Hour Record

The hour record for bicycles is the record for the longest distance cycled in one hour on a bicycle. There are several classes of record representing different positions on the relative contributions of the rider and the bicycle design. The most famous hour record is for upright bicycles meeting the technical requirements of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). It is one of the most prestigious records in cycling. The first recorded hour record was in 1876 when F.L. Dodds rode 26.508 km on a penny-farthing high-wheeler. In 1972, Eddy Merckx set a record of 49.431 km that stood for twelve years, and remains a benchmark for the sport. The UCI record is currently held by Chris Boardman.

History

Because of the importance of aerodynamics in this event, the hour record has seen some of the most innovative equipment, but this has led to intense debate in the cycling community over the extent to which records should reflect only the skill, strength and stamina of the cyclist, or whether changes in bicycle design should be allowed to contribute. On July 7 1933, Francis Faure set a record of 45.055 km riding an aerodynamic recumbent, but the UCI set the record aside in 1934 and barred recumbents from bike racing. This led to a division of the sport, and hence two classes of record. In one branch of the sport, any design of vehicle is allowed, provided that the power only comes from the rider; this is currently administered by the International Human Powered Vehicle Association. In the other, only upright bicycles are permitted; this branch is administered by the Union Cycliste Internationale. The UCI specifications are not perfectly watertight and so permit innovation within their parameters. In January 1984, Francesco Moser set back-to-back hour records, the second being 51.151 km. This was the first widely noted use of disc wheels in cycling, which provided a significant aerodynamic benefit. Moser's record is also disputed for another reason. At the time he was coached by Dr. Michele Ferrari, a known proponent of the use of certain doping methods such as blood transfusions and the use of EPO. Ferrari later admitted that Moser had used blood transfusions, which were not banned at the time. In 1993 and 1994, Graeme Obree, a cyclist noteworthy for building his own bikes, in some cases using trash found by the side of the road, posted two records on bikes that put him in unusual body positions: the former in the "egg" position, with his hands tucked under his chest, and the latter in the "superman" position, with his arms straight out in front. Both of these positions were controversial, and while the records were allowed to stand, those positions were banned from future use. Obree and Chris Boardman entered into a sort of competition in which both made several attempts to top the previous hour record. With the increasing gap between the technology that was available and that which prevailed at the time of Eddy Merckx's revered record, the UCI punted on the question of legitimacy by establishing two records: the official UCI Hour Record (which restricts competitors to roughly the same conditions as Merckx) and the unofficial Best Human Effort. All records since 1972, including Chris Boardman's 1996 mark of 56.375 km were downgraded to "Best Human Effort." In 2000, Boardman made an attempt on the "UCI Hour Record" riding a more traditional bike, and posted 49.441 km, topping Merckx's record by the tiny margin of 10 m. The IHPVA record led to the development of "fully faired" bicycles: recumbent bicycles, low to the ground, completely enclosed in a fibreglass shell that keeps air resistance to a minimum. As of 2004 the record holder is Sam Whittingham, who cycled 84.215 km in July 2004.

Trivia

The Hour record is usually attempted by famous road cyclists towards the end of their career. This is true of Eddy Merckx, Miguel Indurain, Francesco Moser, and Chris Boardman. among others. Eddy Merckx said that his hour record attempt was "the hardest ride I have ever done".

