125 years later to the day, Vider’s relative, Aiden Sinclair, broke his great-great-great uncle’s record by nearly an hour and a half.

The 15-year-old is a cycling enthusiast, and a highly accomplished one at that. However, until recently, he had no idea of the cycling pedigree that ran through his veins. 

“We didn’t actually even know that there was this history in the family until his great uncle sent us a message [telling us of Vider’s achievement],” Aiden’s father Peter said. 

Realising that the anniversary of his uncle’s famous feat was coming up, Aiden and his family quickly organised an attempt to improve on Vider’s longstanding record. 

Aiden finished the trip in five hours and 45 minutes, a feat which was made all the more impressive by the fact that he had been training for the track season of late, which consists of two kilometre sprints, instead of the endurance-based road season. 

“He didn’t train for it or anything, he’s actually into the track season,” Sinclair said. 

“He’s been training to go very fast for two kilometres … endurance is his favourite thing, but the road season finished about eight weeks ago.”

Although Aiden demolished his distant relative’s record, the lack of long-distance preparation took its toll on the Newcastle native, and Sinclair said that his son was “well stuffed” when all was said and done. 

“After he finishes his races, he spends two or three minutes gathering himself so people don’t see how much pain he’s in.

“Once he’s okay, he pulls himself up, puts a smile back on the dial and he’s finished reflecting on the effort.”

The conditions on Sunday were far from perfect for cycling. Goulburn was beset by constant rain and its trademark strong winds, which pursued Aiden much of the way to Braidwood. 

“The rain, I thought it never rained in Goulburn,” Sinclair said. 

“He races in Goulburn for the Goulburn junior tour every year since he was like nine, and that was the first time it’s ever rained.

“It was pretty hard, but it was great.” 

Although inspiring, Vider’s story ultimately ended in tragedy. Shortly after his record race in October 1893, Vider drowned in the Sydney Harbour in December. A memorial now stands in Braidwood to commemorate Vider’s life.