Hour record facts for kids
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. 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 bicycles meeting the requirements of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). Hour-record attempts for UCI bikes are made in a velodrome.
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Early hour records (until 1972)
The first universally accepted record was in 1876 when the American Frank Dodds rode 26.508 km (16.471 mi) on a penny-farthing. The first recorded distance was set in 1873 by James Moore in Wolverhampton, riding an Ariel 49" high wheel (1.2 m) bicycle; however, the distance was recorded at exactly 14.5 miles (23.3 km), leading to the theory that the distance was just approximated and not accurately measured.
The first officially recognised record was set by Henri Desgrange at the Buffalo Velodrome, Paris in 1893 following the formation of the International Cycling Association, 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 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 in Milan became popular in 1930s and 1940s sparking attempts from leading Italian riders and former Giro d'Italia winners such as Fausto Coppi and Ercole Baldini. Coppi's record set in 1942, during the Second World War, despite Milan being bombed nightly by Allied forces, was eventually broken in 1956 by Jacques Anquetil on his third attempt. In 1967, 11 years later, Anquetil again broke the hour record, with 47.493 km (29.511 mi), but the record was disallowed because he refused to take the newly introduced post-race doping test. In 1968, Ole Ritter broke the record in Mexico City, 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 26.012 km (16.163 mi). The record was improved several times over the next years, until Louise Roger reached 34.684 km (21.552 mi) 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: 37.192 km (23.110 mi) riding a 20 kg (44 lbs) machine. From 1947 to 1952, Élyane Bonneau and Jeannine Lemaire set several new hour records, the last of which was 39.735 km (24.690 mi) by Lemaire in 1952. The first women's hour record approved by the UCI was by Tamara Novikova in 1955. However Lemaire's 1952 non-UCI record was not bettered until Elsy Jacobs' 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
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UCI hour record (1972–2014)
1972–1984: Merckx, Moser and new technology
In 1972, Eddy Merckx set a new hour record at 49.431 km (30.715 mi) in Mexico City at an altitude of 2,300 m (7,500 ft) 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 set a new record at 51.151 km (31.784 mi). This was the first noted use of disc wheels, 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, who built his own bikes, posted two records with his hands tucked under his chest. In 1994, Moser set the veteran's record at 51.840 km (32.212 mi) in Mexico City. 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 Induráin and Swiss Tony Rominger broke the record using a more traditional tri-bar setup with Rominger setting a distance of 55.291 km.
Chris Boardman took up the challenge using a modified version of the Lotus 110 bicycle, a successor to the earlier Lotus 108 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 56.375 km (35.030 mi) in 1996, using another position pioneered by Obree, his arms out in front in a "Superman" 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 unified the records, beating Boardman's best human effort record (and Daniel Bigham'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 helmets, disc or tri-spoke wheels, aerodynamic bars and monocoque 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 56.375 km (35.030 mi) 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 49.441 km (30.721 mi), topping Merckx by 10 metres (32.8 ft), an improvement of 0.02%.
In 2005, Ondřej Sosenka improved Boardman's performance at 49.700 km (30.882 mi) 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)
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Hour record holders (women's)
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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 and Graeme Obree were returned, however the benchmark record would remain at 49.7 km (30.9 mi) 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 program. However, of the men to attempt the record since the rule change, only five were on a UCI World Tour team at the time: Jens Voigt of Trek Factory Racing, Rohan Dennis of the BMC Racing Team, Alex Dowsett of the Movistar Team, Victor Campenaerts of Lotto Soudal, Filippo Ganna of Ineos Grenadiers. Matthias Brändle was with IAM Cycling, then a UCI Professional Continental team. Jack Bobridge was on Team Budget Forklifts, an Australian UCI Continental team. Thomas Dekker had been released from World Tour team Garmin–Sharp several months before. Gustav Larsson was riding for the Professional Continental team Cult Energy Pro Cycling, whilst Bradley Wiggins had left the World Tour's Team Sky shortly before his attempt, which was made in the colours of his own UCI Continental team WIGGINS.
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 became the first rider to attempt the hour, on 18 September 2014 at the Velodrome Suisse, Grenchen, Switzerland. He set a new record of 51.110 km (31.758 mi), beating the previous record set by Sosenka by 1.41 km (0.88 mi). On 30 October 2014, Matthias Brändle set a new record of 51.852 km (32.219 mi) at the World Cycling Center in Aigle, Switzerland.
Further attempts by Australians Jack Bobridge and Rohan Dennis, 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 52 kilometres (32.3 mi). Dekker's attempt at the Aguascalientes Bicentenary Velodrome was the first attempt to take place at appreciable altitude. Aguascalientes is at 1,890 m (6,200 ft) above sea level, while Melbourne is at only 31 m (102 ft), and, although in Switzerland, Grenchen and Aigle are at 451 m (1,480 ft) and 415 m (1,362 ft) 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.
