Rules

  • Rules last updated: Jan 3, 2024

The record rules must be observed when attempting to set a WUCA record. The rules are designed to ensure the validity of your record and those of others.

Due to the nature of records and record attempts, it may be necessary to change or update rules. In order to preserve the integrity of the records and record attempts, the WUCA reserves the right to define the “intent of the rules” or to append or modify these rules at any time.

You should read the content here carefully. You will be required to use the forms provided and follow the rules and procedures described.

The ride will become a WUCA record only after a full evaluation and certification by the WUCA Records Chair. Please allow several weeks to pass before the record is certified. A plaque commemorating the record will be mailed at the end of the calendar year in which the record was set.

Please note: there are also additional rules specific to Track and Road Courses and the Highest Mileage Record Attempts (HAMR/HMMR/HWMR), detailed below.

The WUCA certifies these road and track records:

  • fixed-time records (6 hour, 12 hour and 24 hour)- for both World and Country (Rider Nationality) categories
  • fixed-distance records English (100 mile, 200 mile, 300 mile, 500 mile and 1000 mile) or metric (100km, 200km, 300km, 500km, and 1000km) on surveyed road courses or track (indoor or outdoor)- for both World and Country (Rider Nationality) categories
  • Point-to-Point records (cross-state, cross-province, cross-country and other point-to-point). New point-to-point records will be considered only for unique cases. Proponents of new endpoints will be asked to show that the new endpoints will have broad appeal beyond their personal interest. For any proposal for new endpoints for a point-to-point record, generally approval will only be considered for the endpoints. However special circumstances may require specific way-points may be suggested and/or required. This may be for safety reasons or to follow a specific “well known” route of great interest. If approval is given to new endpoints and way-points, riders will be able to choose any route between these points in the defined order only. All required points must be recorded on the log sheet. Once determined, the end-points (and way-points if there are any) define the record route and cannot be changed.
  • Capital-to-Capital. These can be state capitals (as in the U.S.) or national capitals, with a minimum distance of 100 miles. In each case, unless approved otherwise by the WUCA Records Chairman, the endpoints will be the respective capitol buildings.
  • Circumnavigation: This is any circular route around a country, state, province, or natural landmark like a lake. Start and Finish points must be established as well as way-points along the route to “guide” the rider through the route and not allow the route to be shortened
  • HAMR (Highest Annual Mileage) – drafting bikes permitted – see separate rules
  • HMMR (Highest Monthly Mileage)  – drafting bikes permitted – see separate rules
  • HWMR (Highest Weekly Mileage)- drafting and non-drafting  – see separate rules
  • 100,000 mile may be attempted under HAMR rules – drafting bikes permitted– see separate rules

Records are recorded in the following categories:

  • Officiated
    • Officiated
    • Unsupported
  • Gender
    • Male
    • Female
    • Other
  • Age categories:
    • 17 and under
    • 18-49
    • 50-59
    • 60-69
    • 70-74
    • 75-79
    • 80+
  • Bicycle type
    • Standard (any 2 wheeled upright bike, including mountain and TT format bike) – no fairings
    • Standard Tandem (upright)
    • Recumbent Tandem
    • Recumbent (2-wheeled, unfaired)
    • Trike (3-wheeled recumbent, unfaired)
    • Quad recumbent 4-wheeled recumbent, unfaired)
    • Streamliner (2-wheeled recumbent, fully or partially faired)
    • Velomobile (3-wheeled recumbent, fully or partially faired)
    • QuatroVelo (4-wheeled recumbent, fully or partially faired)
    • Rowing bike (any number of wheels – unfaired)
    • Unicycle
    • Elliptigo
    • Penny Farthing
  • Special Classes
    • Paralympic C-class (official Paralympic designation for Cycling (C-1 through C-5 required)
    • Paralympic H-class (official Paralympic designation for Sport Class (H-1 through H-4) required)
  • Gearing
    • Standard gearing
    • Fixed gear
  • Rider configuration
    • Solo
    • tandem (male, female, or mixed)
    • two-person team (male, female, or mixed)
    • four-person team(male, female, or mixed)
    • eight-person team(no gender distinction).
    • Mixed tandem teams must have equal numbers of male and female.

NOTE #1: Rider age is determined by the actual age at the end date of the record attempt (This is the date that they actual record is “set”. Attempts by riders under 18 will require permission of the Records Chairman and waiver signed by a parent or guardian. Teams will use the average age of team members, except that for 8-person teams there are no age or gender categories.

NOTE #2: If challenging an existing record, the rider must beat the time or distance in the applicable category.

Correction of Errors: In the event that any clerical error for past records is discovered that prevented a record from being inserted correctly in the database or viewed by a member, WUCA reserves the right to correct this error and enter or update a record in accordance with the authentically submitted and certified documents for the attempt. In the event that this causes any record that was awarded after the “corrected record” to be superseded, any superseded record will remain in the database but it will be given the “Historical record which has been surpassed” status, and that current record holder will be noticed in writing of this action.

Special Circumstance: In the event that a member has ridden an attempt and had not been awarded a record for a current or new time or distance category, that specific category record may be certified (retroactively),  awarded and put into the WUCA system with the date of when the original record was actually set. Examples of this would be: (1) if WUCA created a new time or distance category that was an embedded within a longer record that the rider set in the past, or (2) if the member did not choose to certify embedded records when they initially made a longer attempt and set that record. WUCA has the option at any time to retroactively certify any embedded record with actual rider data and award a new embedded record to that rider. It must be noted that WUCA is not required to do this at any time. If this is requested by the WUCA  member, they may be asked to pay the embedded record fee for each of these “post-certifications”. In the event that this causes any current record to be superseded, any superseded record will remain in the database but it will be given the “Historical record which has been surpassed” status.

Electronic submission of forms is necessary. You may electronically sign all forms or print, sign where needed and scan and email back to the Records Chair.

The WUCA Record Attempt Application (Rider and Crew Chief Contact Information and Fee and the Record Attempt Application Form) must be received by the WUCA Records Chair at least 21 days prior to the proposed date of the record attempt. (Unsupported record attempts only requires 3 days) Under special circumstances the Record Chair may modify this notice when requested in writing.

Your record attempt fee will permit you to attempt a single WUCA record attempt for the period of 1 year after payment. Under special circumstances the Record Chair may may extend the period the member may attempt the record after the payment. Specific permission will be provided in writing to the member for a specific attempt payment

For an outdoor attempt, the rider(s) will select a proposed start date. The attempt may begin at any time on that day, or at any time on the previous day, or at any time on the following day. This gives the rider(s) a three-day window in which to start the attempt without contacting the Records Chair for rescheduling.

For an indoor attempt, the rider(s) will select a proposed start date. The attempt may begin at any time on that day.

The Pre-Attempt Agreements (The Liability Releases and Certification of Official) must be received by the WUCA Records Chair at least 3 days (72 hours) prior to the proposed start of the record attempt.

The Post Record Attempt Documents (Post-Attempt Report Checklist, Record Attempt Summary, Official’s Pre-Attempt Checklist, Official’s Summary, Official’s Log Sheets (route or track) and other information) must be received by the WUCA Records Chair not more than 14 days after the record attempt. (If received after that date, time penalties may be imposed)

The post-ride report shall include route information which may be any or all of the following: link to an online GPS map of the attempt, physical map with the route highlighted, or turn-by-turn log of the route.

All riders and crew must read, be familiar with, and follow the rules and procedures as described here.

If circumstances necessitate a date change for the attempt, approval must be obtained from the Records Chairman or Deputy Chair, as far in advance as possible. You may reschedule your attempt anytime within 1-year of payment of your record attempt fee.

A rider / team attempting a double-crossing will be deemed to have declared their start direction on their application. For example, North-South-North (N-S-N) must begin N-S, while S-N-S must begin with S-N.

WUCA Officials

The rider is responsible for locating and securing the WUCA official(s). WUCA and WUCA Records Chair are not responsible for providing the WUCA official(s).

All officials must be WUCA members at least 21 years of age as of the date of the attempt. Non-members, who are otherwise qualified to serve as officials, may become members simply by joining the WUCA. An official’s Membership is available for $20 via the Website.

All WUCA officials must be approved by the WUCA Records Chair a minimum of 3 days before the record attempt planned date. The WUCA Records Chair may require that the proposed WUCA official take a short test to demonstrate knowledge of the record attempt rules. Riders are encouraged to avoid officials who are in a dependent relationship to the rider (e.g. employee, spouse, etc.). Approval of officials is for the calendar year.

Prior to a record attempt, the WUCA official will inspect all vehicles (for proper lighting, signage, license plates, registration and insurance coverage) and bicycles (for proper lighting and reflective tape). In addition, each crew member who will be driving any vehicle will be required to show a driver’s license valid for the jurisdiction(s) of the record attempt. Failure to comply with this rule may result in immediate disqualification. A record of the inspections will be submitted with the Official’s Report.

Prior to a record attempt the WUCA official will record the names of all the crew members, which will be submitted with the Official’s Report. If the Chair later determines that the record attempt took place without the rider or anyone on the crew having signed the WUCA Liability Release, the record may be disallowed.

At least one WUCA official must be present (with visual contact to the rider) at all times when the rider is riding, except that the rider may proceed without the follow vehicle during daylight hours only for such minimum time as is necessary for a brief comfort stop for crew/officials. During daylight, the follow vehicle with the WUCA official may leapfrog the rider, but should remain in visual contact with the rider.

The WUCA official cannot be an active member of the crew during the time they are officially on duty as an official, i.e., cannot drive the follow vehicle, navigate, hand supplies to the rider, etc. The official may offer limited help to the rider or crew from time to time, but that help cannot be crucial to the success or failure of the record attempt.

WUCA officials are de facto members of the crew and may perform crew duties when they are not acting as the “official on duty” (this can only happen when there is more than one official and some other official is acting in the “officiating” capacity). Care must be taken however to give them sufficient rest for attempts that exceed 24 hours.

No WUCA official can be on duty for more than 24 hours at a time. WUCA officials must be given sufficient time to rest in between shifts. Recommended shifts for WUCA officials are 6 hours for attempts up to and exceeding 24 hours.

If the record attempt will last more than 24 hours, at least two WUCA officials are required, except that an attempt may proceed with one official if the official is given at least 8 consecutive hours off duty during each 24 hours. In this situation, the rider cannot proceed while the official is off duty. This would mean the rider would not ride for 8 hours hours which is highly unlikely, but still allowed.

The rider must negotiate a satisfactory fee for the WUCA official’s service and expenses. The WUCA and WUCA Records Chair are not responsible for the expenses of WUCA officials, nor in determining the value of payments for services.

Immediately before the start of any record attempt, the WUCA official must complete the Official’s Pre-Attempt Checklist.

For road attempts, the WUCA official must record rider progress every 10-15 miles, or every 45-60 minutes, whichever comes first. The Log Sheet should indicate time, mileage, and sufficient road or landmark detail to determine the location on a map.

The WUCA official(s) must write and sign the WUCA Official’s Summary, the Record Attempt Summary form and Log Sheets before they are submitted as part of the Record Attempt Report to the WUCA Records Chair following the attempt.

Single Person option for Official/Crew:

A special rule allows a single person in a follow vehicle to serve as both official and crew – however this limits the rider to riding a maximum of 16 hours per day. This puts an additional burden on the rider to collect GPS data with Power or HR data and to get a photo and witness statements each day. This therefore requires less specific attention by the official/crew person during the ride and more by the record chair certifying the record. This option will obviously yield an overall longer time (slower ride) and is not an option for everyone  – but it will allow a rider to do multi-day attempt with a single person therefore making it more feasible for some.

note: This rule is really most applicable to “oldest” types of records for country or region crossings where the age of the rider is the “record” and not speed that was ridden. Clearly it would be unlikely to set a non-age group record for any Country Crossing if you had to rest for 8 hours each day.

For any Point-to-point Attempt, a single person may assume the role of both Crew and Official with these added rules over and above all normal rules:

  • A minimum of 8 hours of rest is required every 24 hours for the Crew/Official and the rider.
  • The rider must record their daily ride with an onboard GPS, and one of either HR or Power.
    • (If this method fails, then a photo and witness must be recorded in the logbook at least every 3 hours of riding)
  • The rider must submit the original fit file (from GPS recording unit) to the Record chair, upload the ride to Strava, and provide the link to the Records chairs overseeing the record
  • The Crew/Official or rider must take a photo of the rider at the beginning and end of the each day’s ride that will match the GPS log.
  • The Crew/Official or the rider must carry a log book and get a signature of at least one witness each 24-hour period attesting to seeing the rider at that location with their bike.

