I remember watching the 1 year attempt and I followed the American bloke on Strava (can’t remember his name) and he just rode round a national park every day and did about 200 miles and 100ft of climbing.
Mixing two tales there! Kurt Searvogel was the American chap who took the record from Tommy Godwin. He was often riding 200 miles downwind, then getting a lift back upwind for the following day! Not banned of course, but gaming the system I reckon! He also did some of his miles on a recumbent IIRC. Still amazing mileage.
I felt sorry for Steve Abraham, the Brit guy competing with Kurt; he was doing it very honestly (if not all that ‘smart’) riding loops round the U.K. in all weathers. He might have done it if he hadn’t been taken off by a drunk moped rider & got a broken ankle. His follow up attempts never really had a chance once Kurt moved the record on.
The current record (set round and round the park) was Amanda Coker, who’s a machine! Hour after hour, day after day, round the same loop at 20mph+. Amazing. Dull beyond belief, but amazing, and very optimised for getting miles done.
Even more the mental strength to push in past 365 days to set a 100,000 mile record too. Bonkers.