round the world bike race

[Laid Back Rich]

Anyone here interested in joining me to watch the start of the round the world bike race http://worldcycleracing.com at 9am in Greenwich on Feb 18th?  The record to beat is 96 days... riders must cover at least 29,000km, so over 300km/day average...  I'm planning to have a bash at this in 2014 and have put some GWR info here http://laidbackaroundtheworld.blogspot.com/p/guinness-world-records.html

[Frank9755]

I met Alan Bate in Thailand in December and rode with him for a day.  Nice chap and mad on bikes!  He has a bar / museum full of interesting bikes - penny farthings to TT machines, and the one he went round the world on.

[marcusjb]

It is a fascinating challenge and, at some point, guinness may have to define supported and unsupported attempts. Alan bate's record is astonishing, and very impressive, but he's done something different to vin cox (and mark beaumont before etc.).

I'd guess the next great target for unsupported riders in the 150 day barrier?

In terms of supported attempts, beyond the phenomenal fitness required, it becomes more and more a question of financing. If someone can raise the capital for a 3-5 person RAAM style support team, then their chances of success will be improved.

Anyway, back on topic, I would love to go to the start, looks unlikely though as it's my other half's birthday.

And if you do the ride in 2014 rich, I am sure we'll all be supporting you every mile, and be insanely jealous!

[mattc]

It is a fascinating challenge and, at some point, guinness may have to define supported and unsupported attempts. Alan bate's record is astonishing, and very impressive, but he's done something different to vin cox (and mark beaumont before etc.).
...

In terms of supported attempts, beyond the phenomenal fitness required, it becomes more and more a question of financing. If someone can raise the capital for a 3-5 person RAAM style support team, then their chances of success will be improved.

Yup. IMHO if you build enough support around you it becomes almost like riding for 100 days on a turbo. It's supposed to be an adventure - isn't it? 

I think Mark Beaumont will always have a prominent place in people's minds - deservedly - no matter what times are set in the future.

[Bendy Bianchi]

I did an audax last year with James Bowthorpe who beat Mark Baaumonts record. James is a cracking lad.


http://www.globecycle.org/

Anyone here interested in joining me to watch the start of the round the world bike race http://worldcycleracing.com at 9am in Greenwich on Feb 18th?  The record to beat is 96 days... riders must cover at least 29,000km, so over 300km/day average...  I'm planning to have a bash at this in 2014 and have put some GWR info here http://laidbackaroundtheworld.blogspot.com/p/guinness-world-records.html

[Pip]

Local Muswell Hill resident, fellow gym member and customer, Sean Conway http://www.cyclingtheearth.co.uk/, is participating in this event. His long distance training is tapering down, and I'll be there Rich, to wave goodbye.

Bear in mind that the 96 day record (may actually be revised to 106), was a partially supported version. These riders will be totally unsupported, and will have to pedal nearly 300kms per day for 100 consecutive days to break the record.

See you there!

[teethgrinder]

and have put some GWR info here http://laidbackaroundtheworld.blogspot.com/p/guinness-world-records.html

I'm not sure I'd bother with GWR now.
They charge £1000 for each claim, which is why GWR still say that Andy "Wilco" Wilkinson holds the End to End record. Gethin Butler has it now, but neither he, nor the RRA stumped up the money.
IMO GWR is corrupt. Only the rich can break records now.
I wasn't impressed with their replies to your asking them why they can't have another category for recumbents either.

F$%^ 'em I say!

[L CC]

Diss local (fast) boy Richard Dunnett is doing it, too.

http://www.onebigpedal.co.uk

[Laid Back Rich]

I'm not sure I'd bother with GWR now.  They charge £1000 for each claim...

do they really?  I have registered and got all the rules and there is nothing about payment unless I want them to come out and verify my attempt - is this a new thing?  (I registered a few years ago). 

In any case it's all academic now for me now that the record is way lower than I can ever hope to get close to as an unsupported rider

[Jabba]

Rich

It seemed from your webpage that the main tenet of GWR's refusal to accept your attempt via recumbent was that 'it was easier'; surely with Alan Bate's recognition they have now shot themselves in the foot. Not wanting to denigrate Alan's achievement but surely any assistance reduces the amount of effort required when compared to Vin Cox, Mark Beaumont et al and therefore makes the whole ride easier (that is a very relative term I know as cycling the world is anything but easy). Also why the long transfer periods, surely some of the effort required is in maintaining the fitness without massive recovery periods.  Taking the GWR rules to a ridiculous extreme (where no transfer time is included) then a cyclist could spend a fortune time trialling at max effort between various points with large recovery times between each leg and achieve a stupidly quick time.  IMHO this is not what a 'round the world record' is about.

The setting of a record for a circum-navigation by bike seems to be becoming an extended RAAM style event and with full support and a 4-6 team of riders I'm sure even Alan's record can be shattered.

Have you thought about re-attacking GWR on this front of easy-ness post Alan's record being recognised?

All this said I wish all the participants the best and wish I could've followed in their pedal strokes and taken part in what looks to be an epic event.

And good luck with your attempt in a couple of years Rich, recumbent or not its still a chuffing long way!

