Jan Heine Sets New OCVA FKT

Last May, we published a new 410-mile route in Oregon, the Oregon Cascades Volcanic Arc (OCVA), which takes riders across some of the most spectacular terrain in the Pacific Northwest. Not long after, Jan Heine of Rene Herse Cycles set the fastest known time of just 49 hours and 58 minutes. A few days ago, he once again took to the route to improve his time. After 419 miles with 31,500 feet of elevation gain, he’s done exactly that.

Jan’s new time on the OCVA route has been confirmed by route creator Ryan Francesconi at 41 hours and 13 minutes, improving on last year’s effort by roughly 8 hours. In a new post on the Rene Herse blog, Jan details his long, arduous journey and how he felt he could shave time off his time due to the lack of snow in sections that had slowed him down significantly during last year’s run. He also speaks to the challenges presented by a necessary re-route, a massive downed tree, and the reality of riding for nearly two days straight. While any ride of this kind on any bike is astonishing, it should be noted that Jan is doing so on his Rene Herse randonneuring bike with a Nivex derailleur. Despite the terrain, he’s navigating it all on something that wouldn’t be out of place half a century ago.

From everyone here at BIKEPACKING.com, we want to congratulate Jan on a massive effort. Chapeau, Jan! What a ride. For more on new FKT, visit ReneHerseCycles.com.

Further Reading

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Oregon Cascades Volcanic Arc (OCVA)

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