Why do a record attempt?
Why not? From youth I have dreamed of the long journey, whatever the means of locomotion or venue. I was a runner and speed hiker for many years — for 16 years I held the record for hiking the 70-mile length of Great Smoky Mountains National Park as well as the first transit in less than 24 hours. Cumulative damage to my knees eventually led to surgery and no more running. I was frustrated athletically while my wife Mikki won race after race in track and road racing in Senior Games around the country. Many of these events had cycling, which lacked the pounding on the old joints. So I took up cycling, did my first century and the 12-hour Sebring bike race in the same week in February 2006 (won my age class), and then noticed on the UMCA web site that no one had yet crossed Tennessee (for a record anyway) the "easy way" from N-S or S-N. It seemed desirable to me to have a native Tenneseean, and a 60-yeasr old one at that, claim the first crossing S-N record.

Gerry Eddlemon about to start the Tennessee cross state bicycling record attempt. Note the non-aero brake cables, extra brake levers and large freewheel on his Motobecane touring bike.

The record attempt
I woke up at about 3:30 on the morning May 7 to find the most recent weather reports confirmed — heavy rains with thunderstorms likely all over the region. Water was ponding in the Fayetteville, TN motel parking lot. The previous day, winds for May 7 had been predicted to be from the NW to the NE at 4 -10 knots most of the day, i.e., light to moderate headwinds for the entire 120 miles of the planned record attempt. I admit to being a little discouraged. While I took my time getting ready, the rain stopped momentarily, and judge, crew, and I drove about 12 miles to the start.

At precisely 7:00 a.m. CDT I started under overcast skies with temperatures in the mid to high 50s on a very wet Highway 231. Humidity 100%. Although it wasn't raining I rode my 31-lb, 33-year old Motobecane touring bike. The fat 32-mm tires of threw up a lot of water, enough to wet me pretty thoroughly.

A short while after the start, a light rain resumed and continued for most of the next 45 miles. It was no problem except for the steady stream of water flung into my face from the front tire. I imagined the runoff mixing in with the incredible number of once beautiful but now dead animals lying about in all states of decay (deer, dogs, armadillo, possums, birds, bullfrogs, snakes, and miscellaneous unidentified victims). I often tried to hold my head to one side or the other to reduce the stream of water into my face.

After the first 45 miles I had only a few minutes of very light rain, otherwise slightly chilly, overcast conditions which felt good most of the time. Winds were light to nonexistent until fairly brisk headwinds began to dog me the last 50 miles or so to the Kentucky finish line. I knew the winds were substantial when I had to work hard to maintain 11-12 mph on the flats.

Gerry Eddlemon taking a hand-of during his Tennessee bicycle record attempt.

The cool, wet conditions contributed to one other problem: for the first time since I began riding about one and a half years ago, I over-hydrated and found myself having to make many more pit stops than I had expected.

At exactly 3:10:06 p.m. CDT I reached the Kentucky state line, for a total elapsed time of 8 hours, 10 minutes at an average speed of 14.73 mph. Here are my notes on the ride.

I was also pleasantly surprised at how much better I felt during this ride compared to previous efforts, probably because I tapered the workouts down to almost nothing the last couple days before the attempt and ate and drank more during the ride as recommended in the UMCA Guide to Long Rides.

What was the best part?
Seeing and hearing family and friends cheering me on as I approached the finish line at the Kentucky border. I had to keep my sunglasses on for a while (no amber lenses for overcast conditions!) to hide a little unexpected "precip." I have never before had family and friends following along behind me for the entire ride, and it was a real morale booster knowing they were there.

Gerry Eddlemon cycling through beautiful, but damp, rural Tennessee.

