Author Topic: [HAMR] Current thoughts on the record attempt? (Read 260272 times)

toontra · « **Reply #1350 on:** 31 December, 2015, 08:27:38 pm »

Well there we have it! What we have suspected all along - a suspicion verging on paranoia of letting any information out. It should have been obvious to anyone with any PR skills at all that that was destined to be not only unnecessary but utterly counter-productive. Did they not even consider that a crowd-funded project would, and indeed should, be open to enquiries from the funders!!?

There was so much good-will for this project, mainly because most of us know and have admired Steve for years. That should have been harnessed (not just financially) for the good of the challenge. Instead we have been blocked out and actually seen as the enemy. Amazing!!

Thanks for reminding us that there were/are two parts to the team - the guys in MK have been doing an amazing job. As for the others..... As FB says, a challenge like this needs a certain level of professionalism and, above all, teamwork. This team is plainly disfunctional.

Thanks FB for giving us a rare and much-needed glimpse into what's actually been going on for the last year. There has been so much speculation, filling the void of communication. Now at least we've had some of our suspicions confirmed.

nextSibling · « **Reply #1351 on:** 31 December, 2015, 08:43:47 pm »

Quote from: Fidgetbuzz on 31 December, 2015, 08:19:38 pm

in fact anything at all would potentially be helpful to Kurt

Bizarre. I'm at a loss to understand how. How could Kurt possibly gain anything from knowledge of Steve's approach? The most, and probably only, useful information - distance covered - is already public knowledge and updated continuously.

Meanwhile, Kurt and Alicia seem to be regularly posting pictures, videos, stories, news about the ups and downs of their progress all over social media and I don't see Steve's team using it to cunning strategic advantage.

toontra · « **Reply #1352 on:** 31 December, 2015, 08:45:51 pm »

Quote from: nextSibling on 31 December, 2015, 08:43:47 pm

Quote from: Fidgetbuzz on 31 December, 2015, 08:19:38 pm
in fact anything at all would potentially be helpful to Kurt

Bizarre. I'm at a loss to understand how. How could Kurt possibly gain anything from knowledge of Steve's approach? The most, and probably only, useful information - distance covered - is already public knowledge and updated continuously.

Meanwhile, Kurt and Alicia seem to be regularly posting pictures, videos, stories, news about the ups and downs of their progress all over social media and I don't see Steve's team using it to cunning strategic advantage.

Some of us were saying this back in February but were dismissed as falling for Kurt's "low-level PR"!

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #1353 on:** 31 December, 2015, 08:47:19 pm »

What Wobbly said

Aunt Maud · « **Reply #1354 on:** 31 December, 2015, 08:49:08 pm »

Well, there you go.

Canardly · « **Reply #1355 on:** 31 December, 2015, 08:49:28 pm »

Thanks for the insight FB.

LMT · « **Reply #1356 on:** 31 December, 2015, 08:52:15 pm »

What a fuck up, I pity Steve for having put in such an amazing effort with all this shite in the background. If they put in as much effort as they did trying to suppress what you can look up on the UMCA website...

Wowbagger · « **Reply #1357 on:** 31 December, 2015, 09:10:33 pm »

Hmm. Although clearly Steve's Jan to jan approach was doomed after his broken ankle, and that can't be attributed to poor leadership, with hindsight, the August restart was probably a mistake given what we know now. Continuing after such a serious health report in October was very poor management indeed.

If the objective is to break the record (ie aim at 80k miles in 365 days) then Steve has to restart after sufficient rest, recuperation, building a new team, and lots of planning. Anything else is a complete waste of time, resources and goodwill.

LittleWheelsandBig · « **Reply #1358 on:** 31 December, 2015, 09:10:54 pm »

Quote from: Aunt Maud on 31 December, 2015, 08:49:08 pm

Well, there you go.

You've always shown more self-control than me.

Legs · « **Reply #1359 on:** 31 December, 2015, 09:17:53 pm »

Absolutely. I'm not going to beat about the bush; Steve deserves better than to be associated with such a self-serving, pompous <redacted>.

A superb physical effort, let down by a failure of communication within and outside the 'team'.

(BTW - Do the donors know even a rough breakdown of expenditure and fund balance? I'm under the impression that they're not informed of this. AFAIK, the only info spread out is along the lines of FB saying things like "the money situation's okay", or "there'd be enough for X, Y, Z"...)

