Is this a superhuman cyclist?

AlanF said the following on 15/02/2008 09:59:

Quoted message said:

From BBC site - around the world in 195 days

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/tayside_and_central/7245381.stm

By my reckoning that's averaging 92.3 miles a day which is some going
for 195 days.

That's a hell of a mental effort, never mind physical!

--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/

AlanF writtificated

Quoted message said:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/tayside_and_central/7245381.stm

By my reckoning that's averaging 92.3 miles a day which is some going
for 195 days.

I'm wondering if that mileage includes ferry crossings etc, though I
presume not. 90-odd miles a day isn't that hard, but averaging it over 195
days just makes my mind boggle.

Quoted message said:

Respect

Aye. It'll take a catastrophic series of p*nctures to stop him smashing
the world record this afternoon.

"AlanF" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
| From BBC site - around the world in 195 days
|
| http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/tayside_and_central/7245381.stm
|
| By my reckoning that's averaging 92.3 miles a day which is some going
| for 195 days.

I was just about to post something similar myself. I find 92.3 miles in one
day painful, once. With minimal load. Every day for 195 days, with a full
touring kit (tent, cooker, clothes...) is phenomenal.

| Respect

Absolutely. Follow the links around on the beeb, and you can get a view of
his kit - custom bike using a Rohloff apparently....

pOB

PoB said:

Absolutely. Follow the links around on the beeb, and you can get a view of
his kit - custom bike using a Rohloff apparently....

Possibly of interest to the "Custom bike of my dreams" OP, with
butterflies rather than drops and a Rohloff to take care of the gearing.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

AlanF said:

From BBC site - around the world in 195 days

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/tayside_and_central/7245381.stm

By my reckoning that's averaging 92.3 miles a day which is some going
for 195 days.

Look, it's only work.

Let's say he averages 10 miles an hour. That's only 10 hours work each day
- and as it's a bicycle, even loaded for touring, there will be some
reasonable percentage of the time when the work is not particularly hard.

Brickies probably do as much or more.

"AlanF" wrote ...

Quoted message said:

From BBC site - around the world in 195 days

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/tayside_and_central/7245381.stm

By my reckoning that's averaging 92.3 miles a day which is some going for
195 days.

Respect

Chas Messenger, who used to run the Tour of Britain, went round the world 40
years ago at 100 mpd, and across the USA averaged 200 mpd. If I remember
correctly.

Mike Sales

Some totally anonymous person said the following on 15/02/2008 12:59:

Quoted message said:

Look, it's only work.

Let's say he averages 10 miles an hour. That's only 10 hours work each day
- and as it's a bicycle, even loaded for touring, there will be some
reasonable percentage of the time when the work is not particularly hard.

I'm sure I'm not the only that will look forward to your ride report :-)
Start with something simple like LE-JOG in 9 days. The ride can't be
tarmac all the way either.

--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/

On 15 Feb, 12:59, _ <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

AlanF said:

From BBC site - around the world in 195 days

Quoted message said:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/tayside_and_central/7245381.stm

Quoted message said:

By my reckoning that's averaging 92.3 miles a day which is some going
for 195 days.

Look, it's only work.

Let's say he averages 10 miles an hour.  That's only 10 hours work each day
- and as it's a bicycle, even loaded for touring, there will be some
reasonable percentage of the time when the work is not particularly hard.

Brickies probably do as much or more.

You done much travelling in the third world, then?

I've done a fair bit of cycling, and some travelling in less
developed countries. I've also done some multi-day trips on a bike and
on foot.
In my view it's a hugely impressive achievement, both mentally and
physically but in particular the combination of both...

Respect, indeed...

Sincerely,
W.

Mike Sales said:

Chas Messenger, who used to run the Tour of Britain, went round the world 40
years ago at 100 mpd, and across the USA averaged 200 mpd. If I remember
correctly.

In which case he would have done the trip in something less than 180
days. Given that the record before today was 276 days, something
doesn't add up. Did he get lost a lot?

"AlanF" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

From BBC site - around the world in 195 days

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/tayside_and_central/7245381.stm

By my reckoning that's averaging 92.3 miles a day which is some going for
195 days.

Respect

Looking at the map of his route, he hasn't exactly cicumnavigated the Earth.
He's turned back on himself in the USA and New Zealand. One has to ask is
the 18,000 miles cycling miles or journey miles? No matter how one lookts
at it is is a mammoth achievement and I'm jealous :-)

"AlanF" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

From BBC site - around the world in 195 days

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/tayside_and_central/7245381.stm

By my reckoning that's averaging 92.3 miles a day which is some going for
195 days.

Respect

A

Sort of puts my 208km for this week into perspective :-)

"vernon" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
| >
| Looking at the map of his route, he hasn't exactly cicumnavigated the
Earth.
| He's turned back on himself in the USA and New Zealand. One has to ask is
| the 18,000 miles cycling miles or journey miles? No matter how one lookts
| at it is is a mammoth achievement and I'm jealous :-)
|
This page:-

http://www.pedallingaround.com/route/?page_id=3

has all the details, and the guiness criteria.

