It’s time for another roundup, and this one has a little bit of everything. From Lebron James, to an amphibious bike canoe, recipes for eating better while on tour, and also some tips for how to stay safe and smart while on tour in wildfire season. Leading off, from BIKEPACKING.COM, we take a look at another Guinness record attempt that you’re probably not following but should be. Thanks as always for reading, and we hope everyone has a great finish to the Summer!
Around the World Again at Age 25!
By now you’ve most likely come across Lael Wilcox’s record attempt to become the fastest woman to circumnavigate the globe by bike. Rightfully so, there’s been a lot of attention on her ride to date, and if you’re keen, you can hear daily updates from her Quad Lock-supported podcast, or little snippets via social media from the handful of brands supporting her effort. If you were to Google “female Guinness record around the world by bike,” you’ll first come across several hits for the current record holder, Jenny Graham, followed by several articles about Lael’s attempt.
Vedangi Kulkarni is also attempting the record, but she doesn’t show up until the end of page 2.
Both of these rides are remarkable. Neither of them is more/less impressive than the other, but they do differ in some significant ways that I found interesting in Lucas’ writeup over on BIKEPACKING.COM. To start, this is Vedangi’s second attempt to earn the title of fastest woman around the world. Her first was at a mere 19 years old when she set out to beat the current time of 144 days, a time that would instead be claimed by Jenny Graham who was also attempting the record in the same year. Now in her second attempt, she finds herself competing against both the previous record holder and another competitor, and while racing Lael wasn’t her intent, she did deal herself quite the challenge.
To pull off even a successful leisure tour around the world, the list of things that have to go just right in order to succeed is enormous. Apart from the financial means, you’d have to manage mechanicals, sickness, culture shock on repeat, and countless other daily tasks to keep yourself going for thousands of miles. For a Guinness record attempt, being thrown off in any one of these categories for a couple of days could completely derail the ride and sabotage a record pace.
What struck me most about Vedangi’s ride is the complexity of route-building due to her Indian passport. The most sensible route wasn’t necessarily an option for her due to visa delays and restrictions that riders of other nationalities might not face. I often read of these types of rides and attempts with a twinge of jealousy at the freedom people have created for themselves to make it happen. Clearly a huge amount of time, preparation, and sacrifice has to happen to pull it off, but even then, everyone experiences their own freedom in a unique way based on the passport they carry and a host of other seen and unseen factors.
A recent Instagram check puts Vedangi somewhere in Australia as of a week ago. If her ride isn’t on your radar, I encourage you to give her a follow, show some support, and encourage her in the last legs of her trip.
More news!
- Shimano’s building trails!: $10 million over the next decade to be invested in trail building and maintenance around the world. While it sounds like a lot, a mile of trail can cost upwards of $45,000 per mile!
- The Bikepacking Cookbook: From my friends Sam and Bec come a resource that I will undoubtedly use the next time I head out – yum!
- Touring in Wildfire Season: I was all set for a race in Washington in early August until a wildfire swept over the course and evacuated the only resupply town. From Adventure Cycling Association, a great read on things to keep in mind while out on tour in wildfire season.
- “Camera Corner:” The birth of mountain biking captured by Wende Cragg and re-told a la Rough Stuff. Photo book and film.
- NICA: Since 2019, the National Interscholastic Cycling Association has been getting kids on bikes and on trails to create strong, resilient riders. Much like our beloved el Grupo, just on a larger scale.
- Lebron James x Canyon: Need I say more?
- Pedal Paddle: Just take a look at this video and then dive into Ben Kilner’s Instagram for more amphibious canoe action!
Leaving you with a scene from Chinook Pass in the cool air of the Cascade Mountains.
