Hour Record
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The hour record is the record for the longest distance cycled in one hour on a bicycle from a stationary start. Cyclists attempt this record alone on the track without other competitors present. It is considered one of the most prestigious records in
cycling Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from t ...
. Since it was first set, cyclists ranging from unknown amateurs to well-known professionals have held the record, adding to its prestige, romance and allure. There is now one unified record for
upright bicycle Body relative directions (also known as egocentric coordinates) are geometrical orientations relative to a body such as a human person's. The most common ones are: left and right; forward(s) and backward(s); up and down. They form three pairs ...
s meeting the requirements of the
Union Cycliste Internationale The ''Union Cycliste Internationale'' (UCI; ; en, International Cycling Union) is the world governing body for sports cycling and oversees international competitive cycling events. The UCI is based in Aigle, Switzerland. The UCI issues raci ...
(UCI). Hour-record attempts for UCI bikes are made in a
velodrome A velodrome is an arena for track cycling. Modern velodromes feature steeply banked oval tracks, consisting of two 180-degree circular bends connected by two straights. The straights transition to the circular turn through a moderate easement ...
.


Early hour records (until 1972)

The first universally accepted record was in 1876 when the American
Frank Dodds Frank or Franks may refer to: People * Frank (given name) * Frank (surname) * Franks (surname) * Franks, a medieval Germanic people * Frank, a term in the Muslim world for all western Europeans, particularly during the Crusades - see Farang Curre ...
rode on a penny-farthing. The first recorded distance was set in 1873 by James Moore in Wolverhampton, riding an Ariel 49" high wheel () bicycle; however, the distance was recorded at exactly , leading to the theory that the distance was just approximated and not accurately measured. The first officially recognised record was set by
Henri Desgrange Henri Desgrange (31 January 1865 – 16 August 1940) was a French bicycle racer and sports journalist. He set twelve world track cycling records, including the hour record of on 11 May 1893. He was the first organiser of the Tour de France. ...
at the Buffalo Velodrome, Paris in 1893 following the formation of the
International Cycling Association The International Cycling Association (ICA) was the first international body for cycle racing. Founded by Henry Sturmey in 1892 to establish a common definition of amateurism and to organise world championships its role was taken over by the Union ...
, the forerunner of the modern-day UCI. Throughout the run up to the First World War, the record was broken on five occasions by Frenchmen
Oscar Egg Oscar Egg (2 March 1890 – 9 February 1961) was a Swiss track and road bicycle racer. He captured the world hour record three times before the First World War and won major road races and stages of the Tour de France and Giro d'Italia. ...
and Marcel Berthet, and due to the attempts being highly popular and guaranteeing rich attendances, it is said that each ensured he did not beat the record by too much of a margin, enabling further lucrative attempts by the other. The hour was attempted sporadically over the following 70 years, with most early attempts taking place at the Buffalo Velodrome in Paris, before the
