Road records

[ldrcycles]

Finally cracked the 300 mark, I found a bunch of records across South Australia by Cyril O'Leary which has the total up to 306.

Still impatiently waiting to hear from the Fraser Coast club about two Brisbane-Maryborough rides, and I haven't managed to find the details on Reg McVilly's 1983 Melbourne-Adelaide-Melbourne, or 1984 Melbourne-Canberra rides.

[foo on patrol]

Finally cracked the 300 mark, I found a bunch of records across South Australia by Cyril O'Leary which has the total up to 306.

Still impatiently waiting to hear from the Fraser Coast club about two Brisbane-Maryborough rides, and I haven't managed to find the details on Reg McVilly's 1983 Melbourne-Adelaide-Melbourne, or 1984 Melbourne-Canberra rides.

Try this bloke, because I think he is related.

https://www.facebook.com/mcvillycafeandcycles/

Foo

[ldrcycles]

I sent him a message in January and didn't get a response, I might try sending one from the RRAA account and see if that works.

[ldrcycles]

101 records listed now, and time for bed!

That was September 25 last year, and today the record list hit 351 .

There's some extraordinary feats among them, not least of which was working out that Christoph Strasser's Perth-Sydney ride in 2017 had broken the Australian 1,000 mile record (held by Opperman since 1938) by just shy of 7 hours, and was only 44 minutes short of the world record set by Gethin Butler in 2001. Strasser broke at least 12 records on that ride, there may be another few as I'm still cross-referencing his times against historical records.

[ldrcycles]

Now up to 432 records, with the inclusion of 29 from NZ (their version of Trove isn't as good, and only goes up to 1950, and the "Encyclopaedia of New Zealand 1966" only had a handful listed).

Since Mike Zande smashed my South Burnett Rail Trail record last month the RRAA website has seen some fantastic traffic. In the 10 days before his ride there was a total of 83 hits, in the 10 days since, 3,329!

[P!N20]

Since Mike Zande smashed my South Burnett Rail Trail record last month the RRAA website has seen some fantastic traffic. In the 10 days before his ride there was a total of 83 hits, in the 10 days since, 3,329!

Can you put a link in your sig?

[ldrcycles]

Since Mike Zande smashed my South Burnett Rail Trail record last month the RRAA website has seen some fantastic traffic. In the 10 days before his ride there was a total of 83 hits, in the 10 days since, 3,329!

Can you put a link in your sig?

I hadn't thought of that, done now

[ldrcycles]

Past 450 with the addition of two Victorian rail trails and the Otago trail in NZ.

Early morning you can get a good run. I think I solo averaged 33kph (Fortitude Valley/Story Bridge-Eight Mile Plains busway exit) including lights when the Brisbane to Gold Coast was on. That being said reckon I could solo average 40kph on the flater busway route with no lights

You spend a bit of time on the north side, how about Brisbane-Redcliffe? Current record is 53m11s, so about 37kmh average required depending on exactly where the post office was in 1939 (the current post office is a very dull shopping centre shoebox type of thing).

[RobertL]

Past 450 with the addition of two Victorian rail trails and the Otago trail in NZ.

Early morning you can get a good run. I think I solo averaged 33kph (Fortitude Valley/Story Bridge-Eight Mile Plains busway exit) including lights when the Brisbane to Gold Coast was on. That being said reckon I could solo average 40kph on the flater busway route with no lights

You spend a bit of time on the north side, how about Brisbane-Redcliffe? Current record is 53m11s, so about 37kmh average required depending on exactly where the post office was in 1939 (the current post office is a very dull shopping centre shoebox type of thing).

That one would depend on if you can duplicate the 1939 route. If it went out along Sandgate Road, through Sandgate itself and over the then newish Hornibrook Bridge, then you could match it today. Alternatively, if it went up Gympie Road and along Anzac Ave through Petrie and Kallangur, then it could be replicated.

But if it went up Sandgate Road, and then through Deagon etc, then you've got no hope. Those roads have changed too much.

Fortunately, that is the least likely route that they would have taken - I'd think.

[ldrcycles]

That's the thing with road records, you're free to take whatever route you prefer, only the start and finish points matter (and even those sometimes change over time). As an example, Les Cecil broke Hubert Opperman's Stanthorpe-Brisbane record in 1938, but Cecil went via Cunningham's Gap, and covered (off the top of my head) about 40 miles less than Oppy who had gone via Toowoomba. The start and finish points were the same so it was indisputable that he had made the fastest ride between the two places.

In terms of what to do when the finish point isn't a grand GPO like Brisbane, it depends on the particular situation. Yeppoon for example has had a number of post offices (the current one being a small shop inside a shopping centre), and on the Rockhampton-Yeppoon and back ride I did last year I went to the building which had been the post office at the time the existing record was set (it's now a gallery), though it has moved a couple of blocks from where it was then! The distance worked out the same to either location, so I went with what felt right.

[RobertL]

That's the thing with road records, you're free to take whatever route you prefer, only the start and finish points matter (and even those sometimes change over time). As an example, Les Cecil broke Hubert Opperman's Stanthorpe-Brisbane record in 1938, but Cecil went via Cunningham's Gap, and covered (off the top of my head) about 40 miles less than Oppy who had gone via Toowoomba. The start and finish points were the same so it was indisputable that he had made the fastest ride between the two places.

