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news
Amanda Coker (source Facebook).PNGAmanda Coker passes 70,000 miles during highest annual mileage record attempt
Amanda Coker, the 24-year-old Florida cyclist who is making an attempt on the highest annual mileage record, has now passed 70,000 miles. She has until May 14 to improve on Kurt Searvogel’s record of 76,076 miles.
Searvogel broke Tommy Godwin’s 1939 record last year, riding 76,076 miles. As Coker has been averaging 230 miles a day thus far, as things stand she seems set to sail past that mark.
Coker was initially looking to break Billie Fleming’s 1938 record of 29,603.7 miles, but went past that in just four months.
Since then, she has just been ploughing on, doing almost all of her riding on the same route around Flatwoods Park, Tampa – which was also used towards the end of Searvogel’s attempt.
Some point to the flat, sheltered nature of the route as being a major reason why she is doing so well, but then many a cyclist develops a degree of hatred for certain over-familiar roads, so we can’t help but feel there’s an additional psychological challenge that comes with her approach.
Either way, it is quite a comeback. Coker started cycling competitively at the age of 16 but two years later her and her father were hit from behind by a car travelling at 55mph. She suffered brain and spinal injuries which resulted in two years of surgery and rehabilitation.
In 2015, she spent a month riding 2,935 miles across the United States, “in an effort to regain my fitness and reignite my cycling passion.”
You would have to concede that she succeeded in both respects.
You can follow Coker’s record attempt on Facebook and on Strava.
Steve Abraham recently began a third attempt on the Guinness World Record for the greatest distance cycled in a year. He said he was anticipating that it would Coker’s record that he was looking to break.
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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18 comments
Bit like those cheating gits and their 1000mph Bloodhound. Taking it all the way to South Africa and setting up some fancy track on a salt pan. It's only meaningful if they do it on Pendine Sands* like the true heroes of yesteryear.
*Although I would also respect seeing an attempt using the local bypass.
It might startle the local TT club somewhat though
.
Having spoken to numerous TTers they would probably salivate over the prospect of a close pass froma supersonic jet car.
I was left slack jawed at how animated one TTer got after having a successions of close passes from a Train of Artics tavelling down the A38....Personal Best over the course.
Gold
Don't care where she's riding it's fantastic effort. I rode 21,000 mile in 2012 and 31,000 in 2013 that was hard enough, she makes my effort look feeble.
Debating whether using one route over another is a bit pointless really, you ride what gives you the best chance of succeeding, might as well complain that she's riding a modern lightweight bike with aero wheels and modern kit - why would you not? It's not a historical reenactment record.
Well done to her, no matter what the conditions etc you've still got to put in the effort and deal with all the challenges, even more impressive considering what she's had to go through in the past.
Not knocking, just thinking if I had the legs for that sort of running, think of the amount you could have seen and experienced by now if you weren't just lapping the same place every day. Seems a bit of a waste of leg power.
Well done Amanda.
To those belittling her achievements. Hate the game, not the player.
Isn't that what's being done? I don't see any ad-hom, personal attacks (apart from one on SP59)... the criticism is over the attempt being 'gamed'.
It is a monumental, Herculean effort... and that should be the end of the comments. But you can't necessarily call the commenters snide and bitter when all they're doing is engaging in valid debate about the gaming of the record and the various bodies' recognition. These Kurt/Amanda updates always have these bunfights in the comments.
I'd wager there'll be much less debate below the line on Steve A's updates, and that's nothing to do with gender or nationality for most, I reckon, but because of the course he's chosen.
Well done Amanda - fingers crossed you take the record and I know a very modest bloke from Stoke who would be glad to know you did it.
Can I suggest that some of you need to read the excellent book 'The Year' by Dave Barter - especially those amongst you who seem to think the year record is a exclusive British thing..
Since it's so easy I'd like someone from England to go over and beat Amanda Coker's record, or failing that just decide as a nation to stop whingeing about it.
Although impressive , I would like to see them come to the uk and try and break the record and try and cope with proper riding conditions , roads and weather wise. This is where the original record was set , and I'm my humble opinion , where the true record should be broken . However a tremendous effort all the same !
The Original record was set in France, one assumes you're talking about Goodwins 1939 record which he started with two other riders in the 'chain', which was set by and large riding up and down (back in those days brand new and empty A-Roads) with support in the South-East.
Might as well just go with "ah, but could she do it on a wet tuesday in Stoke" and be done with it
Pure vegetarian diet and record can only be attempted during war time or else its a load of shit!
Yeah, must be a breeze riding 230 miles a day, every day for a year with conditions like that
Seriously?
What an inspiring effort from Amanda! On pace to go past both marks, a la Beryl Burton. A truly extreme test of fitness and strength. Let's hope she can finish it off and set a new target for Steve to try to match.
Tragic.
This only got a single like (as of now).
This place really has a problem with women and ultra-endurance athletes in general. Not every poster of course, but overall, women do get a kicking on here and so does anyone doing big distances.