Velodromo Vigorelli Velodromo Vigorelli (from 2001 officially Velodromo Maspes-Vigorelli) is a semi-covered velodrome in Milan, Italy. It is currently used mostly for American football events, in fact, surrounded by the track, there is a standard size football f ...
in Milan became popular in 1930s and 1940s sparking attempts from leading Italian riders and former Giro d'Italia winners such as
Fausto Coppi Angelo Fausto Coppi (; 15 September 1919 – 2 January 1960) was an Italian cyclist, the dominant international cyclist of the years after the Second World War. His successes earned him the title ''Il Campionissimo'' ("Champion of Champions ...
and
Ercole Baldini Ercole Baldini (26 January 1933 – 1 December 2022) was an Italian cyclist. As an amateur he won an Olympic gold medal in the road race and the world title in the individual pursuit on track, both in 1956.Jacques Anquetil Jacques Anquetil (; 8 January 1934 – 18 November 1987) was a French road racing cyclist and the first cyclist to win the Tour de France five times, in 1957 and from 1961 to 1964. He stated before the 1961 Tour that he would gain the ye ...
on his third attempt. In 1967, 11 years later, Anquetil again broke the hour record, with , but the record was disallowed because he refused to take the newly introduced post-race doping test.''
Cycling Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from t ...
'' 26 November 1987
He had objected to what he saw as the indignity of having to urinate in a tent in front of a crowded velodrome and said he would take the test later at his hotel. The international judge ruled against the idea, and a scuffle ensued that involved Anquetil's manager,
Raphaël Géminiani Raphaël Géminiani (born Clermont-Ferrand; born 12 June 1925) is a French former road bicycle racer. He had six podium finishes in the Grand Tours. He is one of four children of Italian immigrants who moved to Clermont-FerrandColin, Jacques ( ...
. In 1968, Ole Ritter broke the record in
Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...
, the first attempt at altitude since Willie Hamilton in 1898. The women's hour record was first established in 1893 by Mlle de Saint-Sauveur at the Vélodrome Buffalo in Paris, setting a total distance of . The record was improved several times over the next years, until Louise Roger reached in 1897 also at Vélodrome Buffalo. In 1911 the longest standing men's or women's record (37 years) was set by the 157 cm (5 ft 2 in) tall
Alfonsina Strada Alfonsina Strada (16 March 1891 – 13 September 1959) was an Italian cyclist, the only woman to have ridden one of cycling's three major stage races. She started in the Giro d'Italia in 1924 when the organisers mistook her for a man. Newspa ...
: riding a 20 kg (44 lbs) machine. From 1947 to 1952, Élyane Bonneau and
Jeannine Lemaire Jeannine Lemaire is a former French racing cyclist Cycle sport is competitive physical activity using bicycles. There are several categories of bicycle racing including road bicycle racing, cyclo-cross, mountain bike racing, track cy ...
set several new hour records, the last of which was by Lemaire in 1952. The first women's hour record approved by the UCI was by
Tamara Novikova Tamara Novikova (born June 6, 1932 at Irkutsk, USSR) is a former female cyclist from the Soviet Union.
in 1955. However Lemaire's 1952 non-UCI record was not bettered until
Elsy Jacobs Elsy Jacobs (4 March 1933 – 27 February 1998) was a Luxembourgish road bicycle racer. She became the first ever women's Road World Champion when she won the inaugural race on 30 August 1958. Later the same year she broke the women's hour ...
' broke the 40 kmh barrier in 1958, the year Jacobs had won the inaugural women's road world championship. Jacobs' 1958 41.347 km UCI record would not be bettered until 1972.


