Sam,
Here’s an article from my local newspaper. I don’t think anyone told them about the attempt, so they’ve obviously picked it up from the international news agencies.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4221693a6479.html
Breaking a World Record is kind of handy. This week, I’m getting flown up to Auckland to attend a kids Triathlon to hand out prizes :). I’m sure you’ll get lots’ of requests for speaking engagements and suchlike.
Ken
I learned afterwards that the ‘music’ coming from the Students’ Union was Stingray from Neighbours and his band. I had the wind in one ear and earphone in the other, so I only heard them during breaks. Some horrible, horrible things being done to a Robbie Williams song when I listened. Playing other people’s songs so badly the phrase ‘anti-tribute band’ was mentioned by someone. Hence Steve’s rolled-eyes smiley.
I would claim that I did go all-out for the 100, until about 70 miles. I knew the pace was high enough over the first 50, but then it was dropping down. We were struggling to work out the required speeds etc, and I got a bit confused as to whether I was still on track or not (I became increasingly convinced not). When it came to needing about 33 miles in two hours I had pretty much given up with it - this was when Roger arrived and offered to pace me for the required 16.5 mph. He disappeared within a couple of laps so I called time on the 100 effort; racking up the rest of the first century at a comfortable resting pace of 13-14mph chatting with Roger.
Basically - I don’t think it had any negative effect on the whole 24 hours, and gave a good boost to start with. It’s just such a fast record that I couldn’t match it on the day, and with the rest of the night ahead there was no need to try to stay close to it once I knew I wouldn’t quite break it.
If the rumour-mill of unicycling wants something to chew on… Roger is still up for the 100 
(Sorry Roger!)
Sam
Yeah, it is about a 1 metre wide tarmac track, with bumpy bits in places. There were a few sketchy laps when I came close to the edges, but mostly worked well.
The only time I had to ride on the grass outside was when, at sometime in the night, a log was placed across the track on the far side from the tent. The more I think about it the stranger it was - I never saw anyone near there, and the tree-cover was 25 metres away - they must have run in with it right behind me, and hidden quick afterwards. MikeG was with me then, and he removed it before the next lap so I never had to dismount.
That was just weird though.
The whole thing went off without a ‘real’ upd. A couple of times when starting off after a break I wobbled, stepped down and went back to the fence, but there weren’t any actual falls.
Sam
I still beg to differ I think. But it sounds like someone wants to demonstrate otherwise 
Sam
So do I! Though don’t go and get this year’s if you expect to have me in it - it’s already printed in September so it’ll be a year before I could be in, if they pick it (not all records make it into the book).
Yes, can’t wait. It’ll be fun Although head-to-head racing is a different kettle of seafood, and much more hard work. It’ll be interesting to see how it turns out, going at full-whack for 70km a day… with hills.
Sam
Thanks Roger - not bad for a little’un, eh?
To those who don’t know Roger, he’s a wonderfully understated optimist, and a scarily good unicyclist. 350 - 400 miles? (400 would be smashing the 100 mile record four times over) I don’t think so! He also fails to mention that when trying to catch me at the end doing 17mph on straights, that he was doing 20mph, carrying a mug of coffee! But thanks Roger, it was great to have you along. And you made me go faster than I thought I still could at the end!
Sam
Sam, Congratulations on setting a goal and achieving it. That is one incredible ride you accomplished, awesome! Enjoy the record, you certainly earned it. Your the man Sam.
Just wow!
Huge congratulations, I can’t begin to imagine how you managed to keep yourself going.
Big thumbs!
Congrats! I am reading this thread over again to see all the details, but what you did is amazing.
Looks like I am going to have to start working on my speed for RTL!
I also really would like to see someone attempt this record on a guni. I would think that after 12 hours or so it would be harder to maintain a high speed because your legs would be wobbly and tired.
It was different when I went for the 100mile record. I think now it definitely needs a dedicated attempt (Roger?). I was aiming at the 100miler because I knew if I managed to get that, the rest of the 24hr record should be relatively straightforward (because I would have over 14hrs to complete another 100miles or so). You’ve now made it very difficult to go for both the 100mile/24hr record on the same day.
The pace for the 100mile record is not impossibly high, but you do need to ride comfortably within your limits. I went too hard at the start…was 7 or 8 min up on the record at 2hrs, and then started cramping up when the temperature hit 40 degrees 
Regarding Gunis- I believe that on the flat, a 29" Schlumpf with 125mm cranks works out to be a 42.5" gear. I tested it on the track I used during my 24hr record attempt and it is about 2-3 secs faster per lap than the Coker/100mm.
I don’t know if future record contenders have anything against Gunis, but I personally like the idea of a traditional fixed wheel record. To me, the unicycle appeals because of it’s simplicity. It also makes record attempts comparable.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure most future attempts will be made on Gunis. Question is, who’s going to be the first to use one? 
[qoute]I was aiming at the 100miler because I knew if I managed to get that, the rest of the 24hr record should be relatively straightforward (because I would have over 14hrs to complete another 100miles or so).
[/quote]
try explaining that to anyone but US !!!
i haven’t followed this thread much but i heard about it atsouthampton hockey and i think you deserve a lot of credit thats amazing well done, ill try and make a dongation to a worthy cause xxx
Congrats!! That’s awesome!
Congratulations from the Norwegian Unicycle Team, Unijuul!
Congratulations from Minnesota!
So Sam, you have had nearly a week to recover now, how are the legs feeling?
Have you been out on the coker since the record?
Hope you are well.
Plumsie
That is an awesome effort
How much of the 24hrs was spent actually riding?
For the very first time, I can do some necromancy around here.
This weekend, I participed in the “24 heures de l’INSA”, a 24 hour race during which I wanted to attempt breaking the @redwelly record (without the possibility of getting it homologated for several reasons).
I failed by quite a lot (finished at 351.8 km after 24:05:31).
I used a G29 with 125 mm cranks which was in my opinion one of the best setups possible for this record (maybe a G36 could be better on a perfect path and no wind).
I wasn’t allowed to use aerobars for safety reasons, and it caused so much pain to have my weight on the saddle during all this time that I had to take many breaks.
During the night, I wanted to sleep for one hour or so, but I ended up sleeping for four hours, going back on the uni felt like hell, and the record was unreachable, so I didn’t want to suffer anymore, and targeted 200 miles, which I reached after 22:28 hours. I then took one last half an hour break and went for one hour with no break, pedaling hard, wanting to reach 350 km, but without the will to announce it. I passed the finish line at 349 km and 23:59:20, which allowed me for one last lap, and brougth me to 351.8 km.
I will probably try to break the record in the good conditions to get it official in the future, but it will be pretty far from now because I want to have fun before.
It’s not like me to revive old threads, but these quotes has been haunting me for sometime. Pleased to say, it took me almost 18yrs and two attempts before I broke Sam’s 24hr world record (453.8km), and a couple of weeks shy of 20yrs from my Feb 2005 world record (378.7km). And it did make me suffer quite a bit at the end!
Here’s the writeup:
And linking the threads: