# Do you remember the 24 hour bike ride in central park?



## jkmacman

Sup Cycling peeps?

Anyone remember the 24 hour bike race they had in the '70's in Central Park?

I think Pepsi was the sponsor, a guy I biked with a couple of weeks ago told me the name of the winner of the first 24 hour bike race there.

I was a kid about 10, and did a few laps on an english racer. My sister did it too, her bike that she brought back from England looked like this one.










Post back if you did this event, have pics to share, or are doing anything interesting this year around ny/nj with the bike.


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## TTgrandprix

That must have been a real cool and extremely tough event.
Too bad there are none in today's era. An endurance cycling _race_
would be awesome for sure.


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## jkmacman

*central park again*

tomorrow night, i am racing in central park again!

except its a 5K corporate run.

how about a century up white face mtn? today i saw one listed on bike reg

of course california has the death ride, but a ride like white face would be more than enough for me


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## TTgrandprix

Yea, unfortunately, there are no more really, really tough/dangerous events for the non-pro's, sh*t, even for the pro's anymore. Racing has been santized and overrun by litigious, skirt-wearing, Mary's. It's bad enough society has to "save you from yourself" but I always thought that sports, the one realm where the true test of human limits, was untouchable.

The only 'sports' now that you can push to the real extremes is base jumping, cliff jumping, bouldering, skydiving, and the like etc. No real main stream organized sports combine the elements of real risk and danger. Most are 'soft' now, no true hard guys left. The tough men have all but faded away, in some cases pushed away by what I call the "Sally Mentality"

Every sport (with the exception of pro football, rugby & boxing maybe) has gone panzy in some way or another. You can chalk it up to big money, self absorbed athletes and even this notion of being a citizen of the world nonsense. Where there is no real disdain for your opponent, it's hugs and kisses all around...uhg. Sickening. 

Let me add that 'real roadracing' in Britian is also one of the only sports left that is for 'real' racers. But there is a contingent of left-wing liberals over there who are trying to ban racing on the roads. Same goes for the TT. The TT is probably the most ballsiest event/race in the world and every time someone dies (willingly- for the love of the sport btw) the uber liberal cries to close the TT down are ten fold. 

What are you going to do? The new agers have taken over. I'm waiting for the World Sewing championships on ESPN or VS...


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## jkmacman

there's a few endurance mtb events in the area 24 hours allamuchy, and some mtb centuries

hopefully i get a little better on the mtb

for the roadies, i guy in my bike club wants to bring back a hilly event, but its up in new hampshire, and its do able in one hr?


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## TTgrandprix

Yea, I know about the 24 hour MTB events, which are very challenging and very cool. But a 24 hour road evnet would be great as well. I think your buddy means the The Mt. Washington Hill Climb. Pretty crazy, tough, wicked event.


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## jkmacman

> A rider informed me today that he rode up the newly resurfaced road to Mt Greylock recently.


He says they used to go up Mt Greylock (Mass.), and they just re-did the road.

i do tri-athlons, so if i can get a good swim stroke, i can did an iron man event, these are preety difficult, especially the one at lake placid, for now I am doing just a sprint tri, at franklin lakes, nj, on june 20


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## jkmacman

*In the 1970s there was a 24 hour bike race around Central Park sponsored by Pepsi.*



> 24 Hour Pepsi Cycle Marathon
> 
> http://www.srichinmoyraces.org/cycling/cycling_articles/24_hour_pepsi_cycle_marathon/[
> 
> In the 1970s there was a 24 hour bike race around Central Park sponsored by Pepsi. For a couple of years Sri Chinmoy and many of his students took part.


As a kid in Queens, I was familiar with Sri Chinmoy, since he had a place in Queens. I was unaware that he was an avid cyclist and participated in thr 24 Hour Pepsi Cycle Marathon


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## TTgrandprix

Hey macman, good luck in the Triathlon on the 20th!
The swim is the key, or so I hear., and that seems to be the consensus among experienced triathletes.

Oh, maybe you better wrap yourself up in bubble wrap and wear
body armour! After all....those Tri's are extremely dangerous!!! 
 

