Why the hour record may be the hardest thing a human can attempt

Рет қаралды 25,616

Күн бұрын

How far can you pedal a bike in an hour? It's a simple concept, but the hour record has pushed some of the most accomplished cyclists of all-time to their absolute limits, both physically and mentally.
Why is this event so legendarily brutal?
PATREON: www.patreon.com/student_ofthegame
Video Courtesy of:
NBC Sports
Global Cycling Network
INEOS Grenadiers
Alex Hutchinson for Outside Magazine: www.outsideonl...

Пікірлер: 46

@dontknowdocare 10 ай бұрын

It must be very frustrating for a channel like yours who interviews respectable professionals in the industry and puts maximum effort into the quality of your videos to get so little love from youtube's algorithm. I've seen several smaller I follow who had less than 10k followers for years suddenly break out and I sincerely hope this happens for you too. I truly enjoy every video. Thanks for your hard work!

@studentofthegame 10 ай бұрын

I mean it's not NOT frustrating--I think if I focused on one topic, KZbin would bless me and the subscriber count would go up a little quicker, but that would get boring really quickly. Thank you for the kind words

@Rubik3141 6 ай бұрын

Wtf it thought it was like a 1mil subscribers account till I saw your comment

@penndrive 5 ай бұрын

@@studentofthegame4 months later and 50% up! I came here to rewatch this video 3 months later of first watching this after committing to a healthier life. Keep up the good work!

@Elonpocalyps420 4 ай бұрын

@@studentofthegamehey I just got this recommended first thing on my page. So kudos, good vid

@thefirstharry Ай бұрын

@@studentofthegamejust subscribed. Great stuff! Keep it up. 👍

@JosieDrake1995 3 ай бұрын

My dad was an ultra marathon runner so his endurance was absolutely ridiculous. When my older half brother ran his first marathon, my dad ran it with him and my brother loves telling the story about how he was going through the fight of his life to complete his first marathon, all while my dad was taking a leisurely stroll. Apparently, my dad would sometimes speed up to chat with the runner ahead or slow down to chat with the runners behind. He talked the whole time and was completely unbothered all while my brother was dying. I wish I had my dads endurance, but that isn’t something you’re born with, it’s something you train

@lucubrator4283 10 ай бұрын

Having some of the most accomplished riders going for this record once, but not trying to regain it once someone has broken their record, tells a lot. As you've said, it's both a physical as well as a mental nightmare.

@studentofthegame 10 ай бұрын

a literal bunch of competitionaholics collectively going "lol nope no thanks I'm good"

@jasonjohnson9072 7 ай бұрын

This is not the reason . It’s costs a fortune to attempt. Athletes need heaps of support. It’s basically been technology battle for decades now. They are also world tour pros. They don’t make money from the hour record. It’s a passion project. It takes up a big chunk of a year preparing for something like this that literally subtracts from the physiology of your performance in all other areas. Particularly the one where you actually get paid to do. There are guys who do it more than once but they are usually self funded. So yeah, it’s hard. But that’s not the reason they don’t attempt it again.

@jondashun 10 ай бұрын

One thing that also cannot be underestimated is the skill of riding a track bike in the time trial position around that track while staying as close to the track‘s measured perimeter (the black line) as possible. Every deviation will increase your actual distance but it won’t be measured as only the laps times the official length of the track matter. And going through a bend at any speed greater than 45 km/h in the time trial position on the track bike while holding your line requires skill and effort. The forces acting on your body are substantial. Plus, track bikes do not have a freehub, their transmission is fixed. So even if you wanted to, you can’t just stop pedalling and freewheel even for a second. Great video!

@mattb4640 6 ай бұрын

Stoked to be one of the first 15,000 subscribers to this multi-million sub channel

@andrewcockburn7484 10 ай бұрын

What makes the hour even tougher is that you also have to contort yourself into an aerodynamic position while putting out massive watts and also holding a good line around the track at the same time.

