Steve does I’ve been working with him as he prepares to set off in 2015 and have a crack at Tommy Godwin’s 75,065 mile record

Not sure I could even contemplate a week of what he is attempting. Wonder if anyone on here can help him in anyway with his logistics?

Cheers David, didn’t know anything about Tommy. What a legend.

Best of luck to Steve, that is some challenge.

Sometimes I can’t be bothered with my 10 miles commute 😆 fair play to him!

200 miles a day…every day ! Jeeez…

Is he doing it in the UK or round the world, are there enough roads in the UK?

Just wondering as the record for an unsupourted round the world ride (18000miles) is 125 days, so if he has to beat that 3x over anyway? But the suppourted recoed is 107 days, so I guess having accomodation/suppourt helps a lot.

He’s doing it mainly UK with a possible foray into Europe

Wasn’t it announced a few years ago that no more attempts on this record would be validated due to the dangerous traffic levels on the roads nowadays?

Not wishing to detract from his attempt,which is incredible,but I seem to remember someone saying that these kind of things don’t get recognised anymore cos they’re too extreme or something. I could be mixing it up with something else mind.

Edit,wat he said ^^^^

TINAS – you can just ride the same bit of road over and over if you really wanted to, doesn’t have to be a route that never touches the same road twice.

This sums up the Tommy Godwin story pretty well I think:

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.

🙂

Is he doing it in the UK or round the world, are there enough roads in the UK?

Doesn’t have to be point to point – you can just ride a circular loop all year if you fancy! (Edit: beaten by 1 second dammit!)

Wasn’t it announced a few years ago that no more attempts on this record would be validated due to the dangerous traffic levels on the roads nowadays?

I thought it was more a case that it was unlikely to be bettered because of the traffic and what not, not that it specifically precludes it being done.

I know this will sound harsh, and could well be taken the wrong way, but I hope he fails.
Tommy Godwin’s 75k record is truly outstanding as is Walter Greaves’ 45k for a one armed cyclist.
Attempting to beat them on a modern bike with the level of support he is asking for just doesn’t look very sporting to me and the host requirements seem very demanding, simply to play a small part in someone else’s indulgence.

The support he is asking for is similar to that Godwin had from the community in his time, in fact it is modelled on it to an extent.

Godwin was a sponsored rider on a wage. Greaves was also supported, not to the level of Godwin though. Godwin rode on a Raleigh RRA, go and try one, nice bikes, around about 22lb at the very most 27lb.

MTG take it from one who has spent 10 years researching this. Steve is actually taking on the record on as near as possible terms to the original riders. You can quote all the internet hearsay you want back at me, I’ve done the time in the libraries and speaking to the families.

host requirements

That’s actually really funny. I don’t know the fella, however I already dislike him lots.

I thought it was more a case that it was unlikely to be bettered because of the traffic and what not, not that it specifically precludes it being done.

It’s simpler than that. There never was an official record, at the time it was overseen by Cycling magazine. Guinness put it in their book in the 1970’s and then removed it in the 1990’s after a supposedly fraudulent claim. They have stated that they will not sanction any new attempts, so the Guinness record is out of reach. But they never owned it in the first place.

That’s actually really funny. I don’t know the fella, however I already dislike him lots.

^^^^
THIS+lots

Judging by his lack of an appreciative tone, I’d say I dislike him too.

Like I said, my criticism could be taken the wrong way.
I understand that if an ordinary working man is going to attempt this, he is going to have to rely on other’s generosity to support him, otherwise it’s limited to those who are rich enough to live for a year with no income and possibly some high expenses.
It’s just that if ever I was going to try something like this, bearing in mind I’m not, because it is way beyond me, I just don’t think I could have the bare faced cheek to make such demands of complete strangers.

It all sounds a bit like those charity parachute jumps, which are actually “Pay for me to have a go at parachuting, and if there’s a bit left over, I’ll give it to charity”

Weeksy. Agreed. Probably a lovely fella but perhaps an edit of that text wouldn’t hurt. Is he ex military or police by any chance?

It’s an impressive challenge, no doubt about that. But he does come across as a monumental nob in his host requirements. Whilst I understand his needs, I’m sure there are much better, and more appealing, ways of wording it.

While the frank nature of the host requirements is well laid, out (I guess there’s no excuse for not knowing what you’re getting yourself into) , It doesn’t really appeal to me I’m afraid

Probably a lovely fella but perhaps an edit of that text wouldn’t hurt.

