[HAMR] More thoughts on the current record attempt(s)

[Canardly]

Ah good old 'commercial puff'.

[Legs]

The most extraordinary thing about Godwin's performance is really that, if he was capable of the kind of effort that gave him 300m+ days for a week at a time in the summer, he did such short mileage in the winter months.  Surely in a good year he'd have been capable of 90k+ (and if he'd used that Sturmey Archer all year, maybe a few k more? )

[Mr Larrington]

Wow, I must confess to being one of the those who thought that Godwin was drafted.

He was, but not until 1940 when he joined the RAF

[Sergeant Pluck]

I worry there is a perception that long distance cycling is somehow inherently "noble".

Why shouldn't some people perceive it as noble, and why worry about whether they do or not?

Because it has nothing to do with "noble" by the usual definitions.  Rescuing someone from a fire is noble, riding a bike isn't.  That doesn't mean there's anything inherently wrong with it, however unusual it might be.

The usual definitions of noble include many that I think apply to what Steve is doing. When BenT used the term earlier I thought of it in terms of excellence, extremes of endurance, rather in a moral way.

I digress.

[hillbilly]

Don Quixote was a noble night.

[hellymedic]

I have never seen an advert that lied before 

Especially not before the Trades Descriptions Act...

[Arry-R]

I have never seen an advert that lied before 

Especially not before the Trades Descriptions Act...

  

[Whitedown Man]

Don Quixote was a noble night.

Can't work out whether that's a typo or a joke so subtle it's going over my head 

[Peter]

I worry there is a perception that long distance cycling is somehow inherently "noble".

Why shouldn't some people perceive it as noble, and why worry about whether they do or not?

Because it has nothing to do with "noble" by the usual definitions.  Rescuing someone from a fire is noble, riding a bike isn't.  That doesn't mean there's anything inherently wrong with it, however unusual it might be.

The usual definitions of noble include many that I think apply to what Steve is doing. When BenT used the term earlier I thought of it in terms of excellence, extremes of endurance, rather in a moral way.

I digress.

I suppose it depends on which dickers you are looking at.  No matter, what Steve is doing is certainly remarkable.

[Wobbly]

Lots of assumptions there, including the idea that Steve isn't enjoying himself.  I'll bet you that, when he finishes this, he'll relax by going for a bike ride.

"When he finishes this"?

I have no idea what "this" is. Every day that passes "this" is less and less like a realistic attempt at HAMR/Tommy Godwin's/Tarzan's record.

What is Steve trying to achieve?

[zigzag]

"When he finishes this"?

I have no idea what "this" is. Every day that passes "this" is less and less like a realistic attempt at HAMR/Tommy Godwin's/Tarzan's record.

What is Steve trying to achieve?

he is riding the highest number of miles he can using his chosen strategy. this will help contributing towards other goals, if he has them, e.g. riding 1,000,000 miles in his lifetime. it would be interesting to hear from Steve "my thoughts on my record attempts"...

[toontra]

it would be interesting to hear from Steve "my thoughts on my record attempts"...

I would hope that after the review at the end of January (promised by the team) any ongoing goals would be made public so everyone, particularly the donors, know precisely what's being attempted.

[yanto]

"When he finishes this"?

I have no idea what "this" is. Every day that passes "this" is less and less like a realistic attempt at HAMR/Tommy Godwin's/Tarzan's record.

What is Steve trying to achieve?

he is riding the highest number of miles he can using his chosen strategy. this will help contributing towards other goals, if he has them, e.g. riding 1,000,000 miles in his lifetime. it would be interesting to hear from Steve "my thoughts on my record attempts"...

I agree with Wobbly, what is THIS he's doing?

It certainly can't be the HAMR, going over 76076 miles in the time left is impossible for him.  So, all the people who have, and continue to support in kind and with their hard cash, what are they supporting?

[Exit Stage Left]

There were pacers. But these pacers were two men doing everything to make sure their guys rode more miles for more hours. This is different from a team of riders that the two men drafted behind. This is what people fail to understand.

Godwin's pacing is totally explainable. You like Google, look up Charlie Davey. The man was an animal on the bike and an unbelievable task master off it. He goaded Godwin on following him around in a car, sorting his food and lodgings and fixing his bikes.  He would drive him to exhaustion whilst keeping an eye on his rival. THAT is pacing. And it was that which stopped after mutual agreement.

I can commend the book, 'The 24 Hour Story', by John Taylor. Chapter 1, on the 'paced' era of the 24 Hours up to about 1900 is interesting. The history of Paris Brest Paris, and other long distance continental events is also instructive, especially the inaugural Bordeaux-Paris.

