By Bill Plock
Littleton, CO–Teamwork broke a record today at the Cyclebar studio in Littleton, Colorado. The world’s longest static indoor cycling class record of 27 hours was broken by 25 Colorado cyclists–who rode for 28 hours..
The story of setting the Guinness World Record could be just that—pedaling a stationary bike and covering nearly 10,000 miles while raising money for PeopleForBikes. We could stop there. That is what happened.
It could also be about Megan Hottman, a.k.a. The Cyclist Lawyer, teaching 25 people in a 28 hour indoor cycling class. It truly was a class, complete with intervals, standing climbs, sprints and endurance segments. This was no gimme. Riders rode with tension and conviction. They took a break every two hours for ten minutes. During each two hour period, judges (me included) recorded how many miles each person rode. It varied between 25 and 40 miles in most cases per two hours. They weren’t just turning pedals. In the end, each rider rode about 350 miles.
The story could also be about logistics. There is A LOT to orchestrating a world record. Dozens of volunteers checked mileage, witnessed the effort and made sure nobody broke the rules. Most importantly they were there to aid each rider and get whatever they possibly needed. Imagine a 7-Eleven combining forces with Whole Foods and Dunkin Donuts. Riders had plenty of Starbursts, M & M’s, fruit, bagels, HoneyStinger snacks, Chicken Ramen and plenty of cold and hot coffee provided by Launch Espresso in Golden—and some amazing donuts! Riders needed towels, tissues, massages, and any number of request for food combinations.
A judge from the Guinness World Record team flew in from New York to certify the effort. He travels all the time certifying records. His next gig is in Ft. Collins at the Budweiser plant officiating the world record number of couples kissing under the mistletoe—who would’ve thought.
That could be the story. The logistics and coordination. It’s complicated with lots of rules. LOTS. Ryan Avery, a Denver resident, who co-coordinated the effort, breaks world records with his Breaking History organization. He coordinates efforts like this to break records for good causes. His website can be found here: https://ryanavery.com/breaking-history-with-ryan-avery/ . It’s no small feat with lots of record keeping, verifying and rule following. I even wanted to get some champagne to celebrate, but rules forbid alcohol.
The story could be PeopleForBikes, the beneficiary of the money raised during today’s event. At last count they just passed $27,000. It could be their tireless efforts to make roads safer for cyclist.
The story could be and is all of the above to some extent. But the REAL story is the team and the teamwork.
These 25 riders all made it.
25 riders were recruited so that at least ten would finish to make the record count. When I arrived at 3 am Monday morning to volunteer, I was truly shocked to see every bike still occupied. They had started the ride at 7am on Sunday. Apparently there was some rough spots around midnight but nobody quit. Nobody was going to give “permission” for someone to quit by quitting themselves.
The energy and smiles at 3am were incredible. Many riders winced discreetly in pain as cramps, knee pain and major rashes crept in. But they kept smiling and pedaling. Megan was exceptional. She is simply positive. In one of my favorite movies, “Remember the Titans” there is a quote, that says, “attitude reflects leadership”. Megan’s leadership couldn’t have been more evident and persuasive.
But they still had 8 hours to go. For whatever reason, by 3:05, after just being there for five minutes, I would’ve bet my life savings they would break the record. There was just too much on the line for anyone to give up. Short of 15 bikes breaking or a major medical issue, it was obvious this group would make history. And they did!!!
Wonderful story!