Published: January 16, 2007 05:21 pm            

Bike riding for 85 hours is bad for you?

HINSDALE, Ill. — A man who set an apparent record by riding a stationary bike for 85 hours finished the feat by checking into a hospital.

After two days of recovery and lots of fluids and sleep, 49-year-old George Hood of Aurora pronounced himself almost back to normal Monday. His bid for a record was still awaiting certification for a place in the Guinness World Records book.

“I’ve got a few aches in my left leg, but it’s nothing that I can’t handle,” he said by phone shortly before ending what he called a precautionary stay at Adventist Hinsdale Hospital.

Statistics from the ride were eye-opening: the equivalent of nearly 1,083 miles spun and 27,854 calories burned, which had him curious to step on a scale to find out how many pounds he’d lost.

Hood, a Drug Enforcement Administration supervisor, raised approximately $30,000 for the Illinois chapter of COPS, an organization that helps the families of slain police officers, through the long bike ride.

        

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