18000 is the minimum /cycling/ miles, 25000 is the minimum total distance.

pOB

wafflycat' w*a*ff£y£cat*@£btco*nn£ect.com said:

"AlanF" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

From BBC site - around the world in 195 days

Quoted message said:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/tayside_and_central/7245381.stm

Quoted message said:

By my reckoning that's averaging 92.3 miles a day which is some going for
195 days.

Quoted message said:

Respect

Quoted message said:

A

Sort of puts my 208km for this week into perspective :-)

How many red lights is that?

AlanF said:

From BBC site - around the world in 195 days

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/tayside_and_central/7245381.stm

By my reckoning that's averaging 92.3 miles a day which is some going for 195 days.

Respect

His first words to the reporter were apparently

"In the namme of GOD, my [censored]! What's french for proctologist? - And quick!" 🙂

- I was just thinking today I'd better get back on the bike after the
winter layoff, that first decent length ride of spring is always a pain
'down there', and the longer you put it off the worse it gets.
But maybe that's just me?!

I think I should change the subject. 🙂

Ouch! said:

AlanF said:

From BBC site - around the world in 195 days

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/tayside_and_central/7245381.stm

By my reckoning that's averaging 92.3 miles a day which is some going for
195 days.

Respect

His first words to the reporter were apparently

"In the namme of GOD, my [censored]! What's french for proctologist? - And
quick!" 🙂

- I was just thinking today I'd better get back on the bike after the
winter layoff, that first decent length ride of spring is always a pain
'down there', and the longer you put it off the worse it gets.
But maybe that's just me?!

I think I should change the subject. 🙂

Get yourself a decent saddle and a decent pair of shorts. If it hurts
there's something wrong either with your equipment or your fit on the bike.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
;; If God does not write LISP, God writes some code so similar to
;; LISP as to make no difference.

"Ouch!" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

AlanF said:

From BBC site - around the world in 195 days

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/tayside_and_central/7245381.stm

By my reckoning that's averaging 92.3 miles a day which is some going for
195 days.

Respect

His first words to the reporter were apparently

"In the namme of GOD, my [censored]! What's french for proctologist? - And
quick!" 🙂

- I was just thinking today I'd better get back on the bike after the
winter layoff, that first decent length ride of spring is always a pain
'down there', and the longer you put it off the worse it gets.
But maybe that's just me?!

You need a decent saddle. I've done two DIY 100km Audaxes this week with a
calendered 120km Audax tomorrow to round the week off. It's the first
riding of the year apart from a New Year's day 50km loop. No discomfort.
Can still walk, no chafing no aches. The secret? A Brooks B17 leather
saddle. I'm no lightweight and I've found the B17 saddles to be the most
comfortable of all the saddles that I've used in the past five years. I've
now fitted them to all of my bikes.

Simon Brooke said:

Ouch! said:

- I was just thinking today I'd better get back on the bike after the
winter layoff, that first decent length ride of spring is always a pain
'down there', and the longer you put it off the worse it gets.
But maybe that's just me?!

Get yourself a decent saddle and a decent pair of shorts. If it hurts
there's something wrong either with your equipment or your fit on the bike.

I do have shorts, or underwear with 'panels'. The saddle is one of those
V ones with gel in it (can't remember name), was decent enough. Once
I'm 'broken in' for the year it tends not to be so bad, I can go for hours
though I sometimes force myself to stand up a bit going down hills. I really
do notice it the first few times after I've not ridden for a while
though.

I think maybe.. I 'miss' the V at the back though. I think I tend to sit a
little forward so it's just the main saddle shaft on the harder bit between
your legs, so the padded V is irrelevant. When it does ache I tend to
remember to push back a little so the load is more spread.

Don't know if that makes any sense. I wonder if I can push the
saddle forward on the rails a little, that's a thought now I think
about it. I'll have a look.

Anyway - the amount of riding that guy has done he'll have
an [censored] made of iron, he would scoff at my wimpy [censored] complaining 🙂

"Ouch!" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

His first words to the reporter were apparently

"In the namme of GOD, my [censored]! What's french for proctologist? - And
quick!" 🙂

- I was just thinking today I'd better get back on the bike after the
winter layoff, that first decent length ride of spring is always a pain
'down there', and the longer you put it off the worse it gets.
But maybe that's just me?!

I think I should change the subject. 🙂

Repeating what has been said by others - to reiterate - get a decent saddle
that fits you properly. Gel does not equate to comfort - especially over a
longer ride. Add in some decent padded cycle shorts worn commando. This week
I've done over 200km and my nether regions have given no discomfort at all.

"vernon" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

You need a decent saddle. I've done two DIY 100km Audaxes this week with
a calendered 120km Audax tomorrow to round the week off. It's the first
riding of the year apart from a New Year's day 50km loop. No discomfort.
Can still walk, no chafing no aches. The secret? A Brooks B17 leather
saddle. I'm no lightweight and I've found the B17 saddles to be the most
comfortable of all the saddles that I've used in the past five years.
I've now fitted them to all of my bikes.

For me, the saddle that cradles my nether regions on a cloud of comfort is a
Terry saddle. Specifically a Terry Liberator TiLite on my tourer and on the
road bike, A Terry RaceLite with titanium rails. Glorious comfort all day
long.