[HAMR] Current thoughts on the record attempt?

[Assasin]

Eileen's rides in the Early 1950's were run under the strict rules of the WRRA.
The following car contained spares and an observer to scrutinise every part of the ride to ensure that there was no moving outside pacing assistance of any kind.
Those rides were alone and un paced at that time.
Road side assistance (food & drink) was allowed as was encouragement but that was it.

A completely different setup from HAMR attempts.

[mattc]

I really need to learn to stop clicking on the "show me the post" button.

Keep trying - one day I'll post about Ant+ megabit dongles, or whatever it is that floats your boat.

 

[Legs]

I really need to learn to stop clicking on the "show me the post" button.

Keep trying - one day I'll post about Ant+ megabit dongles, or whatever it is that floats your boat.

 

You flatter yourself in assuming it was you he was referring to...

[mattc]

I really need to learn to stop clicking on the "show me the post" button.

Keep trying - one day I'll post about Ant+ megabit dongles, or whatever it is that floats your boat.

 

You flatter yourself in assuming it was you he was referring to...

thanks for the laugh

Do you know why it's ironic that *you* in particular have posted that??

[Grandad]

Doing my National Service in 1954 I frequently rode from camp at Weston Super Mare to home near Epsom. I joined the A4 outside Bath and turned off it at Reading. Tucking in behind lorries on the A4 was always part of these rides but the  longer the tow the slower the last stretch so I arrived home at a similar time either way.

Might this be a consideration when thinking of Steve being paced?

[Legs]

<very OT>
Miaow indeed! 

I don't presume that anyone gives a tuppenny damn about anything I write on the web.
</very OT>

[jackt]

Doing my National Service in 1954 I frequently rode from camp at Weston Super Mare to home near Epsom. I joined the A4 outside Bath and turned off it at Reading. Tucking in behind lorries on the A4 was always part of these rides but the  longer the tow the slower the last stretch so I arrived home at a similar time either way.

Might this be a consideration when thinking of Steve being paced?

The standard UMCA rules forbid motor vehicle pacing/drafting. On the HAMR, Citizenfish would know, he helped draft the HAMR rules, which make an exception for cycle pacing. Steve has already said that cycle pacing hasn't worked out well so far (pacers riding too fast on the uphills, too slow on the descents).

[Exit Stage Left]

The stories about Kurt are interesting, especially the Bicycling magazine one. There's a lot of human interest and especially 'redemption' themes. It got me to wondering about a reluctance for the US media to celebrate a cycling hero in the post-Lance era.

We haven't had that for a while in the UK, not since David Millar, and there's the ambiguous relationship we have with the memory of Tommy Simpson.

I got on this train of thought by wondering how old someone inspired to take up cycling in their mid-thirties by Lance's Tour victory in 1999 would be now. They'd be pretty likely to have gone through some of Kurt's experiences, but be wary of being inspired by them after the Armstrong experience. Some US Randonneurs have expressed admiration for Steve's approach. He told me that he had a following in Seattle.

It may be that Kurt doesn't get the full recognition he deserves because of the legacy of Lance.

[jsabine]

I had a wee look through Alicia's Twitter history earlier - she's been pretty focussed recently on pitching Kurt's approaching the record to mainstream news outlets (and a few cycling ones as well). It'll be interesting to see whether they pick up on it.

[Ningishzidda]

I had a wee look through Alicia's Twitter history earlier - she's been pretty focussed recently on pitching Kurt's approaching the record to mainstream news outlets (and a few cycling ones as well). It'll be interesting to see whether they pick up on it.

They'll call him a madman.

[Tigerrr]

The stories about Kurt are interesting, especially the Bicycling magazine one. There's a lot of human interest and especially 'redemption' themes. It got me to wondering about a reluctance for the US media to celebrate a cycling hero in the post-Lance era.

We haven't had that for a while in the UK, not since David Millar, and there's the ambiguous relationship we have with the memory of Tommy Simpson.

I got on this train of thought by wondering how old someone inspired to take up cycling in their mid-thirties by Lance's Tour victory in 1999 would be now. They'd be pretty likely to have gone through some of Kurt's experiences, but be wary of being inspired by them after the Armstrong experience. Some US Randonneurs have expressed admiration for Steve's approach. He told me that he had a following in Seattle.

It may be that Kurt doesn't get the full recognition he deserves because of the legacy of Lance.

I think the subject of the 'story' and 'meaning' of these kinds of human endeavour is fascinating. How people see these activities, what the discussion focuses on, or indeed the level of interest, all has much to say about the role of sport, and the meanings that are attached in different cultures. It isn't simply what they do but the relevance of the story to people's dreams at the time that 'matters'.
I have been reading around the great polar exploration heroic age, and how the efforts of Scott, Amundsen and Shackleton were storied, or not. Scott and Amundsen in particular have similarities to discussion of Steve and Kurt. Both represented different ideas about the purpose and meaning of such exploits, expressed in different national morality tales, that have shifted over time.
Right now, I feel for Steve, it must be very hard going in these conditions, physically and psychologically. Astounding resilience.

[Ningishzidda]

'Scott of the Antarctic' lives on because he died.

Don't wish that on Steve. 

[Tigerrr]

I continue to support Both Steve and Kurts amazing efforts. My post is about interpretation of activity and the meanings that get attached in the story as it evolves. To leap to what you seem to suggest is extraordinary, and I trust the implicit offensive accusation is not intended.

[Ningishzidda]

The longest running race in the Olympics is called the Marathon. It is run to remember Pheidippides, who collapsed and died immediately after he delivered his message.