Historical hour records


UCI hour record (1972–2014)


1972–1984: Merckx, Moser and new technology

In 1972,
Eddy Merckx Édouard Louis Joseph, Baron Merckx (, ; born 17 June 1945), better known as Eddy Merckx, is a Belgian former professional road and track bicycle racer who is among the most successful riders in the history of competitive cycling. His victorie ...
set a new hour record at in
Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...
at an altitude of where he proclaimed it to have been "the hardest ride I have ever done". The record would stand for 12 years until in January 1984,
Francesco Moser Francesco Moser ( or ; ; born 19 June 1951), nicknamed "Lo sceriffo" (The sheriff), is an Italian former professional road bicycle racer. He finished on the podium of the Giro d'Italia six times including his win in the 1984 edition. Moser wa ...
set a new record at . This was the first noted use of
disc wheels A bicycle wheel is a wheel, most commonly a wire wheel, designed for a bicycle. A pair is often called a wheelset, especially in the context of ready built "off the shelf" performance-oriented wheels. Bicycle wheels are typically design ...
, which provided an aerodynamic gain as well as Moser wearing a skin suit. Moser's record would eventually be moved in 1997 to "best human effort".


1990s: non-traditional riding positions

In 1993 and 1994,
Graeme Obree Graeme Obree (born 11 September 1965), nicknamed The Flying Scotsman, is a Scottish racing cyclist who twice broke the world hour record, in July 1993 and April 1994, and was the individual pursuit world champion in 1993 and 1995. He was known ...
, who built his own bikes, posted two records with his hands tucked under his chest. In 1994, Moser set the veteran's record at in
Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...
. Moser beat his 1984 record, using bullhorn handlebars, steel airfoil tubing, disk wheels and skinsuit. It was also faster than Obree's first record in 1993. Following the outlawing of the "praying mantis" style by the UCI in May 1994, Spaniard Miguel Indurain and Swiss
Tony Rominger Tony Rominger (born 27 March 1961 in Vejle, Denmark) is a Swiss former professional road racing cyclist who won the Vuelta a España in 1992, 1993 and 1994 and the Giro d'Italia in 1995. He began cycling late, allegedly spurred by competition wi ...
broke the record using a more traditional tri-bar setup with Rominger setting a distance of 55.291 km.
Chris Boardman Christopher Miles Boardman, (born 26 August 1968) is a British former racing cyclist. A time trial and prologue specialist, Boardman won the inaugural men's World time trial championship in 1994, won the individual pursuit gold medal at the 1 ...
took up the challenge using a modified version of the Lotus 110 bicycle, a successor to the earlier
Lotus 108 The Lotus Type 108 (originally known as LotusSport Pursuit Bicycle) is an Olympic individual pursuit bicycle. Its frame is an advanced aerofoil cross-section using a carbon composite monocoque. Development The use of monocoque frames for bik ...
bicycle he'd ridden to victory at the 1992 Olympic Games. South African company Aerodyne Technology built the frame. Boardman set the UCI Absolute record of in 1996, using another position pioneered by Obree, his arms out in front in a "
Superman Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...
" position. This too was considered controversial by the UCI, and while the record was allowed to stand, the position was banned making Boardman's record set in 1996, it was thought, effectively unbeatable using traditional bike position. The record stood as a best human effort until October 2022, when
Filippo Ganna Filippo Ganna (born 25 July 1996) is an Italian track and road cyclist who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam . He is a five-time world champion in the individual pursuit, and has won a total of eight medals at the UCI Track Cycling World Champio ...
unified the records, beating Boardman's best human effort record (and
Daniel Bigham Daniel John Bigham (born 2 October 1991) is a British racing cyclist, who rode for UCI Continental team from 2018 until 2021. He rode in the men's individual pursuit event at the 2018 UCI Track Cycling World Championships. Starting in 2022, ...
's official UCI Hour record) on a traditionally shaped, though uniquely manufactured, bicycle.


1997 UCI rule change

With the increasing gap between modern bicycles and what was available at the time of Merckx's record, the UCI established two records in 1997: *''UCI Hour Record'': which restricted competitors to roughly the same equipment as Merckx, banning
time trial In many racing sports, an athlete (or occasionally a team of athletes) will compete in a time trial against the clock to secure the fastest time. The format of a time trial can vary, but usually follow a format where each athlete or team sets off at ...
helmets, disc or tri-spoke wheels, aerodynamic bars and
monocoque Monocoque ( ), also called structural skin, is a structural system in which loads are supported by an object's external skin, in a manner similar to an egg shell. The word ''monocoque'' is a French term for "single shell". First used for boats, ...
frames. *''Best Human Effort'': also known as the UCI "Absolute" Record in which modern equipment was permitted. As a result of the 1997 rule change, all records since 1972, including Boardman's in 1996, were moved to Best Human Effort and the distance of Eddy Merckx set in 1972 once more became the official UCI benchmark. In 2000, Boardman attempted the UCI record on a traditional bike, and rode , topping Merckx by , an improvement of 0.02%. In 2005, Ondřej Sosenka improved Boardman's performance at using a 54×13 gear. However, Sosenka failed a doping control in 2001 and then again in 2008, the latter resulting in a career-ending suspension which puts in doubt the validity of his record. All women's records from 1986 to 1996 were recategorized to Best Human Effort.


Hour record holders (men's)


Hour record holders (women's)


UCI unified hour record (2014–present)


Unified rule change (2014)