Arry-R · « **Reply #1360 on:** 31 December, 2015, 09:25:05 pm »

. I know this was explained as wind-cheating, but I can't really see how this record can be broken by choosing to do so much night riding.
[/qu

Plus one

wajcgac · « **Reply #1361 on:** 31 December, 2015, 09:25:32 pm »

Quote from: Pale Rider on 31 December, 2015, 07:07:42 pm

Quote from: LMT on 31 December, 2015, 06:52:23 pm

As a start I'd say:-

Easiest routing possible, avoiding hills and as a bonus ride with a tailwind.

It appears to me Kurt has ridden a more hilly route than Steve.

The HAMR leaderboard has mileage and total elevation for each rider.

Dividing the respective figures gives 21.8 feet per mile for Kurt, and 21.0 feet per mile for Steve.

Only a few inches in it, but the notion Kurt has taken the easier option of flat routes is false - assuming I've done the arithmetic correctly.

http://ultracycling.com/sections/records/data/hamr/

Nothing wrong with your maths but I'd question the climbing data on the HAMR spreadsheet

1617721 feet of climbing equates to 493,000 metres approx.

Divide that by 356 days gives just shy of 1400 metres of climbing per day.

Looking back through Kurts Strava records the last days he did that amount of climbing were Oct 11th, Sept 17th, Aug 22nd, 26th July (in Wisconsin) - most days are way under this.

I wouldn't be surprised if his actual climbing was around half that figure bearing in mind that the early part of the year was spent in Florida as well.

I know on some days Kurts Garmin was waterlogged and gave a hugely erroneous climbing figure. Maybe somehow these have been included in the HAMR total before Strava has applied it's own data and corrected the figures. You won't find these extreme figures on Strava now.

It's a shame about this because it gives an incorrect impression to the casual observer and in my mind doesn't do justice to one aspect of the UK geography that Steve is disadvantaged by.

Arry-R · « **Reply #1362 on:** 31 December, 2015, 09:27:40 pm »

u've gone all Dragons Den now?

Well, it is a lot more watchable now they've got rid of Duncan ruddy Bannatyne.

Ducan was THE BEST
[/quote]

Fidgetbuzz · « **Reply #1363 on:** 31 December, 2015, 09:45:31 pm »

Quote from: Legs on 31 December, 2015, 09:17:53 pm

(BTW - Do the donors know even a rough breakdown of expenditure and fund balance? I'm under the impression that they're not informed of this. AFAIK, the only info spread out is along the lines of FB saying things like "the money situation's okay", or "there'd be enough for X, Y, Z"...)

I know exactly how much was handed over not only when i stood down but from the continuing standing orders. i also know how much is still coming in thru Paypal as one off donations. On expenditure -- without having updated info -- I have seen no obvious change of pattern other than possibly paying for a couple of transport relocations and maybe some medical and nutritional advice. In my opinion if all funding stopped now, there would be enough in the pot to fund the 2nd attempt to 7th Aug 2016 and still leave a 5 figure sum to be donated to charity -- but using some of the surplus at 8.8.16 to allow Steve to settle back into " real" life might be seen as reasonable.

I have been reticent about being specific as to sums -- because of the possibility thta donors might have felt there was no need to continue supporting -- and yet when I was involved there could have been a totally unforecast call for a significant sum -- but still within the ethos of attempting the record ie - relocate to france , hire a gite for 3 months etc etc -- so by choice I have never felt it appropriate to be more specific than to say -- your generosity amazes me, there is enough to see us thru to 8.8.16 etc.

I think I saw a comment somewhere recently that the undertaking to donate a surplus to charity was no longer on the 1YTT web page -- I do hope I am imagining this .. as if it was right -- I would find it very difficult to believe that Steve himself had approved the change.

wajcgac · « **Reply #1364 on:** 31 December, 2015, 09:51:25 pm »

Quote

Of course, with commercial sponsors supplying equipment, our costs will go down. We are hoping that we raise more money than is needed and that this becomes a charity fundraiser. Beneficiaries are currently undecided, though cancer and children's charities are being considered.

Thankfully still there.

Bunker22 · « **Reply #1365 on:** 31 December, 2015, 10:08:32 pm »

Quote from: Wobbly on 31 December, 2015, 08:11:48 pm

Quote from: mattc on 31 December, 2015, 07:06:38 pm
There was no contract drawn-up by sponsors/donors. Nobody made demands a year ago.

I have no idea whether contracts were drawn up for sponsors. Do you have any insider knowledge on this?

And no-one's making "demands" now. We're simply asking, politely, to know what Steve's intentions are. Because we get no reply we keep on asking.

In any case a year ago no-one would have suspected there'd be such a dearth of information. Looking at the oneYearTimeTrial web site news section, the most recent entries are dated 1st Dec and 14th July...

