Round the world in 80 days by bike - Mark Beaumont
Discussion
Incredible feat byt this man. On day 4, started in Paris, crossed into Poland this am, averaging about 400km per day.
Live tracker on his website here:
http://www.artemisworldcycle.com/
Hope he makes it!!
Live tracker on his website here:
http://www.artemisworldcycle.com/
Hope he makes it!!
yellowjack said:
Please don't think for one moment I'm unimpressed with his Herculean efforts, but one reason it's not getting more 'love' generally might be the "constructed the whole event on behalf of" element.
One of our own (PHer neilski... https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=11... ) did a round the world trip, raising money for UNICEF on the way. But he was one man, often camping wild, having trouble with visas etc, and not on a timetable with a support car and bookings in hotels at night. I'm not saying it's right, but I do feel like the "romance" of such an undertaking has been kicked into touch, and it feels a little 'clinical' in the end.
I'm following him on Strava during this challenge. I'm in awe of the physical effort, and the mental challenge of what he's doing. I really am. I did 103 miles yesterday with 6,500 feet of climbing, but at a rather pedestrian 13 mph average. I've done a couple of 250-mile weeks in the last month or so too. So I have something to go off when trying to get my head around what he's set out to do. I certainly couldn't entertain the idea of this particular challenge.
It's lacking "romance" in a similar in a way to the woman in the USA who was out to smash the all time 1 year mileage record. She just rode laps and laps and laps of a local low traffic, low elevation circuit. Great for her challenge, but she's trying to snatch the record from someone who was cycling around the UK in all weathers. Yes, it conforms to the "rules" of the challenge, but to my mind it just doesn't fire my imagination in the same way as a chap on his own, with a tent and a credit card, riding the North Coast 500 in the pissing rain. When I ride a century I depend on what I can carry and what I can buy for fuel and fluids. It would not be the same for me if I could just stick out an arm and be served up a sandwich and a bottle of coke, or pull over into a layby alongside the team car for a quick leg massage.
Sorry, but there it is - my opinion. It's no more 'right' than the next person's opinion, but I'm sticking with it.
He did an unsupported round the world 10 years ago - he can do it, he's chosen to take a different path this time. One of our own (PHer neilski... https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=11... ) did a round the world trip, raising money for UNICEF on the way. But he was one man, often camping wild, having trouble with visas etc, and not on a timetable with a support car and bookings in hotels at night. I'm not saying it's right, but I do feel like the "romance" of such an undertaking has been kicked into touch, and it feels a little 'clinical' in the end.
I'm following him on Strava during this challenge. I'm in awe of the physical effort, and the mental challenge of what he's doing. I really am. I did 103 miles yesterday with 6,500 feet of climbing, but at a rather pedestrian 13 mph average. I've done a couple of 250-mile weeks in the last month or so too. So I have something to go off when trying to get my head around what he's set out to do. I certainly couldn't entertain the idea of this particular challenge.
It's lacking "romance" in a similar in a way to the woman in the USA who was out to smash the all time 1 year mileage record. She just rode laps and laps and laps of a local low traffic, low elevation circuit. Great for her challenge, but she's trying to snatch the record from someone who was cycling around the UK in all weathers. Yes, it conforms to the "rules" of the challenge, but to my mind it just doesn't fire my imagination in the same way as a chap on his own, with a tent and a credit card, riding the North Coast 500 in the pissing rain. When I ride a century I depend on what I can carry and what I can buy for fuel and fluids. It would not be the same for me if I could just stick out an arm and be served up a sandwich and a bottle of coke, or pull over into a layby alongside the team car for a quick leg massage.
Sorry, but there it is - my opinion. It's no more 'right' than the next person's opinion, but I'm sticking with it.
It's one thing riding 100 miles, i've done it multiple times, but doing 240 miles day in day out - that's some steely grit and determination to get up and onto the bike each morning.
I'm incredibly impressed by his efforts, and have a lot of respect for the man, incidentally he is also raising money for charity - hoping to raise £180000 which some could say is a reasonably significant contirbution ( http://www.artemisworldcycle.com/charity/ )
I'm watching daily - and I say good luck to the man, you have my respect!! I couldn't do it, and don't believe many could!
yellowjack said:
scotlandtim? I'm with you. Really I am. Like I said, I did a couple of 250 mile WEEKS last month and it pretty much wiped me out to the point where I took a week off the bike.
The effort it takes is not in question. I just see it as lacking a bit of "one man versus the world" romance is all.
You're spot on there dude - it's not one man against the world this time round! I think we're singing from the same hymnsheet - just wanted to clarify a couple of your points!The effort it takes is not in question. I just see it as lacking a bit of "one man versus the world" romance is all.
For those interested the BBC doc of his round the world is on You Tube - worth watching if you've got an hour or two to spare!
Good Luck Mark - Chapeau!
For those interested:
Still going strong. Today will finish in Nova Scotia, and board a plane to Lisbon for the final leg back to Paris.
Its Day 73 finishing off North America, will leave him six days to get to paris to beat the 80 day target. Going to be a close call, he looks knackered!!
Tracker here: http://www.trident-tracking.com/page_136347.asp?vi...
Still going strong. Today will finish in Nova Scotia, and board a plane to Lisbon for the final leg back to Paris.
Its Day 73 finishing off North America, will leave him six days to get to paris to beat the 80 day target. Going to be a close call, he looks knackered!!
Tracker here: http://www.trident-tracking.com/page_136347.asp?vi...
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