Fun While it Lasted

[MattTuck]

Originally Posted by nooneline

What other event in cycling has a record-setting-only structure?

Why not create an annual Hour World Championship? That way, maybe some road TTers will dabble. The hard part, though, is that the Track WCs are in April - and a lot of roadies have their season in full swing.

But still - I think what hurts the Hour Record is that it's THE HOUR RECORD, not The Hour (event). There is no building block. It's all or nothing.

Agreed that April might be a tough sell. I just think that adding the "hour championship" at the same time of year as the road WC events would limit where you could hold the whole thing, and I think you want people to be able to prepare/attempt it on their own terms, which may or may not coincide with the usual WC spots on the calendar.

[Hindmost]

My historical sense of the hour record, pre-super bike era, was that it was an opportunity for a successful road rider, who may have had some track background, who was at a point in their career where the question--how would they match up to previous champions?--was of general interest to the cycling community. They had a reasonable probability of success and thus, there was complementary support for sponsorship and promotion.

[tv_vt]

The 'race' self-selects a very limited number of competitors. Results from a few TTs during races through the year will tell most riders whether they're hour record material or not. Most will choose a holiday over the extra workload. Because - it's brutally hard.

And the financial benefit is what exactly? Believe it rhymes with a well known wheel company.

Zip.

There's a reason the record stood for over a decade between Merckx and Moser.

[choke]

From Cooksen in the OP: "This record will regain its attraction for both the athletes and cycling fans."

The thing is that the record really never had a huge attraction for the athletes. It has always been a case where there are a flurry of attempts and then years go by with no one giving it a try. I can't find any data for failed attempts so I don't know if anyone tried in between, but it was 12 years between Merckx setting the record and Moser breaking it and then another 9 years before Obree beat Moser's record.

If you haven't seen Chris Boardman: The Final Hour it's well worth watching IMO. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwyy6NuOafk

[Catman]

I like the crazy bikes! Half the fun!


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