The Beacon Message Board

Steve Abrahams is attempting the One Year Time Trial Record. It has only been achieved once before, by the 'other' Tommy Godwin. In 1939, Godwin entered the Golden Book of Cycling as the greatest long-distance rider in the world. He rode 75,065 mi (120,805 km) in a year, averaging over 200 miles (320 km) per day - a record often quoted as unbeatable.

Abrahams intend to break that record in 2015.

More on Tommy Godwin can be found at http://www.tommygodwin.com/

More on the 2015 attempt can be found at www.oneyeartimetrial.org.uk/tommy-godwin

He's now passed what will be my annual mileage for the year

I was hoping he would have the decency too at least wait until February before overtaking my 2014 milage, but it looks like he is going to overtake me by Saturday.

Looks like it could all be over.

Been following him on Facebook & Sunday morning he was hit by a moped & has several broken bones in his foot requiring plating/screws.
From what I've read the moped rider was drunk, so hopfully they will throw the book at him.

Steve hasn't made a decision yet on if the record attempt is off, but I can't see him getting back on the road for several weeks.

Really sad news when he was doing so well with the riding. I sent him a message of support but I think he will have to start again. It's an audacious project so easily disrupted by any misfortune.

I was worried when Saturday's ride hadn't been posted by the time I went to bed and asked Mike Lane, who was manning an audax control on Sunday, if he knew how Steve was. Mike told me the sad news although at that time details were sketchy, it wasn't until I got home and checked that I found it had actually happened on the Sunday. The prospect of writing off nearly 3 months of 200 mile days only to start again seems too dreadful to contemplate.

Did you see his utterly incredible ride today - HERE

He also did the same last weekend. That's actually 2 days rides but still massively impressive as I don't believe he's back to full fitness after the accident yet. To break TGs record in 2015 he'd need to do these sorts of distances (and a bit more) every day for the rest of the year.

What's the score with the American? Isn't he way ahead by now?

Yup

http://ultracycling.com/sections/record ... byday.html

I'm hugely impressed by Steve Abraham. He's obviously a very strong rider with enormous stamina. He's also exhibited (and continues to exhibit) extraordinary resolve and determination: refusing to be beaten by broken bones ... rescheduling ... going again. He's a truly amazing bloke.

Nevertheless, when I see updates from his team on Facebook and/or pictures of him on cycling news sites, my admiration and wonder are often mixed with a little incomprehension.

For one thing, I think that if I were going to attempt anything even ever-so remotely as demanding as the annual mileage record, I'd want to be in tip-top shape at the start. If I were a little bit tubby, for example, I'd probably think about shedding a few pounds before beginning.

And, if I wanted to maximise the distance I could cover each day, I'd want to be on a bike that (while robust enough to be reliable and offering a riding position sufficiently comfortable to be sustainable all day, every day) was sufficiently light and responsive to enable me to maintain a good average speed without undue effort. I don't think I'd be riding an upright-ish touring bike with luggage rack, mudguards and what look like Schwalbe Marathons or similar ... in July.

I dare say that he and his team have thought about such things. But from my remote vantage point it's hard to see why he seems to be making a mind-bogglingly difficult challenge even more difficult than it needs to be.

At the time of the accident (day 88) Steve was approx 2500 miles ahead of Tommy's distance after the same number of days so the strategy seemed to be working up until then. I guess his strategy was based on his experience of clocking up big distances audaxing and was calculated to be the best way of achieving the greatest daily distance.

Meanwhile, over in the US, Kurt Searvogel is approx 2500 miles up on TG after day 193. He's adopting a faster, lighter approach (but has a following support vehicle) and also has somewhat flatter terrain. Then there's Miles Smith in Australia but he's 4000 miles down after 105 days.

I read SA plans to start a new 12 month record attempt in August.

Quick update for those who don't actively follow the record attempts...

Steve Abraham finished his year 11,500 miles behind Tommy Godwin's total (having been knocked off suffering a broken foot 3 month's in). He started another attempt on 8th August but, while that attempt is still technically on-target based on simple daily averages, he's not been going too well recently due to gastric problems. He'll need to put in consistently big daily mileages every day for the next 7 months to reach the record which is likely to have been increased by Kurt Searvogel within a few days.

Kurt Searvogel started his attempt on 10th January and following yesterday was within 636 miles of the record and going well so is likely to reach the record on Jan 3rd / 4th.

Looks like its all over, Steve has decided to call it day.

AlanW wrote:Looks like its all over, Steve has decided to call it day.

Given the fall in his performance, I am not surprised. This is the annoucement:

"With great sadness, Steve Abraham has made the decision to end his second attempt on the Highest Annual Mileage World Record.

Steve's aim has always been to break the record (he didn’t want to come second, or third). After careful consideration of his current performance - and after lengthy discussions with the support team - Steve decided on Thursday 21 January 2016 that he will officially withdraw from his ongoing attempt on the Highest Annual Mileage Record.

As you can imagine, the decision to end this attempt has not been an easy one. Steve would like to thank you all for your incredible support. For now he will undertake a well earned period of rest and recovery, before deciding on any plans for the future.

Videos from Steve
Short video announcing withdrawal https://youtu.be/OHSjqrpDNhE

Longer video with extended Q&A https://youtu.be/x9agB46ENa8 "

A valiant effort, which might have ended very differently if it weren't for that twat on the moped.

Having said that, I think that it was always a very big ask for someone whose average riding speed is relatively low: Steve had to spend almost all his waking hours on the bike in order to have a chance. Searvogel has been riding significantly faster (albeit under easier riding conditions) and if you look at Godwin's place-to-place times way back when, he was often averaging around 20mph in the summer months (he was a top-level racer, after all).

Shame about the outcome, but Steve will always be a legend in club/audaxing circles for giving it a go.

I agree George. This plus the fact that Searvogel only passed TG's total with a few days to spare underlines what a magnificent achievement TG's record was and indeed what his 100,000 mile record continues to be.

CakeStop wrote:This plus the fact that Searvogel only passed TG's total with a few days to spare underlines what a magnificent achievement TG's record was and indeed what his 100,000 mile record continues to be.

Given the fact that TGs record was set in 1939 it is indeed magnificent, on a four speed heavy steel framed bike.

HERE

Which given how things have involved, kit and supplements etc makes me wonder how the hell TG did it. To the point that it could even be considered as being somewhat unbelievable maybe?

After all, if its not on Strava then it didn't happen.....

If TG had had Strava he'd probably have gone further because he wouldn't have had to faff about getting people to sign things to verify his distance.

And, if my memory serves me, TG fell on ice near the end (or was it between 31/12 and 100k?), broke a couple of ribs, and carried on.

So sorry to hear Steve had to abandon his attempt, still worthy of the upmost respect for the commitment shown. I understand he sunk his life savings into his attempt along with the super human effort. Do you think we could get him to come as guest speaker at next end of season dinner & prize presentation.