http://www.phased.co.uk/index.php/tommy-godwin-mile-eater.html

in May 1940 after five hundred days of riding he secured the 100,000 mile record as well. Tommy dismounted his bike and spent weeks learning how to walk again before going off to war.

they’re doing a twitter feed with his daily mileage on it.

that bloke was nails.

(no one tel MTG that he was a vegetarian, please)

Imagine cycling three times around the world in a single year. Imagine getting up at 3am and spending every day in the saddle for eighteen hours covering over two hundred miles. Imagine riding from Lands End to John O’Groats and back every week, whatever the weather for nearly a year and a half without a break.

😯

Chapeau to the fella * 1000000000

wow
wow
wow

Why is the record deamed too dangerous to repeat?

Just read all that, what an amazing man and athlete.

I’ve just ridden more miles in a month than i ever have before. It would have taken Tommy 3 or 4 days. The mind boggles.

And all on a 30+ lb bike with 4 gears. Wow.

That is my website and I set up the Twitter account. I also have copies of his mileage diaries which are sobering reading. How about June 1939,

17th June: 270
18th June: 204
19th June: 258
20th June: 295
21st June: 361 YES three hundred and sixty one!!!
22nd June: 291

I am putting together a book about the Year Record at the moment and would appreciate it if anyone has any information concerning the other riders that could help.
Dave

well done Dave for putting it together – inspirational stuff.

Not in terms of me trying to emulate him, but just that someone can have that motivation and determination to do those sorts of mileages for that long.

Does seem odd that round the world attempts are accepted now but not ‘most miles in a year’?

Good God, riding in carpet slippers as well!!

A guy called Ken Webb claimed to have beaten it in 1972 but was totally discredited, this effectively killed the record..and also the fact that the daily distances required are basically nuts!

That’s amazing and very motivational.

the daily distances required are basically nuts

yes, well, there is that.

What were the physical effects on him? I can’t imagine him having access to enough calories in wartime?

whats the twitter account?

That man was nails.

@yearrecord

That is incredible, what an amazing guy. It sounds as though he continued to give his all to cycling even after the war -total respect and admiration.

Great post wwaswas, amazing stuff

On Friday 1st December 1939 Tommy Godwin rode a total mileage of 189 miles bringing his year total to date to 69,929 miles.

Beats my commute into work today 😯

What were the physical effects on him? I can’t imagine him having access to enough calories in wartime?

Physically, it affected his ability to walk properly. I have heard anecdotes that he used to dismount and walk the last few miles home as he knew that other attempts had ended in problems for the riders. It did not affect his speed either, he rode the Pilgrims Way (120) miles at 20mph as an exhibition ride on the way to the 100k record.

Tommy was a vegetarian. His base diet was bread, cheese and milk which I believe were all available in abundance in 1939 (remember war declared this year not at the height of rationing). He was also sponsored by Ley and then Raleigh, but moreso the local community so had help with food. In fact he put on weight during the year!

I can understand his whole physiology (sp?) must have been affected by sitting on a bike for that many hours each day, no wonder he had issues.

good luck with getting the book finished and published.

The lengths that some men go to just to get away from the missus!

So there was more than one lunatic vegetarian tearing up Europe in 1939 then!

In 1936 Walter Greaves set the record at 45,383 miles, despite only having one arm !
I think we must be a bunch of softies these days.

this made me laugh;

and falling off numerous times

that’s a man I can relate to.

Glupton could ‘av him.

mate used to complain he couldn’t walk properly after a solid two weeks touring so god knows what 12months its like.

Hard as nails!

does look like he’s earing his mums shoes in that pic tho 🙂

Am I the only one who’s a bit sceptical about this?

Such ‘feats’ were sponsored by bicycle companies to prove how durable their products were. So, a vested commercial interest in achieving great results. Is there any hard evidence that such feats took place? Verification from independent impartial witnesses? What sort of equipment was used to measure distances? What was the accuracy of such measurements?

