After more than 111 hours of riding, John "Blue Dog" Jurczynski and Mike "Mad Dog" Gallagher are the new stationary cycling world record holders.
The cyclists ended more than four straight days of "spinning" on stationary bikes at the Laconia Athletic and Swim Club Friday night.
At the end, Gallagher said he was so pumped up that he felt that they could keep on going into the night.
The scene looked like a mixture of a rock concert and a regular day at the gym, with relay teams representing various community organizations and businesses on hand among a large crowd of onlookers. The bikers rode along to live music; the riders bobbed their heads to the music and Gallagher even fist-pumped and cheered at some points.
When the record was near, the crowd counted down. When the time came, there was a cheer from the crowd. Gallagher threw his hands in the air as fans rushed to the cyclists, giving them high-fives and congratulations.
"This is just awesome," Gallagher said as he pedaled his way through the final minutes of cycling. "I feel like I could go 10 more hours at this rate."
The previous record stood at 111 hours, 11 minutes and 11 seconds and was shattered at 8:17 p.m. on Friday night. The cyclists began spinning at 5:05 a.m. on Monday morning. To qualify for the Guinness record, there needed to be two witnesses and a medical staff on hand. There are strict guidelines for the record, including an average speed of at least 12 miles per hour and only 5 minutes of down time for every hour ridden. The bikers banked multiple minutes to take naps, which is something Jurczynski took advantage of at times when he wasn't feeling too well.
In order to make the record official, the cyclists went for an additional 49 minutes to get up to 112 hours. At the end, they looked like they were completing an effortless task, with smiles on their faces and hands on their hips.
Jurczynski, 50, is co-manager of the Rockywold-Deephaven Camps on Squam Lake. This past summer he won his age group in the Race Across America, riding some 3,000 miles from west coast to east in 11 days, 22 hours, and 14 minutes to raise $30,000 for diabetes research.
An "ultramarathon cyclist," meaning that the shortest races he enters and usually wins are at least 200 miles, Jurczynski has finished a string of 57 races.
To train for Race Across America in 2006, Jurczynski thought he'd do 50 hours of spinning which then grew as he realized how close he was to the world record. Eventually, Jurczynski compiled 87 hours on his bike, an unofficial record.
This August, Jurczynski contacted Oakley about marathon spinning and soon he, Oakley, Gallagher and Tammy Levesque, the owner of Fitness Edge in Meredith where Jurczynski is a member, put their collective heads together and came up with the idea for "Cycle Mania World Record 2007."
Gallagher, a resident of Gilford, is a cycling enthusiast, last year rode for 48 consecutive hours on a stationary bike. He said he may not attempt anything like this again.
Onlookers ate and drank in celebration of the record, with many being generous in terms of donations. In the donation box there were $20 bills visible and nearby people were writing checks. The goal of the event was to raise $50,000 for the Children's Auction (the actual amount raised will be announced on Sunday). But whether or not the goal was met, club owner Lori Oakley said it was a successful event.
"It's been amazing," said Oakley. "These two men are so inspiring. Of course we want to make the goal, but it is all good either way because this is money going to children."
When asked how he felt after riding for over 111 hours, Jurczynski said Thursday night was not a great night but he felt great as the he set the record Friday night. He was proud of the accomplishment but also noted the community support.
"I just can't believe the community response we have had this week," said Jurczynski. "It's a great thing. I'm really excited about this."
