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.

Hour Record Media

• 

  James Moore who set the first recorded hour record of 23.3 km in 1873

• 

  Eddy Merckx's 1972 hour record steel-framed bike

• 

  The Lotus 108 bicycle, a forerunner to the Lotus 110 Chris Boardman used to set a new hour record of 56.375 km (35.030 mi) in 1996.

• 

  The bike used by Jens Voigt in the first attempt under the unified regulations in 2014

• 

  Former hour record holder Bradley Wiggins, pictured here at the 2013 UCI Road World Championships

• 

  Former record holder, Evelyn Stevens (pictured in 2009)

• 

  The above chart depicts the progression of the men's hour record over time (click to enlarge). Blue markers indicate attempts made under the UCI hour record, orange markers indicate attempts made under the UCI best human effort rules, and green markers indicate attempts made under the unified rules.

• 

  The above chart depicts the progression of the women's hour record over time (click to enlarge). Blue markers indicate attempts made under the UCI hour record, orange markers indicate attempts made under the UCI best human effort rules, and green markers indicate attempts made under the unified rules.