Female Rides 85k Miles in 1 Year

Amanda Coker Shatters Women’s and Men’s Highest Annual Mileage Record with Tailwind Nutrition

Shout out to 24-year-old ultracyclist,Amanda Coker, who set out to beat the women’s Highest Annual Cycling Mileage Record. Within 130 days, she shattered that record, and soon after took the men’s record of 76,076, set just 15 months before by Kurt Searvogel.

Coker didn’t stop once she broke both world records, but continued to ride an average of 237 miles every day with a goal of hitting the year mark at midnightthis May 15th. At the stroke of midnight, she will go after the 100,000 mile world record set by Tommy Godwin, 77 years ago. To date, she has biked over 85,000 miles since May 15, 2016.

In addition to surpassing world records, Coker is an inspiration to young women and other athletes. She has had cyclists join her on countless daily rides.

Part of her fueling strategy in breaking the two world records has been usingTailwind Nutrition. A typical day consists of eight 20oz bottles of Tailwind Nutrition to give her the calories, electrolytes and hydration she needs to pedal over 230 miles.

“With Tailwind, I can go all day long and get the calories I need to sustain my ride and I don’t get tired of the flavor or get queasy,” states Coker.


While it is impressive to turn that many miles a day(avg 237).....she averaged 675 per day. Now I am not math whiz..but that sounds awfully flat. Looking at her Strava, she does the same circuit through a park....lap after lap. I think she would get more elevation gain riding around the velodrome.

Heck, I think @Runs with Scissors get more elevationnin his roadie commute to work.

However, even for me....that is a lot of time on the bike. 90 hrs a week. I know I couldn't do it.

 

Not impressed. She did it on a road bike.

 

Not just a road bike....but time trial bike.

 

Knowing that she laps a park turned this from awe striking to boring.

 

Well, that's a year she won't get back!

OK, seriously impressive tolerance for redundancy and physical pain together.

 

And the boredom tolerance must be off the charts. Yikes!!

 

Here is a typical ride:

https://www.strava.com/activities/982151060

 

Actually, I read she went back and forth between a road, a TT, and a recumbent because they each use different muscles.

Here's a cool article on her:
http://www.bicycling.com/rides/records/is-amanda-coker-for-real

 

She has NO life!!!!

 

Well that's just... terrible? Went from something impressive and inspiring to someone needing help with their OCD in nothing flat.
Point that bike down to Tierra del Fuego!

 

Did you also notice her paypal.me and gofundme links in her ride description?

I was impressed to read about her accomplishment until I realized it was mostly "fake news"... 610 elevation gain over 270.4 miles is just sad. lol Glad I hang out on IMTBTrails.com to learn the truth

 

I like routine but can't stand monotony. Good for her that she can keep focus and get the miles in ... or maybe she gets lost on the loop and keeps doing it until she can remember where to exit.
Still more miles in one day on a bike than I drive all week in a car.

 

That to me it would be like doing loop upon loop upon loop around Irvine Park....but at least we would get some elevation in there.

 

I'm really impressed with the fact that she was an accomplished cyclist before her accident, and cycling's helping her recover from her brain injury. And BTW, anything over 16mph on the road is like climbing a hill due to wind resistance (as @Runs with Scissors mentions about his Tour of Long Beach). Totally amazing.

Saddest part of the story is what happened to the distracted driver who hit Amanda and her father (and broke his back) : "The driver was ticketed for an illegal pass, but never faced charges."

 

As this all unravels with true and added info... I'm impressed.
However, yet still impressed, I would have been "more" impressed if she did just half that, and out on the open road with terrain that constitutes real world cycling. But there may be a developed phobia from getting hit by a car. I know I would...

I do not want to take away from her accomplishments, the journey just takes a bit away from that accomplishment.
None the less great stamina for the mundane!

 

Doing it in the park makes it less awesome than if it was normal rides, but that's still impressive. I think those park loops day after day might sap the joy out of cycling for me.

When I rode my first metric century (road bike) my phone GPS crapped out and there was no Strava recording. To make matters worse, my crank fell off 69.5 miles in, (Fortunately .5 miles from home.) I was so pissed that I rode a dirty metric 6 days later on my mtb. I was in pain 5 minutes into the ride, but I was determined to get my badge for that month. When I got home, I had about 62 miles, so I went to a parking garage and did a few laps (elevator up, easy pedal down,) just to make sure I had the number. It was cheesy, but I wasn't that bothered since my 70 miler didn't record. I don't know if I was delirious from the mileage or dizzy from riding in circles, but at the end, I wondered how long it would take to ride a cheater century in a parking garage. Maybe after I've bagged a real century, I'll take the BMX to a tall parking structure and waste a day finding out.

 

True....but when you ride in a circle....for every headwind you fight, you enjoy a an equal tailwind.

There are others in the HAM'r Strava Club that are doing similar miles, but least getting some elevation in. Closer to 30-40' a mile.

 

In terms of mileage, this is a quantity challenge; not quality. So logically, she's better off on a flat course. I'm guessing once/if she gets her 100,000 miles, she'll take a break and re-focus. I think she talked about doing time trials. And she rode across the US before she did this, so maybe she'll do a Race Across America. Who knows? Any and all of it remarkable after a brain injury, and in the process she helped her father recover from his broken back and inspired a lot of people to commit to their passions and move past their limitations.

 

I don't want to take away from get accomplishments of all those miles, but out makes me feel empty. It is literally the opposite of why I ride. She is skipping the journey for the destination, I ride for what happens between here and there.

I'm more impressed with what Jason Perez does. Working a full time job, he does insane races. Link to his most recent it's below.

He's also won the 12 Hours of Temecula on an SS with 130 miles.

FYI, the organizers changed the rules AFTER THE ENTIRE TRIPLE CROWN SERIES to disqualify him:
http://cruzbike.com/blog/2017/04/25/mulholland-challenge-double/

 

We all know that recumbents can't climb... oh wait!!!!!!!!

 

That was a good read... Thanks for sharing.

 

They changed the rules of 12 Hours of Temecula? I want to know more.

TFP the Mullholland Challenge article, that was a good read.

 

No the Roadie ride changed the rules. Most likely to require that you ride a traditional road bike....not a recumbent.

 

No, Jason Perez and Jason Ronoa are friends (well, everyone is friends with Ronoa), that wouldn't happen

The organizers of the roadie event changed the rules. But they changed the rules retroactively. The organizers admit they have never seen anyone climb like Jason does, and then disqualify him after all three races are over.

He initially went to the bent after breaking his wrist in a mountain bike crash.