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So sad, heard him talk at derby mercury club. An unassuming modest man who could tip up to a club '10' and then bang out mile after mile on ultra distance races. A special talent, will be remembered.....
RIP Mike. A true inspiration. Really sad news.
Chopping onions after watching this 😥
Kristof almost finished and posted the following picture with the hastags #tribute and #unfinishedfinish
A classy move by possibly the only person on Mike's level in the world...
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Probably not the right time to ask this, but I've wondered for a while - what did Mike Hall do to earn money?
I can't imagine his racing/riding schedule being compatible with a 'normal' job - but travelling the world doing this stuff can't be cheap..
RIP Mike Hall, I didn't know you but i'll be telling my kids about you tonight.
Ride in Peace Mike Hall
You're right about that Freeagent.
Show some sensitivity man.
A 🙁
Please consider making a donation on the just giving page if not already, there's very few positives that can come out of this but hopefully the cycling community can do their bit.
Seeing this earlier today was like a sucker punch to the stomach. I never knew him personally but having grown up in Monmouthshire, I've several friends who did and I've known of his exploits for years.
To anyone who knew him, and to those who didn't but like me are affected anyway, my sympathies.
RIP Mike. You have been and will continue to be inspiring.
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You're right about that Freeagent.
Show some sensitivity man.
Yep, on reflection you are right.
I just realised that I'd been following Mike Halls achievements for the last 4-5 years and didn't actually know anything about the real man behind the endurance superman.
Genuinely gutted at his tragic loss.
So sad....seemed such a nice guy 🙁
That quote from that video: "Every time you take a map out again, it gets bigger". Going to teach my kids that.
Probably not the right time to ask this, but I've wondered for a while - what did Mike Hall do to earn money?
I can't imagine his racing/riding schedule being compatible with a 'normal' job - but travelling the world doing this stuff can't be cheap..
Given the situation, I'd hate to get this wrong (and apologies to people who knew him better if this is incorrect), but I believe he worked at Rolls Royce for a few years as an engineer. He certainly was an engineer and loved his technology 🙂
Running 'Transcontinental Race Limited' also took up time.
I guess his true job title was 'Endurance Adventure Superhero' but he would have been too modest to tell people that...
God damn what awful news. Mike was a huge inspiration to me and undoubtedly masses of other people. Ride in peace, dude 😥 .
Janey mac that's terrible news, my thoughts go to his family. It's so terrible how things like this happen.
Dragged a mate along to Wirksworth Cinema the other year to watch Dions Inspired To Ride as his earlier films have been ace. Mike was one of the main riders in the film. Shocking news and such a great great athlete. He will be missed!
Only passing knowledge of his endeavours, but all I can think when I read the articles is that's one hell of a kind face the world has lost, if that makes sense.
I've been annoyed about this all day, and I think I understand why now. Whilst I love watching professional cycling it's really hard to relate to those involved, perfectly tanned and groomed with a huge support network they seem as different from us normal cyclists as an F1 driver is my Dad in his Micra.
Mike seemed like an ordinary bloke doing extraordinary things, having done endurance events myself he was someone I could relate to, I could understand what he meant when he talked about the physical and mental toil. But I could still be a dot watcher and marvel at someone at the peak of their powers doing unbelievable shifts on the bike, and a bike not much different from the one a lot of us keep in the shed.
It's probably bollocks but I'm gonna get up early tomorrow and head off to ride somewhere I've never ridden before, it just seems like the right thing to do, just to expand the map
Truly sad news.
Thinking about this all day.
All I can say is RIP Mike.
Never met him but knew of his expoits on a bike,
Just another anonomous guy who had an incredible talent for just keeping going.
RIP Mike . May your trails be dusty, the warm sun on your face , and the wind on your back.
A very sad crack indeed .
Condolences to family and friends .
Tragic! Condolences to his family and friends!
if that makes sense
Yes, that makes sense. I've followed Mike's exploits over the last few years but I've never met him - but you could tell from his interviews, videos and photos that he was one of the good guys.
I knew Mike from university. Not very well, and I don't think I've seen him for a few years. I remember riding with him back then, and he was just one of the guys. He used to come on group rides and he'd be very normal. Not slow, but not the fastest rider. Just one of us. I think at one point he even had a bit of a belly if I remember correctly. Just a sort of average guy.
Then he started being very... un-average. He moved away and we kept hearing about monster training rides he'd been doing. And then he started podiuming at national endurance events. The belly had gone but he was still the same guy, just faster - a lot faster. Then he did the round the world thing, and the Tour Divide. People started to learn his name and the rest is legendary. For me that was proof that anyone can achieve greatness with the right attitude and serious amounts of grit.
I've spent the day quietly trying to work out how I feel about his accident, and why I'm so sad. I've come to the conclusion that it's because he was one of us, a normal guy who did completely extraordinary things. And by doing that in his own humble way, he was what we all want be.
So RIP Mike. Perhaps the most inspirational person I ever knew.