The scenery was often lovely, but signs of really ugly development were encroaching into the many delightful rural areas. The great number of roadkills was both sad and disgusting. This is the worst year for road kill I can remember in Tennessee, and I suspect there is a connection between the extremely aggressive development ravaging much of old rural Tennessee and the movement of displaced animals onto the highways. I encourage all cyclists everywhere to bike this ineffably beautiful state before most of its loveliest areas fall to the bulldozer, concrete, and asphalt. Although much of Highway 231 in Tennessee is signed as a bicycle route, the amusing behavior of cows and horses along the way led me to believe not too many cyclists have ridden this route. More than once, cows, bulls, and horses would stare intently and uncomprehendingly at me for a moment before bolting as I came closer.

What was the hardest part?
Headwinds were a real drag the last 40 miles or so, especially during climbs and even on the flats, and I never had compensating tailwinds. While flying down a steep hill at 36 mph or so, a minivan pulled suddenly across the highway directly in front of me, necessitating some hard braking and swerving. Traffic lights in Murfreesboro and Lebanon were especially costly — over and over they seemed to change to yellow just as the last possible second that I would have expected to make it through the intersection (before the light changed to red) had elapsed. Big 18-wheelers provided ample demonstrations of the Bernoulli effect on a bike and rider, especially in the last 50 miles or so. Rumble wake-up strips or debris along the highway shoulders often meant riding in the traffic lane with traffic rather than on the shoulder.

Gerry Eddlemon and crew leaving a time-consuming stop light.

Equipment
I planned to use my Litespeed Teramo titanium bike with mostly 10-speed Ultegra components, Speedplay X2 pedals, Ritchey WCS compact crank assembly, SpeedCific wheels and hubs built by Mike Garcia of Odds and Endos, and Veloflex Pave tires for the entire ride. Because of the conditions, and the desire to switch to a dry saddle and clean bike if the weather should clear, I decided at the last minute to use my Motobecane touring bike for the first few miles. I rode it about 45 miles and found the old Motobecane surprisingly comfortable (except for my left arm and shoulder), if heavy in the steeper hills, and fairly efficient. By 45 miles the rain had stopped for the most part, and I changed to my Litespeed and dry shorts and short-sleeved jersey.

Food and drink
After a rather small breakfast, I consumed about four 8-oz. bottles of chocolate Ensure Plus during the ride. They taste pretty good and each provides 350 Calories and plenty of sodium, magnesium and potassium. I also ate one PowerBar, a couple Nature Valley granola bars, a couple bananas (always tasty), and a PB&J sandwich. Sports drinks included bottles of either Ultima or Gatorade Endurance. I sipped filtered water from my 1.5-L CamelBak and had one refill during the first 100 miles or so.

Acknowledgments
My heartfelt thanks to my crew captain and bride, Mikki Eddlemon; UMCA most professional official Dr. Martha Salk of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and my crew and friends Gary Salk, my son Kirk Eddlemon and his bride Laura (who will give birth to our first grandchild this coming Christmas time). Their generosity in time, encouragement, and support was essential to the success of this record attempt.

Congratulations on the Tennessee Bicycle Record! Laura (daughter-in-law) & Kirk (son) Eddlemon, Mikki (wife) & Gerry Eddlemon, and UMCA Official Martha Salk. Photo by Gary Salk

I dedicate this effort to a hero of WWII, my uncle George Allen Eddlemon, Jr., who died for the second and last time May 30, 2006 (awarded the Purple Heart for his first "death" in action April 8, 1942, and one of the very few to return from the dead to receive the medal). As a soldier in the U.S. Army, he fought with incredible courage at Bataan and Corregidor; was captured, tortured, and starved; twice escaped; and continued the fight with the Filipino guerrillas for 28 months before repatriation with invading U.S. forces.

Official Record: 120.3 miles in 8 hours 10 minutes, average speed of 14.7 mph (Note: the distance of 120.3 miles is from the odometer in the follow van. My cyclometer, which is more accurate than the van, recorded 122.9 miles, and the correct average speed is probably closer to 15.05 mph).
Start: US Hwy 231 / 431 where it crosses the TN - AL state line
Finish: US Highway 231 where it crosses the TN - KY state line about six miles north of Westmoreland, TN.