The Hour Record attempt by Jens Voigt (18.09.2014)

[happytramp]

Ha, hour record page on wikipedia already updated

 

[happytramp]

J
Hence the desire to see a run at the "Merckx" record with plain spoked wheels, round tubes, and drop bars.

Merck should have done it on a Penny Farthing to see if he could have beaten the original record holder etc, etc.

 

[DirtyWorks]

Absolutely understand. Jens didn't make the rules. He certainly won't keep the record. Give the man his due. That was hard as ****.

Yeah, no question about that.

happytramp, maybe some want a way to compare performances across time? You could know definitively who beats Merckx, not just slips through the air better depending on the rules of the day. I realize that gets kind of weird, "What's Jensie doing on that old bike?" But, I can see the appeal.

Again, I don't care either way. This attempt kicks off a number of attempts over the next few years.

 

[kingjr]

Says he started out a bit too fast, slowed himself down between minute 20 and 40 and then gave it everything in the last 20 minutes

 

[cineteq]

Called it!

Well done, 2 more people voted after I did my post, LOL!

 

[Jancouver]

He's doing 250m laps. Sosenka had 333 meter laps, which is easier

Sosenka would do 55km with his aero bike/wheels/helmet/skinsuit/

#ShutUpJensie

 

[deValtos]

Is the superman position allowed under the new rule changes ?

 

[richwagmn]

Yeah, no question about that.

happytramp, maybe some want a way to compare performances across time? You could know definitively who beats Merckx, not just slips through the air better depending on the rules of the day. I realize that gets kind of weird, "What's Jensie doing on that old bike?" But, I can see the appeal.

Again, I don't care either way. This attempt kicks off a number of attempts over the next few years.

And that's the best part of this. I really wonder what Tony Martin or Brad Wiggins could do?

 

[Echoes]

Merck should have done it on a Penny Farthing to see if he could have beaten the original record holder etc, etc.

on a "streamliner" to see if he could beat the 49.922km of Berthet, etc, etc.


The "record" on a penny farthing invoked by the commentators is not even an official record. Merckx's bike is pretty comparable to Desgrange's one. Closer to Desgrange's bike than to Berthet's ...

 

[Pricey_sky]

Well done, 2 more people voted after I did my post, LOL!

Lol it's always funny when that happens!

 

[happytramp]

Merckx's bike is pretty comparable to Desgrange's one. Closer to Desgrange's bike than to Berthet's ...

The point really is that you can't force these guys to take on a record attempt on a bike that they haven't spent years adjusting to. Sure you could throw Tony Martin onto an old steel bike but the result is probably not going to be a fair reflection of his ability. I think we probably just have to accept that there's always going to be changes in the record rules (unless UCI really believe that there will be no more allowable advancements in the field of TT bike design)

 

[jens_attacks]

Anyway RIP Hour Record (1893-2014)

yes. because the hour record was still alive between 1996 and 2014 lol
that's why you had only a semi-retired boardman and a soviet anonymous beast sosenka going for it in 20 years.

welcome back to life to the hour record i'd say,
i really hope sosenka will give a try in the spring, he should beat this if he has an ego.
i do expect fabian and wiggo to go above 54 km, only slower to rominger's best and boardman's.
anyway, very nice evening, enjoyed it!

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

When people don't want to understand (or don't have the intellectual ability for it), they resort to caricature and hyperboles.

Like saying they may as well add a motor?

 

[python]

the old man jens was magnificent.

but only an ignorant fan can think that he beat any previous record.

still, good to see jens setting the mark according to new rules...until the uci gets another brain fart.

 

[del1962]

For me Boardman still holds the record at 56.375km

 

[Echoes]

The point really is that you can't force these guys to take on a record attempt on a bike that they haven't spent years adjusting to.

They are racing on traditional bikes in every "in line" road races. The rules should never be adapted to the whims of pseudo stars. They have to adapt to the rules.

yes. because the hour record was still alive between 1996 and 2014 lol

Definitely alive. Boardman was the hell of a great rider. His 2000 performance was epic. He was liquified after that. Besides he still had good ITT results in 2000. And sure, Voigt was not semi-retired, lol.

Edit: and forgot to mention that Cancellara was preparing for a TRUE hour record, before Cookson killed it.

For me Boardman still holds the record at 49.441km

Fixed.

 

[jens_attacks]

Definitely alive. Boardman was the hell of a great rider. His 2000 performance was epic. He was liquified after that. Besides he still had good ITT results in 2000.

yes it was so epic that 80% of the peloton of those times could do it too...nobody gave a shiit except legendary freacking sosenka. nobody wants to ride on those dumb, ancient bikes. and rightfully so.

fabian in my opinion is the man who made cookson change the rules anyway

 

[richwagmn]

So what is possible under the new rules for say Tony Martin?

 

[richwagmn]

yes it was so epic that 80% of the peloton of those times could do it too...nobody gave a shiit except legendary freacking sosenka. nobody wants to ride on those dumb, ancient bikes. and rightfully so.

fabian in my opinion is the man who made cookson change the rules anyway

Because... Fabian would have beat Merckx's record?

 

[Jancouver]

So what is possible under the new rules for say Tony Martin?

Fabian: 54 Km
Wigo: 55 Km
Martin: 57 Km

 

[Echoes]

yes it was so epic that 80% of the peloton of those times could do it too...nobody gave a shiit except legendary freacking sosenka. nobody wants to ride on those dumb, ancient bikes. and rightfully so.

They were pussies !! bar Boardman.

Besides Thomas Liese also made an attempt, and others too. That's why the pseudo stars of the time were pussies, period.

fabian in my opinion is the man who made cookson change the rules anyway

Your opinion does not matter. The facts matter. Cancellara wanted to break the TRUE Hour record and was not interested in the Hour travesty that we have witnessed today. Only Trek is forcing him, as usual.

 

[jens_attacks]

Fabian: 54 Km
Wigo: 55 Km
Martin: 57 Km

i highly doubt anyone can beat even rominger's 55.200 or whatever, forget boardman. also martin with his cadence is really not suited to the track i guess.

wiggo with his best preparation(probably one year only for this) can get close to 55 km

 

[jaylew]

Nice, Jens. Looking forward to this picking up steam now.

 

[Le breton]

...........
Boardman was the hell of a great rider. His 2000 performance was epic. He was liquified after that. Besides he still had good ITT results in 2000....

So you are unaware that Boardman 2000 was way inferior to Boardman 1996.

In 2000 he only produced about 403 watts to cover his 49.441 km

while in 1996

he needed 442 watts to cover 56.375 km.

In other words, Boardman 1996 would have covered about 51.100 km on a pseudo-Merckx style bike.

Over 2 hours he could probably have done 100 km on that 2000 "Merckx" bike if he had been in the same shape as in 1996.

 

[Alex Simmons/RST]

For me it's clear: rebuild Merckx's bike. Same material, same rims, same pedals. Merckx is THE standard. Everything compares to him. Why not even make it A standard. Like "I do the hour in 1.23 Merckx, how about you?"...

(Of course his time will be beaten, they still run marathons on rubber shoes, but always faster)

Merckx's hour bike didn't meet the UCI's "Merckx-hour" bike regulations.