In 2014, the UCI unified the two classifications into a single classification in line with regulations for current track pursuit bikes. Records previously removed for
Chris Boardman Christopher Miles Boardman, (born 26 August 1968) is a British former racing cyclist. A time trial and prologue specialist, Boardman won the inaugural men's World time trial championship in 1994, won the individual pursuit gold medal at the 1 ...
and
Graeme Obree Graeme Obree (born 11 September 1965), nicknamed The Flying Scotsman, is a Scottish racing cyclist who twice broke the world hour record, in July 1993 and April 1994, and was the individual pursuit world champion in 1993 and 1995. He was known ...
were returned, however the benchmark record would remain at set in 2005 by Ondrej Sosenka, even though that was not the farthest distance. Under the new regulations riders may use any bike allowed by the UCI standards for endurance track events in place at the time of the attempt. Riders are required to be part of the athlete
biological passport An athlete biological passport is an individual electronic record for professional athletes, in which profiles of biological markers of doping and results of doping tests are collated over a period of time. Doping violations can be detected by n ...
program. However, of the men to attempt the record since the rule change, only five were on a
UCI World Tour The UCI WorldTour (2009–2010: ''UCI World Ranking'') is the premier men's elite road cycling tour, sitting above the UCI ProSeries and various regional UCI Continental Circuits. It refers to both the tour of 38 events and, until 2019, an annual ...
team at the time:
Jens Voigt Jens Voigt (; born 17 September 1971) is a German former professional road bicycle racer and, upon retirement, became a cycling sports broadcast commentator. During his cycling career, Voigt raced for several teams, the last one being UCI ProTe ...
of
Trek Factory Racing Trek or Treck may refer to: Art and entertainment * Trek (band), Russian rock band * Trek (TV channel), a French TV channel * '' Star Trek'', a science fiction franchise * Jan Jansz. Treck (1606–1652), still-life painter Companies * Trek ...
,
Rohan Dennis Rohan Dennis (born 28 May 1990) is an Australian professional road racing cyclist who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam . Dennis was born, raised, and resides in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. He won back to back UCI men's individual t ...
of the
BMC Racing Team CCC Pro Team () was a UCI WorldTeam co-owned and managed by American cyclist Jim Ochowicz, who founded the 7-Eleven Cycling Team. After its last title sponsor, CCC, a Polish shoe retailer, pulled out due to financial difficulties resulting from t ...
,
Alex Dowsett Alex Edward Albert Dowsett (born 3 October 1988) is a former British professional road racing cyclist, who rode for UCI WorldTeam . He was a time trial specialist, and in 2015, he broke track cycling's world hour record by , with a distance of ...
of the ,
Victor Campenaerts Victor Campenaerts (born 28 October 1991) is a Belgian racing cyclist, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam . Career He rode at the 2014 UCI Road World Championships. In September 2015 it was announced that he would join the UCI World Tour ran ...
of Lotto Soudal,
Filippo Ganna Filippo Ganna (born 25 July 1996) is an Italian track and road cyclist who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam . He is a five-time world champion in the individual pursuit, and has won a total of eight medals at the UCI Track Cycling World Champio ...
of
Ineos Grenadiers Ineos Grenadiers () (stylised as INEOS Grenadiers) (formerly Team Sky from 2010 to 2019, and Team Ineos from 2019 to 2020) is a British professional cycling team that competes at the UCI WorldTeam level. The team is based at the National Cycli ...
.
Matthias Brändle Matthias Brändle (born 7 December 1989) is an Austrian professional road bicycle racer, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam . Brändle is a seven-time winner of the Austrian National Time Trial Championships (2009, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2019, 20 ...
was with
IAM Cycling IAM Cycling was a Swiss registered UCI WorldTour cycling team, managed by former French road race champion Serge Beucherie. The title sponsor was IAM Independent Asset Management SA, a Swiss investment management company. History 2013 The te ...
, then a
UCI Professional Continental The UCI Continental Circuits are a series of road bicycle racing competitions which were introduced in 2005 by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) to expand cycling around the world. The five circuits (representing the continents of Africa, the ...
team.
Jack Bobridge Jack Bobridge (born 13 July 1989) is an Australian former professional racing cyclist, who rode professionally between 2010 and 2016. In 2019 he was convicted of drug dealing and sentenced to a four-year prison term. He admitted to using banne ...
was on Team Budget Forklifts, an Australian
UCI Continental The UCI Continental Circuits are a series of road bicycle racing competitions which were introduced in 2005 by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) to expand cycling around the world. The five circuits (representing the continents of Africa, th ...
team. Thomas Dekker had been released from World Tour team Garmin-Sharp several months before.
Gustav Larsson Gustav Erik Larsson (born 20 September 1980) is a Swedish former professional road racing cyclist, who rode professionally between 2001 and 2016 for nine different teams. Larsson specialised as a time trialist, winning the Swedish National Time ...
was riding for the Professional Continental team Cult Energy Pro Cycling, whilst
Bradley Wiggins Sir Bradley Marc Wiggins, CBE (born 28 April 1980) is a British former professional road and track racing cyclist, who competed professionally between 2001 and 2016. He began his cycling career on the track, but later made the transition to r ...
had left the World Tour's shortly before his attempt, which was made in the colours of his own UCI Continental team . As of October 2022, 26 attempts have been made for the men's record, eight successfully, while nine attempts have been made on the women's record, six of them successfully.


