Cyclist seeks help for record crossing of Florida, S-N

Gerry Eddlemon from Knoxville, TN, a long-distance cyclist and member of the UltraMarathon Cycling Association, is seeking help for his attempts to set the official records for crossing Florida from south to north, and the "City to City" record for crossing from Miami to Jacksonville, both during the second or third week of November.

Records to be attempted: Cycling the length of Florida from Key West to Georgia state line; and along the way, crossing from Miami to Jacksonville for the "City to City" Record.

Rider: Gerry Eddlemon; email: eddlemo@bellsouth.net ; phone: 865-693-8508

When: This November 8, 9, or 10, 2014; alternate start date: Nov. 15 or 16.

Means: LiteSpeed titanium bicycle. Crew and officials follow in a minivan follow-car supplied by him, and probably a second support vehicle if a team member can make one available.

Where: Start in Key West; Finish at Florida/Georgia State line on Hwy 121.

Distance: ~ 570 miles.

Ride duration: 2 - 3 days [God, weather, and engine (Gerry) willing!].

Team Members needed: UMCA rules require at least two crew persons and two officials (any responsible person at least 18 years old or 21 years old can be a crewman or an official, respectively). Team members ride in a following minivan with roof-mounted amber flashers and caution signs; no experience necessary (but team members should read the UMCA rules). Please note: if you are interested in helping, but cannot take two or three days for the entire ride, it is possible that one or more team members could trade out with replacement members at roughly the half way point.

Expenses: Paid or reimbursed by rider Gerry Eddlemon.

Governing/Certifying Institution for Records: These record attempts are governed by the rules of the UltraMarathon Cycling Association (UMCA), the world governing body for ultramarathon racing and record attempts (www.ultracycling.com).

Rationale and details: Having set or broken 92 UMCA records, Eddlemon is gunning to be the first cyclist to set or break 100 ultramarathon cycling records before injury, illness, or just plain old age does him in. At the advanced age of 69, if not now, when?

Eddlemon will pay or reimburse relevant expenses (e.g., gas, food, lodging - sorry no reimbursement for side trips to go deep-sea fishing or to Disney World!).

If you should happen to have the interest and time for this kind of adventure, would you please drop Eddlemon a line as soon as possible?

Note from Gerry:  You may reasonably wonder if I has any idea of what I'm attempting to do. So the following information is clearly not bragging ; >).  My credentials include winning the overall 2010 UltraMarathon World Cup Championship; 92 official UMCA records in the last eight years, most of them in the open class, including more recently Alaska, Panama, the Bahamas, New Zealand, West Virginia, Tennessee, and Maine; seven GrandMasters Division world time trial records; and, in the past year winning the GrandMasters' Division World Cup, World 24-Hr Championship, and the UltraCup, along with eight foreign national and US state open-class crossing records; election to the UMCA Hall of Fame.

Thank you for your consideration of this special adventure, and May you have the best of luck in your future cycling adventures, Gerry Gerald Eddlemon Knoxville, TN eddlemo@bellsouth.net

865-693-8508 (home)

865-405-4952