[Laid Back Rich]

in fairness to GWR it would be almost impossible to distinguish between supported and unsupported attempts... where would the line be drawn and how would it be checked?  eg my plans involve meeting up with a brother in NZ for dinner and he may ride some distance with me, is that support? 

there is no doubt that full support including camper van, cooked meals, mechanic, baggage transportation, massage etc. would liberate a rider to do nothing else but eat ride and sleep so 300k a day looks possible like that... just... not that I'd like to do it that way, even if I could afford it...

as far as the recumbent point goes, that's really a question of long-term comfort.  I actually go a lot faster on my pinarello road bike - PBP last year on the road bike took me 72h including 2 good sleeps; in 2007 on a recumbent it took me 89h...  the difference is that after the 2007 event I could have kept on riding whereas after 2011 I had a sore arse, stiff neck and aching shoulders and was happy to stop.

[Laid Back Rich]

http://worldcycleracing.com/live-tracking/ will be the page to watch after 9am Saturday

[PAC]

I'm planning to include a section of the A30 on a 200k DIY on Saturday, so i'll hopefully see one or two of them and give then a wave & cheer as they head for Plymouth

[zigzag]

chapeau to the guys, exciting few months ahead! different bikes, different strategies and the same goal.



more photos

[Laid Back Rich]

my photos here
http://laidbackaroundtheworld.blogspot.com/p/race.html

Tim Wainwright was there too so there could be some better photos soon

We found out what the Scotsman was wearing under his kilt... cycle shorts!

[recumbentim]

From Mike Hall, s tweets he has done 2253klms in a week . Thats 320k a day slightly above Audax pace I would say- - more Ultra Marathon. Looks like the record could be smashed ?
 

[Laid Back Rich]

From Mike Hall, s tweets he has done 2253klms in a week . Thats 320k a day slightly above Audax pace I would say- - more Ultra Marathon. Looks like the record could be smashed ?

IF he can keep up the pace then yes, he is on target for about 90 days... and in my view he is the only realistic contender in the field... following tweets from the others, and looking at their progress, they do look like a bunch of optimistic chancers who lack long distance experience and seem woefully unprepared for the challenge...  I'm beginning to doubt any of them will finish (two have packed already - one was still in UK and the other in Brittany).  I'd like to see some of the fastest of this parish take up the challenge, eg 62 hour LEL man Howard Waller, aka Oranj

[spenceey]

Insane! I can't wait to keep an eye on these in coming weeks.

Can't believe 2 people have dropped out already too.

[mattc]

300k days, across Northern Europe, in February? I think I'd probably quit!

However, this lot are supposed to be up for riding, er... round the world, so it is a bit disappointing.

[mmmmartin]

I'd just like to say, as a mere minnow of no importance in this long-distance world, that I think the whole thing is just silly. Publicity-seeking, over-inflated egos, money etc, all the things I detest. Rather like the whole Olympic caravan, in fact.

[Laid Back Rich]

300k days, across Northern Europe, in February? I think I'd probably quit!

actually only 2 of the remaining 8 on the road are still battling across Northern Europe
http://trackleaders.com/worldcyclerace
(ignore JW in Britanny, he's packed and back in London)

I think the whole thing is just silly. Publicity-seeking, over-inflated egos, money etc...

not sure there is a lot of money in this... all riders are unsupported and some on shoestring student budgets, there was no evidence of corporate opulence or extravagant funding of any nature at the start and I've not seen any sign of it on the website which looks pretty amateur with no corporate backing
http://worldcycleracing.com/

[Paul D]

I'd just like to say, as a mere minnow of no importance in this long-distance world, that I think the whole thing is just silly. Publicity-seeking, over-inflated egos, money etc, all the things I detest. Rather like the whole Olympic caravan, in fact.

I think it's a very good way of getting people like us interested in what must be the least spectator-friendly event ever.

I have become moderately obsessed with the Tour Divide for the same reason; watching one man's SPOT tracker edge it's way along is dull, but watching a bunch of trackers 'race' makes it interesting.

Isn't it the same thing as the PBP updates on here / twitter / PBP control times page? Didn't you watch those with a bit of interest?

[vorsprung]

I just looked at some of the routes they are going to use

There are a couple who cycle down to Spain, get a plane to the US, zig zag across the US, fly to New Zealand, quick sprint across there, fly to Austraila, across Austraila, then fly to Estonia and back via northern Europe.

To me that's not a round the world trip.  Humphreys did the whole length of Africa, then most of South America, then the very north of the Americas then across Russian from near Japan

Zig zagging across the US to bump your mileage up seems idiotic.  I expect those riders are Americans.  Not a great way to win.

[Laid Back Rich]

they are all Brits as far as I know, and all their routes must comply with Guinness Rules which do indeed allow for maximising mileage in some perhaps easier continents and missing out entire other continents

I have provided summary of the rules here
http://laidbackaroundtheworld.blogspot.com/p/guinness-world-records.html

[Laid Back Rich]

by the way do you think my planned route is a genuine RTW "honest effort" and within the spirit?

http://laidbackaroundtheworld.blogspot.com/p/route.html