lars@onewheel.org writes:
>Looks like we’ll be breaking the Guinness
>World Record for Long Distance Unicycling on Wednesday, July 17th, 20 or
>30
>miles east of Toledo Ohio. The current record was set in 1985, crossing
>Australia, at a distance of 3876 miles. No, it doesn’t rank anywhere near
>any of the biggest accomplishments of life or the biggest days of my life
>… but … it should be lots of fun and we’re planning to enjoy to the
>fullest.
(snip…)
Great accomplishment to have ridden so far, Lars, esp. given your lack of
time to train with a Coker.
From a unicyclist’s standpoint, your lengthy posts don’t address many of
our questions.
Miles per day (range and average)
Hours ridden per day (range and average)
Average speed ridden per day so far
Top speed
Interesting notes about the riding itself (saddlesoreness, fatigue,
difficulties with hills, weather…)
Lots more
By the way, the Guinness record is not for total miles ridden, as you
know, but for greatest average milage per day for an endurance ride (which
is a weird distinction). So a person could ride 30 miles a day for a whole
year, going over 10,000 miles, and Guinness would NOT recognize that as a
record. There have been several rides longer than yours (one was over
12,000 miles, from what I understand), but they either didn’t meet
Guinness criteria or didn’t care or know about record keeping OR they
failed to average more miles per day ridden for a ride at least as long as
the one in the book. It’s confusing enough as it is, but you certainly
don’t need to cloud it up more with misinformation about breaking
records…unless you are averaging over 70 miles per day.
We hope to see you in New York soon.
Davie Stone
Co-founder, Unatics of NY
1st Sunday / 3rd Saturday
@ Central Park Bandshell
1:30 start time after 11/1/01
Thanks for asking these questions. I don’t understand how Guinness works,but,I asked Guinness once(by e-mail) about accepting a new cat. for a 24 hour record. They replied that they would consider it and then never replied again. I didn’t push the issue(partially because of the “run-around” they had given you-or was that your brother John?).
I suspect that Guinness has many “odd” records that have actually been topped, but not qualified by Guinness. I think want Lars is doing is great, but should not replace an existing record of cross country riding that was set with a much higher mileage per day. Lars can’t be averaging as high per day from start to finish because of his starting date?
I think the USA or IUF should start keeping records of unicycle related feats. I have heard from several different sources that Guiness World Records is poorly organized and hard to deal with. Someone should write up a general list of requirements for all attempts at a record (such as witnesses, media, photo, video, etc.) and start writing specific requirements for each feat.
Just an idea. I’m willing to write up the general requirements too.
Re: Re: One Wheel - Many Spokes: Homecoming in Michigan.
Cokerhead.7uaib@timelimit.unicyclist.com writes:
>I suspect that Guinness has many “odd” records that have actually been
>topped, but not qualified by Guinness. I think want Lars is doing is
>great, but should not replace an existing record of cross country
>riding that was set with a much higher mileage per day. Lars can’t be
>averaging as high per day from start to finish because of his starting
>date?
>
>-Mark
I believe he’s avging less than 50mpd, not including the fact he doesn’t
ride on Sundays.
David
Co-founder, Unatics of NY
1st Sunday / 3rd Saturday
@ Central Park Bandshell
1:30 start time after 11/1/01
Re: Re: One Wheel - Many Spokes: Homecoming in Michigan.
Here goes my first ever post…
I have contacted guinness about similar 24 hr, or continuous riding
records, but it seems that they just want to see something that can be
summed up very quickly in a heading, phrase etc.
I am keen on the idea that we get some standards happening for whatever
endurance unicycling we want, even though it may only be a few people
setting them to start with, you gotta start somewhere. And who knows, maybe
then when guiness sees how hard we go they may show more interest.
> I think the USA or IUF should start keeping records of unicycle related
> feats. I have heard from several different sources that Guiness World
> Records is poorly organized and hard to deal with. Someone should write
> up a general list of requirements for all attempts at a record (such as
> witnesses, media, photo, video, etc.) and start writing specific
> requirements for each feat.
