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Local Cycle Shop Employee Breaks World Record with 80-Mile Ride Across NJ

By Charlie Kratovil
A New Jersey cycling record was broken this Sunday by Hillsborough, NJ resident Joe Kratovil, 60. He shattered the previous record for biking across the State of New Jersey on a ride that took him from the Great Bay on Little Egg Harbor to the banks of the Delaware River in Salem.
Kratovil has lived in Hillsborough since 2000 with his wife and three children. Once a car salesman, he’s now an employee of Knapp’s Cyclery, a bike shop in Lawrenceville.
The record for crossing the state from east to west was previously 5:55, established in 2008 by Gerry Edelman of Knoxville, TN. Kratovil bested the record time by one and a half hours, finishing in 4 hours, 32 minutes.
The bike used to set the new record time was a fixed-gear, which has only a single gear and no ability to coast.
“Currently, I only ride fixed-gear,” said Kratovil. The Ultra Marathon Cycling Association (UMCA), the organization that keeps the state crossing records, allows fixed gear bikes, but does not put them in a separate category.
Kratovil was supported during the attempt by his wife and son in a vehicle that followed close behind. The other passenger in the vehicle was David Eisenberg, who served as the UMCA official and validated the result.
“I’m grateful to my family for all their support and to my employers and co-workers at Knapp’s Cyclery for their assistance in setting up the Specialized fixed-gear bike used to set the record,” said the new record-holder.
“The bike was as smooth as butter. It was great fun to ride.”
Charlie Kratovil, Joe’s son who served as crew chief during the record attempt, said; “My Dad has been doing long distance rides up to 750 miles for many years. This distance of 80 miles was very comfortable for him.
“I’m not at all surprised that he beat the old record by such a large margin. He rode strong the entire ride and didn’t take a break, not even once.”