29 posts in January and February, and then 5 for the rest of the year!

LEE · « **Reply #1366 on:** 31 December, 2015, 10:24:47 pm »

It's a shame it's ended up like this.

It seems that Steve IS the 4th greatest annual mile-muncher in the history of the Bicycle.

To be honest, given British weather and a broken ankle, he wouldn't need to cycle another mile in order to be, and remain, a cycling legend in my eyes.

I've always been of the opinion that Steve should take on the record in the way he, and only he, wants to break it.

There's no point in him breaking the record, by flying to more hospitable climes, and terrain, (for example) if he isn't satisfied with the record done that way.

I can't be bothered checking my posts on the matter but I HOPE I never gave Steve any advice on the best way to break the record. Ultimately I suspect he wants to do it his way or he won't consider it broken.

Go Steve!!!! .. in whatever you choose to do.

PAC · « **Reply #1367 on:** 31 December, 2015, 10:40:29 pm »

Quote from: LEE on 31 December, 2015, 10:24:47 pm

It's a shame it's ended up like this.

It seems that Steve IS the 4th greatest annual mile-muncher in the history of the Bicycle.

To be honest, given British weather and a broken ankle, he wouldn't need to cycle another mile in order to be, and remain, a cycling legend in my eyes.

I've always been of the opinion that Steve should take on the record in the way he, and only he, wants to break it.

There's no point in him breaking the record, by flying to more hospitable climes, and terrain, (for example) if he isn't satisfied with the record done that way.

I can't be bothered checking my posts on the matter but I HOPE I never gave Steve any advice on the best way to break the record. Ultimately I suspect he wants to do it his way or he won't consider it broken.

Go Steve!!!! .. in whatever you choose to do.

Good post LEE

Basil · « **Reply #1368 on:** 31 December, 2015, 10:42:54 pm »

OK. I'm bored with this thread now as it doesn't seem to go anywhere except over and over the same ground.
All I'll add is that if Steve continues after midnight tonight, I'd like to be told why. In other words, I'd like to know what the goal is. Is there a target? TG? KS? (Both seem unlikely). As much as possible? Is there any sort of goal at all?
We deserve some sort of answer at least.

Wobbly · « **Reply #1369 on:** 31 December, 2015, 10:56:26 pm »

Quote from: LEE on 31 December, 2015, 10:24:47 pm

It seems that Steve IS the 4th greatest annual mile-muncher in the history of the Bicycle.

To be honest, given British weather and a broken ankle, he wouldn't need to cycle another mile in order to be, and remain, a cycling legend in my eyes.

That. In spades.

Mileater · « **Reply #1370 on:** 31 December, 2015, 11:03:32 pm »

Fidgetbuzz, has the donors' money been going through the Team Leader? Or directly to Steve? Worried... who is making sure that Steve is getting the full benefit of the funds? Is there any oversight?

Fidgetbuzz · « **Reply #1371 on:** 31 December, 2015, 11:10:59 pm »

I pay directly into a Steve personal account. Team at one stage wanted several to have access to this account -- I wrote a personal letter to Steve advising strongly against this. i have no knowledge whether he took this advice or not. At one stage I was convinced that I had a responsibility to donors which meant that I could not resign .... but in the end I decided that as you were all donating to Steve - provided I ensured that the funds got to him -- then I had no responsibility for what he did with them -- so then I felt able to step away.

TimC · « **Reply #1372 on:** 31 December, 2015, 11:28:53 pm »

I have to say I'm not surprised by anything FB has said - there's been plenty of circumstantial evidence that the 'team leadership' has been a bit of an ego-trip for one or two individuals, has bizarrely worked against the interests of Steve and the record, and has treated his loyal supporters as tantamount to saboteurs. The idea that information should not be given out to those paying for this effort runs against any conventions of fund-raising and charity-funded events. I am truly sorry that Steve has had to work under such odd conditions, and have to say that it's even more amazing that he's achieved what he has.

It's also obvious that the domestic team in MK should be warmly thanked and congratulated for their unstinting support throughout - a better PR machine would have brought them to our attention far more prominently.

I'd also like to know what is the aim now, and how is it to be delivered?

Glover Fan · « **Reply #1373 on:** 31 December, 2015, 11:44:44 pm »

From latest Strava entry: -

"Last day of the first attempt at the Highest Annual Mileage Record. Didn't exactly go to plan. But still 8 months and a week of fun left at attempt 2."

That's your answer folks.

toontra · « **Reply #1374 on:** 31 December, 2015, 11:48:45 pm »

Steve seems to be a month out in his figures. Either a mis-type or wishful thinking?