Having postponed an earlier scheduled attempt due to a broken collarbone incurred in a crash while training, British cyclist Alex Dowsett exceeded Dennis's mark, with a new record of 52.937 km (32.894 mi), at Manchester Velodrome on 2 May 2015.
On 7 June 2015, Sir Bradley Wiggins broke Dowsett's record, by completing a distance of 54.526 km (33.881 mi) at the Lee Valley VeloPark in London.
On 16 April 2019, Victor Campenaerts was the first to exceed 55 km/h by completing a distance of 55.089 km (34.231 mi) at the Velodromo Bicentenario in Aguascalientes.
The UCI rules require an athlete to participate in its anti-doping system, including having a biological passport. When Daniel Bigham rode 54.723 km (34.003 mi) 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.
Date | Rider | Age | Velodrome | Distance (km) | Supported by | Equipment | Notes |
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18 September 2014 | Jens Voigt | 43 | Velodrome Suisse, Grenchen, Switzerland (altitude 450m) | 51.110 (New record) |
Trek Bicycle Corporation | Triathlon handlebar, Trek carbon fibre tubing frame, disc wheels, chain on a 55/14 gear ratio. | First attempt under the new rule-set and oldest record holder at 43 years old and one day. Set new German national record. |
30 October 2014 | Matthias Brändle | 24 | World Cycling Centre Aigle, Switzerland (altitude 380m) | 51.852 (New record) |
IAM Cycling | Triathlon handlebar, SCOTT carbon fibre tubing frame, disc wheels, chain on a 55/13 gear ratio. | Set new Austrian national record. |
31 January 2015 | Jack Bobridge | 24 | Darebin International Sports Centre, Melbourne, Australia | 51.300 (Failure) |
Cycling Australia | Triathlon handlebar, Cervelo carbon fibre tubing frame, disc wheels. | Failed to set new hour record. Beat Brad McGee's previous Australian national record of 50.300 km set in 2000. |
8 February 2015 | Rohan Dennis | 24 | Velodrome Suisse, Grenchen, Switzerland (altitude 450m) | 52.491 (New record) |
BMC Racing Team | Triathlon handlebar, BMC carbon fibre tubing frame, disc wheels, chain on a 56/14 gear ratio. | Beat Jack Bobridge's previous Australian national record of 51.300 km set in January 2015. |
25 February 2015 | Thomas Dekker | 30 | Aguascalientes Bicentenary Velodrome, Aguascalientes, Mexico | 52.221 (Failure) |
Koga | Koga TeeTeeTrack with Mavic Comete Track wheels, Koga components, Rotor cranks with a KMC (3/32") chain on a 58/14 gear ratio. | First attempt at altitude (2000 m). Failed to set new hour record. Set new Dutch national record. |
14 March 2015 | Gustav Larsson | 34 | Manchester Velodrome, Manchester, United Kingdom | 50.016 (Failure) |
Revolution Series Cult Energy Pro Cycling |
Ridley carbon track bike with front and rear disc wheels, triathlon handlebars. | Failed to set new hour record. Set new Swedish national record, beating previous record of 45.335 km. |
2 May 2015 | Alex Dowsett | 26 | Manchester Velodrome, Manchester, United Kingdom | 52.937 (New record) |
Movistar Team | Canyon Speedmax WHR carbon track bike, with Campagnolo Pista disc wheels, Pista crankset with 54 or 55 or 56t chainring. | Set new British national record, beating Chris Boardman's record of 49.441 km set in 2000. |
7 June 2015 | Bradley Wiggins | 35 | Lee Valley VeloPark, London, United Kingdom | 54.526 (New record) |
Team Wiggins | Pinarello Bolide HR, SRAM Crankset, modified front fork, custom printed handlebars, 58/14 gear ratio. | Set new British national record, beating Alex Dowsett's record.
