Guiness Book of Records - "longest MB journey"???

bamabikeguy · May 15, 2009

Guinness Book of Records - "longest MB journey"???

I came across a "longest journey on a motorized bicycle" controversy this morning, and after 20-30 minutes of chasing the story down with my clicker, I hit a dead end.

The dispute is all about e-bikes, (and the links I've posted might give our e-forum some ideas??)....what I was interested in was IF there were any marks established for the "under 50 cc" crowd.

My dead end was the actual Guinness Book of World Records website, 5 searches using various wordings brought up zero results.

The e-bike broo-ha-ha starts with a ride for charity by an English retiree, which is getting publicity world wide (twas an Aussie newspaper that first brought it to my attention.)

From gizmag:

http://www.gizmag.com/powabyke-tackles-record-breaking-1655-mile-trek-11683/11683/

May 13, 2009 As you read this, 66-year-old Briton Eddie Sedgemore is powering his way all over the UK mainland, a 1,655-mile journey on an electric bicycle to raise money for the British Heart Foundation. The steed chosen for what is (somewhat contentiously) described as a world record attempt is the Powabyke, a regular looking bike that has a 250 watt motor which slots into the water bottle holder and weighs only 2.5kg, allowing riders to coast along at a steady 15mph (add another 10mph in pedal assist mode).

According to the publicity Eddie is aiming to break the previous world record of 1,654.6 miles for the longest journey on motorized bicycle. However, ebikeblog, while in no way detracting from the worthy nature of Eddie's ride, questions the validity of the attempt, pointing out that the record they are claiming to break was on a motorized scooter, not a motorized bicycle. Ebikeblog also says that Spaniard Guim Valls Teruel is this month beginning an Electric Bicycle World Tour which will cover considerably greater mileage.

Powabyke being the primary sponsor had its own press release last week...

http://www.powabyke.com/news/-/eddie_gets_on_his_powabyke_for_world_record_attempt_6/

With support from Bath-based company Powabyke, Eddie is looking to break the existing record for the longest journey on a motorized bicycle which currently stands at 1,654.6 miles, and will be raising money for the British Heart Foundation (BHF) at the same time.

On 9th May he will start his challenge, travelling to the key compass points of Lands End and The Lizard in Cornwall, Dunnet Head in Scotland, and Lowestoft in Suffolk. This will entail visiting the Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western extremes of the UK mainland. Eddie and Powabyke have calculated that his route will take him over the 1,655 miles needed to set a new world record.

The dispute, as to vehicle AND distance comes from a site called ebikeblog.org

http://ebikeblog.org/

Hitting international news all over the world is the story of Eddie Sedgemore, a 66 year old Brit, who is claiming to be making a world record attempt for the "longest journey on a motorized bicycle" according to Powabyke.com. Eddie has previously completed several trips the length of Britain on electric cycles, and has raised hundreds of pounds for charity, which is fantastic: and he's now set his sights significantly greater than his previous rides. However, having researched the story a little more, I'm in two minds about how valid this world record attempt is, given the record it's claiming to break is not for an electric bicycle - but for a mobility scooter. No matter what the age or physical fitness of the rider, these are NOT the same things, and gives entirely the wrong impression about electric bicycles. Not only that: there's already been a MUCH longer record breaking attempt, on a mobility scooter, not an eBike!

The current "official" world record for "Longest Journey on an Electric Mobility Vehicle (scooter)" was set by John Duckworth in the UK - he travelled 2,662.8 km (1654.6 miles) around mainland UK on a Horizon Mayan electric mobility scooter between June 20, 2004 and July 27, 2004, finishing in Hincaster, Cumbria. However since this world record ride there had since been another MUCH longer ride made by the same charity organising John Duckworth's currently listed ride: after 117 days riding, they completed 5,349 miles - completely blowing away the currently underway 1,655 mile "record breaking attempt" planned by Eddie. A photo of the successful ride completer with friends from the 5,349 mile ride is below:

(did you notice the little ???? I had in the article above)

after 117 days riding, they completed 5,349 miles

So, the e-bike crowd does have mileage markers established, and I tried to see if there were any endurance claims using the 25cc and 33cc 2 cycles engines, or the 35cc 4 strokes, the 3 engines I'm familiar with.

Well, Guinness Book of World Records doesn't work (for me, anyway). I invite an MBer with better skilz to please try and find an "under 50cc" record !!

http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/records/travel_and_transport/bikes_and_motorbikes/default.aspx

I'd just like to see what the rules are for making endurance claims, what type of record keeping is required, etc etc etc.

