Bikes Blog
Easy methods to cycle around the globe on a tandem and break the document
Dec
Circumnavigating the globe on a bicycle is not any straightforward problem.
The quickest man to journey around the globe, Mark Beaumont, accomplished the feat in 78 days and was closely supported, whereas the quickest lady Jenny Graham did it in 124 days unsupported.
Add in a metal tandem and issues get barely extra sophisticated – and spectacular.
The pair, who’re from Derby, set off on fifth June from Berlin and returned on 1st December. For his or her efforts, the couple raised over £10,000 for 3 charities – Vetlife, Sustrans and Thoughts.
The minimal distance that qualifies as ‘using around the globe’ is eighteen,000 miles and Stevie and Laura accomplished this problem unsupported.
Why journey around the globe on a tandem?
Impressed by the feminine tandem document set by Rachael Marsden and Catherine Dixon in March 2020, Laura and Stevie set about planning their very own journey.
It took about 18 months of planning general, from poring over earlier routes and understanding the quickest, best and most secure means, to the hours of coaching, and trialling out equipment.
‘You set all the pieces into this one journey, it doesn’t matter what the end result type of factor. You’re actually going, “nicely, that’s all of your life financial savings… and extra”. It’s fairly an enormous determination,’ says Stevie.
‘This was our Everest,’ provides Laura.
How do you prepare for such an enormous problem?
Coaching for such a mammoth problem might sound formidable to some, however the pair are avid cyclists and Stevie is a seasoned ultra-cyclist and long-term member of the Audax UK lengthy distance biking membership.
‘We knew we would have liked to be sustainable with our output so we made certain we had executed sufficient every day and weekly using in order to not get any repetitive pressure accidents,’ explains Stevie.
‘Even so, I did have issues using in sandals, which we would have liked to do for the warmth. We’d by no means had the spring climate to essentially trial out SPD sandals so I picked up a little bit of a left knee niggle which was right down to getting used to the totally different footwear. In order that was nearly a mistake however I acquired over that with elevation and a little bit of ice.’
Testing out equipment was a key a part of the preparation and as a part of this the pair did a journey round Wales.
‘It was an eight-day circumnavigation,’ says Laura. ‘Health was a large a part of that but in addition trialling out all our equipment and understanding how we have been going to handle every day.’
What have been the most important challenges?
With such an enormous journey comes inevitable exams, however much more so when a tandem isn’t as manoeuvrable as a standard bike.
‘Southeast Asia was a bit Kamikaze to say the least, with using motorbikes as a principal type of transport for almost everybody,’ says Stevie. ‘It gave the impression to be lawless and it was very, very troublesome for a tandem as you may’t manoeuvre shortly so that you’re not as agile as a solo bike.
‘That was once we had our one and solely horrendous accident. A bike drove into the again of us and despatched us flying. The panniers on the righthand aspect acted as airbags as they have been sheared off. We have been airborne for just a few seconds and fortunately had a delicate touchdown.
‘However Laura was injured, crushing accidents on her ribs from the again of the bars and my again. I used to be comparatively unscathed.’
‘We had a time off assessing the injury to the bike however the issue was we have been on such a decent schedule,’ provides Laura.
‘I had a time off, after which took ache reduction, after which I had in all probability three or 4 weeks with very sore ribs.’
Animals additionally performed their half – warding off packs of canine is a well known subject amongst ultra-cyclists in Europe however fortunately the pair had a secret weapon.
‘Laura was superb at sounding scarier than the canine,’ says Stevie.
‘For some time we have been carrying a stale baguette in my center again pocket prepared for Laura to launch at them.’
‘We have been very conscious of the bears, notably within the Rockies, so we have been cautious to not camp,’ provides Laura.
‘In India we acquired warned about using at night time due to the elephants on a sure stretch of street, as they’d already prompted chaos and stopped a bus.’
What in regards to the challenges of using as a pair?
‘We had a set routine and set roles so we at all times knew what the opposite one was doing. And since we knew if each of us didn’t get by way of, there could be no document. So it was until we supported one another and made certain the opposite one acquired by way of, the entire thing is usually a failure,’ says Laura.
‘We’ve been collectively coming as much as eight years, so that you don’t get sick of the sight of one another you simply get sick of what you are doing.
‘We had very separate jobs, as an illustration I used to be in command of taking care of the bicycle and Laura could be doing the running a blog and social media.’
Would they ever do it once more? ‘No’ (stated in unison).
The document remains to be awaiting official verification.
The record-breaking tandem spec
‘We selected a custom-built tandem with a chromoly metal body which is rather a lot higher for consolation and in addition repairability if we had a knock,’ explains Stevie.
‘We additionally wanted particular couplings in order that the bicycle might break up into two, which meant we might field it as two solos for the for the a number of flights. We’d rebuild the bike on the different finish. The disc brakes have been crucial, the rotors have been further massive and broad, and probably the most highly effective brakes we used in order that they actually did cease a closely laden expedition tandem.
‘Wheelsets have come on a lot for tandems, we had amazingly sturdy wheels and we solely broke one spoke which I feel is fairly spectacular.’
- Tandem: Co-Movement Java – Co-Pilot (1 set of couplings)
- Brakes: Hope RX4 hydraulic calipers, E-Hope 203mm rotors and Hope sintered pads
- Wheels: 32-hole rims on Hope Pro4 Hubs with DT 2.3mm stainless spokes, DT Prolock nipples, Hope Freehub (lasted 17,000 miles)
- Tyres: Schwalbe Marathon Mondial 700 × 50 with Schwalbe Aerothan inside tubes.
- Transmission: KMC chains and Shimano XT 11-42 cassettes, Hope Stainless backside brackets, Shimano GRX 810 levers and derailleurs, 50/34 drive cranks, Gates Carbon timing belt
- Saddles: Brooks B17 carved (commonplace and quick/women)
All pictures credit score: Stevie Massey and Laura Massey-Pugh
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