Set CURRENT sea-level world best. |
21 March 2016 | Micah Gross | Velodrome Suisse, Grenchen, Switzerland | 48.255 (Failure) |
RSC Aaretal Münsingen | Set a new Swiss national record, beating the previous record of 48.199 km. | ||
16 September 2016 | Tom Zirbel | 37 | Aguascalientes Bicentenary Velodrome, Aguascalientes, Mexico | 53.037 (Failure) |
Rally Cycling | Modified Diamondback Serios time trial bike, fitted with special HED disc wheels and a gearing of 53/13 | Failed to set new hour record. Set new American national record, beating Norman Alvis' record of 51.505 km set in 1997. |
28 January 2017 | Martin Toft Madsen | 31 | Ballerup Super Arena, Ballerup, Denmark | (Failure) |
BHS–Almeborg Bornholm | Argon 18 Electron Pro, Mavic Comete discs, SRM + Fibre-Lyte chain ring, and a gearing of 54/13 | Failed to set new hour record. Attempt voided for doping, after Madsen's consumption of a contaminated food supplement. |
25 February 2017 | Marc Dubois | Velodrome Suisse, Grenchen, Switzerland | 48.337 (Failure) |
Team Humard Vélo-Passion | RB1213 track bike with double DT Swiss disc wheels | Set a new Swiss national record, beating the previous record of 48.255 km held by Micah Gross. | |
2 July 2017 | Wojciech Ziolkowski | 32 | Arena Pruszków, Pruszków, Poland | 49.470 (Failure) |
Team JF Duet Prinzwear | BMC Trackmachine TR01, Mavic Comete disc wheels, Custom Prinzwear TT Suit | Set a new Polish national record, beating the previous record of 47.618 km held by Andrzej Bartkiewicz. |
7 October 2017 | Mikkel Bjerg | 18 | Odense Cykelbane, Odense, Denmark | 52.311 (Failure) |
Team Giant–Castelli | Giant trinity track bike, Mavic disc wheels | Failed to set new hour record. Set new Danish national record, beating Ole Ritter's record of 48.879 km set in 1974. |
11 January 2018 | Martin Toft Madsen | 32 | Ballerup Super Arena, Ballerup, Denmark | 52.324 (Failure) |
BHS–Almeborg Bornholm | Argon 18 Electron Pro, Mavic Comete discs, SRM + Fibre-Lyte chain ring, and a gearing of 54/13 | Failed to set new hour record. Set new Danish national record, beating Mikkel Bjerg's record of 52.311 km set in 2017. |
26 July 2018 | Martin Toft Madsen | 33 | Aguascalientes Bicentenary Velodrome, Aguascalientes, Mexico | 53.630 (Failure) |
BHS–Almeborg Bornholm | Argon 18 Electron Pro, Mavic Comete discs, SRM + Fibre-Lyte chain ring, and a gearing of 54/13 | Failed to set new hour record. Set new Danish national record, beating his own previous record of 52.324 km set in January 2018. |
22 August 2018 | Dion Beukeboom | 29 | Aguascalientes Bicentenary Velodrome, Aguascalientes, Mexico | 52.757 (Failure) |
Vlasman Cycling Team | Customized Giant Trinity road frame, with a gearing of 58/14 | Failed to set new hour record. Set new Dutch national record. |
4 October 2018 | Mikkel Bjerg | 19 | Odense Cykelbane, Odense, Denmark | 53.730 (Failure) |
Hagens Berman Axeon | Giant trinity track bike, Mavic disc wheels | Failed to set new hour record. Set new Danish national record, beating Martin Toft Madsen's record of 53.630 km set in July 2018. |
16 April 2019 | Victor Campenaerts | 27 | Aguascalientes Bicentenary Velodrome, Aguascalientes, Mexico (altitude 1887m) | 55.089 (New record) |
Lotto Soudal | Ridley Arena Hour Record bike, 330mm custom handlebars, custom handlebar extensions specifically moulded for Campenaerts's forearms, F-Surface Plus aero paint, Campagnolo drivetrain, full carbon disc Campagnolo Ghibli wheels, C-Bear bottom bracket bearings. | Set new hour record Set new Belgian national record |
13 August 2019 | Martin Toft Madsen | 34 | Odense Cykelbane, Odense, Denmark | 53.975 (Failure) |
BHS–Almeborg Bornholm | Failed to set new hour record. Set new Danish national record, beating Mikkel Bjerg's record of 53.730 km set in October 2018. |
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6 October 2019 | Mathias Norsgaard | 22 | Odense Cykelbane, Odense, Denmark | 52.061 (Failure) |
Riwal-Readynez | Failed to set new hour record. | |
18 September 2020 | Claudio Imhof | 30 | Velodrome Suisse, Grenchen, Switzerland (altitude 450m) | 52.116 (Failure) |
Set new Swiss national record. | ||
23 October 2020 | Lionel Sanders | 32 | Milton, Canada | 51.304 (Failure) |
Canyon Bicycles | Set new Canadian national record, beating Ed Veal's record of 48.587 km set in September 2017 | |
3 November 2021 | Alex Dowsett | 33 | Aguascalientes Bicentenary Velodrome, Aguascalientes, Mexico (altitude 1887m) | 54.555 (Failure) |
Factor Bikes | Factor Hanzo time trial bike (track version), Aerocoach Aten chainring with 61/13 gearing, Aerocoach Ascalon extensions, custom Vorteq skinsuit, HED Volo disc wheels, Izumi Super Toughness KAI chain | Failed to set new hour record. Set new British national record. |
19 August 2022 | Daniel Bigham | 30 | Velodrome Suisse, Grenchen, Switzerland (altitude 450m) | 55.548 (New record) |
Ineos Grenadiers | Prototype Pinarello Bolide F HR 3D | Set new hour record |
8 October 2022 | Filippo Ganna | 26 | Velodrome Suisse, Grenchen, Switzerland (altitude 450m) | 56.792 (New record) |
Ineos Grenadiers | Pinarello Bolide F HR 3D, 64t chain ring, 14t rear sprocket, Princeton Carbonworks wheelset, custom Bioracer Katana suit | Set new hour record Beat Boardman's Best Human Effort |
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, with a distance of 46.065 km (28.623 mi).