@jacktyson8585 7 ай бұрын

One of my best friends was on his college’s rowing team. He told me about these “2K” tests they’d have to do (how quickly can you get to 2,000 meters on a seated rowing machine) and they definitely seem similar to The Hour in that the monotony is also a huge factor in performance

@genuinecve 10 ай бұрын

I am thoroughly impressed with your video. The Hour is my favorite event in cycling and I follow it and all things relating to it from science to tech religiously. You did a great job informing new people. There is SO MUCH involved with breaking the Hour not just want is covered here but to things like location and even weather. But that is really getting in to the minutiae of things. Awesome video! Love watching your breadth of sports topics on your channel.

@studentofthegame 10 ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it!

@runtrls 10 ай бұрын

What a spectacular video - thank you Will! (It was also really cool to see the clips of Ollie Bridgewood's attempt for GCN).

@elijahlaferney6414 10 ай бұрын

This channel is wonderful. I love to hear you thoughts upon the psychology aspects of sports, especially because there is no channel like it. Keep up the great work!

@tylerm231 10 ай бұрын

Fantastic video my friend. As others have said, even in a sport that is made up of gluttons for punishment, the fact that the hour record is so daunting to even attempt, is ridiculous.

@willsorrell4541 10 ай бұрын

Incredible interview and analysis. Love this channel.

@jimbob1760 9 ай бұрын

Great video and extremely underated channel for the quality of the videos.

@jjonefiffier 10 ай бұрын

I just discovered your channel and love your topics and videos! I think ultra endurance cycling or running, maybe backyard ultras would be a perfect addition to your topics :)

@climbing_thomas 10 ай бұрын

that wasa a really cool video, thank you so much!

@davidtarrer6829 3 ай бұрын

just found your channel Will. You're doing awesome and im positive you'll continue to grow and grow. good job buddy

@MNC2k 10 ай бұрын

great video! The uniqueness of psychological phenomenology is so interesting. Love this topic especially in regard to sport. thanks for the video you have earned a new sub! :)

@cesaracosta2653 8 ай бұрын

I love your chanel man, Cheers from Mexico

@user-qo8fk1gz7c Ай бұрын

Great video!!

@Pixelpig 10 ай бұрын

Love your videos 😊

@Stonemeister 3 ай бұрын

An important thing to consider is that the hour record is a purely individual pursuit in a sport that is largely funded by team sponsors. At this point, if you're good enough to have a legitimate shot at breaking the record, you're probably one of the best cyclists in the world and either a star rider in your own right or at the very least one of the most valued domestiques in one of the best teams in the world. Regardless, your pay check depends on fulfilling your obligations to your team by riding the races they're targeting that season, and so your fitness peaks will be coming at very specific points during the year. That means that you have to either ride the hour when you're not at your absolute best, or you have to squeeze it in between the races you're getting paid to ride, and either way your training will be tailored towards riding the much longer races for your team rather than the hour record specifically, so the preparation simply can't be optimal anyway. The likes of Wiggins, Cancellara and Voight didn't even bother trying it until their careers were pretty much over because of how incompatible it is with the rigid commitment involved in being a pro cyclist. Of course, exceptions do happen where obsessed amateurs like Obree and Bigham work towards the hour specifically over several years, but I'd say that path is even rarer than pro cyclists taking a stab at it between races.

@harubaru1001 2 ай бұрын

I would like to see Eddy Merckx going the hour with modern track tt bike + modern suit + helmet. Certainly not the Eddy now but in his best years.

@Spittingoftheedgeoftheworld 10 ай бұрын

Banger

@marwanshamsia 2 ай бұрын

Leaving a comment cuz this should be boosted by the algorithm

@toi3213 10 ай бұрын

Subbed

@dotnetforever 8 ай бұрын

The worst moments in my life - the cycling ftp tests. This is hard... and no matter how fit and trained u r. The last minutes feel like hours. As more pain u r able to keep, as worse for u))) sport for sure is not only ar body training - if u weak mentally - no results.