[HAMR] Tarzan (Kurt Searvogel)

[Exit Stage Left]

Will Tarzan break the record before the end of December?

[hillbilly]

He's over 4000 miles to go.  In 14 days.  285 miles a day or so.

I'd suggest not a snowball's chance in hell.

[red marley]

Don't let Kurt hear you otherwise he'll rise to the challenge and there'll be a white Christmas in the underworld.

[hillbilly]

I'd love to see him prove me wrong.  But he won't.  Pussy 

I predict Kurt will break the record on 4 January.

[simonp]

Still not in the bag for Kurt. Don't jinx it.

[Wowbagger]

I see that the HAM(ste)R has escaped from the wheel and is heading north. 158 miles before 5pm Florida time is more than usual, isn't it?

[Wowbagger]

A short day by Kurt's standards - 202 miles - and the first time since 8th November that he hasn't ridden a Godwin. That doesn't matter a scrap in the general scheme of things as it's still at least 25 miles above his required daily distance. He could notch up 202 every day between now and 10th Jan and still add about 600 miles to the record.

[Wowbagger]

Tracker turned on. 250 miles today?

[LMT]

Tracker turned on. 250 miles today?

A certain shipping forecast says a NNW wind for the reminder of the day so it is possible.

Go Tarzan, go.

[sg37409]

Go Tarzan, go.

Encouragments like this should automatically playthe tarzan call sound 

[Mikes]

I don't think Kurt's and Tommy Godwin's efforts are comparable for a number of reasons, but in any case it's  worth noting that based on his records Godwin did at least 76,600 miles in his best consecutive 365 days which is the HAMR ciriterion.  See Ian Dow's comment on Steve Abraham's official website.  Kurt needs to speed up to exceed that mileage by end of 9 Jan.

[red marley]

I don't think Kurt's and Tommy Godwin's efforts are comparable for a number of reasons, but in any case it's  worth noting that based on his records Godwin did at least 76,600 miles in his best consecutive 365 days which is the HAMR criterion.

No it isn't. The HAM'R requires competitors to state which 365 days before they start the first of them. That's quite different to choosing the best 365 days after the event.

[Wowbagger]

Kurt has just passed 200 miles for the day on the tracker. He has been riding in pretty straight lines today, so I doubt that there will be a lot of discrepancy between the tracker and the official result for the day.

[Jacamo]

I don't think Kurt's and Tommy Godwin's efforts are comparable for a number of reasons, but in any case it's  worth noting that based on his records Godwin did at least 76,600 miles in his best consecutive 365 days which is the HAMR ciriterion.  See Ian Dow's comment on Steve Abraham's official website.  Kurt needs to speed up to exceed that mileage by end of 9 Jan.

You're right, you can't compare their efforts. Kurt's mileage is verifiable.

[Mikes]

I'm no expert but Tommy's mileage appears to have been verified in the best way that the technology of the time would have allowed.  UMCA and their HAMR Rules didn't exist in 1939 / 1940, so obviously Tommy wasn't working to those Rules.  However, verifiability  wasn't one of the reasons for my comment that the rides are not really comparable. I was thinking more of the bikes being used, the road conditions and the information technology that's providing input on things like forecast wind speed and direction.  Use of tri-bars, carbon bikes, recumbents and even modern lights make long distance riding materially easier (but not easy!) now than would have been possible with the technology of 1939/40.  Tri-bars alone would be worth 1-2 miles an hour at the speeds that Kurt has been averaging.  However, riding 200+ miles a day for 365 consecutive days is a serious challenge on any bike, even with today's relative advantages. It looks like Kurt will be the first to establish a record under the UMCA's HAMR Rules, as he is already ahead of Steve Abraham's total, so Kurt's mileage will be a natural target for anyone else riding under those Rules.

[Exit Stage Left]

I don't think Kurt's and Tommy Godwin's efforts are comparable for a number of reasons, but in any case it's  worth noting that based on his records Godwin did at least 76,600 miles in his best consecutive 365 days which is the HAMR ciriterion.  See Ian Dow's comment on Steve Abraham's official website.  Kurt needs to speed up to exceed that mileage by end of 9 Jan.

Tommy's 4 speed Sturmey Archer Hub saved him 1/3 of his effort, so he didn't actually break the previous record at all. He seems very pleased with himself about the results of his cheating.

[danridesbikes]

his torso doesn't look vey Aero

[HK]

No road records can be compared like for like.  It's the nature of the beast.  Bike technology and road conditions are constantly changing.  This can extend as far as the hour record where a new track like the London one has been specifically designed to give riders optimum conditions for record breaking.

Those that chase records accept this including me having broken a record and having failed on another.

[Wowbagger]

There was a comment on Strava about the Floridian road death rate being the highest in the US, down to the preponderance of ancient drivers. That's another good argument for going round those hamster wheels, which are, presumably, free of motor vehicles.

[Exit Stage Left]

Seperated at birth.





Kurt Searvogel.






Catweazle.

[CrazyEnglishTriathlete]

BY my reckoning Kurt has just 3000 miles to go.  And 19 days. 

[Wowbagger]

Kurt ailed yesterday. Knee trouble. A mere 215 miles.

[Wowbagger]

BY my reckoning Kurt has just 3000 miles to go.  And 19 days.

I thought it was 20 days and about 3290. 22nd today, which he has yet to ride, then up to the end of 10th Jan.

http://www.tarzanrides.com/ refers, but that's usually at least a day out. It's not 100% clear, I would agree.

Correction - up to 9th Jan. You are right. I think I am missing a day as well, relying too much on the Tarzan Rides website. No doubt Jo will be along in a moment with a beautifal graph that makes everything crystal clear.

[Wowbagger]

I see that Kurt's dodgy knee from yesterday doesn't seem to be stopping him at all.

[toontra]

Not a sigle day under 200 miles for over a month (and many significantly higher) despite health niggles and the possible temptation to back off now the end is in sight.  Quite amazing.