The ride

On Sunday, September 20, 2020, 8 cyclists from West Michigan teamed up to set a new World Ultra Cycling Record Up Michigan - from the Southern border (Sturgis) to the Northern border in the U.P. (Sault Ste. Marie). The team utilized a team time trial-style approach, sharing pulls at the front to try to maximize efficiency and cover the course as fast as possible. The previous record was 19 hours and 48 minutes (18.99mph avg). The Epic Ride Team covered the 369 mile course in 15 hours and 56 minutes, breaking the previous mark by just under 4 hours while averaging 23.2mph.

The ride started from the state line in Sturgis, MI in the dark at 4:22am and finished in the dark in Sault Ste Marie at 8:18pm. The first 5 hours were under 40 degrees with temps as low a 32 in some sections. Once it warmed up, the team got comfortable and settled into a great pace for a beautiful ride. All 8 riders were on the road for a majority of the ride. They had fast, efficient nutrition breaks every 3.5 hours. 4 riders would continue to ride while the other 4 hopped in an RV to eat some food and refill water bottles before rejoining the group, etc… All “shift changes” followed World Ultra Cycling Association (WUCA) guidelines and were allowed per WUCA rules. So most riders road a total of around 310 miles but at least a portion of the team was riding throughout the 369 mile journey. All 8 riders started and finished together.

Other than a cold, dark start to the day, the ride was pretty drama free. The team did suffer a few mechanical issues including one flat tire, one broken spoke and 2 dropped chains, but for 8 riders over a 369 mile course, that was fairly insignificant. The cyclists obeyed all traffic laws, stopping at stop signs, traffic lights, etc, but the clock didn’t stop. So although they average 23.2mph, they were riding at 24mph most of the day (stops eat up lots of time!)

The ride and record were a total team effort with MVP honors going to Ralph Buckingham who was a total workhorse on the front for much of the day. Epic Ride 2020 was the first time these 8 riders road together and it will be a ride they’ll remember forever.