Kurt will get the record.

Cannot agree more.

[LMT]

Go Kurt, keep churning out those miles.

[CrazyEnglishTriathlete]

Kurt has got his target miles per day down below 200 again, after his mishaps last week.  By calculations, not a patch on the excellent Jo's, if he keeps up his recent 220 mpd he would {only} require 196 mpd by the end of the month.

So he's still on track to achieve the target but it could be a close run thing if he has further mishaps.  220mpd for the rest of the year would still only give him 10 days grace and give him 2400 miles above Tommy's total

Regards

Colin

[StevieB]

I agree Alicia has done excellent work in making the videos - numbers are numbers, but the videos give a real insight into what it is like getting on a bike to ride 200+ miles every day. They are compelling watching, even with the same plot every day, and the leading man mostly has his jaws locked onto a double cheeseburger!

[CrazyEnglishTriathlete]

Kurt's 233 mile day yesterday brought his mpd target to 199.25.  More storming days like that and the light will start to appear at the end the tunnel.

[Ningishzidda]

Kurt's 233 mile day yesterday brought his mpd target to 199.25.  More storming days like that and the light will start to appear at the end the tunnel.

Looking at the UMCA Hamr chart, this confused me because Kurt's and Tommy's progress lines are overlaid.
Maths is maths though and after doing the sums, 199.25 is Kurt's daily target.

[SoreTween]

Why the confusion?  Is it that you expect them to be apart, Tommy being on 206?  Jo's full year chart shows why that isn't the case.