20,000 miles in 19 days ?!!
 

just stumbles upon this :
http://www.motochallenge.com/rtwhome.htm

this Nick Sanders seems like a complete nutter. 3 day and nights riding with no sleep ?

question here is, would you do this route in 19 days, and call it circumnavigation of earth ? looks like he is flying more than riding...
he meets the record requirement...but still ?
what do you say ?

check this for a related discussion:
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb...ML/000279.html

ChrisB

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TheBrightStuffDotCom

Extreme fatigue is a recipe for disaster.A trip around the World should never be a race around the World.This type of stunt simply reinforces the idea that motorcyclists are nothing more than a group of extreme thrill seekers.

I've been trying to find where I read it- perhaps on the HUBB- but I read a quote last year from the Guiness Book of Records.

Basically, they don't condone records which create an unsafe environment for anyone not knowingly involved in the record.
An example could be riding from London to Cape Town in the shortest possible time. As the record attempter would potentially be riding at high speeds for long distances, his potential for an accident involving unsuspecting Joe Public would be high. Therefore GBofR don't want to be affiliated.

If what I have read can be substantiated, I guess Sander's trip would fall into this category too.

Even if Nick Sanders does fly round in 19~20 days, his achievment will not be recognised by Guinness. The final entry for this event will still rest with Kevin & Julia Sanders (no relation). He knows this, and is simply doing it to beat any previous record and for his own personal satisfaction.

I'll be upfront - we are the current GWR for Around the World and Trans Americas. Both records were closed by Guinness after we completed them due to safety concerns because they were on the public highway.

Whatever you may say, "safe" long distance riding has and will be around for a long time - see the Iron Butt Association. www.ironbutt.com. The GWR that we did, were run under rules which meant that any traffic offence or speeding ticket would have voided the record. Loads of time went into training and building up miles. But yes, it has to come to a point where the balance of risk to innocent bystanders versus the challenge of long distance driving becomes one where the regulations step in and say enough.

Don't criticise these records on the back of they are not "travelling" and what does one get to see - most riders or drivers for that matter who do them, are normally extremely well-travelled both before and continue to be after the event - which makes it possible for them to meet the challenges of riding in such countries under such extreme conditions (most have done it before leisurely and know what to expect). The point of these types of GWR was not sightseeing, just like the point of running in the NY marathon is not to sightsee NY; it is about testing your limits of endurance.

Anyway, isn't anyone who gets on a bike, a bit of a thrill seeker and even more so when you head off into the unknown?

Julia & Kevin Sanders

[This message has been edited by GlobeBusters (edited 29 May 2005).]

how tough are you ? how long can you ride ? how much fatigue can you handle ? can you ride day after night after day after night after day, as cold sweeps large plains, as torrential rain lashes upon your winding alpine road, as the skin inside your jacket cooks in the scortching desert sun ? are you prepared to be alone ? all by yourself ? riding in places where there is no telephone, leave aside ambulances, AA and helicopter rescue ? nothing may go wrong, and then again may go terribly wrong, but are you prepared to endure whatever comes your way ? are you strong enough ... in mind and body ? Can you handle the pressure ? the change ? the rigour ? can you handle yourself thru all this and more, while you ride around the world, alone, in marathon sessions ? and if you think you can match it, are you going to match, will you do it ? are you prepared to set your self on the line of fire.


questions to ask before we criticise any record attempt for it's purpose or it's futility. i think men and women who achieve feets as Nick or Kevin and Julia have, first need respect for having the courage to do them. And then applause for having come thru successful from the hardships, the challenges, that most of us may not even be able to imagine in first person.

why does one climb the everest ? why solo transatalntic boat journeys ? why 100 km runs?

this isn't about GBofR is it ? is it even about a record at all ? a record is set by the achievements, not achievements defined by the record books. the GBoR merely docuements records, and if it refuses to list Nick's, once and if he achieves it, only reduces the books credibility.

in anycase, i think it's more about the human desire to surpass known limits and take them forward over and over again. it's neither outside acknowledgements nor competitive... as i'd imagine kevin and julia would agree. i doubt they set out saying, "we don't care how capable we are, we just want to break nick's record !". It's the desire to push oneself to their own limits, to their own boundaries and take it forward... The emotion i'd imagine is more like "i want to see what i can achieve as an individual, and i as a representative of the spirit of adventure, and how far i can take motorcycle riding to."

i am all for records that stand for extending the boundaries of human achievement.

you saw that record about collecting most different matchstick boxes ? .... or that for the world's longest moustache ?

Well said Geeten.

I'm reminded of the question "Why DO people climb Everest?" The answer given is simple: "If you have to ask, you wouldn't understand the answer."

And often we as travellers are asked "Why do you want to go to such faraway, dangerous places?" Again, the answer is simple: "If you have to ask, you wouldn't understand the answer."

There's no doubt that all long distance journeys require a healthy appreciation of the challenges along the road.No trip would be successfull without perseverance and the ability to withstand the difficult times.How you deal with the inevitable pitfalls,detours,and slowdowns will test your faith in your own abilities.Your vision and dedication has to be strong enough to withstand not only the doubts of others,but also your own.
All journeys have their own inherent risks.Perhaps I was to quick to react to the latest "Around The World Challenge" announcement.At first it seemed foolhardy,and very unsafe.This topic obviously created reactions from all sides.The records set by "Globeriders" and many others are clearly outstanding in their own right.Peace.