Times for all point-to-point records are rounded to the nearest minute.

The WUCA official riding in the follow vehicle is to record the start and end time as well as intermediate times on the log sheet as the attempt is progressing.

Times for all fixed-distance or fixed-time attempts are recorded to the nearest second.

For all fixed distance or fixed-time attempts conducted on velodrome, track, or surveyed road course, please see “Information about Tracks or Road Courses” – Timing section for specifics on logging the laps  

All record attempts must begin from a standing start.

Violation of any public highway law or WUCA record attempt rule can result in a penalty.

Penalties can be assessed for actions by riders or crew.   All riders, crew and WUCA officials must read these rules and know the material herein before the record attempt. Not knowing the rules is not an excuse for non-compliance.

On the first offense, a WUCA official may choose to issue a warning or a time penalty. The decision is discretionary on the part of the WUCA official. The WUCA official’s decision will depend upon the nature and severity of the violation.

Penalties, which are cumulative, will be assessed as follows for timed records:

  • 1st offense 15 minutes
  • 2nd offense 30 + 15 minutes for the first penalty
  • 3rd offense 45 + 30 + 15 minutes
  • 4th offense 60 + 45 + 30 + 15 minutes
  • 5th offense 75 + 60 + 45 + 30 + 15 minutes
  • 6th offense   disqualification

NOTE: For multi-day record attempts, the penalty schedule begins anew each 24-hour period, i.e., the penalties are cumulative only within each 24-hour period, not over successive days. For example, if a rider accumulates three penalties on the first day, and three on the second day, he would receive 90 minutes in penalties for each day for a total of 180 minutes, but not necessarily disqualification.

Penalties for exceeding 24 hours with only one official will be cumulative per the following schedule. Penalties for exceeding 24 hours with only one crew shall be assessed in a similar manner.

  • 0-59 minutes over 24 hours: 15 minute penalty
  • 60-119 minutes over 24 hours: additional 30 minute penalty for total penalty of 45 minutes
  • 120-179 minutes over 24 hours: 45 + 30 + 15 = 90 minutes penalty
  • For each additional hour over 24 hours, or portion thereof, penalty time continues to accumulate as in the previous subsection.

Penalties for fixed-time (12 Hour and 24 Hour) records shall be distance penalties and shall be cumulative, per the following schedule:

  • 1st offense: one mile penalty
  • 2nd offense: 1+2 = 3 mile penalty
  • 3rd offense: 1+2+3= 6 mile penalty
  • 4th offense: 1+2+3+4 = 10 mile penalty
  • 5th offense: 1+2+3+4+5 = 15 mile penalty
  • 6th offense: disqualification

A WUCA official may disqualify the rider under certain circumstances. The rider who is disqualified under these circumstances may also receive either a temporary or permanent suspension from WUCA activities. The following circumstances will result in disqualification:

  • Drafting any vehicle. Drafting occurs when the cyclist follows a vehicle at less than 100 feet distance, or receives hand-ups from the vehicle for over one minute at a time.
  • Riding with or drafting any other cyclist who is not one of the team riders listed on the event application form.
  • Anyone involved in the record attempt using illegal substances or alcoholic beverages during the attempt.
  • Riding in any vehicle in order to gain a time advantage. The rider is allowed to ride in a personal support vehicle to cross a bridge or other such obstacle that is off-limits to cyclists.
  • Hanging onto any portion of any vehicle for the purposes of gaining a time advantage.
  • Assaulting any competitor, crew person, WUCA official or other person. Behavior on the part of the rider or crew that is deemed inappropriate and that might cause safety, legal, or reputation problems for WUCA or for other riders and their crew.
  • Accumulating more than five penalties.
  • Use of vehicle(s) or driver(s) other than the personal support vehicle(s) approved by the WUCA official prior to the start of the record attempt.
  • Use of any vehicle or driver improperly insured or licensed.
  • Failure to comply with the WUCA official’s decisions regarding any aspect of the event.
  • Riding under night conditions without bicycle lights on as specified in Rules concerning Bicycles.
  • Riding under night conditions without a vehicle shadowing the rider, except when the cyclist is using a bike path on which motorized traffic is not allowed.

The WUCA Records Chair may assess additional penalties after reviewing the Record Attempt Report.

Administrative penalties may be assessed as follows:

  • For late/incomplete/incorrect forms: five minute penalty per form, reduced to a two minute penalty per form if corrected within five days, except that the record attempt might not be permitted to begin unless all parties have submitted a valid Liability

For all record attempts utilizing public roads, the laws pertaining to vehicular travel in that state must be obeyed. The WUCA official will pay particular attention to stop signs and traffic lights, although all traffic laws must be followed at all times. Each violation will result in a penalty.

Riders are not allowed to bypass a red light by turning right, making an immediate U-turn and turning right once more.

The rider is allowed to seek written permission from local law enforcement agencies to be allowed to roll through stop signs.

The traffic laws do not pertain to track record attempts.

If earbuds or headphones are used by the rider or by the driver of any vehicle, they may only be used for one ear.

Nothing in these rules supersedes the authority of local police and state patrol in exacting compliance to the vehicle code for all users of the public highways. State and local laws take precedence over WUCA Record Attempt Rules.

It is the responsibility of the rider to notify local law enforcement agencies of the record attempt. If you do not do so and are detained for any reason by the police you will lose time on your record attempt. However, notifying local law enforcement agencies is not a requirement of the WUCA.

Riders are not allowed to request or accept police escorts. An escort can only be used if the officer insists that it be done. This rule is to prevent future record attempts from being dependent on police escorts.

A Rider may hire an off-duty police to man intersections or stops they have received written permission to “roll thru” based on traffic flow.

Bicycles must be propelled solely by human force.

There are no restrictions on the number of bicycles or replacement parts that any competitor may use during the event.

Any type of 2, 3, or 4 wheeled 100% human powered vehicle may be used. The type of bike must be listed on the Record Application Form. (If it is not, please contact the Record Chair to discuss adding it.) A faired recumbent includes any recumbent that has any attachment that is on the bike for the sole purpose of fairing the person’s body. An aerodynamic helmet is excluded. That includes, but is not limited to, front fairing, rear fairing that is larger than the rear seat/wheel section, body sock (soft or hard). If a tailbox is used it may not come to a point to join the airflow back together.

The rider(s) must specify in advance what type of bike the rider will be using and must remain with that type of bike throughout the event. For example, a rider cannot start on a conventional road bike and later switch to a recumbent  (The only exception for this is HAMR which does not specify a bike type with the exception that it must be unfaired).

Windscreens, fairings and airfoils are prohibited except on faired recumbent classes.

Disk wheels, composite spoke wheels and wheel covers are allowed.

TT formats are allowed in the “Standard” category. 

There is no restriction on gearing, although a fixed gear is a valid category for any bike

There are no restrictions on wheel or tire size.

All bicycles ridden at night must be equipped with a front light visible from 300 feet and a rear strobe or incandescent red light (solid or flashing permissible) visible from 500 feet. Both lights must be on during night conditions.

A helmet mounted light may not be used as a primary light.

Reflective tape or plastic reflectors must be installed on all bikes to be used for night riding on highways or on an unlighted track. The reflective material must be visible from the front, rear and both sides. Reflective material should be placed on crank arms, seat stays, fork, rims and spokes. Bikes ridden only during daylight do not need reflective tape, reflectors, or lights, but rider should be aware that weather conditions can cause the official to invoke Night rules.

All bikes, including fixed gear bikes, must have working front and rear brakes when used on public roads that are not closed to traffic. Exceptions: A fixed gear bike without brakes may be used for a track attempt on a velodrome or any other closed course that will not experience motorized vehicle traffic. Many trikes only have an active brake system in the front or rear. That is also acceptable provided it is a disc brake.

A personal support vehicle (PSV) is any motorized vehicle with two or more wheels which is used to transport people and/or equipment for use in the record attempt.

All PSVs must be properly registered and carry at least the minimum insurance required by law by the state of registration.

Every PSV operator must possess a valid driver’s license appropriate for the vehicle being operated.

If motorcycles or motor-driven cycles are used as PSVs, appropriate legal helmets must be worn at all times by the driver and any passengers, regardless of state or local regulations. Bicycle helmets are not legal when riding a motorcycle. Motorcycle operators must have motorcycle endorsements (special licenses), if required in the state/country where they are licensed.

There is no limitation on the number of PSVs a rider may have.

A follow vehicle is the vehicle that is functioning as the primary support vehicle for the rider. Generally, the follow vehicle shadows the rider. However, this may not always be the case. Designation as the follow vehicle may change as different vehicles assume this role.

The Follow Vehicle must be no more than 80 inches wide, measured at three feet from the ground. The width across this point is the width of the vehicle, not including side mirrors. Mini-vans are best because most are less than 72″ wide.

The windshield, driver’s side window, and front passenger’s side window must be clear of all obstructions. Moreover, the driver must have a clear view along both sides of the follow vehicle through the side mirrors.

In addition to standard emergency flashers, the follow vehicle must have two amber roof-mounted flashing lights (one on the left rear and one on the right rear). These must be visible only from the rear, not from the front. These lights must be on only when shadowing the rider. Amber revolving lights (available at auto parts stores and discount stores) are allowable, provided they are visible from the rear only. The rider(s) is responsible for determining if revolving lights are legal in the location of the record attempt. The roof-mounted amber lights must not be as bright as to temporarily blind motorists. If so, replace the bulbs with those of lower wattage or cover the lens with filament tape or some other covering that will reduce the glare.

A “Caution Bicycles Ahead” sign must be mounted on the rear of the follow vehicle at all times. These signs may be purchased or riders can construct their own. These must be visible to motorists overtaking from the rear. It is highly recommended that the crew or officials photograph the follow vehicle before the attempt to document the lights and signage.

Whenever the follow vehicle is shadowing its rider, it must also display a “slow-moving vehicle” triangle, which is orange with a red border. This triangle must be visible from the rear. Whenever the follow vehicle is not shadowing a rider, the triangle must either be removed or covered.

Additional vehicle driving lights are allowed as long as they are not higher than 48″ above the pavement or above the windshield. State laws may prohibit the use of roof-mounted lights while driving. Driving lights must be able to be extinguished without affecting the regular headlights of the vehicle. These lights must be extinguished whenever there is an oncoming or overtaking vehicle within 500 feet.

Bumper-mounted lights may be used provided the local police allow them. Bumper lights must not shine toward oncoming traffic.

Directional spot-lights, whether vehicle mounted or hand-held, are not allowed.

Music and public address systems may be installed, but their use must be curtailed in residential areas (which may or may not be within city limits).

A rider may have several PSVs, but only one can serve as the follow vehicle at any time.

The follow vehicle must not tow a trailer.

A motorcycle must not be a follow vehicle.

An auxiliary vehicle is any PSV that is not shadowing the rider. Auxiliary vehicles may ferry supplies and/or personnel, scout routes, mark turns, etc.

All auxiliary vehicles must display a “Caution Bicycles Ahead” sign at all times.

An auxiliary vehicle may be any size. An RV used in a record attempt is an auxiliary vehicle.

An auxiliary vehicle may become the follow vehicle if the primary follow vehicle breaks down or pulls off the course for any reason. The auxiliary vehicle must then abide by all rules pertaining to follow vehicles. It must meet all the requirements of the primary follow vehicle (flashing amber lights on roof, vehicle signage, etc.).

If the primary follow vehicle is unable to continue, only vehicles less than 80 inches wide may become follow vehicles. An RV may not assume the role of follow vehicle, except if all other vehicles are unable to continue at night. Poor planning (out of gas, bathroom stop, etc.) does not constitute a valid reason for being unable to continue. The use of an RV as a follow vehicle under these circumstances must be temporary and is left to the discretion of the WUCA official.

Recreational vehicles (RVs) include motor homes, pick-ups with campers and related vehicles. RVs are generally larger than vans and typically equipped with cooking facilities, toilet facilities, sleeping accommodations, etc.

RVs can never act as a follow vehicle during daylight hours, even if the primary follow vehicle breaks down.

PSVs are not allowed to follow one another at less than highway speed. Only the primary follow vehicle is allowed to shadow the rider. All other vehicles must leap-frog the rider and stay out of the way as much as possible.

All riders must be members of WUCA at the time of the attempt.