In terms of what to do when the finish point isn't a grand GPO like Brisbane, it depends on the particular situation. Yeppoon for example has had a number of post offices (the current one being a small shop inside a shopping centre), and on the Rockhampton-Yeppoon and back ride I did last year I went to the building which had been the post office at the time the existing record was set (it's now a gallery), though it has moved a couple of blocks from where it was then! The distance worked out the same to either location, so I went with what felt right.

I didn't know that. In that case, I'd do Brisbane to Redcliffe at 3:00am, and go along the Gateway Arterial, Deagon Deviation and Ted Smout Bridge. Motorway conditions all the way!!

[ldrcycles]

Ah, I forgot to mention that you're required to ride to the road rules, and riding on a "designated motorway" (ie wherever you see the "No bicycles, pedestrians, tractors etc" signs) is illegal, and the only way around that is a full road closure. Having dealt with Road Policing Command and Main Roads a LOT last year, I can confidently say that shutting down the Gateway for a record attempt would be "non-trivial"

I would dearly love to be able to use the highway though, it would take 18kms and a hell of a lot of climbing off the Gympie-Brisbane route. Not to mention with the big wide shoulder for most of the way it would actually be safer than the twisty goat tracks out Eudlo way.

[RobertL]

Ah, I forgot to mention that you're required to ride to the road rules, and riding on a "designated motorway" (ie wherever you see the "No bicycles, pedestrians, tractors etc" signs) is illegal, and the only way around that is a full road closure. Having dealt with Road Policing Command and Main Roads a LOT last year, I can confidently say that shutting down the Gateway for a record attempt would be "non-trivial"

I would dearly love to be able to use the highway though, it would take 18kms and a hell of a lot of climbing off the Gympie-Brisbane route. Not to mention with the big wide shoulder for most of the way it would actually be safer than the twisty goat tracks out Eudlo way.

To be honest, I had presumed that you needed to follow the road rule. Curses, foiled again!

[ldrcycles]

The rules do specify "unpaced" and no e-bikes, but there's nothing specifically banning the use of jet engines/rockets on the back of the bike

[ldrcycles]

The tally is up to 491 now, and while the growing number of rail trails will add to that I don't think there's many on-road records left to find.

In terms of new records, the first womens end to end and back on the South Burnett Rail Trail was on September 29th, it only took until yesterday for that to be broken by 41 minutes. I was to head up to Rockhampton this afternoon to supervise an attempt on my Yeppoon and back record, but the rider has fallen ill so it's postponed for a week or two. He recently did an Everesting of Mt Archer in a little over 10 hours, so I'm keen to see just how savagely my time gets mauled

[ldrcycles]

Would anyone happen to know the best 24hr off road effort in Australia? I know Jason English has been up around 390kms but I'm finding it hard to get concrete details.

[find_bruce]

Would anyone happen to know the best 24hr off road effort in Australia? I know Jason English has been up around 390kms but I'm finding it hard to get concrete details.

Mountain bike records are difficult, especially for 24 hour events, (1) because distance depends on the difficulty of the course & (2) it is all based on laps in 24 hours, with the only timing being at the start/finish.

Some notable efforts would be Craig Gordon winning the World Champs in Georgia USA - 30 x 8 mile laps = 384 km.

The results I have seen for the Mont 24 hour (which English has won on numerous occasions since 2008) show the number of laps, but not the distance of each lap which vary considerably over the years - 2008 was 47 laps, but last year was "only" 25.

Best distance I could find after a quick browse through was the 2013 World Solo 24hr at Canberra which shows Jason English winning with 27 laps for a distance of 456.03 km

[ldrcycles]

Funnily enough, researching a completely unrelated record (Gerry Tatrai's ride from Darwin-Adelaide in 1997) turned up a link which stated he held the australian 24hr mtb record at 464km with 5,800m of climbing. No other details which is frustrating, but it's not hard to believe a two time RAAM winner is capable of that distance. More research to be done on that one.

[ldrcycles]

The tally is over 500 now, and research wise the low hanging fruit is well and truly gone.

As one example, I've been banging my head against constant dead ends trying to find out what time Graham Woodrup recorded when he took the Melbourne-Adelaide-Melbourne record back from Reg McVilly in 1984. Trove was no help, numerous leads didn't turn anything up, then finally today I stumbled across a scan of an old Freewheeling magazine, and there it was!

It's a cracking read for all the period advertising- http://www.sustainabletransport.com.au/ ... SCREEN.pdf


Sadly while it gives me the overall time, it doesn't state the one way times, so I'll need to keep working away at that.


On another note, the daughter of Margaret McLachlan (who I mentioned earlier in this thread) popped up on Facebook, and I'm hoping to get some more detail from her on some of Margaret's rides.

[Abby]

As one example, I've been banging my head against constant dead ends trying to find out what time Graham Woodrup recorded when he took the Melbourne-Adelaide-Melbourne record back from Reg McVilly in 1984.

