RRA Records - ie. LEJOG Record Attempts

Yes, do share it.

Done :)

https://twitter.com/RRA_GB/status/1351141381515980803

Is breaking the End to End record worth the trouble if no one remembers the record breakers for more than a few weeks?

Perhaps nobody apart from Wheels of Fire looked at this photo, or maybe you just thought it was a silly idea because these blokes were so famous the question wasn't worth asking.

Anyway, there was one single correct answer which came from the RRA Twitter repost - Dave Duffield. For what it's worth, here's the complete list (from left to right, with records).

Dave Duffield 1960 (trike) 2d. 10h. 58 mins.
Alec Glass.
Jack Rossiter 1929 2d. 13h. 22mins.
Reg Randall 1958 2d. 1hr. 58 mins.
Hubert Opperman 1934 2d. 9h. 1min.
Dick Poole 1965 1d. 23h. 46 mins.
Sid Ferris 1937 2d. 6hr. 33 mins.
Will Townsend
Dave Keeler 1958 2d. 3hr. 9 mins.

I was 1 when the picture was taken and I feel relatively old on this forum. Despite my interest in cycling I'd struggle to identify many riders from pictures. If Matt Rendell had followed up Blazing Saddles with a history of End 2 End records (although he may well have done for all I know) then perhaps I'd be more clued up, but still would struggle to put names to photos I guess.

Is breaking the End to End record worth the trouble if no one remembers the record breakers for more than a few weeks?

Yes. Surely the intrinsic satisfy of beating the record is greater importance than who else remembers.

The only one I knew was Will Townsend as he was from my club (club President for 79 years).

Thanks for posting the photo though - was good to see it. It can be hard to recognise cyclists when they have their normal clothes on, even ones as famous as Oppy. Someone I know on twitter did recognise him, but I didn't, even though I once spent a lot of time thinking about him and one of his pieces of advice. This was given, second hand, by Rod Evans, who had ridden a lot with him, at the start of IndyPac in Fremantle. It was about how cycling is really simple, you just wait for a pedal to come up, push it down, then another one will come up, and repeat. I thought this was a bit trite at the time, but a week later, in the middle of the Nullarbor, with 6 days of headwind and every muscle in my body telling me to stop cycling, I realised it was just about the most profound piece of wisdom I'd ever heard!

Very similar to the "if you want to go faster, push harder" comment from someone.

Anyone know why it’s to LE to JOG?
As geographically doesn’t make much sense…

I believe the prevailing winds make lejog much easier than jogle

Yes. Mike Broadwith is the expert on it. He has researched and modelled the impact of wind on various different rides, and has a model for predicting what is a good day (or was a good day) to try it on.

Essentially, Gethin Butler set his record with a screaming SW tailwind for most of the way on what was a really good day. Mike broke it on a decent day, but not as good.

Chances of getting a 'good' day for JOGLE are much lower / have to wait a hell of a lot longer.

Apologies I meant more those places, given that neither are what you think they’d be given the context of end to end or extremity to extremity? Perhaps they were at some point it’s hard to find the exact history on why these two points were chosen?

Rather than Dunnet Head and the Lizard as the most northerly and southerly points?

I think it is that they are the furthest points away from each other. Replacing either or both with DH / Lizard would be a shorter distance.

There is a lighthouse further east of JOG to, with seemingly a public road?
You might be right but it had me thinking all day on day 3.

Searching for DHL routes would be a little difficult too

Christina McKenzie is attempting the women's LEJOG record. Tracker here.

https://live.opentracking.co.uk/lejogcm21/

(with no facebook querystring shit)

Seems to be going well with a tailwind but i can tell you we have had some horrendous storms up in the north today.

I drove past her today on the A30, crosswind didn't look particularly fun but she was absolutely hooning it downhill

Preston at 5.15 am

Almost half way: https://live.opentracking.co.uk/lejogcm21/

She looks to be doing very well so far. Those A roads must be grim to ride.

Those A roads must be grim to ride.

They are. But she does have a follow car which should help a bit.

The A30 down south and around Kendal stick in my head as being the worst bits.

Into Scotland: https://live.opentracking.co.uk/lejogcm21/

Heavy, slow roads around Lockerbie.

Still moving and still slightly ahead of schedule an incredible distance with no sleep . A nights clubbing saw me wrecked for days !

Christina McKenzie Go!

Going through one night is quite doable, you get used to it.

Going through two nights is a lot trickier.

Doing so whilst being fast is a whole different ball game.

I'm in awe of people who are able to go for these kinds of records because:-
a) they're fast AND
b) they can get by on almost fuck all sleep but mostly because
c) they're fast for a LONG TIME
d) did I say that they're fast