Hour records and holders

our record-holders and dates: (a) UCI hour record (b) UCI best human effort (c) IHPVA hour record (km)
ate By Location (a) (b) (c)
a href="/encyclopedia/1876" title="1876">1876 F. L. Dodds   26.508
a href="/encyclopedia/11-May" title="11 May">11 May 1893 Henri Desgrange Buffalo, Paris 35.325
a href="/encyclopedia/31-October" title="31 October">31 October 1894 Jules Dubois Buffalo, Paris 38.220
a href="/encyclopedia/30-July" title="30 July">30 July 1897 Oscar Van Den Eynde Vincennes, Paris 39.240
a href="/encyclopedia/3-July" title="3 July">3 July 1898 Willie Hamilton Denver, USA 40.781
a href="/encyclopedia/24-August" title="24 August">24 August 1905 Lucien Petit-Breton Buffalo, Paris 41.110
a href="/encyclopedia/20-June" title="20 June">20 June 1907 Marcel Berthet Paris 41.520
a href="/encyclopedia/22-August" title="22 August">22 August 1912 Oscar Egg Paris 42.122
a href="/encyclopedia/7-August" title="7 August">7 August 1913 Marcel Berthet Paris 42.741
a href="/encyclopedia/21-August" title="21 August">21 August 1913 Oscar Egg Paris 43.525
a href="/encyclopedia/20-September" title="20 September">20 September 1913 Marcel Berthet Paris 43.775
a href="/encyclopedia/18-August" title="18 August">18 August 1914 Oscar Egg Paris 44.247
a href="/encyclopedia/25-August" title="25 August">25 August 1933 Jan Van Hout Roermond 44.588
a href="/encyclopedia/1932" title="1932">1932 Marcel Berthet France     49.99
a href="/encyclopedia/28-September" title="28 September">28 September 1933 Maurice Richard St. Trond, Belgium 44.777
a href="/encyclopedia/31-October" title="31 October">31 October 1935 Giuseppe Olmo Vigorelli, Milan 45.090
a href="/encyclopedia/14-October" title="14 October">14 October 1936 Maurice Richard Vigorelli, Milan 45.325
a href="/encyclopedia/29-September" title="29 September">29 September 1937 Frans Slaats Vigorelli, Milan 45.485
a href="/encyclopedia/3-November" title="3 November">3 November 1937 Maurice Archambaud Vigorelli, Milan 45.767
a href="/encyclopedia/1938" title="1938">1938 Francois Faure France     50.53
a href="/encyclopedia/7-November" title="7 November">7 November 1942 Fausto Coppi Vigorelli, Milan 45.798
a href="/encyclopedia/29-June" title="29 June">29 June 1956 Jacques Anquetil Vigorelli, Milan 46.159
a href="/encyclopedia/19-September" title="19 September">19 September 1956 Ercole Baldini Vigorelli, Milan 46.394
a href="/encyclopedia/18-September" title="18 September">18 September 1957 Roger Rivire Vigorelli, Milan 46.923
a href="/encyclopedia/23-September" title="23 September">23 September 1959 Roger Rivire Vigorelli, Milan 47.347
a href="/encyclopedia/30-October" title="30 October">30 October 1967 Ferdi Bracke Olympic Velodrome, Rome 48.093
a href="/encyclopedia/10-October" title="10 October">10 October 1968 Ole Ritter Mexico City 48.653
a href="/encyclopedia/25-October" title="25 October">25 October 1972 Eddy Merckx Mexico City 49.431
a href="/encyclopedia/5-May" title="5 May">5 May 1979 Ron Skarin Ontario, Canada     51.31
a href="/encyclopedia/4-May" title="4 May">4 May 1980 Eric Edwards Ontario, Canada     59.45
a href="/encyclopedia/19-January" title="19 January">19 January 1984 Francesco Moser Mexico City   50.808
a href="/encyclopedia/23-January" title="23 January">23 January 1984 Francesco Moser Mexico City   51.151
a href="/encyclopedia/29-September" title="29 September">29 September 1984 Fred Markham Indianapolis, USA     60.35
a href="/encyclopedia/10-September" title="10 September">10 September 1985 Richard Crane England     66.30
a href="/encyclopedia/28-August" title="28 August">28 August 1986 Fred Markham Vancouver, Canada     67.01
a href="/encyclopedia/15-September" title="15 September">15 September 1989 Fred Markham Adrian, USA     73.00
a href="/encyclopedia/8-September" title="8 September">8 September 1990 Pat Kinch Bedfordshire, England     75.57
a href="/encyclopedia/17-July" title="17 July">17 July 1993 Graeme Obree Hamar, Norway   51.596
a href="/encyclopedia/23-July" title="23 July">23 July 1993 Chris Boardman Velodrome du Lac, Bordeaux   52.270
a href="/encyclopedia/27-April" title="27 April">27 April 1994 Graeme Obree Velodrome du Lac, Bordeaux   52.713
a href="/encyclopedia/2-September" title="2 September">2 September 1994 Miguel Indurain Velodrome du Lac, Bordeaux   53.040
a href="/encyclopedia/22-October" title="22 October">22 October 1994 Toni Rominger Velodrome du Lac, Bordeaux   53.832
a href="/encyclopedia/5-November" title="5 November">5 November 1994 Toni Rominger Velodrome du Lac, Bordeaux   55.291
a href="/encyclopedia/27-July" title="27 July">27 July 1996 Lars Teutenberg Munich, Germany     78.04
a href="/encyclopedia/7-September" title="7 September">7 September 1996 Chris Boardman Manchester, UK   56.375
a href="/encyclopedia/29-July" title="29 July">29 July 1998 Sam Whittingham Blainville, Canada     79.136
a href="/encyclopedia/7-August" title="7 August">7 August 1999 Lars Teutenberg Dudenhofen, Germany     81.158
a href="/encyclopedia/27-October" title="27 October">27 October 2000 Chris Boardman Manchester, UK 49.441  
a href="/encyclopedia/27-July" title="27 July">27 July 2002 Lars Teutenberg Dudenhofen, Germany     82.60
a href="/encyclopedia/31-July" title="31 July">31 July 2004 Sam Whittingham Blainville, Canada     84.215

See also

External links

 

<< PreviousWord BrowserNext >>
lacznosciowiec szczecin
piotrcovia piotrkow trybunalski
ramses iv
kolporter kielce
sosnica gliwice
meble rys goscibia sulkowice
union of independents (czech republic)
azs awf katowice
pogon 1922 zory
azs politechnika koszalin
don garber
didier ratsiraka
valorous unit award
imperial (automobile)
awake (dream theater album)
hms suffolk
stone arch bridge
a change of seasons
babe adams
superior unit award
falling into infinity
live at the marquee
new siberian islands
uk regional and local elections
noise floor
one foot
flowerpot men
list of world heritage sites in india
grob's attack
badge
medina sidonia
luxury tax (sports)
eurobeat
setnakhte
european democrats (czech republic)
ident
framekiller
dodge town wagon
breast milk
hms temeraire
chris curtis
lauburu
desloratadine
ramses viii
Copyright 2005-2009 OnPedia.com. All Rights Reserved