A rider may not receive any type of push-off from another person or vehicle. This includes members of relay teams; team riders may not sling a teammate on the exchange.

A rider may ride with a flat tire or with other mechanical problems, unless the WUCA official deems it unsafe, at which time the rider must stop or proceed on foot with the bike until the bicycle is replaced or repaired.

A rider may proceed on foot along the route as long as the bicycle is present (carried, dragged or pushed). A rider separated from his/her bicycle may not proceed along the race route. However, the rider may travel back by any means along the route, except that the rider may not ride against opposing traffic.

If the rider leaves the course for breaks or emergencies, the official must note exactly where the rider left the course. Upon continuation of riding, the rider must re-enter the course at or before the point of exit.

Riders may use one or two-way radios for coaching or entertainment, though such systems should not obstruct natural hearing (earpieces shall only be used in one ear).

Crew members may not cycle, run, walk or skate within sight of their supported rider unless for safety reasons, and then only with the prior authorization of the WUCA official. This rule is to prevent non-competitors from pacing or motivating the rider. If any crew member wants to work out during the record attempt, a specific work out plan should be discussed with the WUCA official prior to the start of the event.

Riders must obey all traffic laws, including stop signs and stop lights. A legal stop is defined as just short of a track stand, slow enough to theoretically turn the handlebars to the side without falling. The bars do not actually have to be turned; however, the WUCA official will base the determination on the rider’s potential to turn the bars.  A rider does not have to remove a foot from the pedal and step down to the ground.

At stop lights and stop signs, riders may not hold onto any moving or stationary vehicle or person. The rider may use a permanent object (post, mailbox, etc.) to balance without having to remove a foot from the pedal.

A pedestrian or person in the follow vehicle may execute hand-to-hand hand-offs to the rider while the rider is moving or stopped. While the rider is moving a crew person is not allowed to put objects on the bike, put items in the rider’s pockets, or perform repairs on the bike. All exchanges must be from hand to hand.  The rider may discard items not needed, by either handing them to a crew member or dropping them on the roadside (as long as they are retrieved and no littering takes place).

Moving riders may not be tethered by wiring, feeding tubes, oxygen tubes or other attachments either to a vehicle or a pedestrian.

Riding alongside the follow vehicle for hand-offs is allowed only two times per hour and for only one minute per occasion. A single hand-off may take place in more than one stage. For example, the rider may drop back beside the follow vehicle first to make a request of the crew (clothing, food, drink, etc.), ride back out in front and then drop back again to receive the item requested.  However, in order to count as a single exchange, they must not take more than one minute cumulatively.  Anything more than this is considered drafting.

Support Crew Members

The rider must have a support crew and support vehicle. A minimum of one adult crew person (at least 18 years old) is required for all events of 24 hours or less.  For longer events, a minimum of two adult crew members is required. For relay team record attempts, the riders may also act as crew members.

A support crew member is anyone who actively assists the rider in any manner for any amount of time during the record attempt. A person who does not travel in the PSVs, but who eats and associates with the crew members, or who aids the rider physically or mentally, without the opposition of the crew captain and/or the rider(s), may be considered to be a crew member. The WUCA official will determine whether or not such a person is a crew member under these rules.

All crew members must sign and agree to the terms in the WUCA Liability Release prior to participating in the record attempt. Crew members may be added during an attempt only if unusual or extenuating circumstances occur and only if approval is received from the Records Chairman or the Deputy Records Chairman. If approval is received to add crew members during the attempt, the Liability Release must be given to an official before the new crew performs any duties.

The rider is accountable for the behavior of the crew. A crew member’s misconduct may result in the penalization or disqualification of the rider. There are no penalties assessed to crew members; only the rider receives penalties.

One crew member will be designated as the crew chief and will speak for the crew and rider in reporting problems, suggestions or other information to WUCA officials or the WUCA Records Chair. Other crew members should not speak in an official capacity to the WUCA official or the Records Chair.  The crew chief may designate another person to speak on behalf of the crew when necessary.

Each crew must be self-sufficient, locating food, water, fuel, supplies, motels, medical facilities, etc. along the route.

Single Person option for Official/Crew:

A special rule allows a single person in a follow vehicle to serve as both official and crew – however this limits the rider to riding a maximum of 16 hours per day. This puts an additional burden on the rider to collect GPS data with Power or HR data and to get a photo and witness statements each day. This therefore requires less specific attention by the official/crew person during the ride and more by the record chair certifying the record. This option will obviously yield an overall longer time (slower ride) and is not an option for everyone  – but it will allow a rider to do multi-day attempt with a single person therefore making it more feasible for some.

For any Point-to-point Attempt, a single person may assume the role of both Crew and Official with these added rules over and above all normal rules:

  • A minimum of 8 hours of rest is required every 24 hours for the Crew/Official and the rider.
  • The rider must record their daily ride with an onboard GPS, and one of either HR or Power.
    • (If this method fails, then a photo and witness must be recorded in the logbook at least every 3 hours of riding)
  • The rider must submit the original fit file (from GPS recording unit) to the Record chair, upload the ride to Strava, and provide the link to the Records chairs overseeing the record
  • The Crew/Official or rider must take a photo of the rider at the beginning and end of the each day’s ride that will match the GPS log.
  • The Crew/Official or the rider must carry a log book and get a signature of at least one witness each 24-hour period attesting to seeing the rider at that location with their bike.

The use of alcohol, drugs or controlled substances (except as prescribed by a physician) is prohibited. This applies to riders, crew and WUCA officials.

If a rider refuses to comply with the demands of the crew to rest, and the crew feels the rider is in danger, the WUCA official must decide if the rider should proceed, or take a sleep break.

It is ultimately the official’s responsibility to ensure that the crew is receiving adequate rest for safe operation of support vehicles. If no adequately rested drivers are available for safe operation of vehicles, the rider must voluntarily stop, or be officially detained until an adequately rested driver is available.

If a crew member operating a motor vehicle, or a rider riding a bicycle, exhibits unsafe driving practices at any time, the WUCA official may impose an on-the-spot sleep break of up to four hours. The time is not subtracted from the rider’s overall time; the clock continues to run. Failure to comply with the WUCA official will result in immediate disqualification.

An official may stop the rider(s) to discuss safety or rule concerns without allowing offsetting time.

Be alert for signs of rider and crew sleep deprivation problems. Driving the follow vehicle at night carries greater responsibility for rider safety and at the same time requires quicker reactions due to limited visibility outside the rider’s lighted field. Follow vehicle crew members must be prepared for the rigors of the night by getting what rest they need during the preceding day.

Any Personal Support Vehicle (PSV) following the rider must be equipped with and use the vehicle’s factory emergency flashers, headlights (day and night), the “Caution Bicycles Ahead” sign, a slow-moving vehicle triangle and roof-mounted amber flashing lights.

PSVs are not allowed within 100 yards of the front of the rider unless forced into that position by traffic.

The follow vehicle should remain at least 20 feet from the rider for safety reasons. This distance should be regulated (and farther) during higher speeds (descents) to allow sufficient room for the follow vehicle to stop without impacting the rider if they stop or fall suddenly. The maximum distance is regulated by line of site as the official needs to maintain be able to see the rider at all times on the course.

The follow vehicle may lead the rider when visibility is very limited (fog, smoke or haze). The follow vehicle must remain at least 100 feet in front of the rider during these times to prevent drafting, although if visual conditions (dense fog) that require a closer proximity: use safety as your main guideline. If for example: dense fog exists and there is only a 20 foot visibility then the follow vehicle may be that close. The rider may receive a small amount of draft help but due to the fog the speed would be so slow that it would not really help much. If the WUCA official feels leading is unnecessary or the rider is too close, a penalty may be assessed.

The follow vehicle crew must request that any accompanying cyclists (other riders not affiliated with the record attempt) ride behind the follow vehicle.

Traveling alongside a rider, contingent upon not interfering with the normal flow of traffic in either direction, is permitted for handing off food and supplies to the rider and exchanging information. If daytime traffic conditions do not allow driving alongside the rider for hand-offs, the follow vehicle should proceed ahead, stop off the pavement and the crew member makes a pedestrian hand-off as the rider passes. All hand-offs must comply with the rules in Riders section.

During night conditions, if traffic does not permit safe hand-offs from the moving follow vehicle, then both the cyclist and the follow vehicle must pull safely off the road to exchange food, clothing, information, etc.

If traffic, road or shoulder conditions are such that traffic cannot safely pass the follow vehicle, or would be required to drive illegally (crossing a double-yellow line), when three or more vehicles build up behind the follow vehicle, the follow vehicle must pull off the road and let traffic pass. During the day, the rider may proceed alone; at night, the rider must wait for the follow vehicle to follow directly behind.

It may not be possible to safely follow directly behind a rider while climbing long mountain grades or navigating through city traffic. Under these conditions it may be preferable to “leap frog” a short distance ahead of the rider, stop before the rider is lost from sight, and let the rider pass until almost out of sight ahead, then leap-frog ahead again. This procedure is only allowable during daylight hours.

If local laws prevent a follow vehicle, the rider can attempt to get a “variance” for the ride for that “area”. If this is not possible or refused, then the leap-frog method is acceptable. Even if traffic causes the rider to fall “out of site for a short time” of the official in follow vehicle this is also acceptable. Based on the route, if this is likely to happen, we suggest that the rider keep a GPS device logging data on their bike and provide WUCA with the file after the attempt is complete. This would provide proof if anyone would contest any area where the rider was alone for a short period.

Under no circumstances will the follow vehicle pull ahead of the rider to an intersection to cause the traffic signal to change for the rider’s benefit.  An auxiliary vehicle may attempt this maneuver as long as it is safe and does not interfere with the normal flow of traffic.

“Night” is defined as beginning at sunset and ending at sunrise, or whenever visibility is less than 1,000 feet, using the official times for sunrise/sunset for the location of the record attempt.

All bicycles ridden at night must be equipped with lights and reflective tape as described in Bicycles section. The lights must be turned on during night conditions.

During night conditions, any crew who are providing support outside of a vehicle must have a reflective vest, at least one reflective ankle band and at least one reflective wrist band.

During night conditions the rider may not proceed, under any circumstances, without the follow vehicle directly behind the rider. Directly behind means less than 50 feet behind the rider, with no other vehicles between the rider and the follow vehicle. The only exception is when the follow vehicle pulls alongside the rider for hand-offs.

The follow vehicle must display all appropriate signage and lighting when operating during night conditions.

Auxiliary driving lights and high beams must be extinguished whenever within 500 feet of an oncoming or overtaking car.

Under night conditions, the follow vehicle may pull alongside the rider while stopped at stop lights for the purposes of servicing the rider and activating any traffic detector which causes the traffic light to change. This does not count as one of the four allowable hourly moving hand-offs from the follow vehicle. When the traffic light turns green, the rider must proceed in front of the follow vehicle; the follow vehicle must immediately resume following directly behind the rider.  This same procedure is allowable if the rider and follow vehicle are stopped at a railroad grade crossing during night conditions.

There is only one situation in which a rider may proceed under night conditions without a follow vehicle – when the rider is riding on a bike path on which motorized vehicular traffic is prohibited.

Any PSV not following the rider must not display a slow-moving vehicle triangle. and must not display flashing amber roof lights. Emergency flashers may be used as called for under normal circumstances. Even the follow vehicle, when not following the rider, must turn off the flashing amber roof lights and remove (or cover) the slow-moving vehicle triangle.

The “Caution Bicycles Ahead” sign must remain on all PSVs at all times.

PSVs not following the rider must proceed at normal driving speed, so as to not create a traffic hazard.

Auxiliary vehicles must not follow the follow vehicle. This is caravanning and is prohibited.

Auxiliary vehicles should leap-frog the rider and follow vehicle and pull completely off the pavement when not proceeding along the route.

If the rider and/or crew encounter a situation in which they need to provide emergency care for some other person or persons along the route, they should do so. The WUCA official may allow a time credit for such actions.

The rider must not abuse this rule for the purpose of gaining rest time. The WUCA official’s decision regarding emergencies will be final. A four-hour time penalty will be assessed if the rider abuses this rule.

The rider must wear a helmet that is approved in compliance with an official security standard and the helmet must be properly secured at all times while the rider is mounted on the bike.

The rider must wear at least shorts or tights and a jersey whenever riding. Cycling clothing intended to decrease wind resistance (skin suit) is allowed.

Clothing cannot bear the name of any alcoholic beverage (except beer), any tobacco product or any slogan or phrase deemed offensive by the WUCA official.