Ah! I often wondered who the Woodrup 5000 award in Audax circles is named after!! To get it you need to ride a Super Randonneur (200, 300, 400 & 600 in one season), 1000 km, 1200 km (non-PBP), Fleche Opperman, and 950 km of other road rides within four Audax seasons.

[Imwit]

It's a cracking read for all the period advertising- http://www.sustainabletransport.com.au/ ... SCREEN.pdf

Love the Repco ad on the first page.
Have you had a go at any records lately?

[elantra]

It's a cracking read for all the period advertising- http://www.sustainabletransport.com.au/ ... SCREEN.pdf

Love the Repco ad on the first page.
Have you had a go at any records lately?

It’s a cracking read for sure, a powerful record of cycling issues and identities.
The Publisher’s Editorial is powerful reading in many ways.
Warren Salomon first asks the rhetorical question “Is 1984 the year of the Touring bike or the year of the All-terrain bike ?” But concludes to say that 1984 was the year of the Computer. He also reports that the Bicycle industry rejects the proposal by the Victorian Road Transport Authority to make the wearing of bicycle helmets compulsory.
And concludes with wishing safe riding conditions for cyclists in 1985.
The diversity of advertising is astounding by today’s standards. Some big names from that era including some that either no longer trade or only as trademarks.
Prominent ads for Repco, Suntour, Karrimor, Gemini, and even Trangia !
Smaller ads for Gitane, Raleigh, and even Cannondale - for panniers, gloves, shorts, carrier racks and “aluminium touring frame”. Priceless !

[Dreams V Reallity]

I'm glad you've opened up this subject.
I have just finished reading a book called "The Bicycle and the Bush" by Jim Fitzpatrick. He doesn't worry much about the sports riders (ala Opperman and company), but concentrates on the uses and places that the bicycle was put to. Having said that, Jim does give a lot of mention to the people who were the 'firsts'. 1893 to 1900. But to sum up, a quote from the book, "When introduced, the bicycle allowed travellers to cover a greater distance in less time than was ever before possible through most of the Australian countryside. Aboriginal man was confined to walking. Although Europeans brought with them the horse, bullock, camel and donkey, and these allowed them to move themselves and large amounts of goods across the countryside, the rate of travel was not substantially increased. Away from the limited railway, riverboat and coaching networks (permitting relays of horses to be used), most of rural Australia in 1890 could not be crossed any faster than man had been doing it for millenia. In increasing rural man's rate of travel by a factor of between two and three, 'bicycling' represented a significant personal transport revolution."
The downside of this book is that it was published in 1980. A very informative read, if occasionally repetitive.

[ldrcycles]

Love the Repco ad on the first page.
Have you had a go at any records lately?

Aha, well mid last week the weather forecast looked favourable for an attempt on the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail north-south record (VERY low hanging fruit as it was set in the course of a South Burnett/Brisbane Valley trail "double" of 307kms) on Sunday. The next day the forecast changed to a headwind, so I decided to stay home.

Unfortunately for me, a bloke from Brisbane wasn't fazed by riding 100 miles into a headwind and took over an hour and 18 minutes off the record on the Saturday! His time was 6hrs8m26s on a Specialized Diverge gravel bike, I had been aiming for around 6:30 to 6:45 on my bottom-of-the-line Merida 29er. It's obvious the era of rail trail records being set on mountain bikes is well and truly over (most of my SBRT records were broken last year by Mike Zande on a Muru which I'll call a gravel bike as it had drop bars). I'm already in the process of building up a gravel bike and once it's finished I'll be off to Yarraman at the first sign of a northerly.

Hopefully that happens before Joris van der Tang gets a chance to do it, on the same day as Michael Driesenaar broke the one way record he absolutely smashed the 2 way one, 323kms off road in under 12 hours Joris already has the south-north one way record at 5hr36m, it's a little terrifying to think how fast he could be in the other (downhill) direction.

[ldrcycles]

I'm glad you've opened up this subject.
I have just finished reading a book called "The Bicycle and the Bush" by Jim Fitzpatrick. He doesn't worry much about the sports riders (ala Opperman and company), but concentrates on the uses and places that the bicycle was put to. Having said that, Jim does give a lot of mention to the people who were the 'firsts'. 1893 to 1900. But to sum up, a quote from the book, "When introduced, the bicycle allowed travellers to cover a greater distance in less time than was ever before possible through most of the Australian countryside. Aboriginal man was confined to walking. Although Europeans brought with them the horse, bullock, camel and donkey, and these allowed them to move themselves and large amounts of goods across the countryside, the rate of travel was not substantially increased. Away from the limited railway, riverboat and coaching networks (permitting relays of horses to be used), most of rural Australia in 1890 could not be crossed any faster than man had been doing it for millenia. In increasing rural man's rate of travel by a factor of between two and three, 'bicycling' represented a significant personal transport revolution."
The downside of this book is that it was published in 1980. A very informative read, if occasionally repetitive.

I borrowed a copy of that from my local framebuilder a few years ago and it's a great read. On shorter distances on decent quality roads, the average speeds put up by competition riders back in the late 1800s and early 1900s are still impressive today.