Most people find steep, winding mountain descents bum-clenching enough as it is. Not Eskil Ronningsbakken.


The daredevil Norwegian cyclist has made a film of his 50mph descent of Trollstigen, a 10% gradient serpentine mountain road in Norway.

In the extraordinary video, filmed from helmet cal, support car and helicopter, Eskil encounters cars and hairpin bends, all the while struggling to perch backwards on his saddle in wet and slippery conditions.

But of course, Eskil is a pretty extraordinary stuntman, as these photos of his other death-defying feats prove.

And at the bottom, what’s left to do? Go back up of course – backwards.

Still no record-breaker

Didn't know backwards cycling was a 'thing'? Earlier this year, we reported how Australian Andrew Hellinga cycled 337km in 24 hours, backwards – in the process breaking the Guinness World Records for the longest distance cycled backwards as well as the longest distance cycled backwards in 24 hours; he is waiting for confirmation of both records.

Hellinga’s riding style, sat atop the handlebars and facing backwards, was efficient enough to allow him to break the original 24-hour record of 180km in a short 10 hours and 15 minutes.

Following a short break to take in his supporters’ congratulations, the Aussie continued his journey to achieve his target of 333km.

Going on to beat that target by 4km, Hellinga described how his body responded to 24 hours on the handlebars: “My bottom was screaming out “Ouch”! And my legs just groaned when I moved them.”