Everything had been prepared to receive the riders properly [recevoir dignement]: full meals, baths, hot showers, nothing was forgotten, and there were good beds to welcome our heroes, because there was no doubt among the excellent people of Angoulème that it was impossible to ride 127km on a bicycle without immediately needing several hours' rest. To the great stupefaction of the spectators, not one of the riders took advantage of what had been provided. The eventual winner, G.P. Mills, stopped for several moments at best. He had a plan: he let Holbein eat peacefully at the control because he knew that a real champion, Lewis Stroud, was waiting to show him the way out of town and that, with him as a precious, fast and durable pacer he could build up the lead he needed to win the race.[4]
Mills reached Tours after 215 miles and more than 12 hours on the road. He rested for five minutes, ate raw meat "and a specially prepared stimulant",[3] and set off an hour ahead of the other British riders. "By now," said Head, "the Frenchmen were hopelessly out of the running."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bordeaux–Paris

The term 'pacer' in long distance cycling has a specific meaning of someone not riding the whole route, and upping the pace, and would have been well understood as meaning that in the 1930s.

That notion still lives on in Audax UK, where taking pace off someone not in the event will invalidate the ride, in theory at least. As the year record was open to all 'Cycling' readers, it was inconceivable that they couldn't count club runs, there was no reason you could not be paced. It was not an unpaced one year time trial.

That perception of the nature of the record is based on a knowledge of the nature of long-distance cycling in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, which was within living memory in 1939. Pacing is not problematic in the year record, it's expected.

[mattc]

I agree with Wobbly, what is THIS he's doing?

It certainly can't be the HAMR, going over 76076 miles in the time left is impossible for him.  So, all the people who have, and continue to support in kind and with their hard cash, what are they supporting?

Its not clear from your post,  so may I ask;
are you a supporter? With how much cash?

[Von Broad]

"When he finishes this"?

I have no idea what "this" is. Every day that passes "this" is less and less like a realistic attempt at HAMR/Tommy Godwin's/Tarzan's record.

What is Steve trying to achieve?

he is riding the highest number of miles he can using his chosen strategy. this will help contributing towards other goals, if he has them, e.g. riding 1,000,000 miles in his lifetime. it would be interesting to hear from Steve "my thoughts on my record attempts"...

I agree with Wobbly, what is THIS he's doing?

It certainly can't be the HAMR, going over 76076 miles in the time left is impossible for him.  So, all the people who have, and continue to support in kind and with their hard cash, what are they supporting?

"8 more months of fun" I think you'll find is how he described his endeavours at the beginning of the year.
I'm sure his choice of words was not intentionally ambiguous....but his choice of words was kind of interesting nevertheless.

For me....I'd never be out there cycling in this weather, not even for 20 miles, never mind 200, so when a person does the very opposite of what you'd never ever do in your wildest dreams their endeavours look heroic. Maybe they are, maybe not....but for Steve....it's enjoyable. It's how he enjoys life.

Initially I was, but I'm not a financial supporter any more, so actually, I really don't care what he does [other than being concerned about how tired he might get out there....and for that I do have genuine concerns - but Steve would probably laugh at all that], but I do wonder what his support team in MK are starting to think. They're the nerve centre of it all. Maybe their lives are so barren and empty that they're glad to give their precious time day in day out ad infinitum just to be doing something useful. But somehow......I very much doubt that's the case. If they're happy, and everybody else is happy to support, either hands on or with hard earned cash, then so bit it, everybody's happy.

[yanto]

I agree with Wobbly, what is THIS he's doing?

It certainly can't be the HAMR, going over 76076 miles in the time left is impossible for him.  So, all the people who have, and continue to support in kind and with their hard cash, what are they supporting?

Its not clear from your post,  so may I ask;
are you a supporter? With how much cash?

 

You're hilarious.

[mattc]

gosh, isnt this new thread going well?

[toontra]

I agree with Wobbly, what is THIS he's doing?

It certainly can't be the HAMR, going over 76076 miles in the time left is impossible for him.  So, all the people who have, and continue to support in kind and with their hard cash, what are they supporting?

Its not clear from your post,  so may I ask;
are you a supporter? With how much cash?

And I would say that's none of your damn business. 

Please try and desist from shit-stirring at every possible opportunity.  You were already instrumental in closing the last thread.  If you cant tolerate views other than your own being expressed  then keep away.  But you can't can you - like a dog returning to it's own vomit, day after day.

[Polar Bear]

"this", as people keep alluding to is Steve's second attempt at breaking Tommy Godwin's annual 365 consecutive days mileage record.   He made it clear enough in August that this was his aim and has not stated at any point that this aim has changes afaik.

Why so much obfuscation on the matter is beyond me.   

</edit>

Minor correction applied. 

[TimC]

I am quite clear in my own mind that Steve is still aiming for the HAM'R, and the latest schedule confirms that. Whether that schedule is achievable is another matter, however Idai clearly said in the interview which we all enjoyed that a review would be held at the end of this (and any subsequent) month and an assessment made of whether or not the target was achievable. So I'm quite happy, so long as Steve remains healthy and motivated, to wait until then before I state my views on it again - if, indeed, I feel the need. I may well not!

I do believe that if Steve makes any acknowledgement that the records (HAM'R and 100k) are out of reach, but decides to carry on riding anyway to try and exceed his 2015 total, that it would be wrong to continue to solicit donations to support that, but of course it's every individual's choice as to whether they donate or not.