In addition to all of the rules contained herein, the following rules apply to tandem record attempts.

Both tandem riders together must ride or walk the bike; one member may not rest in a vehicle while the other proceeds along the course.

Tandem riders may not be replaced or changed during the event.

There are no restrictions on captaining or stoking. Either or both tandem riders may assume these positions. Riders may change positions during the record attempt.

In addition to all of the rules contained herein, the following rules apply to team record attempts.

The WUCA recognizes two-person, four-person, and eight-person teams. A three-person team must compete in the four-person division. A team with five, six, or seven members must compete in the eight-person division. No other size teams are allowed.

Teams compete in the men’s division only if all of the team members are men. Teams compete in the women’s division only if all of the team members are women. All other teams are mixed division teams.

Team members cannot be replaced once the record attempt starts.

If one or more teammates drops out from the attempt, the team can continue with fewer members, but cannot replace those who drop out.

There are no requirements on how to divide the riding responsibilities among the teammates. The team determines the amount of riding done by each teammate.

The team may function with as few as one rider on the road in a relay fashion or up to all riders simultaneously which may yield a higher speed. This strategy is left to the team to determine.

The finishing time will be determined by the first teammate to cross the finish line.

In the relay format: Exchanges between teammates may be conducted from a rolling start. A legal exchange is when the front of the front wheel of the incoming rider breaks the plane perpendicular to the back of the rear wheel of the new rider.

If a team is riding at night and has only one PSV, then the vehicle and new rider must stop after an exchange to load other riders and equipment.

In addition to all of the rules contained herein, the following rules apply to cross-province and cross-state record attempts.

Generally, for each state (or province), the WUCA recognizes four directional cross-state records: West-to-East, East-to-West, North-to-South and South-to-North.  In addition, for each state, the WUCA recognizes two double-crossing records, one with a North-South orientation and one with a West-East orientation.  A double crossing record is crossing a state in one direction immediately followed by a crossing in the opposite direction.  A double crossing record attempt may start at either end point.

If a rider is challenging an existing record, the rider must use the same exact end points. The end points can be seen by observing the current record on the WUCA web-page. However, the rider is free to choose any route between those end points.  If the end points have been established through a successful record attempt in one direction, those same end points must be used for a record attempt in the opposite direction.

If there is no established Record for a particular Cross State or Province record the rider can suggest endpoints for this new record. Care should be taken to pick start and end locations that can be easily distinguished by other riders attempting the ride but should be reasonably close to the extreme boundy (N, S, E, or W) of that attempt. The Record Chair will verify these endpoints and either suggest new ones or allow these endpoints. The decision of the Record Chair is final.

If a record attempt is halted for reasons beyond the control of the rider, crew and WUCA official, the record attempt may still be certified by the WUCA Records Chair as a WUCA record. Legitimate reasons for halting a record attempt include, but are not limited to decisions by law enforcement officials and Force Majeure (or “greater force”). Force Majeure is an extraordinary event, such as war, riot or an act of God, such as flood, mudslide or avalanche.  However, the following conditions must be met:

  • 90% of the record attempt must have been completed;
  • The WUCA official must have determined the rider was in good shape and could have completed the record attempt were it not for the sudden termination of the attempt by law enforcement or Force Majeure; and
  • There was no viable alternative route at the time the record attempt was halted. Ordinary road construction is not an excuse for invoking this rule. In the event the WUCA Record Chair decides to apply this rule, the rider’s average speed over the 10 miles immediately prior to the cessation of the record attempt will be used to calculate the estimated time over the remaining distance.  This information will be combined with the information up to the point of cessation to determine the overall distance, time and speed. Gradients of the previous and remaining sections may be used for this determination.

In addition to all of the rules contained herein, the following rules apply to Cross-country record attempts.

The WUCA Records Chair must approve the end points. 

If there is no established Record for a particular Cross Country record the rider can suggest endpoints for this new record. Care should be taken to pick start and end locations that can be easily distinguished by other riders attempting the record but should be as close to the extreme border (N, S, E, or W) of that attempt as possible. The Record Chair will verify these endpoints and either suggest new ones or allow these endpoints. The decision of the Record Chair is final.

The WUCA may appoint WUCA officials randomly to observe a rider during an attempt without notice to the rider.

A rider may attempt a record in conjunction with an event (e.g. RAAM) subject to approval of the event organizer and the WUCA Records chair. It will be up to the Record Chair to determine if separate WUCA officials are needed and if the event organizer will allow 3rd party officials on the course.

For the United States and Canada the endpoints must be within 10 miles of the ocean. The ocean shall be determined by as straight a line as possible along the coast. In other words, 10 miles from the inner edge of a bay or inlet does not qualify.

For the United States, all routes must cross the 38th Parallel at least once.

For a record attempt made in conjunction with RAAM, separate WUCA officials will not be required. The endpoints and route used for RAAM will be deemed acceptable unless the Records Chairman determines otherwise.

In addition to all of the rules contained herein, the following rules apply to any point-to-point record defined below.

Capital-to-Capital (or special City-to-City or Point-to-point) Records can exist within any State, Province, or Country

Generally, for each Capital-to-Capital Record, the WUCA recognizes only the route from the Capital to another. There is not a directional element.

For any Special City-to-City (or Point-to-Point) courses: each one will be approved by the Records Chair. The main criteria is popularity of the route so others would also like to attempt it. The start and end points (and any mid-way way-points) must be agreed on before the attempt begins and must remain static once set. There is not a directional element.

If a rider is challenging an existing record, the rider must use the same exact end points. The end points can be seen by observing the current record on the WUCA web-page. However, the rider is free to choose any route between those endpoints.  If the end points have been established through a successful record attempt in one direction, those same end points must be used for a record attempt in the opposite direction.

If there is no established Record for a particular record the rider can suggest endpoints for this new record. Care should be taken to pick start and end locations that can be easily distinguished by other riders attempting the record. Generally courthouses (or some other legal building or site that is likely to exist in that location for perpetuity) are used. The Record Chair will verify these endpoints and either suggest new ones or allow these endpoints. The decision of the Record Chair is final.

If a record attempt is halted for reasons beyond the control of the rider, crew and WUCA official, the record attempt may still be certified by the WUCA Records Chair as a WUCA record. Legitimate reasons for halting a record attempt include, but are not limited to decisions by law enforcement officials and Force Majeure (or “greater force”). Force Majeure is an extraordinary event, such as war, riot or an act of God, such as flood, mudslide or avalanche.  However, the following conditions must be met:

  • 90% of the record attempt must have been completed;
  • The WUCA official must have determined the rider was in good shape and could have completed the record attempt were it not for the sudden termination of the attempt by law enforcement or Force Majeure; and
  • There was no viable alternative route at the time the record attempt was halted. Ordinary road construction is not an excuse for invoking this rule. In the event the WUCA Record Chair decides to apply this rule, the rider’s average speed over the 10 miles immediately prior to the cessation of the record attempt will be used to calculate the estimated time over the remaining distance.  This information will be combined with the information up to the point of cessation to determine the overall distance, time and speed. Gradients of the previous and remaining sections may be used for this determination.

In addition to all of the rules contained herein, the following rules apply to Circumnavigation record attempts.

Circumnavigation  Records can exist for virtually any circular route. Around a country, state, province, lake or other natural boundary that has accessible roads for a rider and follow vehicle to ride on

Generally, for each Circumnavigation  Record, the WUCA recognizes either Clockwize (CW) or Counter_Clockwize (CCW) direction. Multiples of a Circumnavigation route may also be attempted.

The Start and the End points must be the same. Internal “way-points” must also be determined to “guide” the rider through the exact route. They would be picked also to not allow a rider to “shorten” the route.

If a rider is challenging an existing record, the rider must use the same exact Start/End, and way-points. These points can be seen by observing the current record on the WUCA web-page. However, the rider is free to choose any route between any way-points if more than one exists, but most likely none will.  If the start/end and way-points have been established through a successful record attempt in one direction, those same points must be used for a record attempt in the opposite direction (only in reverse order).

If there is no established Record for a particular Circumnavigation record the rider can suggest start/end and way-points for this new record. Care must be taken to pick start/end locations that can be easily distinguished by other riders attempting the record. Way-point will generally be cross-roads or some landmark that is easily distinguishable. The Record Chair will verify these start/end and way-points and either suggest new ones or allow them. The decision of the Record Chair is final.

The official(s) must record the distance and time at each way-point in the log sheet along with the required logs.

If a record attempt is halted for reasons beyond the control of the rider, crew and WUCA official, the record attempt may still be certified by the WUCA Records Chair as a WUCA record. Legitimate reasons for halting a record attempt include, but are not limited to decisions by law enforcement officials and Force Majeure (or “greater force”). Force Majeure is an extraordinary event, such as war, riot or an act of God, such as flood, mudslide or avalanche.  However, the following conditions must be met:

  • 90% of the record attempt must have been completed;
  • The WUCA official must have determined the rider was in good shape and could have completed the record attempt were it not for the sudden termination of the attempt by law enforcement or Force Majeure; and
  • There was no viable alternative route at the time the record attempt was halted. Ordinary road construction is not an excuse for invoking this rule. In the event the WUCA Record Chair decides to apply this rule, the rider’s average speed over the 10 miles immediately prior to the cessation of the record attempt will be used to calculate the estimated time over the remaining distance.  This information will be combined with the information up to the point of cessation to determine the overall distance, time and speed. Gradients of the previous and remaining sections may be used for this determination.

In addition to all of the rules contained herein, the following rules apply to Vertical Climbing record attempts.

Vertical Climbing Records can be done anywhere there is a continuous climb for the rider and follow vehicle to ride on. The route must not have any “free” climbing. i.e. you cannot have a steep downhill segment that leads directly into the climb. Therefore your course cannot be rolling.

There is not a directional element for a Vertical Climbing record. The course must be a loop where the rider rides up the ascent then turns around and coasts back down to the start to begin again.

The “course” must be officially surveyed by WUCA or a 3rd Party business who specializes in measurements such as these and who can provide a “certified document” as to the exact altitude gain to the nearest meter for the route. The course can be any length the cyclist desires but keep in mind if it is too short then much time is wasted in turns. If is it too long then you must climb more before you get a break to coast back down to the start.

If the Vertical Climbing record attempt is for a specific time (6, 12 or 24 hours), then the rider will ride the “course” for that time duration, The officials will log each lap and time as it is completed. The rider can either stop at the exact time and mark that point and have it surveyed, or they can finish the last lap they are on at the end time of the “time” they are attempting. The vertical distance climbed will be prorated based on their speed for that last climb.

If the Vertical Climbing record is for a specific distance (5,000 – 10,000 – or 20,000 meters), then the exact number of loops of the course will be calculated based on the survey. The rider can then choose to survey the exact location for the vertical distance to be reached and make it for their final lap, or they can complete the last lap and have the distance prorated based on their average climbing speed for that final lap.

In addition to all of the rules contained herein, the following rules apply to “oldest” record attempts.

  • Oldest Male 100 Mile Unfaired under 4:00
  • Oldest Female 100 Mile Unfaired under 4:30
  • Oldest Male 100 Mile Unfaired –  (Absolute = no time limit)
  • Oldest Female 100 Mile Unfaired –  (Absolute = no time limit)
  • Oldest Male 500 Mile Unfaired under 24 hours
  • Oldest Female 450 Mile Unfaired under 24 hours
  • Oldest Male 500 Mile Unfaried (Absolute = no time limit)
  • Oldest Female 450 Mile Unfaried (Absolute = no time limit)
  • Oldest England N-S or S-N (Absolute = no time limit)
  • Oldest USA W-E or E-W (Absolute = no time limit)

Note 1: Any absolute “oldest” record must meet the rule of the cyclist must be on the bike and moving at least 50% of the time)

Note 2: Other “Oldest” records may be added in the future based on popularity of the route within the ultra-cyclist community

Note 3: If there is a time limit on a certain distance record the rider must beat that time limit and be the oldest person to have beaten that time limit to claim the record

If a rider is challenging an existing record, the rider must use the same exact start and finish locations as determined by previous record holders. This information is available and can be seen on the existing record by looking it on on the WUCA web-site.

If a rider is establishing a new record, the rider may select the start and finish locations, subject to approval of the WUCA Records Chair prior to the record attempt.

