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news
Dr Ian WalkerDr Ian Walker smashes record for riding Europe from North to South
Bath-based academic Dr Ian Walker has broken the world record for cycling through Europe from North to South, riding from North Cape in Norway to Tarifa in Spain in 16 days, 20 hours and 59 minutes.
The 6,300-kilometre ride took Walker – the winner last year of the North Cape 4000 ultracyling race – through 10 countries.
From Norway, he headed through Finland, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Germany and France before riding across Spain to his final destination on the Straits of Gibraltar.
The journey – which was fully self-supported – took him from inside the Arctic Circle to within site of Africa, and coincided with last week’s record temperatures in parts of the continent.
16 days, 20 hours, 59 minutes.
The new world record for crossing Europe by bike.
I did it solo and unsupported.
It feels great. pic.twitter.com/Srf2eRHTgD— Ian Walker (@ianwalker) July 8, 2019
When he was planning his attempt, the record stood at 21, days 14 hours and 23 minutes, but just four days before he set off, Rob Gardiner set a new record of 19 days, 11 hours and 5 minutes.
Walker took on the challenge to raise money for the charity Roadpeace and as well as smashing the record, he has smashed his fundraising target – you can donate here.
Latest Comments
- biking59boomer 59 min 30 sec ago
My workplace is a one of the biggest users of the c2w scheme in our city, and I can tell you now that this article in no way reflects the nature of...
- chrisonabike 1 hour 34 min ago
Agree, but again it's how to start to break the vicious circle?...
- chrisonabike 1 hour 46 min ago
I'm either amazed that they can get through with (presumably) a full sized waste truck, or amazed that she could not. Although as you say the bin...
- C3a 1 hour 58 min ago
Absolutely. Even with everyone behaving as they should there isn't enough room for everyone to be able to keep moving....
- belugabob 1 hour 59 min ago
They can't spell "stupider"
- David9694 2 hours 47 min ago
£1500? I almost feel the layer of grime lifting off this one with my Muc-off cleaner, a shine returning to the alu with Autosol and an old t-shirt:...
- Basemetal 6 hours 7 min ago
Watch out for toe overlap (front wheel clearance) with midfoot cleats,
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"So now you're saying that being in that family - even by marriage - makes you more likely to commit a traffic offence?"...
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Will those wide rim brake models fit inside a shimano 40-49mm brake caliper with 28mm max clearance??? Gonna be a squeeze...
- Simon E 8 hours 25 min ago
I'd be even more concerned about the effect it may have on whether the helmet can still do its job in the event of an impact....
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9 comments
Hi Simon
Thanks for using my portrait of Ian as the lead image in your story.
Could you please email me on: contact [at] ferguscoyle.com
Many thanks,
Fergus
Hi Simon
Thanks for using my portrait of Ian as the lead image for your story.
Could you please email me on: contact [at] ferguscoyle.com
Many thanks,
Fergus
A few years back Ian got together a group of riders who rode from Bath to Cardiff. no great shakes in that I hear you say but we left Bath at midnight and got to Cardiff 7 1/2 hours later after several rest and puncture stops. From memory I turned my front light off around 4am by Magor toll booths. Ian suffered a puncture by the golf course outside Chepstow and we were all milling around and a paramedic stopped to see if we were all OK and offered a plaster for the punctured tube
Thanks Ian. Great ride. I'll have a bash at it when I retire! I used to live in Norway - near Voss - and I was working on the farm one day when I noticed a guy had stopped at the bottom of the field, by the lake. I went to chat to him and topped up his water bottles. He was a retired banker who'd taken the boat to the North Cape and was cycling home to Zurich. He thought our farm was the second most beautiful place in Norway (behind Lofoten)...Well, now I'm working in the City and eager to follow in his tracks...not at your pace though. I'll check out your charity page and donate. Well done.
Well done Ian.
The Guinness records rules dictate that you have to travel continuously overland and only on roads open to cycles. So no ferries, and no Denmark. The only option is through Russia.
Probably more to do with not being allowed to cycle across the Oresund bridge. I suspect the alternative (taking a ferry) would be frowned upon.
I suspect the chosen route was a lot less hilly than Norway, less traffic (until Germany) and better weather.
It would be interesting to learn more about this: like why did he take that route? You'd have thought that N to DK to D then Lux would have been a more direct (and shorter) route?