Freelance bike mechanic Bruce Berkeley is
currently in Australia preparing to take on one of cycling’s oldest
records. Over the 12 months of 1939 Tommy Godwin cycled an astonishing
75,065 miles. That is a mind boggling 205 miles a day – EVERY day!
In comparison my own annual goal of 8,000 miles
seems fairly modest. However, if I want to spend time with my family AND hold
down a 9 - 5 job, then averaging an hour and a half in the saddle each
day is actually pretty challenging.
A 2 hour plus commute has formed the back bone of
my annual mileage. Weekend off-road rides and races during the summer can sometimes
be quite short, but training rides around the lanes in the winter ramp up the
average.
Over the next year Bruce will be desperate to
stay healthy and injury free. If he falls ill or has an accident it’ll be extremely hard to make up the
deficit of a few days off the bike. Avoiding the accidents and hospital
visits of previous years has helped me consistency rack up the miles in 2015. Only once
during the year have I failed to chalk up at least 100miles from Monday to
Sunday and even then, during my week away on holiday, I nipped out on a
hire bike for a couple of early morning outings before the family woke
up.
It was towards the end of September that I
realised 8000 miles was a realistic goal. My previous best, last
years 7178, was going to be easily eclipsed and I wanted a fresh target
to aim for. Reaching my new objective was not going to be easy,
2100miles in 13 weeks was going to be tough. Especially with the
introduction of the school run Monday to Wednesday reducing my commuting
opportunities. I planned a schedule of 4 rides a week, which
is the most I could reasonably hope to fit in. A 20 mile evening ride on
Tuesday, two 38 mile commutes, Thursday and Friday, and a 50+ mile
weekend ride.
I have stuck to this plan religiously, but heading out regardless of the gales and torrential rain, no matter how I’m feeling has been really tough. With limited opportunities to claw back any missed rides I've done well to limit my losses to around 60 miles. With exactly 2 weeks to go I am currently 402 miles
short of the magic number.
Its a personal goal and
just a number, with little meaning in the grand scheme of things. My body is desperately screaming to take a week off and
have some rest, but it has got to a point where I've got tunnel vision! I also feel it is now or never. My
second child is on the way in February, I can’t see myself getting close to 8000
miles again for some time, possibly ever!
It is going to be a tall order, but while there is still a chance I’ll keep on cycling!