The rider may use any route between the start and finish end points. It is up to the first person establishing a record to find the best route, or else someone may beat the record in the future using a better route between the same two points. The rider is not required to share their route publicly, only with the Record chair for the certification process. It will not be made public unless permission to do so is given in writing.

The rider(s) and crew are responsible for all navigation and navigation decisions.

If the rider makes a wrong turn and rides off the course (regardless of the reason), the rider may be driven back to the spot where the course deviation was made and then continue riding. No time or distance credit will be given to the rider for navigation mistakes.

The rider may use a bike path during some or all of the record attempt.  If so, a WUCA official must accompany the rider on a bicycle for the duration of the ride on the bike path, following at a distance of 30-50 feet behind the rider.  The WUCA official must accompany the rider under both day and night conditions on the bike path.  Both the rider and the WUCA official must have appropriate lighting and reflective materials for night riding.  The use of bike paths is discouraged because of potential conflicts with other users.

Riders are encouraged to publicize their attempt in advance. (Note: Posting to the WUCA social media page(s) is encouraged.)

The rider is encouraged to publicize his or her record promptly after completion of the record. For a press release to be effective it must be timely. Riders are encouraged to use a live tracking device that will allow the progress of the attempt to be monitored from afar. (This may become mandatory at some point in the future.)

The record attempt must be described as “pending certification by the World UltraCycling Association” until it has been certified by the WUCA Records Chair. This applies to press releases, résumés or other publicity material.

Upon certification by the WUCA Records Chair, the record may be referred to publicly as a “WUCA Record”.

After certification the WUCA will publish the record on ultracycling.com. The rider is encourage to submit by e-mail a write-up and photos for publication on ultracycling.com

If there are any questions or perceived conflicts with the rules which raises a question as to what the rider, crew or officials may or may not do or must do, these conflicts should be presented in writing to the current WUCA Record Chair for resolution before the attempt starts. The WUCA Record Chair may at their pleasure grant a waiver or make a specific decision that will pertain to that question for that attempt.

For example: You are doing a State Crossing and your starting point is on the middle of the bridge at the exact state line. The bridge happens to be underwater due to much rain. The Record Chair may give you permission to start the route at a different location that will duplicate the mileage of the route.

If any conflicts arise while the attempt is in progress the head official can attempt to contact the Record Chair by phone to get an instance ruling. If that cannot be done, then specific notes should be logged as to the conflict and the attempt should continue based on what the official deems appropriate at that time. The notes and any other information (pictures, video, etc) should be included in the officials Record Attempt Report. The WUCA Records Chair will review this information and make a determination based on the current rules and these conflicts.

The WUCA has a separate process for resolving disagreements between a member of the WUCA and an officer or agent of the WUCA, including the WUCA Records Chair. The Appeal Policy may be downloaded from the WUCA website.

Awards & Recognition

Upon certification of a record, it will be entered into the WUCA record database and available for search, display, printing and reference. Your WUCA Certificate has all your record information on it.

WUCA members are permitted to order a variety of Plaques, Medallions, and other applicable awards through WUCA’s Awards contact. Each WUCA member must order and pre-pay for this award and shipping.

View available awards via this link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MggCJZlVLBhOhLpJfXWx-D3K2wIyZuLG/view?usp=sharing

Note: The Awards shown in this link are an example of what is available. You can have anything made that you like, so if you don’t see something you like you can ask Deb for what is available and a special quote for production.

The US contact for WUCA awards is: crownbouder@gmail.com

To order your Award, email “Deb” at the above email address and request your award. Please put as the subject: WUCA Record Award Request for . Include a copy of your WUCA Certificate – They will use this to create your award.

Note: If you are outside the USA and would like to have a local company make you an award since it might be less expensive due to shipping, WUCA can provide them with the WUCA artwork. Email the WUCA record chair for assistance with this if needed.

We are happy to announce that in 2021 WUCA and GWR have reached an agreement for WUCA to submit to GWR:  for our members who set or break existing WUCA or GWR “absolute” (non-age group) records. There is no cost to our WUCA members for this service.

NOTE: There are no age group categories in GWR so that is why the “absolute” modifier.

This is the list of WUCA records that the Records Team will submit on any WUCA member’s behalf who sets or breaks a WUCA non-age group record:

Categories: Male, Female, all bike types, all rider configurations (Solo, 2x, 4x, 8x teams) – each of the below records will be valid:

  • All absolute (non-age group) time records
  • All absolute (non-age group) Distance records
  • ​​All absolute (non-age group) “Longest Country/Region crossing” WUCA records​ (in the direction that is the longest) – or both directions if they are both over 1000 miles​
  • ​​All absolute (non-age group) “Point-to-Point” WUCA records that Guniness deams as iconic and longer than 1000 miles (pre-attempt verofication with Guiness is highy suggested if you want to attempt an iconic Point-to-Point record and have it be recognized.

Once one of the above records is certified by the Records Team as an absolute (non age-group) record, WUCA will submit this record for you to GWR (usually at the end of the quarter it was certified).

There is nothing you need to do. If you contact GWR they should actually forward you to back WUCA. But if you attempt to go through their process it will mostly likely confuse things and slow up your WUCA record certificate within GWR

Once WUCA submits your record to GWR:

  • They verify it and include it in their database and create your GWR Certificate
  • They are supposed to send us a copy of your certificate, which we will forward onto you.

Final Note: We have also been given authority to go back into all our “existing” records and create GWRs for all of the “absolute” records that exist in all the categories listed above. We are in the process of going through our database of nearly 1000 records, validating them, and then submitting them to GWR as well. This is a long term project and may be mid 2022 when this is completed. If you “qualify” for one of these records you should eventually get a GWR Certificate from GWR or WUCA.

If there is a weather event that is deemed dangerous by the official, then stop the rider immediately during the event to protect them and everyone else. Stop the timer, take shelter, and document the event as best you can with photos and enter on the log sheet.

Once the conditions have returned to normal, return to the spot where the rider stopped, start the timer, and document on the log sheet.

Note: If the dangerous weather conditions last for more than 6 hours or have created other dangerous conditions (like downed power lines, flooded roads,etc) that make the road unrideable in any way, this attempt must be abandoned. The rider may re-attempt this “record attempt” (at no additional cost) within 1 year.

WUCA UnSupported Category for Record Attempts

The Un-Supported Record is a new category of WUCA Record Certification beginning Spring of 2022 (for Point-to-Point) records, and Jan 2024 for time and distance records.

There are many differences between an Unsupported Record which does not require officials or allow crew when compared to an “Officiated Record” which requires both.

If you are familiar with the Officiated WUCA record process and rules please read below carefully to familiarize yourself with this new category.

The following rules and guidelines only apply to the UnSupported  category of record attempts. Other “general” WUCA rules regarding other categories, bike types, safety, lighting, etc are still in force and must be observed. https://staging.ultracycling.com/record-rules/

Any UnSupported Record will not displace any active “Officiated” records. It is an entirely separate category. All current records (except HxMR) will be categorized as “Officiated” to distinguish them from “UnSupported” which do not require an onsite WUCA official at all times.

All WUCA Record categories are certified by the Records Team.

This Unsupported category will also be “certified” by the Records Team like another WUCA record attempt. The Records Chairman will be the “official of record”. If the rider sets or breaks a current record in the categories chosen they will earn the Record Title for that record in this “Unsupported” category. If the Record is a non-age group record they will also earn the GWR Title for that record at that point in time if the record falls within the group of records recognized (see rules for list). Either of these Titles will only last until they are exceeded by a future successful WUCA attempt once certified. This is the same as any other WUCA certified record.

These are the subcategories of current WUCA categories that are included in this “Un-supported” category.

  • All current time categories available: 6 hr, 12 hr, 24 hr
  • All current distance categories available: 100, 200, 300, 500, 1000 (Miles), 100, 200, 300, 500, 1000 (Km)
  • Country and Region Crossings
  • State and Provide Crossings
  • Capital to Capital
  • City-to-City and speciality Point-to-Point
  • Circumnavigation
  • Vertical Ascent

All other categories for the above list are also available:

  • Male, Female
  • Solo, Tandem, 2x, 4x, 8x teams
  • All bicycle types
  • Special Handicap categories

Like all WUCA record attempts the rider must be a valid WUCA member at the time of the attempt, and must sign and submit the standard WUCA record attempt waiver. A special Un-supported waiver stating that they will not have any planned help or assistance during their attempt will also be required.

The rider must also submit the online registration attempt (at least 3 days before the attempt) and complete any documents required by the Record Chair prior to the attempt beginning..

The rider must take and past the online test or be given a waiver for the test by the current records chair (if the rider has taken the test before or otherwise has shown proficiency of the rules)

The rider must ride with a GPS recording device on their bike at all times  (like Garmin, Wahoo, or similar)

The rider will submit the original .fit file and a Strava link to the ride file(s). These files must be original and unedited.

The ride must have a device capable of taking GPS enabled pictures or videos along the way as visual evidence. Most cell phones have this function. A picture at the start and end of the ride and at least daily for multi-day attempts. Of course most people do more and that is great too. These pictures also become a visual part of your record that others look at on our web-site.

The rider riding at night must have a front light capable of illuminating the road for a  distance of 30 feet (10 meters), and a rear flashing light capable of being see from a distance of 100 meters (or 328 ft)

The rider must carry a “witness log-book” and have a “witness” sign it with date, time and location at the start, end, and at least once per day for multi-day attempts.

The rider is highly encouraged to ride with a Power Meter and/or Heart Rate during their attempt. This is not a requirement but this data will add a huge factor of validity to their attempt for the Cycling Community at large.

The rider must follow all vehicular traffic laws. This means stopping at stop signs and stop lights like any other vehicle on the road (unless prior permission to ignore them is received)

Special rules only for Point to Point record attempts:

The rider must start and finish at the pre-agreed start and endpoints. These endpoints must match current end-points for any currently existing records in either the “offiated” or “unsupported” categories. If there are intermediate way-points that are also involved the rider must also prove that they have visited them. Usually by making sure they show up on their GPS track.

The course between any of the points is the rider’s choice as long as a bicycle is allowed on the road.

The rider is highly encouraged to ride with a Power Meter and/or Heart Rate during their attempt. This is not a requirement but this data will add a huge factor of validity to their attempt for the Cycling Community at large.

Special rules only for any time or distance record attempts:

The rider must ride on a course surveyed (to the cm) like any other “officiated” time or distance attempt

The rider must collect Power, Heart Rate and Temperature data on their GPS head unit and submit this data within 24 hours to the Record Chair

The rider must record the entire attempt on video.

Time lapse is allowed and recommended since it will use less space. 1-sec time lapse is max length

The rider must carry the camera onboard the bike. The camera angle must be sufficient to capture at least part of the rider’s face (so they can be recognized) and as much of the front of the bike to show the flow and direction. A 360 degree camera may be used as long as it is positioned in the front so the rider’s face is in the field of view.

To allow for electronic or battery malfunctions: It is allowed that no more than 10% of Power, HR or Temperature data be absent from the collection device as long as unexplained changes in speed do not occur during these outages.

It is the riders responsibility to ensure that all electronic devices being used are kept powered by sufficient battery presence onboard (or stopping and swapping out at breaks). The above allowance for 10% should allow any cyclist to notice that the data is not being collected in sufficient time to swap out the device or battery with a replacement and to continue the attempt

General Guidelines and Information about the UnSupported Category

The basic premise of the Un-supported category is that the rider completes their course and the record attempt 100% on their own. They can only access goods or services that any other rider can do in a public setting.

The rider is not allowed to have a crew support them at any time while riding or stopping. (They may be dropped off at the start and picked up at the end. This is not support)

The rider cannot have a family member or friend wait at a predetermined location and hand them anything they may need then or at any time in the future.

The rider may send parts and non-perishable food to any General Post office labeled general delivery as this would be something anyone could do. You would obviously only need to do this for extremely long attempts that would take longer than a day.

The rider should plan their attempt and what gear and supplies to start with.  They can begin with everything they should need to complete the whole attempt or take just enough to get them to a resupply point/town where they can get what they need to keep going.

The rider is responsible for their own safety and well-being.  There are various risks that will always come up with these types of attempts and the rider must know that, accept responsibility for themselves completely and either be able to get themselves out of a bad situation or have a plan to get out of it if something unplanned happens.

Not that they can help in every potential situation, but it is highly recommended to have both a cell phone and for longer rides some type of SPOT-type tracking device, or use something similar to Strava Beacon or other GPS trackers that can use your phone location.