If you're going to take a week or two roaming aimlessly lost, like I do, might as well see if you could claim to be the "most lostest on a bike with an engine".

And if TEAMwork can make a world record claim, what is to stop our group of crazies to collectively build a bike and take turns, swapping batteries back and forth, knocking out 6,000 miles in under 60 days?

Esteban · May 15, 2009

YOU are the holder of the world record, in my opinion. I would still be in a hospital if I rode as far as you did.

bamabikeguy · May 15, 2009

What interested me was "they", "117 days" and "5,349 miles":

completely blowing away the currently underway 1,655 mile "record breaking attempt" planned by Eddie.

"they" means a relay team.

5,329 miles divided by 117 days equals 45.5 miles per day.

These guys must be like NASCAR, multi-sponsorships, using one particular brand of e-bike.

While we could easily build a Frankenbike, using the accumulated wisdoms and parts which we know work.

And IF we could get the Frapper feature working, that motorized mongrel could be passed from point A to B to C in a semi-organized fashion.

5,350 miles would be the target, an odometer be the measurement, and I do 45.5 miles just to run to the county seat and gorge out at the Chinese buffet.

My best 2 days were around 280 miles, but 200 is a snap, if you have enough batteries. That is the main sponsor we could seek, the battery people, (and the saddle people, and the tire/tube people).

But the secret weapon would be the experimental MB bike, tweaked to be a magic carpet ride.

bamabikeguy · May 15, 2009

First things first...I hope one of you netz-nerdz can check the Guinness site out, copy/paste all the rulez and recordz that might apply to MBforum, or at least help me by posting the links you find to the MBparticulars !!

http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/records/travel_and_transport/bikes_and_motorbikes/default.aspx

bamabikeguy · Jun 14, 2009

Of interest, the Race Across America starts June 17 in Oceanside CA, 3000 miles to Annapolis MD. It ends June 29, but I think some folks can do it in 8 days of 22 hours of riding per day !!

http://www.raceacrossamerica.org/raam/home.php?N_webcat_id=1

There is a pdf heavy map here, I dunno how I would post it:

http://www.raceacrossamerica.org/raam/raam2.php?N_webcat_id=7

But here are some of the time stations they list:

* Time Station 5 - Congress, AZ
* Time Station 31 - Camdenton, MO
* Time Station 40 - Oxford, OH
* Time Station 41 - Blanchester, OH
* Time Station 51 - Mt Airy, MD

I know they ***** about Kansas slowing them down. Some guitar player from Rage Against the Machine (or Alice in Chains???) is one of the celebrity riders, and then there are some famous bikers too.

Maybe an MBer could chase them for an action photo??

robin bird · Jan 6, 2010

The Guiness record was made in 1978 by Walter Muma a CANADIAN ! of 11500 miles (18660 km) see his record at http://www.mopedtrip.com/ it was made on a 50cc French machine a Mobylette this record held until 2007. It was broken by Denieulle Benoit with a 27270 km journey thru Europe and Asia !! they must have grew 4 inches of flesh on their butts !! See his picture below read it an incredible trip Toronto to Alaska plus the Yukon !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

robin bird · Jan 6, 2010

The above trip was done before road traffic was heavy--wish i had done it instead of working !!

george_n_texas · Jan 7, 2010

That trip also was done during the hippy days of the 70's. I don't mean to imply anything to detract from the feat I just know hippies took each other in feeding and housing without doing a background check.

mlcorson · Jan 7, 2010

That trip also was done during the hippy days of the 70's

Yes, we hitchhiked across the country, and "crashed" on kind strangers floors. Even the girls hitchhiked. The times may have questionably been gentler, but we were naive as well. 1978 was at the very far end of the hippie era, in my opinion. Prime hippiedom was 1967-1974. Sigh....I miss those times.
"I don't need to watch the movie...I lived it" -Pee Wee Herman, Pee Wee's Big Adventure.

robin bird · Jan 7, 2010

I move to Penticton in 1973 and the hippie thing was in full swing-in Ontario where i came from it was over for almost 10 years--ill never forget meeting a guy and his old school bus with chickens in it....another one was on a 48 Ford 3 ton with a camper and stained glass windows on a beautiful cedar shake cottage with a small spiral staircase--an incredible work of art---there was a book about these campers called roll your own.

Guiness Book of Records - "longest MB journey"???

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