Attila Domos seeks to set 24-hour world mark

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Attila Domos, the paralyzed Pittsburgh man, was still on world record pace 4 1/2 hours into his attempt to set the 24-hour hand cycling record.

By 11:40 p.m. Mr. Domos had ridden about 121 miles, or just below 19 miles per hour.

That is well above the pace he set in 2016 when he set the unofficial mark of cycling 407.7 miles in 24 hours and averaged about 17 mph.

“I feel good!” He said during his first pit stop at 7 p.m.

Racing at the 1-mile-long, Uber test track along the Monongahela River in Hazelwood, Mr. Domos’ goal is to ride more than the official record 403.8 miles in 24 hours.

Last November at a 24-hour cycling race in California, Mr. Domos was forced to withdraw after 11 hours because the bumpy road there gave him a concussion.

But hand-cranking his lowslung racing hand-cycle on Uber’s flat and smooth test track was seen to be a way to avoid that problem.

Just prior to the race, Mr. Domos said, “I’m excited!” and clapped his bike-glove covered hands excitedly.

His excitement was due to the weather, which was near perfect when he began: Little wind, no rain and about 70 degrees.

“If it’s like this all night that would be perfect,” he said.

It did start to sprinkle a bit just after 7 p.m. but not enough to slow him down.

His pit crew, led by his younger brother, Csaba, and longtime friend and chief mechanic Alan Orlansky, were more than optimistic that this effort would get the record Mr. Domos — a repeat winner of the Pittsburgh Marathon hand-cycling division — has sought for three years.

About 30 friends and family were at the start of the race to cheer Mr. Domos on.

“Go Attila! You can do it!” Jim Kovar, a childhood friend of Mr. Domos, said as Mr. Domos took off on his world record attempt.

Mr. Kovar, like so many supporters of Mr. Domos, said he was certain he’d set the record this time.

“Oh, he’ll get it done. No doubt, he said. “He did it once before on a different track.”

He was referring to Mr. Domos’ effort two years ago when he unofficially broke the record riding