>
> Just an idea. I’m willing to write up the general requirements too.
>
> Jeff T.
>
>
> –
> adventure
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> adventure’s Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/632
> View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/19332
>
Re: Re: Re: One Wheel - Many Spokes: Homecoming in Michigan.
Great Idea!
The general public considers Guinness “the source” for record information.
If we get organized so will Guinness. We don’t even have our own criteria regarding speed and distance records, so how can we expect them to? Unlike running and bicycling our sport is in its infancy. With organization, WE can decide a direction we want our sport to go. WE the unicycling community need to decide what should be considered as our OWN records. Guinness doesn’t set record guidelines for runners or bicyclists. They simply decide what to print from established records from organizations within each sport.
We must start with deciding for ourselves what should be categories for world endurance records. For example it’s an absolute shame that no world hour record exists. Cokers have been around for 5 years and still no 100-mile record.
Allowing an organization like Guinness to set the parameters for us has gone on too long. Lets make our own and my guess is they will follow.
p.s. if you wanna see who I am go to joelpenson.com. Tell me what ya think.
>
> Joel Penson wrote:
>> *Here goes my first ever post…
>>
>> I have contacted guinness about similar 24 hr, or continuous riding
>> records, but it seems that they just want to see something that can
>>
>>
>> * Great Idea!
> The general public considers Guinness “the source” for record
> information.
>
> If we get organized so will Guinness. We don’t even have our own
> criteria regarding speed and distance records, so how can we expect them
> to? Unlike running and bicycling our sport is in its infancy. With
> organization, WE can decide a direction we want our sport to go. WE the
> unicycling community need to decide what should be considered as our OWN
> records. Guinness doesn’t set record guidelines for runners or
> bicyclists. They simply decide what to print from established records
> from organizations within each sport.
>
> We must start with deciding for ourselves what should be categories for
> world endurance records. For example it’s an absolute shame that no
> world hour record exists. Cokers have been around for 5 years and still
> no 100-mile record.
>
> Allowing an organization like Guinness to set the parameters for us has
> gone on too long. Lets make our own and my guess is they will follow.
>
> Dan
>
>
> –
> dan
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> dan’s Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/78
> View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/19332
>
>
Re: Re: Re: One Wheel - Many Spokes: Homecoming in Michigan.
Very well designed Website. It certainly appears that you are preparing well for your upcoming tour in 2003. Seeing a scenic part of Australia from a unicycle is quite an attraction. I wish it were closer!
Your distance unicycle page is most interesting. Within the page you made a comparison between the Coker and Epicyclic hub used in conjunction with a 26-inch wheel/tire combination. I must say that you being absent from this BB, yet having so much knowledge of geared hubs is fascinating. Did you acquire knowledge of this hub outside this newsgroup, or did you do you own investigating and research? I assume it is the latter since you mentioned that there may be an attempt to build a few for riders involved in your tour that are interested.
Because of your background in Exercise Physiology I look forward to your input on speed and distance unicycliing!
I am the other person who is helping to organise the Unicycle
Tasmania tour. I did a lot of the research on the epicyclic
hubs (at the time I was doing the research we weren’t sure if
it was possible to buy Cokers in Australia). I got a lot of
information from Harpers and Franks site as well as looking at
info on Sturmey-Archers Website, Sheldon Brown and several
others that were also looking at other sites that had
information.
Thanks
James (jimmy)
> *Very well designed Website. It certainly appears that you
are
> preparing
> well for your upcoming tour in 2003. Seeing a scenic part
of
> Australia from a unicycle is quite an attraction. I wish it
were
> closer!
>
> Your distance unicycle page is most interesting. Within the
page you
> made a comparison between the Coker and Epicyclic hub used
in
> conjunction with a 26-inch wheel/tire combination. I must
say that
> you being absent from this BB, yet having so much knowledge
of geared
> hubs is fascinating. Did you acquire knowledge of this hub
outside
> this newsgroup, or did you do you own investigating and
research? I
> assume it is the latter since you mentioned that there may
be an
> attempt to build a few for riders involved in your tour that
are
> interested.