I’m not saying it definitely din’t take place, just that it’s rather incredible and makes me wonder just how ‘true’ it is….

Why is the record deamed too dangerous to repeat?

Try it, and find out…

What sort of equipment was used to measure distances?

one of those mechanical things that runs off gears from the front wheel.

Dave above will have the actual diaries – I don’t know how detailed they are or what verification was carried out.

So there was more than one lunatic vegetarian tearing up Europe in 1939 then!

Very good.

Not wishing to detract from the mammoth achievement but an old cycling friend suggested that the fact that lorries travelled a lot slower 70 years ago & were quite easy to draft might have had something to do with it – not something I’d want to do regularly if travelling those sorts of daily distances

Dickyboy – the old guy who writes for cycling+ (Roger St Pierre?) said as kids he and his freinds used to draft troop lorries that travelled at 15 or so mph. The troops would pass down bits of chocolate or cups of tea and chat to them.

No doubt it’s true he probably took advantage of such opportunities but I can’t imagine it made it *that* much easier.

Astonishing, I can not even begin to imagine the fitness and determination required to cycle such distances.

DavidB keep up the good work with the website and book it is inspirational stuff, certainly has given me a good dose of MTFU after feeling sorry for my self from last nights mere 10-15k of mountain biking in the rain and howling wind.

{can we replace the Godwin rule with the point within a thread that Elfin will pop up one?}

Anyway, Tommy’s achievement was very very closely scrutinised in 1939 by Cycling magazine. He was shadowed regularly and his odometer was sealed and inspected daily by witnesses. A daily mileage card was then signed and submitted to Cycling magazine for verification. They watched him like a hawk as this was a very prestigious record that had switched from UK to Australia and back again in recent years.

These were extremely high profile attempts followed by the press and the public closely. I have amassed hundreds of clippings from different sources following the attempt.

The lorries point is bobbins I believe. In 1939 nobody would have been able to afford the fuel.

However, in my view the key verification was the stories told by the locals as to how utterly destroyed he was on a daily basis. Backed up by those who were coached by him post record and remember his unrelenting toughness.

No doubt it’s true he probably took advantage of such opportunities but I can’t imagine it made it *that* much easier.

Agreed, maybe a little more achievable though & worth remembering what road & driving conditions were like back in those days.

worth remembering what road & driving conditions were like back in those days

less people activley trying to kill you?

Not in 1939 D0NK

people at work think I’m mad for riding in to work all year round, this guy would make their minds snap.

Seriously impressive guy and well done David for setting this up/doing the book. Hope it goes well for you.

I can’t imagine him having access to enough calories in wartime?

Calories hadn’t been invented then so he was fine.

DavidB – Member

Not in 1939 D0NK touche! ok less drivers activley trying to kill you 🙂

The lorries point is bobbins I believe. In 1939 nobody would have been able to afford the fuel.

Maybe the lorry point is bobbins, maybe not. But using an excuse that no one could afford the petrol doesn’t add up – stuff was still transported around UK by lorry during WWII & war didn’t start till 6 months into his record attempt.

I would imagine that some A roads were probably in good condition due to less traffic (though horses were still being used so maybe not) but I bet a lot of roads were not metalled. But this is all speculation. Drafting? So what? He would have still been sat on his bike for hours on end everyday for 15 months (not sure if he ever missed any days).

As true sons of Stoke-on-Trent (me and Tommy) he is possibly the closest I’ve ever come to having a “hero”, puts bloody Robbie/Slash/Lemmy to shame, IMHO.

Some of the old guys I occasionally ride with met/knew Tommy slightly having been youngsters in clubs that he was associated with in the Potteries when he came home in the 50/60’s.

I greatly look forward to the book.

I can only imagine that today’s bikes, roads and support available would mean that this challenge would be easier today, which makes what he did astronomically monumental. I would like to see someone try to repeat it.
Surely Lance could give it a go?