On May 26, 2024, ultra-endurance cyclist Lael Wilcox will set off on a quest to pedal her way into the history books yet again as she aims to set a new Guinness World Record by circumnavigating the world in just 110 days.
For an around-the-world bike trip to qualify for a Guinness World Record, the rider must complete the same distance as the circumference of the Earth — 18,000 miles— in one direction, starting and finishing in the same place. The rider may make their own route, and air and sea travel is allowed to jump between continents as long as at least 18,000 miles are actually ridden by bike.
Scot Jenny Graham holds the current women's around-the-world cycling record, completing her 18,400-mile (29,600km) route in 124 days and 11 hours in 2018. To beat this record, Wilcox says she'll have to ride at least 163 miles a day for nearly 3.5 months.
"I love competition and an opportunity to try to be the fastest. But to be the fastest for something that takes like three and a half months is just crazy," Wilcox told Cycling Weekly. "I always get competitive and I want to do my best but this one is so long that I have to give my best effort because I don't want to have to come back and do it again."
The always-smiling Lael Wilcox
(Image credit: Rue Kaladyte)
The 37-year-old Alaska native is arguably one of the best ultra-endurance cyclists of all time, having dominated the sport of uber-long sufferfests for the past decade. Her list of accomplishments is lengthy and includes records at basically all of the world's biggest endurance races, including Tour Divide, Baja Divide, Trans-Am, Navad 1,000, Badlands, Westfjords Way Challenge and the Arizona Trail – just to name a few. Wilcox also won the 350-mile Unbound XL in 2021 after riding her bike 600 miles to the start.
We're now just a week out from the start of Wilcox's endeavor and it's starting to get real for the Alaskan.
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"God, it's gonna hurt, but it's going to be so cool, too," Wilcox tells Cycling Weekly. "Trip of a lifetime."
The bike frameset is the newest Specialized Roubaix, released in fall 2023. This iteration sports a lightweight carbon frame with aerodynamic tube shapes, 40mm tire clearance, plenty of accessory mounts and an improved Future Shock under-stem suspension system.
Wilcox will be using SRAM’s brand-new 2x Red groupset with a 10-36t cassette. She’ll carry 2-3 spare AXS batteries and a charger. Wilcox tells Cycling Weekly that she aims to stay in hotels at least every other night for good rest and battery charging purposes.
Wilcox is well-known for her chamois-free riding, and relies on the Specialized Power Pro Mirror saddle to keep her lady bits happy. Her belongings will be stuffed in bikepacking bags from Revelate Designs.
While the frameset is a stock issue, her cockpit is anything but. Minimalists, avert your eyes —this cockpit is packed! The base consists of standard drop bars with Zipp's clip-on aerobars to offer a more comfortable long-distance riding position. There are also a host of other accessories, including a custom-made sleeping bag harness by Revelate Designs, ride snacks, a phone, a Wahoo bike computer and a dynamo light unit. Yet, thanks to Shawn Small of Ruckus Composites, the setup remains neat and efficient. Small crafted custom carbon mounts for the aerobars, providing an organized space for all these accessories.
Wilcox says the complete package is" by far the best setup I've ever had—so streamlined."
Wilcox has yet to reveal the complete route, but when she does, she invites the community to come out and pedal a few miles with her. Those who like to follow along can enjoy daily stories from the road in her new Lael Rides Around the World podcast, created by her wife, professional photographer and videographer Rue Kaladyte.
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Cycling Weekly'sNorth American Editor, Anne-Marije Rook is old school. She holds a degree in journalism and started out as a newspaper reporter — in print! She can even be seen bringing a pen and notepad to the press conference.
Originally from The Netherlands, she grew up a bike commuter and didn't find bike racing until her early twenties when living in Seattle, Washington. Strengthened by the many miles spent darting around Seattle's hilly streets on a steel single speed, Rook's progression in the sport was a quick one. As she competed at the elite level, her journalism career followed, and soon she became a full-time cycling journalist. She's now been a cycling journalist for 11 years.
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