If he’d delivered the message and walked away to have a shower, nothing would have been done to commemorate his efforts. He was a ‘running courier’ after all. It was what he did..

Schwalbe would have named their tyres something different, like ‘Little big horn’ after Custer’s death against loads of sharp things ( arrows ).

[Frank9755]

Those who urge Steve on despite the increasing remoteness of his chances of taking the record (which look more remote even than a week ago when Idai did his interview) should take into account that extreme endurance sport is not good for the health. 

My references to it a couple of weeks ago under the banner of 'duty of care' were probably way too subtle. It's one thing to support someone in a risky endeavour which is their life's dream but I firmly believe it is wrong to do so once it becomes clear the goal is out of reach.

[Greenbank]

Those who urge Steve on despite the increasing remoteness of his chances of taking the record (which look more remote even than a week ago when Idai did his interview) should take into account that extreme endurance sport is not good for the health. 

I don't get this argument. Would you be against urging him on if he was on track to get the record? That would be equally detrimental to his health but somehow it's ok if he's going to get the record at the end of it.

[Exit Stage Left]

'Scott of the Antarctic' lives on because he died.

Don't wish that on Steve. 

Whereas the Shackleton story lived on because no-one died, at a time when WW1 was raging.

The 'Bicycling' story reads like a film treatment. Hollywood would put in some degree of estrangement between Kurt and his kids to effect a climactic reconciliation, but there's jeopardy in the middle, and subsidiary characters with story arcs of their own have been introduced.
There's also the 'Sleepless in Seattle' angle, an epistolatory element, contained in these pages. Articles on Steve referred to the 'community' that was supporting him, and how he was staying with hosts. Steve's said that there were problems associated with that, largely around the kit he needed to carry with him, and his need to ignore the niceties of hospitality, i.e just crash out.

During one of the interviews at the Mersey Roads, Steve said that the longest conversations that he'd had recently with anyone outside his team were at that event. From 9 minutes in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJES8l1YwoI  While these conversations about him fill page after page.

[Frank9755]

Those who urge Steve on despite the increasing remoteness of his chances of taking the record (which look more remote even than a week ago when Idai did his interview) should take into account that extreme endurance sport is not good for the health. 

I don't get this argument. Would you be against urging him on if he was on track to get the record? That would be equally detrimental to his health but somehow it's ok if he's going to get the record at the end of it.

Yes (I'd urge him on if the record looked realistic). Nothing in life is without risk. Some risks are worth taking and some are not.

[Arry-R]

Those who urge Steve on despite the increasing remoteness of his chances of taking the record (which look more remote even than a week ago when Idai did his interview) should take into account that extreme endurance sport is not good for the health. 

My references to it a couple of weeks ago under the banner of 'duty of care' were probably way too subtle. It's one thing to support someone in a risky endeavour which is their life's dream but I firmly believe it is wrong to do so once it becomes clear the goal is out of reach.

Even though the mileage of Tommy or indeed Kurt may not be achieved Steve will likely wish to see what mileages he can do.  However if he is happy to change from his audax mode to a different approach with increased back up  (for which the funds are healthy) his chances of quicker miles with reduced unnecessary down time during the day and with increased sleep will/could work wonders!

[Wowbagger]

Those who urge Steve on despite the increasing remoteness of his chances of taking the record (which look more remote even than a week ago when Idai did his interview) should take into account that extreme endurance sport is not good for the health. 

I don't get this argument. Would you be against urging him on if he was on track to get the record? That would be equally detrimental to his health but somehow it's ok if he's going to get the record at the end of it.

Yes. Nothing in life is without risk. Some risks are worth taking and some are not.

I think my answer to that question might be different if Steve were well placed to get the record and not having to play catch up. At this stage, even if Steve were up with the pace, with 8 months still to go a health issue of any sort could become much more serious. If he were well placed with only a month to go and a potentially serious health issue cropped up, then my answer might be different. But then I'm not a doctor.

[DaveE128]

On another note, has anyone been able to find a hamster wheel that is flatter but still as sheltered as the National Bowl? I thought it wouldn't be too hard but didn't manage to come up with anything with less climbing per mile. Given that Steve seems willing to try such an approach (based on yesterday's fb post saying that Steve was test-riding the Bowl in less windy conditions for comparison), perhaps if a few of us could search around for other flatter options it might give Steve some better options?

[Mr Larrington]

'Scott of the Antarctic' lives on because he died.

Don't wish that on Steve. 

Whereas the Shackleton story lived on because no-one died, at a time when WW1 was raging.

Also Shackleton knew when to pack up, go home, regroup and have another go.

[Frank9755]

On another note, has anyone been able to find a hamster wheel that is flatter but still as sheltered as the National Bowl? I thought it wouldn't be too hard but didn't manage to come up with anything with less climbing per mile. Given that Steve seems willing to try such an approach (based on yesterday's fb post saying that Steve was test-riding the Bowl in less windy conditions for comparison), perhaps if a few of us could search around for other flatter options it might give Steve some better options?

Hillingdon is flatter but not sheltered.
Any parkland circuit is likely to be windy, unless it has loads of trees, which they don't tend to. Hence an on-road circuit is likely to be faster (most likely a time trial course as UK racing cyclists have spent much of the last hundred years looking for exactly that!)

[Gareth Rees]

Whereas the Shackleton story lived on because no-one died.

No-one other than Arnold Spencer-Smith.

[Exit Stage Left]

That does get forgotten, but the Ross Sea party wasn't under Shackleton's command in the same way as the Endurance, which is the story we all get told.

Another two died in that part of the expedition.