The rider must have some sort of GPS recording device (Like Garmin, Wahoo, or other) – as they will be required to upload their ride to Strava and submit their ride file as part of the certification. The rider is also responsible for keeping it running on longer riders, so using a USB battery backup is also highly recommended if not required for rides longer than 12 hours. This is part of your proof that you completed the attempt so make sure it does not shut off unexpectedly. (note: you are allowed to use Strava recording on your smartphone as well to record your GPS track, so this can be used as your primary GPS recording device or a backup if another unit fails.)

Common/shared services can be used.  The rider is free to visit the grocery store or convenience store for food and supplies, go to a bike shop to buy parts or supplies or get repairs done to their bike, eat at a restaurant, get a room at a hotel for the night, etc…  The key point is that they are using those things that are available to anyone else that would attempt this ride.

No pre-arranged support.  No food/supply caches sent to friends who may live near the route. Moral support from friends/family along the route (just catching the rider  somewhere and cheering them on) is ok, just no handing over of food, water, supplies, money or anything else.  Also, no support crew following along to set up camp, feed or take care of them or the bike.  It’s simply the rider, their bike, gear, supplies and planning versus the course.

The rider can have assistance if it is truly just dumb luck or what some call ‘trail magic’.  In other words, if they break down on the road or trail and someone local just happens to come by and offer assistance that’s fine.

The rider must complete the whole course under their own power. If the rider breaks down and catches a ride (or Uber) to town to fix their bike, they must return back to the route exactly where they left off and begin again. The timer never stops. Your GPS trail should remain unbroken from start to finish.

If a record attempt is halted for extreme reasons beyond the control of the rider and there is absolutely no way to continue, the record attempt may still be certified by the WUCA Records Chair as a WUCA record. Legitimate reasons for halting a record attempt include, but are not limited to decisions by law enforcement officials and Force Majeure (or “greater force”). Force Majeure is an extraordinary event, such as war, riot or an act of God, such as flood, mudslide or avalanche.  However, the following conditions must be met:

  • 90% of the record attempt must have been completed;
  • The WUCA Record Chair (who is the presiding official over any UnSupported Record Attempt) must have determined the rider was in good shape and could have completed the record attempt were it not for the sudden termination of the attempt by law enforcement or Force Majeure; and
  • There was no viable alternative route at the time the record attempt was halted. Ordinary road construction is not an excuse for invoking this rule. In the event the WUCA Record Chair decides to apply this rule, the rider’s average speed over the last 10% of the ride immediately prior to the cessation of the record attempt will be used to calculate the estimated time over the remaining distance.  This information will be combined with the information up to the point of cessation to determine the overall distance, time and speed. Gradients of the previous and remaining sections may be used for this determination.

All records certified by WUCA regardless of age are subject to audit if additional information becomes available that undermines the initial record certification. In such circumstances a committee of WUCA officers may consider the new evidence available, and if indisputable proof is presented, may reverse the certification of the record. The committee may also impose penalties on the rider(s) and officials. Penalties may include a time or distance mark-down in minor cases, or the complete elimination of the record and ban of the rider(s) and official(s) for a period of time determined by WUCA.

If a time or distance mark-down is the action the record(s) must be recertified using the new data and results of the committee investigation and finally edited in the WUCA and GWR database.

If a complete elimination is the determined action, then record(s) must be removed from the WUCA database, and if submitted to Guiness must also be removed from their system. In both cases if there was a previous record holder they must be given the title back. The rider also must remove from public view all of their own public statements (Facebook, Instagram and any other websites, including their own statements as repeated by their sponsors) regarding the record(s). If the rider does not comply fully, WUCA will be forced to make its own public statement identifying and explaining the disqualification and elimination of the record(s)

Information about Tracks or Road Courses

In addition to all of the rules contained above, the following rules apply to fixed-time or fixed-distance record attempts on road courses or tracks. The WUCA sanctions 6 hour, 12 hour, 24 hour, 100 mile, 200 mile, 300 mile, 500 mile, 1000 mile, 100 km, 200 km, 300 km, 500 km and 1000 km records on road courses and tracks.

First and foremost, any outdoor track or road course must be an out-and -back route or a loop route. One-way routes are not permitted for any time or distance record.

A track is defined as a private course of any length that has no public motorized vehicle traffic. A track may include ordinary outdoor cycling velodromes, auto racing ovals, road courses, motor speedways or auto test tracks. Generally speaking a track surface will be much smoother and yield a higher average speed and will also never require the cyclist to stop or slow down for turns or intersections.

Note: Under special conditions a private course may more closely resemble a road course due to extremely sharp corners, turns, or harsh road surface. In this situation the cyclist may petition the Record Chair to make an exception. This can only be requested for a closed course that has never been used as a “track” attempt. Once a “track course” receives an exception to be recognized as a “road course” then it must be used in that way for any future records.

An indoor track is a covered track area (usually referenced as a velodrome) which is not influenced by any outside wind or other weather conditions. It may or may not be temperature and humidity controlled

A road course is any course of any distance that occurs on a public road that motorized vehicles may be on simultaneously during the record attempt. The cyclist is free to choose any road course that allows their bicycle of choice. A road course will also most likely have turns, stops, merges, and intersections that may cause the cyclist to slow down considerably or stop. A good road course will have a very limited number of these areas which would affect the cyclist average speed.

Note: There is no distinction between high or low altitude road and track records; all road and track records are considered to be equal attempts regardless of location.

All records will be recorded and published in English and/or Metric measurements. This is primarily dependent on the record type (for example a 100 Km record would be Metric and 100 Mile record would be English), or the predominant measurement system for the  country.

For distance records both the English and Metric values will be provided so the reader will not need to do any conversion

Surveys and intermediate calculations may have English and/or Metric measurements 

All measurements must be measured to the greatest possible accuracy.

All calculations must be calculated to at least three decimal places.

All surveys must give accurate ground distance to within 1:10,000.

All timing devices must be accurate to within two seconds per 24 hours.

All times are to be kept to the nearest second.

To convert from metric to English, use the following conversion: 1609.344 meters equals 1 mile. This is the worldwide conversion supplied by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures from NIST Special Publication 811.

  • The rider is responsible to choose a suitable and safe course.
  • The course can be any distance as long as it is a loop or an out-and-back.
  • The course may be any terrain or configuration.
  • The course may be a public road, open or closed to traffic.
  • If the course does not previously exist, a full course description must be submitted to the WUCA Records Chair for approval at least four weeks prior to the record attempt. The course description must include all roads to be used, all turns and all stops. The course must be previewed by at least one WUCA official to provide feedback to the WUCA Records Chair regarding viability and safety.
  • Riders may use a new course or an existing surveyed course. Consult with the WUCA Records Chair about existing courses.
  • If the course has been previously surveyed and the course has not changed since that survey (change in paving, marking, etc.), a new survey is not required. However, the WUCA Records Chair may request a re-survey or updated survey.
  • If the course has been previously surveyed and the course has changed since that survey (change in paving, marking, etc.), a new survey is required.
  • All surveys or re-surveys must be submitted at least two weeks before the attempt, except for partial lap surveys done after the attempt, which should be sent within two weeks of completion of the attempt.
  • Contact information for the surveyor must be submitted with all surveys or re-surveys.
  • All surveys or re-surveys must be signed by the surveyor and stamped with the surveyor’s official registration seal.
  • Records will not be certified until a survey or re-survey is submitted.
  • The survey should measure the shortest possible distance of travel, bounded by the centerline and one foot from the inside edge of the road. The rider may not cross the centerline during the attempt. If there is no marked centerline, one foot from the far outside edge of the road will be the boundary for the survey instead of the centerline. The final survey document should show the points used for measurement. For curved sections longer than 50 feet, it is recommended that points be used at least every 10 degrees of arc. A measuring wheel (perambulator) is not considered accurate enough for the survey, except that a perambulator may be used for measuring partial laps as specified elsewhere in these rules.
  • NOTE: Under extreme circumstances a survey may be conducted to NOT use the “shortest possible distance of travel”. The primary reason for this would be because of a very busy road. If this is the case, the surveyor must explicitly describe the exact route for the area or the survey as a whole. The official(s) must certify that the riders obeys these rules so as not to shortcut the course in any way. (The only know survey of this type is the Lake Taupo Loop in NZ)
  • All surveys must give accurate ground distance to within 1:10,000.

Validate Surveyors:

  1. A Registered Land Surveyor or Certified Measurer may survey the course and provide a detailed document with their signature or stamp to validate the distance measurement.
  2. USATF (USA Track and Field): In the United States, certification of the course length by USATF will also be allowed. A national certifying body equivalent to USATF may be used in other countries with the approval of the Records Chairman.
  3. A WUCA Record team member who has been certified within WUCA to survey a course via GoogleEarthPro may also be hired to provide a Course Certification that WUCA will recognize (Contact the Records Chair for a list of current certifiers)

All these possible solutions require an extra cost that must be paid by the cyclist(s) prior to the record attempt.

As an alternative to traditional land surveying methods, which can be very expensive and time consuming, WUCA offers a digital satellite-based method of getting your road course certified. Here is how it works and what is required from the applicant.

The applicant must submit the following to the WUCA course surveyor for official course certification:

  • Give the course a meaningful name (no more than 40 characters) and provide a detailed written description of the course. What is the closest city, state, and country of the start point of the course? Where exactly are the start, turning, and finishing points of the loop? Describe each turn. Describe any important local landmarks (e.g. a telephone pole or fire hydrant at the start).
  • Map the course using https://ridewithgps.com and save the route as a public route.
  • Contact the Record Chair for a list of WUCA certified surveyors and determine which WUCA surveyor will survey your route
  • Submit the link to the ridewithgps.com route to the WUCA course surveyor. Make sure your start/turn/finish points are as precise as possible.
  • Arrange payment with the certified WUCA course surveyor described in Survey Costs (see end of this section)
  • Ride the course three (3) times (or ride it once with two friends) recording each ride on a  GPSenabled device(s) that can create the proper file format to upload to www.Strava.com. Care must be taken to ride the shortest possible route as this is how it will be surveyed and how it must be ridden). Note any areas that make this impossible. These laps do not need to be performed on the same day.
  • Upload the file to Stave and save with an appropriate name
  • Submit these rides to the WUCA course surveyor and allow them to “follow” you on Strava.
  • Also download and submit the .gxp or .fit files to the WUCA course certifier. 
  • The WUCA course certifier will load these into Strava and create 3 different segments and record these distances for course length verification. One of these will also be used as a backup timer for each lap. Only for time not for distance.

What happens next?

WUCA Certified Surveyor will review the submitted data and calculate the distance of the loop from ridewithgps.com and Strava.com. Then they will use Google Earth Pro (GEP) to map the course, which allows measurements as small as 0.1 foot. Be advised that this method seeks to find the shortest path around the loop while remaining on the road. It will probably be slightly shorter than the recorded measurement from a GPS device on a bicycle moving around typical road obstacles. If all of the measurements from the various sources are in general agreement, the shortest distance will be selected and then the short course prevention factor (SCPF) will be applied. The SCPF is a coefficient used to ensure that the actual length of a course is at least as long as the officially designated length of the course. WUCA uses a SCPF of 0.999. (USATF also uses this method) This reduces the official length of the course by 0.1% of its measured length. WUCA will use statistical methods deemed appropriate for the submitted data to arrive at the official length. This may involve discarding measurements that fall outside of the standard deviation. Allow four weeks for the course length to be certified. Once the Course length is certified it will be given to the Record Chair for use in your attempt and also available for use by anyone else attempting a WUCA record on this same course. Distances in subsequent record attempts will be based on the lap count of the official length of the course, not GPS recordings of the record attempt. Other WUCA members may use any WUCA certified courses for record attempts without incurring any additional course certification fees, although it is customary to contact the first person that paid for the survey and offer to paid part of it.

Certifying Additional Points on a Course: Predetermined distances:

Additional points along the course may also be certified. For example, the applicant may want to certify a 200 mile course and needs to know at what point, for example, on a 24.567 mile loop would the 200 mile finish be marked. In this example, the rider will need to ride 8.141 laps. After riding 8 laps, the rider will need to ride 0.141 laps (3.605 miles) further. A WUCA official will calculate the exact longitude and latitude coordinates on GEP and send them to the applicant. The applicant must locate this point and document a landmark off the shoulder of the road with a photo. When there is no existing obvious landmark, A marker may be created by nailing a bottle cap through the pavement and hammering it flat where it will not damage tires. Painting on roadways is discouraged and also does not last very long. Once the marker is in place. The applicant must submit links to 3 Strava rides from the start of the lap to the marker, with the segment clearly identified so the WUCA official can confirm the distance.