+1
I appreciate he’s not trying to sugar coat it- I guess those are the conditions he needs, and that’s that. I suppose with something like this every aspect of it has to be all about the end goal or there’s probably no point even starting.
But yeah, it comes off a bit high-handed!

EDIT So, er, what lunge said basically.

who would let this man into their home?

I see what he’s trying to do with his Host Requirements page- he’s not going to want to sit around and chat and imagine getting somewhere and finding a load of stuff you didn’t like etc So he’s trying to paint it as harshly as he can.
But that said, I agree Weeksy, he sounds like a complete and utter funless bore!
Even a winky smiley or two could have taken the edge off 😉

If he’s representative of Audax types then that’s one cycling itch I’ve suddenly stopped wanting to scratch 😀

From DfT, about 1/4m miles of road in the UK roughly.

Odd, he could easily precede a few more sentences with “please”, start off with “This will be incredibly hard for me, I’ll be tired when I visit and need to rest and be looked after!” and not look like he’s doing you a favour.

I almost feeling like signing up as one and then going on holiday that week 😀

I was tempted to sign up and when he knocks say “sorry, no idea what you’re talking about”

You could sign up with your old address 😉

That’s actually really funny. I don’t know the fella, however I already dislike him lots.

I thought that. He could have left it as :

Rule 1) I won’t be a dick.
Rule 2) Rule 1 may be subject to change depending on tiredness/weather/breakfast cereal choice.

It’s miles away from the “send me on a parachute jump for free”. I support his attempt as it has real historical relevance, the record has been lost to cycling and it is great that someones worked out how to have a go. Comparing Steve with those who get free holidays in the name of charity is only valid after you’ve done fifty days of 1000 miles . I think he wrote his “hosts” section for those who had already offered to help as I understand a lot have.

TBH I totally respect his attempt and until that link was posted I was going to throw in a donation as it’s a monumental feat of riding. I felt he needed a bit of support, but after reading it I think he’s a bit of a muppet and would rather donate it to Crosshair for a set of mud tyres

Best of luck to him, 200 miles in 1 day is good going. To get up the next 364 days and do it all again! Doffs Cap

According to the yacf thread I’ve been watching there’s also an American making an attempt next year

Yes, I don’t want to disrespect the challenge either- it’s a bit like Eddie Izzards marathon thing but harder I’d say. A real proper timeless challenge of epic proportions!

I might send him an Amazon voucher so he can buy a copy of “How to win friends and influence people” 😀

I think being really very clear about host requirements is a good idea. I’ve been involved in supporting some ultra distance fell running records and it is a very specific task. Sorting out the ground rules in advance is the only way to go. Usually because people are pushing themselves so hard that there isn’t the mental energy to make arrangements off the cuff

He’s not asking for mates to put him up for a night during a leisurely LEJOG attempt, he’s taking a year out of his life to put himself through a physical test that most of us can’t even imagine. therefore every detail needs to be managed. That way when he turns up at a pre-arranged strangers house he’ll know that his needs will be met quickly and he can wash, eat, sleep, eat and get out on the road again.

That said the info is written in a particular style: it reads like a set of instructions. I imagine because that’s what it is!

I will need to be washed, fed and put to bed in as short a time as possible.

You’d be doing the work.

is he really asking you to wash him and tuck him up in bed? I fear if I read more carefully there’d something in the small print about wiping his arse for him as well. He really could have phrased it an awful lot better.

I’d do it in Florida, I remember from the January Strava base miles thing, the guy that topped the list did across America on a fixie, then proceeded to do 300km days up and down the keys – with not a single meter of elevation

an American making an attempt next year

I am not sure he is still on, I’ve been in touch with him sporadically.

I think Slowpuncheur may be on to something with “Is he ex military or police by any chance?”
Why not turn this in to a ride for one of the relevant charities and ask for a bed in the barracks or a cell for the night from people who are used to obeying orders with no gratitude?

Sounds like a great challenge, and I wish him all the luck in the world.

I hope he changes that instruction page though, I’d hate for him to loose (vital) support because of it…

is he really asking you to wash him and tuck him up in bed?

Probably not in the early days, but a year from now, 60,000km in, after 14 hours riding, every day for the last 330 odd, then maybe