Some people get all sensitive and scared...we don't want to upset them!!!!! :biggrin5: 

Maybe the left will get together and ban all forms of racing...
it just might too dangerous and too hard core!!!!!:ciappa:


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## jkmacman

*speaking of central park . . .*

just got back from a race in central park. chase corporate challenge

http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/episode/view.do?episodePk.pkValue=8427358


3.64 miles @ 7:44 pace (running) 28:27, by my foreunner


by the official clock i was 29:00, there was so many people it was over 30 seconds before the pack i was in started moving

i was near the 8 minute pace marker at the start, but it was a lot of walkers in mixed in

i was happy with my pace, lsat year i ran 8:20 for 5 miles, at franklin lakes tri, this year i seem to be around 10 minutes for most of my 5 mile run, some times, i got closer to 9 on the tri course in franklin lakes

yes, the swimming is tough, last year i was around 22 minutes when many were under 15 minutes


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## TTgrandprix

jkmacman said:


> just got back from a race in central park. chase corporate challenge
> 
> http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/episode/view.do?episodePk.pkValue=8427358
> 
> 
> 3.64 miles @ 7:44 pace (running) 28:27, by my foreunner
> 
> 
> by the official clock i was 29:00, there was so many people it was over 30 seconds before the pack i was in started moving
> 
> i was near the 8 minute pace marker at the start, but it was a lot of walkers in mixed in
> 
> i was happy with my pace, lsat year i ran 8:20 for 5 miles, at franklin lakes tri, this year i seem to be around 10 minutes for most of my 5 mile run, some times, i got closer to 9 on the tri course in franklin lakes
> 
> yes, the swimming is tough, last year i was around 22 minutes when many were under 15 minutes


Nice job, 7.44 pace is solid for sure. It has to be tough with that many bodies!
I'm sure you can run 8 min miles flat in race mode...
the adrenalin pumping and all that good stuff! Aye.

Listen, just competing in a Tri is worthy of a big thumbs up. :thumbsup: 
Finishing a tri- be it a sprint, olympic, half, or Iron is awesome. 

I had a pie in the sky notion of doing the Pascack Valley for my first tri, 
but because of the weather our pool in the complex hasn't opened yet 
and I have yet to practice my swimming- cause I really suck in the aqua! rrr:  

I've run 3 miles in 22 mins...so not too aweful, but no so good either.
The bike will be my best effort most likely.

My sights are set on 2010...but maybe if I can get enough swimming in during July/Aug
maybe, just maybe...at the end of Sept I may give it a go as they say.

How long have you been competing in Tri's?


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## jkmacman

did my first tri in 2008, franklin lakes (SPRINT)

was gonna do olympic nj state, but they wouldn't allow wet suits, since the water temp was too warm, and i am still working on the swim

i think a guy drowned last year at nj state, and the week before in the nyc tri, in hudson river, with the jelly fish

franklin lakes is a bit hilly, so i been running there for the tri for he past three months (brick work outs)

i run 5 miles at lunch at lot, but always seems to be around 10 minutes pace, maybe since i am running over and around route 4, it slows me down

missed the pascak tri, that's the one they swim in hillsdale?

they are having a bunch of events in rosendale (near new paltz), they had an off- road tri a few weeks ago at williams lake. this weekend just a mtb race their. and several more regular sprint tri's at williams lake ( a closed resort area )

after franklin lakes, i don't have any more races, was hoping to do mtn man biathlon again in october (lewis morris) and i am supposed to marshal at the silvermine tt

thanks

jim


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## TTgrandprix

I hear you about the wetsuit...my biggest fear is the swim.
The Pascack Tri is an indoor pool - so it's good for 1st timers.

I think it is coming up, but I haven't been able to do any training.
A couple of injuries over the winter plus, my condo pool isn't open yet.

Good ol Route 4...(not) Paramus Mall and traffic as long as the eye can see...
I hate North Jersey for Routes 3, 4 and 17! 
I grew up in Bergen Co. Rutherford/E Ruth.

Maybe do some interval running? Shorter 2 to 3 mile runs, with
a couple of sprints. Mix it up a bit. I read that adding some sprints
can actually increase endurance and pace. But it all depends on each individuals
physiology. What worrks for some...doesn't work for others- eh.

That Mtn Man Duathlon is killer, no?
What is like. Are there cutoff times Jim?


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## jkmacman

*tri & du*

i ran 3.5 miles at 7:44 pace thursday at a race in central park last thursday, i wanted to more intervals on the bike and running this year, but only a few times

however i did bricks in franklin lakes for over 3 months of saturdays, my swimming improved over last year, but i still want to get lessons

the mountain man duathlon is the most laid back race you'll find/ the promoter says, run bike run drink some beer and or bike and run some more

i hope to do it again this year, even tgough i haven't drank in over a year


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## RichieNY

Yes, I remember the 24 hour central park race. It was an endurance race and the winner logged the most miles over the 24 hour period. I seem to recall a guy named John Howard winning it one year. I have his book in the attic somewhere. His total covered miles was somewhere in the vicinity of 540 miles if I recall correctly. It was not a team event - one guy on the bike for 24 hours. Very macho stuff.