[yanto]

gosh, isnt this new thread going well?

It and other threads go so much better with free speech, lack of insinuation as to worthyness in comment and constructive criticism.

Why don't you discuss this current record attempt as the thread title says, stop doing the old "passive aggressive" bollocks, eh? Now there's a good chap!

I will repeat, what is he doing, it is to beat the 76076 miles, is as mentioned ^^^^^^^ to beat Tommy's consecutive 365 day record?  I need educating here as my memory fails me with old age, what is that record?

Also for the record I fully support Steve, I have followed his ups and downs from day 1, read every thread on here about it, followed faceache, been stunned by Jo's graphics and been amazed by a lot of mantra and pig headed view points on here from people who appear to be unable to accept what is happening to Steve re: "the record attempt".

I don't know Steve, I don't know;

What's driving him,
What his aims are,
Whether he's enjoying this,
Whether he thinks this is a rather nice long bike ride paid for by others?

If i met him I would have so many questions.

What I do know is:

I am in awe of what he has achieved.

I'm also afraid that what he is doing this now is an attempt to "save face", which from my view point he doesn't have to.

[Wobbly]

I agree with Wobbly, what is THIS he's doing?

It certainly can't be the HAMR, going over 76076 miles in the time left is impossible for him.  So, all the people who have, and continue to support in kind and with their hard cash, what are they supporting?

Its not clear from your post,  so may I ask;
are you a supporter? With how much cash?

That comment surprised even me and is not worthy of a reply.

[Hot Flatus]

gosh, isnt this new thread going well?

It and other threads go so much better with free speech, lack of insinuation as to worthyness in comment and constructive criticism.

Why don't you discuss this current record attempt as the thread title says, stop doing the old "passive aggressive" bollocks, eh? Now there's a good chap!

I will repeat, what is he doing, it is to beat the 76076 miles, is as mentioned ^^^^^^^ to beat Tommy's consecutive 365 day record?  I need educating here as my memory fails me with old age, what is that record?

Also for the record I fully support Steve, I have followed his ups and downs from day 1, read every thread on here about it, followed faceache, been stunned by Jo's graphics and been amazed by a lot of mantra and pig headed view points on here from people who appear to be unable to accept what is happening to Steve re: "the record attempt".

I don't know Steve, I don't know;

What's driving him,
What his aims are,
Whether he's enjoying this,
Whether he thinks this is a rather nice long bike ride paid for by others?

If i met him I would have so many questions.

What I do know is:

I am in awe of what he has achieved.

I'm also afraid that what he is doing this now is an attempt to "save face", which from my view point he doesn't have to.

Well I do know Steve, and I did contribute.  I think that does give me more right to comment on what Steve does with the funds that somebody who hasn't contributed. I also found that your comment to which mattc objected could be construed as containing a rather unpleasant insinuation about Steve. I don't know you, and I don't know whether that was what you intended.

For you, perhaps, this thread is the opportunity to sound off about something. But there is somebody out there at this very moment trudging on in sub-zero temperatures whilst you give the world the benefit of your opinion from the comfort of your home. It is highly likely that that person reads (or read) these pages so it behoves you, as somebody who doesn't know Steve and hasnt put anything into this, to think very carefully about how you word your comments.

[mattc]

gosh, isnt this new thread going well?

It and other threads go so much better with free speech, lack of insinuation as to worthyness in comment and constructive criticism.

Why don't you discuss this current record attempt as the thread title says, stop doing the old "passive aggressive" bollocks, eh? Now there's a good chap!

I will repeat, what is he doing, it is to beat the 76076 miles, is as mentioned ^^^^^^^ to beat Tommy's consecutive 365 day record?  I need educating here as my memory fails me with old age, what is that record?

Also for the record I fully support Steve, I have followed his ups and downs from day 1, read every thread on here about it, followed faceache, been stunned by Jo's graphics and been amazed by a lot of mantra and pig headed view points on here from people who appear to be unable to accept what is happening to Steve re: "the record attempt".

I don't know Steve, I don't know;

What's driving him,
What his aims are,
Whether he's enjoying this,
Whether he thinks this is a rather nice long bike ride paid for by others?

If i met him I would have so many questions.

What I do know is:

I am in awe of what he has achieved.

I'm also afraid that what he is doing this now is an attempt to "save face", which from my view point he doesn't have to.

Well I do know Steve, and I did contribute.  I think that does give me more right to comment on what Steve does with the funds that somebody who hasn't contributed. I also found that your comment to which mattc objected could be construed as containing a rather unpleasant insinuation about Steve. I don't know you, and I don't know whether that was what you intended.

For you, perhaps, this thread is the opportunity to sound off about something. But there is somebody out there at this very moment trudging on in sub-zero temperatures whilst you give the world the benefit of your opinion from the comfort of your home. It is highly likely that that person reads (or read) these pages so it behoves you, as somebody who doesn't know Steve and hasnt put anything into this, to think very carefully about how you word your comments.

Well put,  thankyou.