In December 2014, it was announced that British Paralympian Sarah Storey 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, setting new British, Para-Cycling and Masters Age 35–39 records but missing out on the Elite record with a distance of 45.502 km (28.274 mi).
American Molly Shaffer Van Houweling broke the women's UCI Hour Record, riding a distance of 46.273 km (28.753 mi) 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 44.173 km (27.448 mi). The second was set on 25 February 2015, in Aguascalientes with a distance of 45.637 km (28.358 mi). The third was set on 3 July 2015, also in Aguascalientes, with a distance of 46.088 km (28.638 mi). 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 announced her intention to aim for the hour record in January 2016. She broke the women's hour at the Adelaide Super-Drome on 22 January 2016, riding 46.882 km (29.131 mi). She was aged 41 years. Her record was broken by American rider Evelyn Stevens in the next month - the new record was 47.980 km (29.813 mi), more than a kilometre nearer to the 50 km (31 mi) 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 48.007 km (29.830 mi) on 13 September 2018.
British cyclist Joss Lowden set a new world record on 30 September 2021 with a distance of 48.405 km (30.077 mi), beating the previous record by just under 400 metres, and also surpassing Jeannie Longo's Best Human Effort distance. Lowden completed a total of 193 laps of the Tissot Velodrome in Grenchen, Switzerland.
On October 13, 2023, Vittoria Bussi set the world record again, at the Velodromo Bicentenario in Mexico, with a 50.267km distance.
Date | Rider | Age | Velodrome | Distance (km) | Supported by | Equipment | Notes |
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28 February 2015 | Sarah Storey | 37 | Lee Valley VeloPark, London, United Kingdom | 45.502 (Failure) |
Revolution Series | Ridley Arena Carbon track bike with triathlon bars, Pro rear disc wheel, front disk wheel, Shimano Dura-Ace groupset. | Beat Yvonne McGregor's previous British national record of 43.689 set in April 2002. New C5 Para-record, New Masters Age 35–39 record. |
12 September 2015 | Molly Shaffer Van Houweling | 42 | Aguascalientes Bicentenary Velodrome, Aguascalientes, Mexico (altitude 1887m) | 46.273 (New record) |
Metromint Cycling | Cervelo T4 track bike with double Mavic Comete discwheels, running 56/14 gear ratio. | Beat her own national record of 46.088 km set on 3 July 2015, also in Aguascalientes, Mexico. |
22 January 2016 | Bridie O'Donnell | 41 | Super-Drome, Adelaide, Australia | 46.882 (New record) |
Cervelo T4 track bike. | Set a new World Record, new sea-level World Best and National Record, besting Anna Wilson's former Australian national record of 43.501 km (set on October 18, 2000). |
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27 February 2016 | Evelyn Stevens | 32 | OTC Velodrome, Colorado, United States of America (altitude 1840m) | 47.980 (New record) |
Team SD Worx–Protime USA Cycling |
Specialized Shiv modified for the track, SRAM groupset with 53t or 54t chainrings, Zipp 900 front wheel, Zipp Super 9 rear disc, Bioracer skinsuit. | Beat American national record. Outdoor 333.3 meter banked cement track. |
21 July 2017 | Jaime Nielsen | 32 | Avantidrome, Cambridge, New Zealand | 47.791 (Failure) |
Failed to beat the absolute hour record. Set CURRENT sea-level world's best. New Zealand national record. |
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7 October 2017 | Vittoria Bussi | 30 | Aguascalientes Bicentenary Velodrome, Aguascalientes, Mexico | 47.576 (Failure) |
Giant Trinity track bike with Walker Brothers double-disc wheels | Failed to beat the hour record. Beat Italian national record |
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13 September 2018 | Vittoria Bussi | 31 | Aguascalientes Bicentenary Velodrome, Aguascalientes, Mexico (altitude 1887m) | 48.007 (New record) |
Endura skin suit, HVMN Ketone, and Liv Bike | Failed to beat the hour record one day before, abandoning after 40 minutes. Beat the hour record by 27 metres the next day. |
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30 September 2021 | Joscelin Lowden | 33 | Velodrome Suisse in Grenchen, Switzerland (altitude 450m) | 48.405 (New record) |
Drops–Le Col | LeCol x McLaren Skinsuit, Poc Tempor Helmet Argon18 Electron Pro track frame, WattShop Cratus chainrings (64x15 gear ratio) and WattShop Pentaxia Olympic/Anemoi handlebars/extensions, FFWD Disc-T SL wheels (front and rear w/ 23c Vittoria Pista tyres). Lowden may have used an 8.5mm pitch chain supplied by New Motion Labs. |
Beat Vittoria Bussi's record by 398 metres, and Jeannie Longo's best human effort by 246 metres. |
23 May 2022 | Ellen van Dijk | 35 | Velodrome Suisse in Grenchen, Switzerland (altitude 450m) | 49.254 (New record) |
Trek Speed Concept, Bontrager Race Space handlebar, Zipp Sub 9 Track wheels, Bontrager Hilo XXX saddle, 58x14 gear ratio |
Beat Joscelin Lowden's record by 849 metres. |
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13 October 2023 | Vittoria Bussi | 36 | Aguascalientes Bicentenary Velodrome, Aguascalientes, Mexico (altitude 1887m) | 50.267 (New record) |
Beat Ellen van Dijk's record by 1,013 metres. |
Statistics
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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.