Certifying Additional Points on a Course: Timed record end points:

Timed records such as the 12-hour or 24-hour will also require certifying additional points unless the rider is willing to forgo counting the mileage of partial laps. Unlike predetermined distances, the applicant will not know where this point will be until after the record attempt is complete. The point where the rider is located when the timed event is complete must be recorded accurately with a photo allowing confirmation of the point on a map. The applicant must provide a photo of the point, a map with the point marked, and a written description of the end point with enough information that a WUCA official working from GEP can find the exact point and measure its distance from the starting point. The applicant must submit links to 3 Strava rides from the start of the lap to the end point, with the segment clearly identified so the WUCA official can confirm the distance.

Proration:
Instead of going through the added time and cost of exact measurements for all the time and distance records, we recommend using the pro-ration method. Using this method requires the rider to complete the lap that the time or distance happened on. Then the average speed of the rider during that lap is used to prorate their time for the distance record or their distance for the timed record. The only time we do not recommend using this proportion method would be if the specific distance or time happens to fall just past the start/finish line of a long course. This is because the rider would be required to ride the rest of the lap which may prove difficult especially is the last distance is 1000 miles or last time is 24 or 48 hours. In this instance is it usually better to mark that exact spot and survey to it.

Survey Costs

The rider is responsible for all costs of the survey, re-survey, or measurement of partial laps.

If a rider establishes a new course, the rider is responsible for all costs of the survey

If you choose the WUCA Road Course Survey and Certification option, the course certification fee is a tiered rate based on the length of the course:

Current fees are:

  • Routes less than 33 miles – $150
  • Routes greater than 33 miles and less than 66 mies – $200 (with approval of Record Chair)
  • Routes greater than 66 miles and less than 100 miles – $300 (with approval of Record Chair)
  • Any additional “point” on the course – $50 (Used for exact measurement of distance records prior to the attempt, or timed records after the attempt)

Note 1: Any route over 33 miles is rather impractical but can still be surveyed and used for a record attempt. Prior approval on any length greater than 33 miles must get the approval of the Record Chair after they see the course and the records being attempted.

Note 2: For any requests over 100 miles the course surveyor will establish a special fee for that special length after approval of the Records Chair for that distance

The rider is responsible for all costs of the survey, re-survey, or measurement of partial laps.

If a rider establishes a new course, the rider is responsible for all costs of the survey. A rider who submits receipts for the cost of the latest survey to the WUCA may be eligible for partial reimbursement should other attempts be made on that same course and using that same survey.

If a rider chooses to use an existing course for which the WUCA has documented survey costs, it is customary that  the rider offer to pay 20% of the cost of the original survey. This money will be paid directly to the rider who paid for the initial survey of the course.The Record Chair can help arrange this if necessary.

Automatic electronic timing (which can record lap by lap to the nearest hundredth of a second) shall be used whenever possible, although this is not required.

Automatic electronic timing of a record attempt must be accompanied by a backup timing system which may be either of the following:

  1. Manual time keeping with at least one WUCA official recording times lap by lap on the logsheet, using a separate time keeping device which meets the WUCA accuracy requirements for timing.
  2. Second electronic system only if totally independent of the primary electronic system, including power source.

If the record is over 24 hours 2 officials must be used. We recommend using 2 officials for any attempt over 12 hours as it is nice to give the official breaks. With 2 officials they can swap out every 4 or 6 hours and stay fresh and alert.

Regardless of whether the timing systems are manual or electronic, the time recorded on each lap must be cumulative time from the start of the attempt. Additional data, such as lap times, may also be recorded as desired.

Manual log sheets must be signed by the official who recorded the information. Electronic log sheets should be signed by all the officials. All log sheets (or copies) shall be submitted with the Record Attempt Report.

A computer may be used that has a program available that will record lap times and cumulative times in format that can be saved, printed, signed, and submitted as the official log sheet(s). 

All time keeping devices used for WUCA record attempts must be certified accurate to within two seconds for every 24 hours. The WUCA officials for the attempt will certify all time keeping devices in advance by checking against an approved atomic clock by telephone twice, 24 hours apart. A radio clock (which automatically synchronizes itself by means of government radio time signals) may be used without prior synchronization.

All time keeping devices must be synchronized to an approved atomic clock within an hour of the start, and checked against that clock after the attempt. Atomic clock information is available at the website for NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology).

Official time and lap splits shall be taken from the WUCA official whose time keeping device is closest to the accuracy standard in a second calibration test as soon after the attempt as possible, no more than 24 hours after. If there is a discrepancy of more than two seconds after 24 hours or at the end of a longer attempt, the record of the time keeping device farthest off certification is kept as a backup, but not used.

In addition to all the rules stated above, below are special allowable timing a recording for velodromes and surveyed road courses.

Indoor or Outdoor Velodromes:

2 distinct log sheets must be kept and must be recorded at the start/finish line. If an automatic electronic timing is unavailable, at least one (1) WUCA official must conduct manual time keeping separately. There still must be 2 logs using 2 different timers, but it is permissible for 1 official to log both time devices although we still recommend 2 officials. Using a single official is most easily done with 2 computers running each with its own timing program.

Road Courses:

2 distinct log sheets must be kept, but for time and distance road records attempted on a surveyed closed course it is permissible for 1 log sheet to be recorded at the start/finish line by one official, and the other other to be recorded by the official in the follow vehicle. An automatic electronic timing is allowed at the start/finish line but if not available the official must be there at the start/finish line when the rider passes to record the exact lap time in that log sheet. This can also be done on a computer with a timing program. There still must be 2 logs using 2 different timers.

Official track length for a record attempt is the track circumference taken at the inner edge of the measuring line defined as described below. The measurement must be certified for accuracy to 1:10,000.

For velodromes: A four cm wide measurement line should be painted on the track in a contrasting color (black on light surfaces, white on dark), the inside edge of said line being no more than 20 cm from the lower edge of the ride-able surface or the outer edge of the blue band.

For all other tracks: The Road Course survey requirements apply.

For velodromes: The blue band must be made impractical for riding by foam blocks (or other suitable devices) approximately 50 cm x 8 cm x 8 cm) placed perpendicular to the riders path in the turns at five meter intervals even with the outer edge of the blue band or 20cm below the inner edge of the measuring line, whichever is greater.

For all other tracks: foam blocks (or other suitable devices) approximately 50 cm x 8 cm x 8 cm must be placed in all turns at five meter intervals 20 cm below the lower edge of the measuring line.

The foam blocks are to deter a rider from attempting to take a shorter line around the course. Sponges that are displaced for any reason must be replaced immediately. Failure to replace them immediately or riding lower on the track before the sponges have been replaced may result in disqualification.

The foam blocks must be watched over and maintained by crew other than the WUCA officials. The rider must provide crew for this.

If foam blocks are not available, small plastic cones or other devices may be substituted.

For WUCA record attempts on a velodrome the applicant must either provide certification of the official track length from an earlier survey provided by the velodrome management or a new survey must be taken by a Registered Land Surveyor, USATF, or other accepted 3rd party that has expertise in this matter.

For attempts up to 12 hours in length the rider must have at least two (2) WUCA officials. A minimum of (1) of whom is the timer (if managing both timing systems) and one (1) is observing the rider and crew

For attempts greater than 12 and up to 24 hours in length the rider must have at least three (3) WUCA officials. A minimum of (1) of whom is the timer (if managing both timing systems) and one (1) is observing the rider and crew, the 3rd one will rotate out with the other 2 to allow needed breaks.

For attempts longer than 24 hours a minimum of 4 officials must be present to allow sufficient rotation and rest.

Note 1: If 1 official is to handle the 2 timing systems one of them must be automatic. Under no circumstances can 1 official manually enter time from a stopwatch onto 2 different log sheets. If this method is chosen then 2 officials must be designated for this task and a 3rd official must be the observer.

Note 2: Even though officials are allowed to serve a maximum of no longer than 12 hours, WUCA recommends enough officials to allow 4 or 6 hours shifts for all officials to allow sufficient breaks and rest.

Record attempts may start at any point on the track, as low on the rideable surface as possible.

The bicycle must be started from the grasp of a holder or mechanical starting blocks, with the front wheel behind a vertical plane extending upward from the start line.

A starting countdown will be used, with audible signals delivered to the rider at least at 1 minute to start, 30 seconds, 10 seconds, then at 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, GO!

The rider must travel in the same direction on the track at all times.

No other cyclists not listed as a rider on the Record Attempt Application form may ride on the track at any time during the record attempt except a single member of the crew doing a food/drink handoff per the rule. Special permission for unusual circumstances must be requested and granted by the Records Chairman prior to the start of the attempt.

If the configuration of the track is such that the rider is not observable at all times from the start/finish, a follow vehicle must be used to follow the rider. In such cases, vehicular handoffs are allowed, but are limited to two per hour and for a maximum duration of one minute each. A single handoff may take place in more than one stage. For example, the rider may drop back beside the follow vehicle first to make a request of the crew (clothing, food, drink, etc.), ride back out front and then drop back again to receive the item requested. However, in order to count as a single exchange the time(s) riding beside the follow vehicle must not total more than one minute. Anything more than this is considered drafting.

For tracks or velodromes where vehicular following is not allowed, hand-offs may occur from a single bicycle or person on rollerblades, and are also limited to two per hour and for a maximum duration of one minute each. Under no circumstances can the other bicycle rider or rollerblader remain on the track after the handoff, even if not close enough to draft, as this could be construed as pacing, which is also not allowed.  Also, if the rider cannot be seen for the entirety of the course and a follow vehicle is not allowed, other officials must be placed around the track so that the rider is visible by at least one official at all times. If this  is not possible or impractical for some special reason, the rider must petition the Records chair for a waiver. The rider will be asked to specify exactly where on the track and for how they will be out of sight of an official.

The rider is allowed an unlimited number of pedestrian handoffs.

If lighting at a track is not sufficient for the WUCA official(s) to observe the rider at all points on the track during night conditions, the bike must use a headlight and taillight during night conditions.

For fixed distance attempts on a track or on a road course, the finish point may occur in a partial lap after the last full lap. This finish point may be determined in one of two ways or the final time may be calculated by proration as below.

  • Survey: The finish point may be determined in advance by a survey per the standards listed elsewhere in these rules.
  • Direct measurement: The WUCA officials for the attempt may measure the partial lap prior to the attempt using a measuring wheel of at least three feet diameter or a measuring tape of at least 100 feet length. Make at least three measurements that differ by no more than one yard (three feet), then use the one farthest from the start line. Calculations for such measurement shall be approved in advance by the Records Chairman. This method works well when the finish point is not far after the start line.
  • Proration: The rider must finish the lap in progress after the last full lap and the proration formula below may be used. This method works well on a velodrome or when the finish point occurs near the end of a full lap. The rider must complete the lap in progress when the fixed-distance is reached.

Proration calculations:

  • TLC = time at end of last full lap
  • TLP = lap time for the lap after the last full lap
  • DR = distance remaining at the end of the last full lap
  • L = length of one full lap
  • T = final calculated time for the attempt
  • DR/L gives the proration factor for the partial lap
  • T = TLC + TLP X (DR/L)

NOTE: The WUCA Record Team Member certifying the record attempt will do these calculations. There is no need for the rider or official to do them unless they just want to. The results of the WUCA Record Team Member will override any values the rider or official declare if they differ.

The rider must have at least one (1) WUCA official present at all times for all attempts of 24 hours or less. For attempts exceeding 24 hours, the rider must have at least two (2) WUCA officials. One official will be designated as the Head Official and they are encouraged to rotate to give each other proper rest.

For loop courses, One WUCA official must remain at the starting point and record when each lap is complete unless a Strava segment is pre-approved ahead of time for the course by the Records Chair. If this is the case, then the rider must maintain a GPS recording unit with them at all times to serve as the backup timer. The primary timer will be the official riding in the follow vehicle. If this method is not used, then 2 officials will be needed,at all times.

One WUCA official must observe the rider and crew, following the rider in a support vehicle. WUCA officials may switch positions.

For a Point-to-point record a single official riding in the follow vehicle is all that is required.

No WUCA official may serve longer than 24 hours without a break

The Head Official must observe the final lap and final finish point. All other officials are encouraged to do the same if possible, but are not required to do so.

