Backward Cycling

Festival Location: Worldwide

Festival Type(s): Bizarre Festivals, Bizarre Sports Events, Cycling Events

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Retrocycling

By: © Michael J. Rosen 2010

"It Was Quite Tricky, I Remember, and Did Result in a lot of Injuries"

- backwards cyclist Sebastian Tombs

Unlike retrorunning, no one claims backwards cycling "will provoke a fundamental questioning of our commonest attitudes" or "bring about the social change that the urgency and gravity of the problems of our day require." It may, however, give you handlebar marks on your butt.

Yes, riders sit on the handlebars, rather than the seat, and pedal backwards. In order to tell where he or she is going, some backwards cyclists swap out the seat for a mirror, while others use forward-riding friends, acquaintances, or even perfect strangers, to direct them-or misdirect them, in order to put goofy pictures on their Flickr site.

Scotsman Sebastian Tombs did have friends-lots of them, in fact-assisting the 58-year-old to navigate a 60-mile canal in Edinburgh backwards for AIDS research in 2008. The United Kingdom's University of Derby also holds an annual 45-mile backwards ride between the university's Buxton and Derby campuses; in 2008, there were 70 entrants, including a reverend and a university administrator on a tandem.

But few can rival violinist Christian Adam's world record: In 2007, he rode backwards for nearly 38 miles, while wearing a tuxedo and playing Bach on his violin. And few would want to.

Retrocycling Records

While this may seem to be about the satanic messages supposedly embedded in "Stairway to Heaven" and other rock band's records-messages that could be revealed by spinning the vinyl in reverse-it's not. That's backmasking, and this is backwards cycling, which, by the way, is an effective treatment in rehabilitating athletes with serious knee injuries.

These athletes must have some of the strongest ACLs in the world. And remember, all these feats are performed facing backwards on a cycle zooming forward.

longest distance traveled in one hour: Markus Riese (Germany, 2003): 18.1 miles
fastest 50 kilometers (just over 31 miles): Markus Riese (Germany, 2003): 1:46:59 hours
fastest 100 km (62.1 miles): Alan Pierce (Australia, 1985): 4:05:01 hours
longest distance traveled on a motorcycle: Hou Xiaobin (China, 2006): 93.21 miles

No Dribbling the Squid

The above article is just one of a collection of off-beat articles on 2camels from Michael J. Rosen's wonderful No Dribbling the Squid - your front-row seat to 70 of the world's most mind-blowing feats of strength, endurance, and eccentricity.

For more info check out the No Dribbling the Squid website, Facebook fan page or Michael's very own website.

Purchase No Dribbling the Squid now from Amazon.com
Purchase No Dribbling the Squid now from Amazon.co.uk

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