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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 in 2016. Although the first attempt on the hour record for women after the amendments to the regulations was made by Paralympian Sarah Storey, 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 in the C2 category, bettering the accepted best performance previously set by Laurent Thirionet 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)
Date | Rider | Age | Velodrome | Distance (km) | Supported by | Equipment | Notes |
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1 December 2018 | Michael Teuber | 50 | Berlin, Germany | 42.583 (New record) |
Date | Rider | Age | Velodrome | Distance (km) | Supported by | Equipment | Notes |
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1 October 2016 | Colin Lynch | 45 | Manchester Velodrome, Manchester, England | 43.133 (New record) |
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16 July 2022 | Ewoud Vromant | 39 | Tissot Velodrome, Grenchen, Switzerland | 46.521(New record) |
Women's UCI para-cycling hour record
- Unified regulations (since 2016)
Date | Rider | Age | Velodrome | Distance (km) | Supported by | Equipment | Notes |
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28 February 2015 | Sarah Storey | 37 | Manchester Velodrome Manchester, England | 45.502 (New record) |
Historical para-cycling hour record
- Men's UCI para-cycling hour record – Best Hour Performance & Absolute Hour Record (1991–2016)
Date | Rider | Age | Velodrome | Distance (km) | Supported by | Equipment | Notes |
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11 September 1991 | Francisco Trujillo | Bordeaux, France | 44.661 | Best Hour Performance | |||
13 December 2014 | Andrea Tarlao | Montichiari Velodrome, Montichiari, Italy | 47.569 | Absolute Hour Record |
Date | Rider | Age | Velodrome | Distance (km) | Supported by | Equipment | Notes |
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25 September 1995 | Thomas Evans | Manchester Velodrome Manchester, England | 40.070 | Best Hour Performance | |||
8 January 2005 | Darren Kenny | Manchester Velodrome Manchester, England | 41.817 | Best Hour Performance | |||
14 February 2009 | Darren Kenny | Copenhagen, Denmark | 40.516 | Absolute Hour Record |
Date | Rider | Age | Velodrome | Distance (km) | Supported by | Equipment | Notes |
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6 November 1999 | Laurent Thirionet | Bordeaux, France | 41.031 | Best Hour Performance |
Date | Rider | Age | Velodrome | Distance (km) | Supported by | Equipment | Notes |
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8 May 2005 | Michael Teuber | 37 | Augsburg, Germany | 39.326 | Best Hour Performance |
Date | Rider | Age | Velodrome | Distance (km) | Supported by | Equipment | Notes |
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11 November 1994 | Jan Mulder Richard Belmer |
Moscow, Russia | 48.696 | Best Hour Performance | |||
29 November 1997 | Herve Dechamp Guy Rouchouzo |
Bordeaux, France | 49.625 | Best Hour Performance |
- Women's UCI para-cycling hour record – Best Hour Performance & Absolute Hour Record (1991–2016)
Date | Rider | Age | Velodrome | Distance (km) | Supported by | Equipment | Notes |
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28 February 2015 | Sarah Storey | Lee Valley VeloPark, England | 45.502 |
Masters records
Current records by age-group
Age group | Male record | Distance (KM) | Female record | Distance (KM) |
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30–34 | Spencer Seggebruch (USA) | 50.686 | Roxana Islas Garcia (MEX) | 41.564 |
35–39 | Gert Fouche (RSA) | 51.599 | Jane Emans (CAN) | 42.425 |
40–44 | James Ogilvie (AUS) | 51.228 | Molly Shaffer Van Houweling (USA) | 47.061 |
45–49 | Filip Speybrouck (BEL) | 50.731 | Molly Shaffer Van Houweling (USA) | 47.080 |
50–54 | Patrick Warner (USA) | 51.013 | Anna Davis (AUS) | 44.427 |
55–59 | Richard Oaks (ENG) | 49.701 | Anna Davis (AUS) | 45.213 |
60–64 | Peter Megdal (USA) | 47.430 | Elizabeth Heller (USA) | 42.194 |
65–69 | Roger Cull (AUS) | 44.640 | Jan Palchikoff (USA) | 40.416 |
70–74 | Scott Hennessy (USA) | 43.216 | Jan Palchikoff (USA) | 38.191 |
75–79 | Atty Duijn (NED) | 38.903 | Elizabeth Randall (AUS) | 36.352 |
80–84 | Giuseppe Marinoni (ITA) | 39.004 | Patricia Baker (USA) | 27.447 |
85–89 | Walter Fowler (GBR) | 34.602 | No record set | |
