Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving
Albert Einstein
This quote by Albert Einstein resonates with cyclists, so much so that over the past century, hundreds, if not thousands, have achieved remarkable feats on their cycles. And what better way to achieve this than to feature five people whose records in cycling will you leave amazed, stunned, and dare we say, jealous.
Russ Mantle
If you cycle about 30,000 km, you can say you have, technically, cycled around the world. Now imagine doing that 30 times over. Russ Mantle, 82, is a British cyclist who has completed 1 million miles on his bicycle. This equals travelling to the moon and back, not once but twice. Mantle has been building up miles since 1952 and recorded his time on the saddle in a detailed, handwritten log. He has not just recorded the total mileage, but also the towns and cafes he visited. Mantle cycled the last 4 miles with a group of his friends in the town of Mytchett along a canal to complete his milestone. And no, he does not plan to stop anytime soon.
Amanda Coker
First and foremost, anyone who cycles every day of the year has achieved something unique: they did not let heat, cold, rain, bad health, hangovers, parties etc stop them. Now, take this feat and add Amanda Coker, a 24-year-old athlete. Why? Coker rode her bicycle for one year, not even skipping a day, but she did not cycle 5 km every day. She, in fact, completed 86,000 miles (1,38, 403 km) in 365 days after recovering from a brain injury. The longest distance she covered in a day was 302 miles (486 km). Amanda’s hard work and determination paid off, and she was inducted into the Guinness Records hall of fame.
Edward Prat
Imagine cycling across the world on a cycle, traversing mountains, deserts and bustling cities. Now, imagine doing that on one wheel. Yes, you heard that right: Edward Prat, popularly known as Ed Prat, is an avid cyclist and a YouTuber known for his extraordinary feats on his unicycle. The Somerset resident completed the cycle around the world two years ago, and then took a break. Know what he doing now? Of course, he is cycling again: this time, on a tandem with his partner. And they are cycling from Britain to Vietnam.
Luke Grenfell-Shaw
The world can seem like a very dark place when one is diagnosed with Cancer. But many take it as a sign: to show the world that a cancer patient can achieve the impossible. Luke Shaw is one of them. His mission? To cycle from Bristol to Beijing on his Tandem cycle and inspire other cancer patients to live their life ‘normally’. Luke started his journey on January 2020 and has managed to cross 30 countries, including India, during the Coronavirus pandemic. However, his journey came to a sudden end in Arunachal Pradesh when he was denied Visa by the Chinese government, as the country is still battling the Covid crisis and is under lockdown. He intends to complete the remaining distance by cycling in the UK.
Rebecca Rusch
Known as the ‘Queen of Pain’, Rusch cycled to Kilimanjaro on her mountain bike. She rode as high as 19,341ft (5,895m) to the top of the mountain and back along with fellow adventurer Patrick Sweeney. The hardest stretch of the mountain accounted for 15 km and 1,600 m of descent, which Rebecca completed in just 2 hours and 28 mins.
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