Unified hour record attempts (men's)

Following the change in the rules, German
Jens Voigt Jens Voigt (; born 17 September 1971) is a German former professional road bicycle racer and, upon retirement, became a cycling sports broadcast commentator. During his cycling career, Voigt raced for several teams, the last one being UCI ProTe ...
became the first rider to attempt the hour, on 18 September 2014 at the
Velodrome Suisse The Velodrome Suisse is an indoor velodrome in Grenchen, Switzerland. The hall covers an area of 8000 square meters and has a capacity for 1800 spectators. The velodrome itself is meters long, made of Siberian spruce wood and is applied accordin ...
,
Grenchen Grenchen (french: Granges) is a municipality in the district of Lebern in the canton of Solothurn in Switzerland. It is located at the foot of the Jura mountains between Solothurn and Biel/Bienne, approximately north of Bern. With over 16,000 i ...
, Switzerland. He set a new record of , beating the previous record set by Sosenka by . On 30 October 2014,
Matthias Brändle Matthias Brändle (born 7 December 1989) is an Austrian professional road bicycle racer, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam . Brändle is a seven-time winner of the Austrian National Time Trial Championships (2009, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2019, 20 ...
set a new record of at the World Cycling Center in
Aigle , neighboring_municipalities= Vaud: Yvorne, Leysin, Ormont-Dessous, Ollon; Valais: Vouvry, Collombey-Muraz , twintowns = L'Aigle (France), Tübingen (Germany), Bassersdorf (Switzerland) } Aigle ( French for "eagle", ; frp, Âgllo) is ...
, Switzerland. Further attempts by Australians
Jack Bobridge Jack Bobridge (born 13 July 1989) is an Australian former professional racing cyclist, who rode professionally between 2010 and 2016. In 2019 he was convicted of drug dealing and sentenced to a four-year prison term. He admitted to using banne ...
and
Rohan Dennis Rohan Dennis (born 28 May 1990) is an Australian professional road racing cyclist who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam . Dennis was born, raised, and resides in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. He won back to back UCI men's individual t ...
, and the Dutchman Thomas Dekker came within a few weeks, between 31 January and 25 February 2015. Dennis was the only one of the three to set a new record, and in doing so was the first rider to cover more than . Dekker's attempt at the Aguascalientes Bicentenary Velodrome was the first attempt to take place at appreciable
altitude Altitude or height (also sometimes known as depth) is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object. The exact definition and reference datum varies according to the context ...
. Aguascalientes is at above sea level, while
Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
is at only , and, although in Switzerland, Grenchen and Aigle are at and respectively, and not in the mountains. High altitude is thought to result in faster times, providing the rider takes the time to acclimatise to the conditions. This is because the air density decreases with an increase in altitude, which reduces the
aerodynamic drag In fluid dynamics, drag (sometimes called air resistance, a type of friction, or fluid resistance, another type of friction or fluid friction) is a force acting opposite to the relative motion of any object moving with respect to a surrounding fl ...
. Having postponed an earlier scheduled attempt due to a broken collarbone incurred in a crash while training, British cyclist
Alex Dowsett Alex Edward Albert Dowsett (born 3 October 1988) is a former British professional road racing cyclist, who rode for UCI WorldTeam . He was a time trial specialist, and in 2015, he broke track cycling's world hour record by , with a distance of ...
exceeded Dennis's mark, with a new record of , at
Manchester Velodrome Manchester Velodrome is an indoor Olympic-standard cycle-racing track in Manchester, England, which opened in 1994. Part of the National Cycling Centre, the facility has been home to British Cycling since 1994, coinciding with the nations rise t ...
on 2 May 2015. On 7 June 2015, Sir
Bradley Wiggins Sir Bradley Marc Wiggins, CBE (born 28 April 1980) is a British former professional road and track racing cyclist, who competed professionally between 2001 and 2016. He began his cycling career on the track, but later made the transition to r ...
broke Dowsett's record, by completing a distance of at the
Lee Valley VeloPark Lee Valley VeloPark is a cycling centre on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford, London, England. It is owned and managed by Lee Valley Regional Park Authority, and it was opened to the public in March 2014. The facility was one of the ...
in London. On 16 April 2019,
Victor Campenaerts Victor Campenaerts (born 28 October 1991) is a Belgian racing cyclist, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam . Career He rode at the 2014 UCI Road World Championships. In September 2015 it was announced that he would join the UCI World Tour ran ...
was the first to exceed 55 km/h by completing a distance of at the Velodromo Bicentenario in Aguascalientes. The UCI rules require an athlete to participate in its anti-doping system, including having a
biological passport An athlete biological passport is an individual electronic record for professional athletes, in which profiles of biological markers of doping and results of doping tests are collated over a period of time. Doping violations can be detected by n ...
. When
Daniel Bigham Daniel John Bigham (born 2 October 1991) is a British racing cyclist, who rode for UCI Continental team from 2018 until 2021. He rode in the men's individual pursuit event at the 2018 UCI Track Cycling World Championships. Starting in 2022, ...
rode to break Wiggins's British national record on 1 October 2021 he was ineligible to attempt the UCI record as he was not part of the anti-doping system, estimating it would cost him £8,000.