90–94 | Carl Grove (USA) | 34.498 | No record set | |
95–99 | Reg Rye (NZL) | 20.151 | No record set | |
100–104 | Robert Marchand (FRA) | 26.925 | No record set | |
105+ | Robert Marchand (FRA) | 22.546 | No record set |
Men's UCI Masters best performances
- Best Performances
Date | Rider | Age | Velodrome | Distance (km) | Supported by | Equipment | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
20 November 2004 | Curtis Gunn | VELO Sports Center, Carson, United States of America | 47.764 (New record) |
|||||
29 July 2017 | Ryan Davies | Newport Velodrome, Newport, Wales | 48.234 (New record) |
|||||
24 September 2017 | David Hainish | Mattamy National Cycling Centre, Milton, Canada | 45.325 (Failed) |
Failed to beat the previous hour record. Set a new national record. | ||||
21 July 2019 | Piotr Klin | Arena Pruszków, Pruszków, Poland | 49.649(New record) | |||||
18 August 2021 | Piotr Klin | Aguascalientes, Mexico | 50.094 (New record) |
|||||
15 September 2023 | Spencer Seggebruch | Velodrome Suisse, Grenchen, Switzerland (altitude 450m) | 50.686 (New record) |
Date | Rider | Age | Velodrome | Distance (km) | Supported by | Equipment | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
26 April 2009 | Jayson Austin | Dunc Gray Velodrome, Sydney, Australia | 48.315 (New record) |
||||
6 October 2015 | Filip Speybrouck | 39 | Manchester Velodrome Manchester, England | 48.743 (New record) |
|||
21 December 2017 | Rob Scarlett | 38 | Cambridge, New Zealand | 48.922 (New record) |
|||
22 August 2019 | Gert Fouche | 39 | Aguascalientes Bicentenary Velodrome, Aguascalientes, Mexico | 51.599 (New record) |
Date | Rider | Age | Velodrome | Distance (km) | Supported by | Equipment | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
25 September 1999 | Kent Bostick | Manchester Velodrome Manchester, England | 49.361 (New record) |
||||
22 November 2016 | Greg Swinand | OTC Velodrome, Colorado, United States of America | 46.895 (Failed) |
Planet X track bike | Set a new Irish national hour record, beating the previous record of 46.166 of Tommy Evans – set in 1999 – by 729 metres | ||
20 July 2017 | Dan Bryant | 47 | Aguascalientes Bicentenary Velodrome, Aguascalientes, Mexico | 47.458 (Failed) |
Peet's Coffee Cycling Team | ||
22 September 2018 | Colby Pearce | 47 | Aguascalientes Bicentenary Velodrome, Aguascalientes, Mexico | 50.245 (New record) |
|||
7 October 2020 | Igor Kopse (SLO) | 46 | Velodrom Novo Mesto, Novo Mesto, Slovenia | 50.590
(New record) |
Date | Rider | Age | Velodrome | Distance (km) | Supported by | Equipment | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
44.890 (New record) |
|||||||
10 December 2009 | Keith Ketterer | 53 | Home Depot Center velodrome, Carson, United States of America | 45.386 (New record) |
|||
9 October 2012 | Charles McCulloch | Manchester Velodrome Manchester, England | 47.960 (New record) |
||||
4 October 2015 | John Madden | 50 | Vélodrome National de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Saint-Quentin en Yvelines, France | 45.799 (Failed) |
|||
6 November 2016 | Pascal Montier | 53 | Vélodrome National de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Saint-Quentin en Yvelines, France | 48.892 (New record) |
|||
24 September 2017 | Michael Nash | Mattamy National Cycling Centre, Milton, Canada | 46.434 (Failed) |
Failed to beat the previous records. Set a new Canadian national record. | |||
6 October 2017 | Norman Alvis | 54 | OTC Velodrome, Colorado, United States of America | 49.392 (New record) |
Argon 18 Electron Pro, Mavic Comet front and rear disc wheels, 53/13 gearing | Set a new US Masters national hour record, beating the previous distance of 48.112 km (also held by Alvis). | |
17 November 2017 | Greg Swinand | Aguascalientes Bicentenary Velodrome, Aguascalientes, Mexico | 48.469 (Failed) |
Planet X track bike | Set a new Irish national hour record, beating his own previous record of 46.860 km – set a year earlier in Colorado | ||
29 September 2019 | Norman Alvis | 56 | OTC Velodrome, Colorado, United States of America | 49.383 (New record) |
|||
22 June 2022 | Patrick Warner (USA) | Aguascalientes Bicentenary Velodrome, Aguascalientes, Mexico | 51.013 (New record) |
Date | Rider | Age | Velodrome | Distance (km) | Supported by | Equipment | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
29 January 2012 | Keith Ketterer | 57 | Home Depot Center velodrome, Carson, United States of America | 45.019 (New record) |
