A couple from Derby are midway through their attempt to become Guinness World Record holders for the fastest tandem cycle around the world.
Laura and Stevie Massey-Pugh do not just want to beat the record, currently 263 days, eight hours and seven minutes, they hope to take 80 days off it and set a new best of 18,000 miles around the globe in just 180 days.
For the less confident mental mathematicians amongst you that's an average of 100 miles a day. Every day. On a tandem.
Setting out from Berlin's Brandenburg Gate back in June, the pair headed east through Europe, crossing to Asia in Turkey, across India, down Thailand and Malaysia, over Australia, and are currently traversing Canada en route to the Atlantic and back to Europe in time for early December.
Canada's freezing temperatures have proved challenging, with Laura telling the Derby Telegraph they have had to overcome stomach problems in India, being knocked off their bike by a moped rider in Malaysia, and visa issues in Azerbaijan.
By Berlin they will have covered 22 countries, every pedal revolution shown on the live tracker on the SteLa Tandem Around the World website where they have also been posting daily blog updates detailing the adventure.
Well qualified for the calf-burning mileage, Stevie is a former fourth-place finisher in the National 24-hour Time Trial Championships (clocking 725km, if you were wondering), while they are both Audax regulars and have completed a tandem Land's End to John O'Groats.
The couple's around the world ride is raising money for three charities: Sustrans, Mind and Vetlife, with full details and the link to donate on their website also.
"It's been really tough," Laura told the Derby Telegraph. "We thought we'd have more time to stop and take in a bit more of the culture in different countries. But it's been a lot of getting our heads down and powering through. We'll have to return to some places to see things we missed, when we're not racing against time!"
Shock, horror - a sympathetic article in the Mail about poor cycling infrastructure. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13868295/town...
The last few years of kit has followed the dull muted palette trends of PNS and MAAP, just various shades of beige. I guess that reflects where...
Advising people to wear a helmet does cause damage, in confirming that cycling is a dangerous activity, when it is as safe as many other common...
It's the usual Incompetence Paradox - evidence that you really shouldn't be driving at all is used in defenses. Clearly lawyers still feel this is...
Possibly. The one-way charge was only about £80 on top of the normal charges, which is a lot less than I've come across in the US for an equivalent...
That's my cue, I believe......
Came to this late; nearly posted the same!
Ah but they're only best practice in NL! The UK is a completely different country. We have different laws, hills, narrow streets, weather, people...
Do what the French do....
Accident prevention - TBF that's mostly a task beyond the police (though emergency forces are involved with this). They generally react when...