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## jkmacman

*john howard*

i think that guy is an olympian w/speed record on a bike 152 mph



> Olympic Cyclist and IRONMAN triathlon winner, John Howard set a 152.2 Miles per Hour speed record at the Bonneville Salt Flats near Wendover, Utah on July 20, 1985. He is drafting in the wake of a 500 Horsepower Streamliner. This type of human powered record is called motor pacing. The pace vehicle was modified by adding a large tail fairing to the 337 MPH record holding Vesco Streamliner. The fairing keeps the wind off John and reduces the aerodynamic drag he is pedaling against to near nothing.
> http://www.canosoarus.com/08LSRbicycle/LSR%20Bike01.htm


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## manmachine

Hey guys, check out this story-

http://www.bicycling.com/article/0,6610,s1-3-10-20482-1,00.html

This would be awesome here in the states.
NJMP perhaps???? That would be very cool.


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## California L33

TTgrandprix said:


> Yea, unfortunately, there are no more really, really tough/dangerous events for the non-pro's, sh*t, even for the pro's anymore. Racing has been santized and overrun by litigious, skirt-wearing, Mary's. It's bad enough society has to "save you from yourself" but I always thought that sports, the one realm where the true test of human limits, was untouchable.
> 
> The only 'sports' now that you can push to the real extremes is base jumping, cliff jumping, bouldering, skydiving, and the like etc. No real main stream organized sports combine the elements of real risk and danger. Most are 'soft' now, no true hard guys left. The tough men have all but faded away, in some cases pushed away by what I call the "Sally Mentality"
> 
> Every sport (with the exception of pro football, rugby & boxing maybe) has gone panzy in some way or another. You can chalk it up to big money, self absorbed athletes and even this notion of being a citizen of the world nonsense. Where there is no real disdain for your opponent, it's hugs and kisses all around...uhg. Sickening.
> 
> Let me add that 'real roadracing' in Britian is also one of the only sports left that is for 'real' racers. But there is a contingent of left-wing liberals over there who are trying to ban racing on the roads. Same goes for the TT. The TT is probably the most ballsiest event/race in the world and every time someone dies (willingly- for the love of the sport btw) the uber liberal cries to close the TT down are ten fold.
> 
> What are you going to do? The new agers have taken over. I'm waiting for the World Sewing championships on ESPN or VS...


BASE jumping not dangerous enough for you? I'm thinking about a new sport- extreme shark wrestling- no wetsuits allowed, just one chum covered man, and one hungry shark.


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## mlflee

*John Howard's Central Park Pepsi Challenge Record*

I rode in the Pepsi Challenge in the year John Howard set the record. I have scanned in an article and memorablila from that experience. Enjoy.


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## Digerati_master

I remember the pepsi 24 hour race I was in it and road 375 miles... 
No photo and my sister tossed out the sweat pants that had all the patches that I had on it! 
I remember getting my bib stamped every time I went around with the pepsi sign. 
It was a great race fun times with friends. I had trouble walking for a week after that race
I remember the winner did 420+ miles I should have stayed awake!
Now I'm a mountain biker love being in the woods!


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## jkmacman

i mtb too, but hit the road today

Bike Ride Profile | 53 miles near Glen Rock | Times and Records | Strava

was going to mtb ringwood wednesday but the other guy bailed

i have a 2008 epic comp fsr mtb and two road bikes giant tcr advanced and a trek 2003 5300 post office

i was very young when i did the 24 bike race in central park

raced there the past two years running in the chase corporate challenge. this past year came in #2 in my company:thumbsup:


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## jcunningham123

jkmacman said:


> Sup Cycling peeps?
> 
> Anyone remember the 24 hour bike race they had in the '70's in Central Park?
> 
> I think Pepsi was the sponsor, a guy I biked with a couple of weeks ago told me the name of the winner of the first 24 hour bike race there.
> 
> I was a kid about 10, and did a few laps on an english racer. My sister did it too, her bike that she brought back from England looked like this one.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Post back if you did this event, have pics to share, or are doing anything interesting this year around ny/nj with the bike.


Yup, did it 2x, 150 miles one year, 205 miles the next. Exhausting but wonderful riding in a pack in the middle of the night around CP.


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## jc3

jcunningham123 said:


> Yup, did it 2x, 150 miles one year, 205 miles the next. Exhausting but wonderful riding in a pack in the middle of the night around CP.


I did the race twice in the mid 80's. 205 miles each time. No support crew, was in great shape the second time, but zonked due to the lack of food.


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