|||
19 March 2016 | Jim McMurray | 55 | Cambridge, New Zealand | 47.733 (New record) |
|||
20 July 2017 | Kevin Metcalfe | 55 | Aguascalientes Bicentenary Velodrome, Aguascalientes, Mexico | 49.121 (New record) |
Peet's Coffee Cycling Team | ||
18 August 2021 | Norman Alvis | Aguascalientes Bicentenary Velodrome, Aguascalientes, Mexico | 49.387(New record) |
Date | Rider | Age | Velodrome | Distance (km) | Supported by | Equipment | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kenny Fuller | 61 | 44.228 (New record) |
|||||
30 September 2015 | Robert Gilmour | 64 | Newport Velodrome, Newport, Wales | 44.349 (New record) |
Hounslow & District Wheelers | 49x14 gearing with a trispoke front and a rear disc, fitted with track tubulars | |
31 January 2020 | Andrej Žavbi | 60 | Arena Pruszków, Pruszków, Poland | 45.732 (New record) |
Alenka Žavbi Kunaver | S WORKS SHIV TT bike, VISION METRON track disk, BERK DILA seddle | Chainring 56, Track Cog 14 |
29 April 2021 | Andrej Žavbi | 61 | Velodrom Novo Mesto, Novo Mesto, Slovenia | 46.255 (New record) |
Alenka Žavbi Kunaver | S WORKS SHIV TT bike, VISION METRON track disk, BERK DILA seddle | Chainring 57, Track Cog 14 |
8 May 2021 | Jim McMurray | 60 | Cambridge, New Zealand | 47.360 (New record) |
Date | Rider | Age | Velodrome | Distance (km) | Supported by | Equipment | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
11 October 2012 | Jim Brander | 65 | Manchester Velodrome Manchester, England | 43.742 (New record) |
|||
26 October 2016 | Robert Gilmour | 65 | Newport Velodrome, Newport, Wales | 44.271 (New record) |
Hounslow & District Wheelers | ||
23 February 2020 | Roger Cull | 66 | Dunc Gray Velodrome, Sydney, Australia | 44.62 (New record) |
Date | Rider | Age | Velodrome | Distance (km) | Supported by | Equipment | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
14 September 2014 | Mike Cotgreave | 70 | Newport Velodrome, Newport, Wales | 41.227 (New record) |
|||
15 July 2017 | Scott Hennessy | 70 | Aguascalientes Bicentenary Velodrome, Aguascalientes, Mexico | 43.216 (New record) |
Date | Rider | Age | Velodrome | Distance (km) | Supported by | Equipment | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
33.000 (New record) |
|||||||
October 2012 | Giuseppe Marinoni | 75 | Montichiari Velodrome, Montichiari, Italy | 35.728 (New record) |
|||
29 July 2014 | Jim Turner | 75 | Aguascalientes Bicentenary Velodrome, Aguascalientes, Mexico | 38.494 (New record) |
|||
28 March 2022 | Atty Duijn (NED) | Amsterdam, Netherlands | 38.903 (New record) |
Date | Rider | Age | Velodrome | Distance (km) | Supported by | Equipment | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
23 October 2017 | René Gaillard | 90 | Vélodrome National de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines,
Saint-Quentin en Yvelines, France |
29.278 (New record) |
Cyclosport Club de Vesoul | ||
6 August 2019 | Carl Grove | 91 | OTC Velodrome, Colorado, United States of America | 34.498 (New record) |
Date | Rider | Age | Velodrome | Distance (km) | Supported by | Equipment | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
27 April 2019 | Reg Rye | 96 | Cambridge, New Zealand | 20.886 (New record) |
Avantidrome Velodrome |
Date | Rider | Age | Velodrome | Distance (km) | Supported by | Equipment | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 February 2012 | Robert Marchand | 101 | World Cycling Centre Aigle, Switzerland | 24.250 (New record) |
|||
31 October 2014 | Robert Marchand | 103 | Vélodrome National de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines,
Saint-Quentin en Yvelines, France |
26.925 (New record) |
Women's UCI Masters best performances
- Best Performances
Date | Rider | Age | Velodrome | Distance (km) | Supported by | Equipment | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
6 April 2012 | Roxana Islas Garcia | 30 | Aguascalientes Bicentenary Velodrome, Aguascalientes, Mexico | 41.564 (New record) |
Date | Rider | Age | Velodrome | Distance (km) | Supported by | Equipment | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2000 | Jacqui Lockwood | Manchester Velodrome Manchester, England | 40.7556 (New record) |
||||
14 March 2015 | Adelia Reynek | 38 | Dunc Gray Velodrome, Sydney, Australia | 41.386 (New record) |
Midland Cycle Club | ||
14 May 2016 | Clarice Chung | 35 | Newport Velodrome, Newport, Wales | 42.116 (New record) |