The rider must travel in the same direction on the course at all times.

The rider must cross the starting point each lap or make a turn outside a cone at either end on an out-and-back-course.

The rider is allowed an unlimited number of pedestrian handoffs.

Vehicular handoffs are allowed, but are limited to two per hour and for a maximum duration of one minute each. A single handoff may take place in more than one stage. For example, the rider may drop back beside the follow vehicle first to make a request of the crew (clothing, food, drink, etc.), ride back out front and then drop back again to receive the item requested. However, in order to count as a single exchange the time(s) riding beside the follow vehicle must not total more than one minute. Anything more than this is considered drafting.

For fixed-time attempts (6 Hour and 12 Hour and 24 Hour) on track or on a road course, a partial final lap will be counted. The finish point of the attempt may be determined in one of three ways:

  • Survey: The partial lap may be measured by a survey per the standards listed elsewhere in these rules.
  • Direct measurement: The WUCA officials may measure the partial lap by using a measuring wheel of at least three feet diameter or a measuring tape of at least 100 feet length. Make at least three measurements that differ by no more than one yard (three feet), then use the one closest to the start line. This method works well if the rider finishes shortly after crossing the start line after the end of the last full lap.
  • Proration: The following proration formula may be used. Proration works well on a velodrome or when the finish point occurs near the end of a full lap. For proration to give the fullest possible credit, the lap in progress at the completion of the fixed-time must be ridden to completion and the time recorded.

Proration calculations:

  • D  = (L x TC) + AD
  • where AD = L x TRC / TTC and
  • D   =    distance covered in the attempt
  • L   =    length of track
  • TC  =   number of complete laps before the last lap
  • AD  = additional distance
  • TTC = time of last completed lap (i.e. Lap TC+1)
  • TRC = time remaining to ride at the beginning of the last lap

The vertical plane broken by the front wheel will determine the distance traveled.

If survey or direct measurement is used, the finish exact moment must be recorded with a still camera or video camera. The photo must include a clearly identifiable landmark or reference point to verify accuracy of final measurement location.

Partial laps will be measured to the nearest foot (rounded down).

If, between the expiration of the timed attempt and end of the last lap a mishap occurs to prevent completion of the lap, the additional distance shall be calculated on the basis of the time of the lap before last. However proof must be provided that the rider did indeed ride the entire time for the record attempt.

Regardless of what method is used it is wise to record the location where the ride was at the “end” of the time (i.e. at the 24 hour mark even if they intend to complete the ride back to the start/finish line.

The rider may attempt a record in conjunction with an organized event (e.g. a 24-hour race) subject to approval of the event organizers.

If a rider chooses to attempt a record in conjunction with an organized event, in order for the record attempt to be valid, the WUCA Record Attempt rules must override the event rules.

The rider must have his or her own three (3) WUCA officials, independent of event officials. If the course is not completely visible to the officials in a static location, then the rider must obtain permission from the course officials to allow the follow vehicle just as with any other road attempt

Due to the rules regarding course length, the rider must coordinate with the event organizers to use an appropriate length course. This will require a survey of the course for exact length. A Strava segment is not good enough. It must be a survey just as any other road or track course.

The rider must coordinate with event organizers to obtain course information for a survey.

The WUCA officials must randomly observe riders on the course, the same as during a record attempt not conducted in conjunction with an event. The rider must coordinate the observation by WUCA officials with event organizers. WUCA officials must exercise extreme caution as there will be other riders on the course.

The event officials are under no obligation to assist the rider in any way in order to facilitate a record attempt under WUCA rules.

If the event organizer is using electronic timing then those results may be submitted for the laps. However it is still a good idea to have at least one official entering lap times into a secondary log sheet as a backup.

It is generally not a good idea to do a record attempt during an event. The cost of the survey’s may be high and most event coordinator would not allow a follow vehicle on the course with other riders.

Rules for allowing more than one bike on a surveyed private course for concurrent time or distance attempts.

  • Each rider must have their own officials and crew and follow all other WUCA rules for time and distance as laid out.
  • The faster rider must begin passing the slower rider when they are no closer than 15 meters from them.
  • When passing, riders must maintain at least a 3 meter buffer.
  • The faster rider must not pull back in front of the slower rider until they are at least 15 meters away.
  • If a mechanical issue happens that causes a rider and their bike to stop,  they and their crew must remove it and any debris as quickly as possible from the track.
  • Each rider must petition the Records Chair and get permission to allow this variation in the rules.
  • This exception is not for indoor or outdoor velodromes or outdoor tracks less than 5 Km.
  • This rule is not to allow similar riders to ride together and pace each other. Requests of this nature will not be allowed.

Highest Mileage Record Attempts (HAMR/HMMR/HWMR)

  • All references to the Records Chairman shall be interpreted to mean the Records Chairman or delegate thereof.
  • HAMR attempts can be the following: full year HAMR (Annual), HMMR (Monthly), HWMR (Weekly), and 100,000 Mile. The 100,000 mile record will be determined simply by the number of consecutive days from start to finish.
  • Application fee for HAMR Year will be $1000, and for HAMR Month = $300,and HWMR Week = $150, to be submitted with an application at least 21 days prior to the start of the attempt. A 100,000 Mile attempt can be made for no additional fee.
  • The Records Chairman will serve as the official of record for the attempt.
  • A record will be recognized for any solo rider in any age category and either gender (as stated and defined in the WUCA Rules for Record Attempts).
  • The rider may use any bike type, or combination of bike types, except for faired recumbents. There will not be separate record categories based on bike type. (This means standard frame bikes and recumbents will be on equal basis for this record.)
  • Solo riders only; no teams.
  • Advance notice of routes will not be required. Riders will be required to have an active live tracking device in operation for all mileage to be credited for the attempt. The live tracker service shall be, to the extent possible, openly accessible to neutral observers. Trip recorder data will be uploaded to a service with public access.
  • In addition, riders will have a trip recording device (such as a Garmin) that will record the route taken, speed, elevation/gradient and at least one of heart rate or power. Riders will be responsible for carrying backup batteries to power whatever device/app we decide upon. The Records Chairman shall have the authority to specify the data platform. Ride data will be posted daily within 24 hours of the completion of the ride.
  • Ride data will be posted regularly by the Records Chairman. The rider and crew are responsible for reviewing data as posted. If no request for correction is submitted, ride data becomes final two weeks after posting.
  • Tracking/recording devices shall be tested at least two weeks prior to the start of the attempt to ensure that the Records Chairman will be able to access the data.
  • The Records Chairman shall be given access to the information from the live tracking device and the uploaded data.
  • The rider is encouraged to provide photos or brief video clips from the daily rides.
  • It is recommended that the rider carry a witness book so that independent witnesses can sign to verify the rider’s progress. Carrying a witness book is not mandatory, but failure to do so will jeopardize mileage ridden if electronic devices fail.
  • Possible setup could look similar to this:
    • Date and Time
    • Location
    • Name
    • Signature
    • Contact info for witness
    • GPS coordinates
  • If both/either tracker and GPS data fails, the distance credited will be the shortest distance via a cycleable road between locations documented in the witness book.
  • In the case of communication failure where either/both of the live tracker or trip recorder data is unavailable, the rider shall send an explanation (email or text message preferred) as soon as possible to the Records Chairman. The mileage involved shall be considered to be provisional until the Records Chairman can decide on the validity of the explanation.
  • Riders will be responsible for carrying backup batteries to power the required lighting. If the lights go out during night conditions, the rider cannot continue. No mileage may accrue when riding without lights in night conditions. Be aware that “night conditions” can occur during the day, such as heavy fog.
  • If the bike/rider must be transported, the tracking devices must be turned off during transport.
  • Daily mileages shall be recorded to the nearest tenth or rounded down to the nearest mile.
  • Current rules regarding helmet use will apply.
  • Current rules regarding use of bike lights and reflective material during night riding will apply.
  • Definition of year: Attempts may start on any day of the year and will run for 365 consecutive days.
  • Definition of month for HMMR Month: HMMR Month may start on any date and will run for 30 consecutive days.
  • Definition of week for HWMR Week attempts: HWMR attempts may start at any hour of the day and will continue for seven (7) consecutive 24 hour periods.
  • Note on inclusion of race mileage in any HxMR attempt: You may ride in any event at any time during your start and end dates and count your mileage. Please continue to record your own time and distance ridden during the event and submit as normal. Note this can also count any warmup and cooldown riding. 
  • A HAMR (Year) rider will automatically get the highest HMMR (month), and HWMR (weekly) distance ridden during their 365 days. This will be submitted as a HMMR attempt and if it exceeds the current record (or no record exists in that age group) then the rider will also be awarded that record. This will be submitted as a separate record attempt for this rider and no other fee will be due.
  • A HMMR (Month) rider will automatically get the highest HWMR (weekly) distance ridden during their 30 days. This will be submitted as a HWMR attempt and if it exceeds the current record (or no record exists in that age group) then the rider will also be awarded that record. This will be submitted as a separate record attempt for this rider and no other fee will be due.
  • Drafting behind motor vehicles (such as a moped or e-bike) is prohibited. Riding with, or drafting behind, other cyclists is allowed. (the only expectation to this is that HWMR attempts are allowed to be either drafting or non-drafting and one must be selected. See below for more information regarding specific HWMR drafting rules.
  • Follow vehicle: A follow vehicle will be allowed, but not required. If used, a follow vehicle must comply with current rules, especially regarding signage and lighting.
  • Even though a follow vehicle is not required, HAMR riders must have at least one crew person designated to be a communication liaison with the Records Chairman. Notwithstanding this liaison, the rider still bears primary responsibility for timely communications.
  • The rider is strongly encouraged to have additional support crew. The rider is responsible for taking all necessary precautions so that the attempt may proceed safely. Use of a follow vehicle, while not required, should be considered when riding in excess of 18 hours without time off the bike.
  • For a rules violation, the Records Chairman may impose a mileage reduction penalty of ten miles for each infraction.
  • WUCA reserves the right to modify the rules during the attempt. Reasonable notification will be sent to riders involved in an active attempt. A new rule may not be made retroactive in effect.
  • The rider may proceed without the live tracker while competing in a sanctioned cycling event that is chip-timed. The ride recording device must still be used and submitted for ride mileage
  • The age of the rider for any HxMR Year attempt shall be the exact age attained by the rider at the end of the attempt. 
  • Alcohol may not be consumed at any time between the start and finish of all miles ridden that will be logged for that day. If alcohol is consumed after the riding for that day has been completed, a rider must allow sufficient time to elapse to ensure that alcohol has cleared the rider’s system before starting their next ride.
  • All mileage must be ridden outdoors. Mileage on an outdoor track is allowed.
  • When a ride spans midnight of any day, it is required that the rider stop the tracking and recording device before midnight and restart them as soon after midnight as is feasible. On the last riding day of the rider’s attempt, all tracking and recording devices must be turned off before midnight
  • It doesn’t matter what time you start your HxMR record but it obviously must end at exactly the same time as it started based on the length. We suggest you consider starting at 00:00:00 (midnight) on the “start date”, and will end on 00:00:00 (midnight) on the “end date” to make it easier to not have to manage the partial days but this is not a requirement. Note: if you do not start exactly at midnight then intermediate average daily mileage results will not be exactly accurate as only the mileage on the first partial day will be averaged into the mix.

  • Beginning in July, 2022 the WUCA Board approved 2 additional categories for this HWMR attempt. Those are:
    Drafting and non-draftingBike categories of: Upright, Recumbent, HPV(faired), and ANY (which was the original single category, which must remain since there are existing records under this categoryFor the non-drafting category their rider must now offer daily proof that they in no way gave or received any drafting assistance. This is accomplished by carrying a witness log and having it signed daily. In this log the rider is required to get a witness signature saying that they: observed the rider riding on and did not see the rider giving or receiving any drafting or pacing help by any motorized or non-motorized vehicle including bicycles.This witness log must be surrendered after the attempt and becomes part of the official documentation of the event.If at any time it is confirmed that the rider did indeed incorporate drafting into their attempt then the record may be invalided. An example of this would be for someone to pull up the Strava ride and see at least 1 other riding being shown in the “Flyby” area for more than 15 seconds.For the bike category, the rider must pick one of: Upright, Recumbent, HPV(faired), or any.

Questions?

All questions regarding records and record attempts should be directed to the WUCA Records Chairs

Larry Oslund, Chair

Jim Parker, Deputy Chair

E-mail: records@ultracycling.com

Contact the Records Team