Unified hour record attempts (women's)

The last women's hour record before the unified rule change was set on 1 October 2003 by
Leontien van Moorsel Leontien Martha Henrica Petronella Zijlaard-van Moorsel (born 22 March 1970) is a Dutch retired racing cyclist. She was a dominant cyclist in the 1990s and early 2000s, winning four gold medals at the Olympic Games and holding the hour record ...
, with a distance of . In December 2014, it was announced that British Paralympian
Sarah Storey Dame Sarah Joanne Storey, (née Bailey; born 26 October 1977) is a British Paralympic athlete in cycling and swimming, and a multiple gold medalist in the Paralympic Games, and six times British (able-bodied) national track champion (2 × Purs ...
would be the first woman to attempt the record following the unified rule change. She attempted the record on 28 February 2015 at Lee Valley Velo Park in
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, setting new British, Para-Cycling and Masters Age 35–39 records but missing out on the Elite record with a distance of . American
Molly Shaffer Van Houweling Molly Shaffer Van Houweling (born March 1, 1973) is an American cyclist, academic and legal scholar. Van Houweling is Professor of Law and Associate Dean at the UC Berkeley School of Law and serves as the chair of the board of Creative Commons ...
broke the women's UCI Hour Record, riding a distance of on 12 September 2015 in Aguascalientes, Mexico. Van Houweling had set three new US Hour Records in the year prior. The first was set on 15 December 2014, in Carson, California, with a distance of . The second was set on 25 February 2015, in Aguascalientes with a distance of . The third was set on 3 July 2015, also in Aguascalientes, with a distance of . This last mark was also the Pan-American and World Masters Age 40–44 record at the time, and exceeded the distance of the UCI hour record of van Moorsel. However, it did not qualify as the UCI Hour Record because Van Houweling had only been enrolled in the athlete biological passport program for three and a half months prior to setting this record. The UCI requires that riders be enrolled in this program for 5–10 months before they are eligible to set this mark. From 24 August 2015, Van Houweling was eligible to attempt the UCI Hour Record. In October 2015, Australian rider
Bridie O'Donnell Bridie O'Donnell (born 29 April 1974) is an Australian civil servant, medical practitioner and former professional road cyclist. She represented her nation at the 2008, 2009 and 2010 UCI Road World Championships. O'Donnell was a medical practiti ...
announced her intention to aim for the hour record in January 2016. She broke the women's hour at the
Adelaide Super-Drome The Adelaide Super-Drome is located at Adelaide, South Australia's State Sports Park, Main North Road, Gepps Cross. The Super-Drome was designed by Architect Carlo Gnezda and was opened in 1993. From 1993 the venue was managed and promoted by 1 ...
on 22 January 2016, riding . She was aged 41 years. Her record was broken by American rider Evelyn Stevens in the next month - the new record was , more than a kilometre nearer to the barrier. Italian rider Vittoria Bussi, after two unsuccessful attempts on 7 October 2017 and on 12 September 2018, broke Stevens' world record by 27 metres riding on 13 September 2018. British cyclist
Joss Lowden Joscelin Kate Lowden (born 3 October 1987) is a British professional racing cyclist, who rides for . On 30 September 2021 she became the holder of the women's hour record. Professional career 2021 season In 2021, Lowden established herself ...
set a new world record on 30 September 2021 with a distance of , beating the previous record by just under 400 metres, and also surpassing
Jeannie Longo Jeannie Longo (born 31 October 1958 in Annecy, Haute-Savoie) is a French racing cyclist, 25-time French champion and 13-time world champion. Longo began racing in 1975 and was active in cycling through 2012. She was once widely considered the b ...
's Best Human Effort distance. Lowden completed a total of 193 laps of the Tissot Velodrome in
Grenchen Grenchen (french: Granges) is a municipality in the district of Lebern in the canton of Solothurn in Switzerland. It is located at the foot of the Jura mountains between Solothurn and Biel/Bienne, approximately north of Bern. With over 16,000 i ...
, Switzerland.