SSLL Racing Team | Cervelo T4 track bike, Zipp disc wheels | |
24 September 2017 | Jane Emans | Mattamy National Cycling Centre, Milton, Canada | 42.425 (New record) |
Date | Rider | Age | Velodrome | Distance (km) | Supported by | Equipment | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
3 July 2015 | Molly Shaffer Van Houweling | 42 | Aguascalientes Bicentenary Velodrome, Aguascalientes, Mexico | 46.088 (New record) |
Metromint Cycling | Cervelo T4 track bike with double Mavic Comete discwheels, running 56/14 gear ratio. | |
14 July 2017 | Molly Shaffer Van Houweling | 44 | Aguascalientes Bicentenary Velodrome, Aguascalientes, Mexico | 47.061 (New record) |
Date | Rider | Age | Velodrome | Distance (km) | Supported by | Equipment | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
10 September 2006 | Lilian Pfluke | Manchester Velodrome Manchester, England | 41.2397 (New record) |
||||
24 September 2017 | Jody Levine | Mattamy National Cycling Centre, Milton, Canada | 38.156 (Failure) |
||||
24 September 2018 | Molly Shaffer Van Houweling | 46 | Aguascalientes Bicentenary Velodrome, Aguascalientes, Mexico | 46.897 (New record) |
|||
19 August 2019 | Molly Shaffer Van Houweling | 47 | Aguascalientes Bicentenary Velodrome, Aguascalientes, Mexico | 47.080 (New record) |
Date | Rider | Age | Velodrome | Distance (km) | Supported by | Equipment | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
31 October 2014 | Clemence Ruth | 55 | VELO Sports Center, Carson, United States of America | 40.946 (New record) |
|||
27 January 2020 | Anna Davis | 55 | Melbourne Arena Melbourne, Victoria | 43.963 (New record) |
|||
4 February 2022 | Anna Davis | 57 | Melbourne Arena Melbourne, Victoria | 45.213 (New record) |
Date | Rider | Age | Velodrome | Distance (km) | Supported by | Equipment | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
31 October 2014 | Jan Palchikoff | 63 | VELO Sports Center, Carson, United States of America | 41.116 (New record) |
|||
7 April 2019 | Elizabeth Heller | 62 | Aguascalientes Bicentenary Velodrome, Aguascalientes, Mexico | 42.194 (New record) |
Date | Rider | Age | Velodrome | Distance (km) | Supported by | Equipment | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 March 2010 | Elizabeth Randall | 65 | Melbourne Arena Melbourne, Victoria | 37.214 (New record) |
|||
28 September 2017 | Jan Palchikoff | 66 | VELO Sports Center, Carson, United States of America | 38.191 (New record) |
Date | Rider | Age | Velodrome | Distance (km) | Supported by | Equipment | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
20 October 2018 | Roi Speed (NZL) | 72 | Cambridge, New Zealand | 36.581 (New record) |
|||
12 December 2021 | Jan Palchikoff | 71 | Los Angeles, United States of America | 40.416 (New record) |
Date | Rider | Age | Velodrome | Distance (km) | Supported by | Equipment | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
31 October 2014 | Patricia Baker | 75 | VELO Sports Center, Carson, United States of America | 27.894 (New record) |
|||
10 February 2019 | Elizabeth Randall | 75 | Melbourne Arena Melbourne, Victoria | 36.352 (New record) |
Date | Rider | Age | Velodrome | Distance (km) | Supported by | Equipment | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 September 2019 | Patricia Baker | 80 | VELO Sports Center, Carson, United States of America | 27.447 (New record) |
Junior records
Although the UCI does not recognise hour record attempts at the Junior age-group, there have been multiple record attempts made.
Date | Rider | Age | Velodrome | Distance (km) | Supported by | Equipment | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
21 November 2016 | Luke Mullis | 17-18 | Colorado Springs, USA | 47.595 (New record) |
Set new national record. |
||
29 September 2021 | Aston Freeth | 17 | Adelaide Super-Drôme, Adelaide, Australia | 48.480 (New record) |
Port Adelaide Cycling Club / South Australian Sports Institute | Set new national record. |
|
14 March 2022 | Fred Meredith | 17 | Geraint Thomas National Velodrome, Newport, Wales | 49.184 (New record) |
Holohan Coaching Race Team | Set new national record. |
|
17 October 2022 | Jonas Walton | 18 | Aguascalientes Velodrome, Mexico | 50.792 (New record) |
Set new national record. |
Other bicycle hour records
There are many alternative bicycle hour records that do not fit the UCI-sanctioned categories.
See also
In Spanish: Récord de la hora para niños