Two cyclists from Hampshire will later this month set out to attempt to beat a record that has stood for nearly 50 years for the fastest men’s tandem ride from Land’s End to John O’Groats. As well as beating that record, set in 1966, Dominic Irvine and Ian Rodd aim to raise at least £50,000 for Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s ‘The Magic Wand Appeal.’
The current record verified by the Road Records Association has stood for nearly half a century and was set in 1966 by Pete Swindon and John Withers, who completed the ride in 2 days, 2 hours, 14 minutes and 25 seconds.
Last October, former Olympic rowing champion James Cracknell, accompanied by time trial specialist Jerone Walters, were forced to abandon their attempt on the record due to safety concerns with less than 70 miles to go to John O’Groats.
Irvine, who besides being an endurance cyclist is a motivational speaker, says: This is very much a team effort, which includes a whole raft of individuals such as drivers, a coach, mechanical support, medical support and route-planners.
“If we break the record, it will be because we, as a team, broke the record. We have chosen to do this challenge as a demonstration of the extraordinary things ordinary people can achieve when you put your mind to it and we will also be raising funds for The Magic Wand Appeal.”
Rodd, his partner on the bike, is a consultant paediatrician at Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and Irvine added: “The extraordinary service provided by the children’s unit at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital needs an extraordinary effort to help raise these funds.”
The pair’s preparations for the challenge which begins on June 30 have included pre-riding the 842-mile route on the prototype tandem supplied for the ride by Yorkshire-based JD Tandems, which also enabled them to assess their kit, nutrition and communications ahead of the record attempt itself.
Updates during the ride will be made via Twitter and on a dedicated Facebook page, and donations can be made via the website Just Giving.
More details here...
Melissa Topping spoke at length at Saturday's Crips Against Cuts demonstration on College Green. She started by attacking one of the previous...
".....right-wing campaign group Together....." I think Apart might be a rather more appropriate name....
It's a Workswell frame from China according to the Weight Weenies website and is available under a different name in other countries. Also known as...
Stunning UK city divided as super controversial LTN made permanent...
This just highlights one of the things I hate about modern UK journalism to its absoloute core. ...
Yeah I'm the same. Not in the market for this 795, but possibly the 785 or the 765. But I'm in London and as far as I can find, only Mapdec have...
I wish more founders would pass ownership of the company they 'love' to the employees who helped to build it. Why destroy the thing you have...
If you undo those bolts at the top / back of the steerer tube you could remove the handlebars - wouldn't that make it more comfy than having all...
TBF I think their complaint was with the design as proposed. There would be a cycle path with cyclists moving in two directions with little buffer...