“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.”
“Pain is temporary. Winning is forever.”
“Confront. Commit. Conquer.”
Those are just a few of the mantras from 24 amazing endurance athletes who responded when asked to go far beyond anything they had ever done. Attempt the world’s longest spin class? 28 hours of pedaling? Yes!
Anything is possible when you combine determination, teamwork and encouragement, incredible volunteers (over 100), and a common cause to make cycling safer. The spin class ride benefited People for Bikes, which advocates and provides grants for cycling infrastructure and other protections: PFB ride page
At 7am on December 1, 2019, those 24 athletes plus myself stepped onto stationary bikes at CycleBar in Denver.
Overcoming countless doubts, after 28 hours, nearly 10,000 cumulative miles, hundreds of songs, and nearly 1/2 million calories later, we heard this:
Like all my rides, combining a huge personal challenge with a worthy cause, the “why” was easy to answer. Over 800 cyclists were killed last year (2018) in the United States, and that’s unacceptable. Sure, a world record is cool and that moment will live forever in my memory. But there was a far greater purpose.
I can’t say enough about Megan Hottman, aka The Cyclist Lawyer, and Ryan Avery, THE Keynote Speaker, who planned and organized the ride. I was a last minute addition, proudly representing SRAM (one of the ride sponsors). Never having met a single person before the ride, I wasn’t sure what to expect.
Ryan graciously offered to me to ride next to him, and was a constant source of encouragement. Even as he suffered knee pain that gradually worsened, Ryan coordinated ride logistics and a camera crew, and periodically looked over to say “how’re you doing Dave?’ Unbelievable and pure unselfishness. At one point, as I suffered from nausea, others around spoke to me, and Ryan quickly stepped in, saying that I needed to focus internally. He could not have been more correct or read my mind better.
Ryan’s show, Breaking History, features stories of world records for good causes. What a great concept! Here is the episode that featured our ride:
Megan did the same cycling as everyone else, plus led the class playing music, leading continual workouts, and offering positive thoughts all along. I’m speechless with the talent, energy, determination, and leadership displayed by Megan. Plus she funded the record attempt, and devotes her legal practice to representing cyclists. I’m not sure I’ve ever met a more energetic and committed advocate for cycling on so many levels.
Here is the link to the Guinness World Record listing. I’m on the far left in the photo- in the red SRAM jersey.
Here are other blogs about the world record ride, starting with Megan’s:
And finally, some of the media stories:
My final thought: scroll back to the top and read some of the mantras. I’ll add one more of my own- “If I can do it, anyone can.”
Why I Ride 