>
> Because of your background in Exercise Physiology I look
forward to
> your input on speed and distance unicycliing!
>
> Thanks for sharing your website with us!
>
>
> –
> dan
> ------------------------------------------------------------
thinking about the 100 mile record… i was over in BC a few years ago, there is a road that goes downhill for 53 miles without even a bump up…do these records need to be on level ground or what?
Good question! Basic requirements need to be met before attempting any record. So far, unless Guinness has any of thier own, little exists with regard to speed and distance unicycling. The time has come for people within the unicylcing community to put their heads together and discuss what should and shouldn’t be considerd as a record, and what the criteria should be. Guinness will then (hopefully) pick and choose what they want to print from OUR records!
With regard to the 100-mile record—my understanding is that it was performed on a 25-mile road covered in an " out and back fashion" twice. This method nullifies any advantage one might have with a tail wind or down hill if performed only one way. So in answer to your question—yes the 50-mile down hill can be considered as a record course as long as you cover equal miles in both directions.
With that said ALL SHORT endurance records should be performed in an “out and back” fashion or on a round track veledrome. Doing it this way will stop any suggestion of help from a tailwind or down hill. This should be one of the basic requirements…
Re: Re: One Wheel - Many Spokes: Homecoming in Michigan.
OK heres something to ponder- we need to decide on a distance that is
physiologically very difficult to achieve. I have had about 5min thought
about this- we need a set long distance course- i.e. the equivalent of the
marathon- which for unicycling would be difficult to go hard for the whole.
Physiologically 2hrs is the time for which you can go ballistic before
hitting the glycogen depletion “wall”. For unicycling I would tend to aim
for for around 60km, thus making it so that to do 60km in 2hrs is nearly
impossible, but something which people can aim for and achieve in say 3 hrs
if they are good, and 4 hours would be a nice challenge for the novice-
just like for the marathon. THEN we can play all we want with these ultra
distances of 160km and the like on whatever terrain we want. If we all want
to jump in headlong and aim for the ultra stuff straight away, it will be
harder to make rules for, but I am willing to put input into these
discussions. UNICYCLE TASMANIA will be a good time for such discussions,
particularly since I will be running an ultramarathon running club of my
own by then.
what’s the response from the ‘official’ ppl who post on this site ref dan’s suggestions regarding categories and criteria to be established by the unicycling control bodies before expecting guiness to take it seriously
does it exist?
is it something that will only be taken up if there seems to be enough interest in the uni’ing community?
who organises the track racing rules?
I believe when I read about a 1979 Guinness book record for 100 miles, it said the ride was from Austin to Waco,TX. Normally,in the summer,this would be downwind. I don’t think Guinness would care about external conditions as long the 100 miles were documented.
I have ridden several 40-65 mile rides that are “out and back”, but mostly downwind. It’s easy,just figure out when the wind is going to change from the South to North, then plan your trip so you turn back and ride like heck to beat the storm:)
To my way of thinking, a geared up uni(sorry Harper) would be more like cheating than a larger(than Coker) sized wheel. But maybe just because I have long legs…
Really whether Guinness concerns their selves with conditions shouldn’t matter to us. We need to set our own standard. Any 1-day record ride should be preformed in an “out and back” fashion, with the only exception being a veledrome, or some sort of round track method. Any 1-day endurance ride performed in one direction will unquestionably raise suspicion of a favoring tail wind, downhill, or both. Whether the performance is record breaking or just a personal best, the measure of performance needs to be about skill and fitness, not in a course that offered assistance in the form of a tail wind, down hill, or both. Out and back will seize MOST suspicion of any course being favorable over another
As far as timing an “out and back” course so that the wind will be at your back both ways, good luck. I suspect your time spent finding such an advantage would be better spent training, but nevertheless, as long as its out and back, it should qualify.
When we decide on the distance of events that we as S& D unicyclist should consider as records, we will need to make a classification separate from the Coker. The separate classification should be an " open " class consisting of whatever “one wheeled” vehicle one whishes to ride. Most will probably be geared. But without question Cokers should have there own category separate form any other.
