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Operation Pacemaker breaks Guy Martin's GB motor-paced speed record

New 114.19mph record was set on a converted 20 year old tandem

A team from Essex has broken Guy Martin’s British and Commonwealth cycle speed record, raising money for the British Heart Foundation in the process. Working to a tight budget with homemade equipment, Operation Pacemaker had guaranteed they would set a record of some description – if not for speed then for “the longest face plant.”

The new record of 114.19mph was set at Elvington runway in Yorkshire last week. The team comprised Neil Campbell, who rode the bike, and Dave Le Grys, whose motor-paced British record of 110mph stood for 27 years until it was broken by Martin.

Campbell lost his mother in 2012 due to a previously undiagnosed heart condition, while Le Grys underwent open heart surgery last June after learning that he had a leaky heart valve which under stress was pumping more blood into his lungs than his legs. Le Grys has since returned to bike racing. You can find their Just Giving page here.

Guy Martin set the previous record of 112mph on the Pendine Sands as part of his TV series Guy Martin on Speed. He did what the Operation Pacemaker team described as a ‘proper job,’ calling on all manner of experts, including a top truck racing team.

In contrast, Operation Pacemaker relied on a 20-year-old converted tandem found in a garage, with functional additions such as a walking stick, scrap car parts, scrap metal, knicker elastic, exhaust mounting rubbers from a 1989 Ford Escort and an ex-RAF parachute. The pacing vehicle was a 1998 Diesel VW Passat.

This was Campbell’s view of it.

 

 

After a failed attempt late last year, those involved concluded that the car wasn’t quick enough. As such, the successful attempt saw the very same pace car being paced by a pace car of its own.

Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.

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16 comments

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fixation80 | 5 years ago
0 likes

'Let's mop up the opposition' brill!

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me | 7 years ago
0 likes

Never mind the speed, how many watts was he putting out??!!!

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brakesmadly | 7 years ago
3 likes

If you want to see an old Passat trying to do 90mph with the hatchback open just hang around on the way to the dump recycling centre in Bristol on a sunny Sunday.

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peted76 | 7 years ago
2 likes

This is brill, if you're gonna break a record and cycle 135mph following an old passat, why not do it in just your pants, that is class, not one fuck given by the team - boom, record set!

 

 

 

 

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Yorkshire wallet | 7 years ago
0 likes

Only in the UK!

And that's the best part.

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gazzaputt | 7 years ago
0 likes

Oh dear shows what a waste money Channel 4 or the production made.

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antonio replied to gazzaputt | 7 years ago
0 likes
gazzaputt wrote:

Oh dear shows what a waste money Channel 4 or the production made.

Not really, perhaps the Channel four documentry inspired the attempt, not the first time a shoestring attempt at records. (Graeme O'Bree)

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festina | 7 years ago
4 likes

There is something so British about doing the improbable on a shoestring budget, it makes it so much better.

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marche | 7 years ago
1 like

what? disc brakes ?!?? 

;-p

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Morat | 7 years ago
0 likes

Top job! Bonus points for cycling in silly costume  1

Is that a Cannondale Tandem? My inner spotter has to know..

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Topcover replied to Morat | 7 years ago
0 likes
Morat wrote:

Top job! Bonus points for cycling in silly costume  1

Is that a Cannondale Tandem? My inner spotter has to know..

A Czech Duratec perhaps?

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Bikeylikey | 7 years ago
0 likes

Not much detail here. For instance it would be good to know the reasons for using a tandem - stable long wheelbase maybe? And what determined the choice of tyres, and what kind are they? Are those Side motorcycle boots? If so, why oh why?

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wazgilbert replied to Bikeylikey | 7 years ago
2 likes
bikeylikey wrote:

Not much detail here. For instance it would be good to know the reasons for using a tandem - stable long wheelbase maybe? And what determined the choice of tyres, and what kind are they? Are those Side motorcycle boots? If so, why oh why?

 

the tandem is to get a gear step-up, the front ring drives the mid-point ring instead of cassette, next to that is another "front ring" and that drives the cassette ;  o<O-o<O  so it more than doubles the mechanical advantage of a standard bike with 1 chain.

a standard tandem has the same size rings, front and mid to keep the pilot and stoker's efforts equal (and pedal stroke in sync)

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wycombewheeler replied to Bikeylikey | 7 years ago
1 like
bikeylikey wrote:

Not much detail here. For instance it would be good to know the reasons for using a tandem - stable long wheelbase maybe? And what determined the choice of tyres, and what kind are they? Are those Side motorcycle boots? If so, why oh why?

The abilty to use pilot and stoker chainrings of a different size to run a larger gear comes to mind.

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tritecommentbot | 7 years ago
0 likes

Love it, great stuff!

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wellcoordinated | 7 years ago
5 likes

The mop is a touch of genius

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