So sad and in shock. I've only met Mike once or twice, but he was one of those people who was I was truly in awe of but somehow didn't make my tiny achievements seem insignificant.
What awful awful news. Ride on, Mike Hall. Legend.
I've commented on another post here that I had known Mike for nearly twenty years. First time I rode with him he had just about finished his GCSE's, I watched him turn left and ride a line that I never even knew existed. I'm not ashamed to say that I have been in bits all day today.
Last time I spoke to Mike, was to ask him to support our Trails for Wales campaign - he duly pitched up with a load of others at the Senydd on our behalf, giving up his precious training time to campaign for better access for mountain bikers.
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(Thanks to ADH for the photo)
"BIkes are brilliant and the countryside is for everyone"
That's a statement that is going to stay with me for ever...
Above picture says it all really. It's just so sad that people die doing something so fantastically great.
Tragic news, i've only just picked up my iPad and found out.
Just seen this on the news. Followed his spot checker on the Tour Divide and was following this week. Legend, often a word overused but in this case....Legend.
So sad it just makes me want to scream.
from 2013 so scary given what happened,
I'm going to ride my bike tomorrow and while it might not be the furthest, fastest or particularly epic ride I hope that by the end of it I'll be a slightly better rider than before.
I hope that's what Mike would want.
To be honest I've never met Mike, never talked to him on twitter etc but this has really got to me for some reason.
Keep riding Mike, keep riding.
Really terrible news. Like many other people, I never knew or met Mike, but he was a real inspiration to me and many others. A normal guy who did really extra ordinary things. Thoughts are with his family and friends. RIP Mike
I had the pleasure of meeting Mike a couple of times at the start of the TCR of which he was the organiser. Doing the TCR was definitely an inspiration (that word again) to me. Made me ride further, climb proper mountains and go to places I'd never have gone to other wise ,all with added thrill of being an unsupported rider and knowing you were out there on your own. So thanks Mike for making me and plenty of other riders take up a challenge and push themselves a bit . You'll be sorely missed.
I met Mike last year at Bespoked. He came and talked to us about whether we wanted to partner with the TCR. I'd known all about the rides he'd done, the incredible feats. The man I met that day though was just a normal man. Softly spoken, generous with his time and with kind words for what we were doing. I thought he was great. As Superficial says, that might just be why he was so inspirational to me and so many others. A hero of mine, for sure. x
Lovely tribute from Singletrack on the home page. It was a pleasure to see him at the awards ceremony last year. A gentle, softly spoken man, modestly doing great things. Remember, be inspired, keep riding.
The justgiving page is past £63k. One positive thing in all this
This has really affected me, I don't normally blub in public but I couldn't help it on hearing Mike's death. I never knew him, never would have, but I admired him and his understated modesty from afar and the whole situation is so incredibly and profoundly sad and upsetting to me. Kristof Allegaerts tribute to his friend and competitor was first class and cheered me up a bit, much respect to him. RIP Mike Hall, a legend.
I, like many on here, did not know Mike Hall personally but I , like so many on here, followed his exploits; amazed, inspired and in awe of his achievements.
Today I rode a long way, for me, to places I have never ridden, I rode fast, for me, I ambled, I looked a daffodils, I rode trail centre downhills, up road climbs, I smiled at all the cyclists I passed, I rode my bike.
Thanks Mike.
Mike was a true insperation to me with his nice guy just riding his bike in an understated way while achieving huge groudbreaking things and really bought a tear to my eye when i read the sad news.
But there is a nagging thing in my mind about how safe endurance events like this are on public roads.
Athletes like Mike pushing themselves further and further into the realms of endurance with little or no sleep can't be a good combination with shit driving on public roads...
Maybe keep the ultra stuff away from public roads so we don't lose any more genuine bike riders like Mike.
Just my thoughts and feel free to tell me i'm wrong.
It's awful. Condolences to those who knew and loved him.
I never knew Mike but the first time I heard of him was winning the 'Puffer. The winners are impressive every year, but the year he won it was the first I remember really thinking WTF?? The guy must be a different species to do what he did.
Maybe keep the ultra stuff away from public roads so we don't lose any more genuine bike riders like Mike.
Just my thoughts and feel free to tell me i'm wrong.
You're absolutely not wrong.
I can't help but think the same.
I got the nice printed journal Lee Cragie did recently about the HT550, I think it was in that there was mention of nodding off on the bike, on a smooth road section.
It just sounded potentially deadly to me, regardless of how much I love the whole scene.
A tragic loss.
When I went to bed last night I read a few pages of the book I am currently reading and this quote seemed very poignant:
"When you are young and strong and full of hope, sit down one day and think about the world. Decide what you would like to do above all else - and then go and do it. Follow your star to the bitter end, no matter what the hazards or perils; no matter even if the star proves to be a false guide and you die in the attempt. You will have lived life to the full. You will have enjoyed yourself and, even if you leave behind no material treasure, you will leave riches in the hearts of those who have known strength from your strength and who will cherish your memory until their day is done."