Hour record

The hour record for bicycles is the record for the longest length rode in one hour on a bicycle.  The first recorded hour record was in 1876 when F. L. Dodds rode 26.508 kilometres on a penny-farthing bicycle.  Many people since then have tried to be the fastest.  People trying to break the record have helped to change bicycle designs.

In 1972, the Belgian cyclist Eddy Merckx set a record of 49.431 kilometres.  It was the record for twelve years.  Since that time technology has allowed much more aerodynamic bicycle designs.  The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), has made his design standard for their competitions.  There is now another record, the International Human Powered Vehicle Association (IHVA) hour record, for other designs.  The hour record for regular bicycles is called the UCI record.  

Ondřej Sosenka holds the UCI hour record at 49.700 kilometres.  Sam Whittingham holds the IHVA hour record at 86.752 kilometres.
Category:Cycle races