5 Things You Need To Know Before Attempting A Cycling Guinness World Record
Aaron Rolph & Paul Guest from British Adventure Collective share key aspects of their experiences after successfully cycling through 14 countries in just 7 days to launch their new charity, the British Rescue Trust.
Taking a break after clocking up the miles early in the morning!
1. You’ll need to ride pretty far
Around 260km per day to be precise. Once you factor in unavoidable faffing while cycle touring, your average speeds will most likely drop much lower than you might expect. With a little eating, navigating, the odd mechanical and the quick toilet stop, you probably can’t expect to be doing much faster than 18-24km/h. The result = a good 13-15 hours in the saddle each day and those 4.45AM alarms don’t get any easier...
Now try this in November because “it’ll be a laugh” and you’re starting an hour before sunrise and finishing three after sunset. Safe to say you’ll do your share of night riding, and probably feel saddle sore like you’ve been drop-kicked in the gooch.
Saddled up with minimal kit packed into places to maximise aerodynamics
2. You won’t need a £10,000 ultralight racing bike
Cycle touring light and fast feels a little incongruous. Even if you go minimal like we did, having enough clothes to keep you warm and dry and something semi-comfortable for the evenings means you’re probably looking at 6-8kg worth of luggage. Put bluntly, there’s not much point in having an 8kg ultralight bike and then adding its own weight again in luggage. That said, having a suitable adventure touring bike and decent gear will make a real difference. Essential kit includes a decent portable power pack (GPS and low temperatures will munch your phone battery) and enough power plug adapters to charge the countless electrical items you may need or wish to bring.
The weather gods will have a big say on your chances of success. Compelled to crack on with our challenge, even after Summer had slipped away (Brexit n’ all), we were facing -10° over some mountain passes as high as 1800m. After being blown off my bike from savage cross winds, we were generally lucky to get cold, with relatively still and clear days later in the week. An extensive collection of suitable cycling attire is paramount, the isolation and serious remoteness of these cold areas should not be underestimated – a fact we were starkly reminded of by a few distinct Wolf howls in the depths of Kosovo’s mountain forests.
Our favourite bits of kit
- SunGod Pacebreakers
- Genesis Datum
- Maddison Genesis bib shorts
- Roadrace Apex soft shell jacket
- Isoler Microfiber Neck Warmer
- Quadlock phone case
Taking a moment to reflect and at one of the many beautiful spots along the way.
3. The countries you visit may amaze you
If you’re serious about breaking records, you won’t always be able to take the scenic route. That said, there were many incredible parts to our traverse of the Dinaric Alps. Before cycling out of the European Union into Bosnia & beyond, we didn’t know a huge amount about the southern end of this vast continental peninsula but entering a whole new frontier of unchartered Balkan territory was for us, where the adventure really began. Though beautiful in places and not without their own historic unrest, Slovenia and Croatia had felt remarkably similar to Western Europe. Bustling with 90’s retro cars and a little rough round the edges, the second half of our trip felt entirely different. What these countries sometimes lacked in historic grandeur however, they more made up for in character.
Beautiful open roads through rolling countryside during a bright but chilly day
Many of these new states fought or voted their way to independence from the Republic of Yugoslavia 25 years ago now. Though the troubles of this inter-ethnic war have generally passed, Kosovo remains a disputed state to this day and therefore would not contribute to our record goal despite being recognised by most UN Nations. Cycling for days through these mountainous countryside regions, you may find comfort as we did, in the simplistic life and incredibly welcoming people.
Keeping up the pace at sunset with a few hours to go before stopping over for the night
4. The cycling was the easy part..
Dropping into the valley after a long climb gave the legs a chance to recover whilst we took in the breathtaking scenery
5. Do it for the right reasons
The finish line: Greece - country number 14 on the 3rd November 2017
If you’d like to donate to the British Rescue Trust please do so on the JustGiving page. Safe travels!