Cycling to the South Pole: A world first

[Nigelnightmare]

Hate to sound po-faced but the Antarctic is a pristine (well, pristine-ish) wilderness and I don't think it should be used as a playground. You want to ride your bike/trike somewhere challenging, go somewhere that we have already buggered up. How about the South Circular instead of the South Pole?

Try the M25 in rush hour!
Mind you you'd probably be quicker than the motorised traffic.

 

[climo]

Hmm I remember it being reported at the time on the BBC news , newspapers etc. Do you have a link for the American's claim where he claims to be the first yo have cycled from the edge of the continent?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Antarctic_cycling_expeditions
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Burton

 

[Ming the Merciless]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Antarctic_cycling_expeditions
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Burton

So he arrived at the South Pole after her. What am I missing?

 

[climo]

So he arrived at the South Pole after her. What am I missing?

from explorers web
Maria Leijerstam, along with her support team and a car, cycled on the Leverett route into the Pole on December 26th.
Maria claims to be “the first person to cycle to the South Pole from the edge of the continent in 10 days beating all other speed records”.

Why the claim is incorrect:
This is a motorized expedition and should not be compared to man-hauling skiing expeditions.

The Leverett route is essentially a bulldozed ice road with no crevasses. Apparently she had the car carry her kit. It's no surprise that she took 10 days when she was scheduled to take 20.
I'm not saying she didn't cycle the route and she was as you point out the first but it's hardly an inspirational feat of human endeavour.
http://halfpastdone.com/2014/01/02/a-world-first-cycling-achievement-a/

Burton is classed as Assisted, Unsupported. He had no backup car but did have food, etc dropped in. He also travelled 775 miles as against her 396miles.
I find that more in the spirit of polar travel.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

from explorers web
Maria Leijerstam, along with her support team and a car, cycled on the Leverett route into the Pole on December 26th.
Maria claims to be “the first person to cycle to the South Pole from the edge of the continent in 10 days beating all other speed records”.

Why the claim is incorrect:
This is a motorized expedition and should not be compared to man-hauling skiing expeditions.

The Leverett route is essentially a bulldozed ice road with no crevasses. Apparently she had the car carry her kit. It's no surprise that she took 10 days when she was scheduled to take 20.
I'm not saying she didn't cycle the route and she was as you point out the first but it's hardly an inspirational feat of human endeavour.
http://halfpastdone.com/2014/01/02/a-world-first-cycling-achievement-a/

Burton is classed as Assisted, Unsupported. He had no backup car but did have food, etc dropped in. He also travelled 775 miles as against her 396miles.
I find that more in the spirit of polar travel.

So what that just means she was supported, as was Burton with his air drops. She still cycled all the way. No one has done it unsupported, carrying everything with then, yet.

 

[slowmotion]

from explorers web
Maria Leijerstam, along with her support team and a car, cycled on the Leverett route into the Pole on December 26th.
Maria claims to be “the first person to cycle to the South Pole from the edge of the continent in 10 days beating all other speed records”.

Why the claim is incorrect:
This is a motorized expedition and should not be compared to man-hauling skiing expeditions.

The Leverett route is essentially a bulldozed ice road with no crevasses. Apparently she had the car carry her kit. It's no surprise that she took 10 days when she was scheduled to take 20.
I'm not saying she didn't cycle the route and she was as you point out the first but it's hardly an inspirational feat of human endeavour.
http://halfpastdone.com/2014/01/02/a-world-first-cycling-achievement-a/

Burton is classed as Assisted, Unsupported. He had no backup car but did have food, etc dropped in. He also travelled 775 miles as against her 396miles.
I find that more in the spirit of polar travel.

I'm fascinated by the Leverett route. It looks like The Pogo stick/duct tape/snowshoe feat actually could be quite feasible!