How Naperville man plans to break world record by cycling for 14 straight days
Kevin Millar of Naperville didn't enjoy the Chicago Marathon, so he ran a much harder one up Pikes Peak in Colorado.
He didn't enjoy his “corporate” job as a graphic designer, so he opened a cycling studio with his girlfriend - keeping it secret from both their families until the day before the business opened in Naperville.
And he didn't want to promote his new business for selfish reasons alone; he wanted to give back and to do so with something better than a basic ride-a-thon.
So he's setting out to raise money for 14 charities as he aims to break the Guinness World Record for Longest Marathon Static Cycling - by riding for two weeks, or 336 hours, with minimal breaks. The record now stands at 11 days, set in 2012 by Jamie McDonald of the United Kingdom, who rode for 288 hours, 32 minutes and 44 seconds.
“I just love the challenge and the push,” said Millar, 28, who grew up in Geneva. “It's just the drive inside - the passion - that's going to keep me pushing.”
Millar's supporters are keeping careful video evidence of his riding time as proof for his world record quest. They're confident in his ability to achieve it.
“He really sets his mind to things and then he does it,” said his girlfriend of three years, 23-year-old Katlyn DePace, co-owner of Handlebars Cycling Gym & Health Bar in downtown Naperville. “He'll just be like, 'I'm going to do this.'”
DePace is making sure he won't do it alone.
Clients in the studio's six daily classes offer built-in support.
“Oh, he's crazy,” new rider Marge Dady said Tuesday after finishing her first class while Kevin completed the 48th hour of his quest. “I can't even sit on this thing for an hour, and for him to sit on it for two weeks is amazing.”
Family offers another line of defense.
DePace's mother took a Tuesday morning class, and she'll be in charge of daily dinners, delivering a free tofu burrito bowl from the Chipotle on Naper Boulevard for Millar - who is a vegetarian - and a similar meal for her daughter. In between Chipotle dinners, Millar is fueling himself with a value-size container of cashews he keeps close behind his bike and with protein bars and shakes, smoothies, bananas, granola and sweet potato cereal.
“They're go-getters,” Susan White-DePace said about her daughter and Millar. “How could you not be proud of this?”
Millar and DePace say they're proud of the business they've created since launching Handlebars on Jan. 16 at 175 W. Jackson Ave., Suite 235. They've taught nearly 100 clients - many of whom say they leave feeling better after the stress of the day. And they've already made small charitable contributions by giving gift cards for their $15 classes to some Naperville nonprofits.
“We're finding so much comfort in being healthy and fit and what fitness has done for our lives,” DePace said. “Being able to share that with people is super important to us.”
Millar has been teaching every class to keep his mind off his own cycling. Pedaling to Destiny's Child's “Survivor” and instructing riders when to go all-out at “anaerobic” pace or when to take it easy makes the moments pass faster, Millar says.
Early into Day 3 of his world record attempt, he says he's feeling pretty good - no major pains yet. His butt is a bit sore from the small, dense seat of his Schwinn stationary cycle, although he softens the surface with padded cycling shorts, a seat pad and a pillow.
“Once it goes numb, it'll be better,” Millar said.
The opposite holds true for his mind.
“It's all just mental - staying positive and well-aware of my health,” he said.
Some light reading near his bike helps the cause. On a podium near his bike is a bathroom reader full of “fantastic” facts, a book of legendary logic puzzles and motivational reads that include “Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude.”
For each hour of riding to count toward the record, Millar must pedal 12 miles. He earns a five-minute break for each hour of cycling, and he can bank the breaks, combining them into segments of 20 minutes or so - long enough to rinse off and take a power nap.
If Millar breaks the record, this will be the second time a new longest ride has occurred in Naperville. The first came in 2008 when Aurora resident George Hood set the mark at 177 hours and 45 minutes while riding at a Naperville YMCA. Hood broke his own record in 2010 when he rode 222 hours, 22 minutes and 22 seconds, but that was later topped with the current 288-hour record.
As the seconds tick by on Millar's attempt, he keeps his focus narrow. His goal is big - ride 336 hours, help 14 charities, become a world record holder. But each action is small - push down one pedal, pull up the other.
“I'm focused on getting through the day or the hour” and on gaining strength from visitors, Millar said. “It adds endurance. It adds adrenaline to me.”
Cycling for one charity per day
Kevin Millar is raising funds for one charity a day. Donations are accepted online at
handlebarscyclinggym.com or at the gym, 175 W. Jackson Ave., Suite 235.Day 1:
Water.orgDay 2:
Action Against HungerDay 3: Two Bostons Pet Boutique and Gourmet Bakery's
“Share the Love” food drive for the
Naperville Area Humane SocietyDay 4:
Campaign to End ObesityDay 5:
Farm AidDay 6:
Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of AmericaDay 7:
Max Lacewell FoundationDay 8:
Hesed HouseDay 9:
Relay For LifeDay 10:
Colon Cancer CoalitionDay 11:
Kyle Shines OnDay 12:
Animal Welfare InstituteDay 13:
Walk to End Alzheimer'sDay 14:
Center for Community Arts Partnerships at Columbia College Chicago