Statistics

File:Mens hour records progression.svg, 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. File:Womens hour records progression.svg, 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.


Para-cycling records

The new regulations for the making of accepted hour record attempts were extended to
para-cycling Para-cycling (or Paracycling) is the sport of cycling (sport), cycling adapted for cyclists who have various disability, disabilities. It is governed by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). The sport consists of seven different events which in ...
in 2016.Colin Lynch makes para-cycling history
, from Paralympic.org
Although the first attempt on the hour record for women after the amendments to the regulations was made by Paralympian
Sarah Storey Dame Sarah Joanne Storey, (née Bailey; born 26 October 1977) is a British Paralympic athlete in cycling and swimming, and a multiple gold medalist in the Paralympic Games, and six times British (able-bodied) national track champion (2 × Purs ...
, it was not a ratified attempt on the women's C5 hour record under the new conditions, which at that point still did not extend to paracycling - albeit that Storey's effort is recognized as a best C5 performance under the new rules, in addition to a British and masters world hour record in able-bodied cycling. The first attempt on a para-cycling hour record after the new regulations were extended to para-cycling was by Irishman
Colin Lynch Colin Lynch (born 1973 in Lissycasey, County Clare) is an Irish sportsperson. He plays hurling and Gaelic football with his local clubs Kilmaley and Lissycasey, and was a member of the Clare senior inter-county hurling team from 1997 until ...
in the C2 category, bettering the accepted best performance previously set by
Laurent Thirionet Laurent Thirionet (born 22 November 1970) is a retired French Paralympic cyclist who competed in international track cycling and road cycling elite events. He is a five-time World champion and a double Paralympic champion. Thirionet had his le ...
in 1999 by 2 kilometres, and setting the first 'ratified' para-cycling world hour record. The mark of 43.133 km was achieved on 1 October at the National Cycling Centre in Manchester, Great Britain.


Men's UCI para-cycling hour record

;Unified regulations (since 2016)


Women's UCI para-cycling hour record

;Unified regulations (since 2016)


Historical para-cycling hour record

;Men's UCI para-cycling hour record – Best Hour Performance & Absolute Hour Record (1991–2016) ;Women's UCI para-cycling hour record – Best Hour Performance & Absolute Hour Record (1991–2016)


Masters records


Current records by age-group


Men's UCI Masters best performances

;Best Performances


Women's UCI Masters best performances

;Best Performances 


Junior records

Although the UCI does not recognise hour record attempts at the Junior age-group, there have been multiple record attempts made.


Other bicycle hour records

There are many alternative bicycle hour records that do not fit the UCI-sanctioned categories.


Notes


References


External links


UCI hour records


* ttp://www.wolfgang-menn.de/hourrec.htm Hour records with pictures of Vehicles
A recent timeline of the Hour Record from Cycling Weekly

A history of the womens Hour Record from Cyclingtips
{{Track cycling Cycling records and statistics Events in track cycling Sports world records