Greatest virtual distance on a static cycle in one hour (male)

The greatest virtual distance on a static cycle in one hour (male) is 46.2 km (28.7 mi), and was achieved by Jeff Rooney (New Zealand) in Nelson, New Zealand, on 8 August 2021.

Back in 2016, Jeff had a major work accident that resulted in multiple injuries, including a smashed femur, 7 broken ribs, a broken elbow, and soft tissue joint damage. He was out of work for a year and there were even 3 months where he wasn't able to walk. He attended 3 physio sessions per week to help with recovery.

A major part of his recovery was spending time on his bike trainer, and fast forward a few years he now feels as close to 100% as he'll ever be able to post accident. The competitive spirit in him was still there, training on his bike was back into full swing and he would spend 10-15 hours a week there, sometimes even more.

Covid-19 then appeared and disrupted the world as we knew it. Events and travel were uncertain and some events were even replaced by virtual racing equivalents online. It was during the World Time Trial Championships, held each year in the U.S, that Jeff rode against some well known riders whom he never considered being as good as but he managed to do a great job of holding his own. Jeff had read that these riders held GWR titles which got him looking at the different records and considering which ones he might have a chance at. Being an endurance rider, the longer challenges were the most appealing.

To prepare for the event, Jeff did plenty of test rides, checking different online courses, different riding platforms, and making sure he had an understanding of what it would take to get the record. A week before the set date for the challenge, he did a dressed rehearsal ‘test’ event of 3.5 hours which gave him a chance to fine tune all details. This went very well, spirits were high, and he was confident that he could ‘smash’ the record. Jeff wanted to attempt this one hour record in conjunction with a longer 12 hour version for the greatest virtual distance on a static cycle in 12 hours (male).

On the day, the challenges began before the event even did. The venue (which had been setup ready to go the day before) wasn’t opened until almost 30 minutes after arranged, meaning final preps became a bit rushed. Then the first 2 required witnesses for the attempt hadn’t shown. Luckily, he had 2 available people onsite to step in until they showed up.

From then on, the challenges just kept coming and the app/computer crashed twice throughout the day, adding to the stress levels, and the extra things to overcome. Jeff was also physically having an ‘off’ day. He was feeling exhausted long before he should have and was running off to the toilet every hour, but he was not willing to cut down on the amount of fluids as dehydration is a major issue when cycling for 12 hours.

Jeff experienced a few points during the attempt where mentally, he wasn't sure if he could keep going. Then someone special to him showed up and he made sure to keep going. One of his other friends showed up overflowing with enthusiasm, which at first made him feel more grumpy but eventually he wore through that, and helped him feel better.

By the end of it, he managed to achieve both records which made the effort well worth it. Being a GWR title holder is a special privilege to Jeff. He says that it doesn’t make him the best athlete in the world, just the person who has given their all, and been brave enough to give it a try in the first place. "I know there are plenty of people that can beat my record. But, until they go and attempt the record, it will remain my record."