Couple on last leg of journey to breaking tandem bike world record
The couple - who went on a tandem bike ride as their first date - have 4,000 miles left to go on the final leg of their trip and are set to finish by early December.
A married British couple are on course to become the fastest cyclists to travel 18,000 miles around the world on a tandem bike.
Laura Massey-Pugh,36, and Steven Massey, 46, are attempting to set a new Guinness World Record by pedaling across five continents in 180 days.
The cycling-mad pair are already three quarters of the way around their mammoth journey to circumnavigating the globe after setting off from their home in June.
The couple - who went on a tandem bike ride as their first date - have 4,000 miles left to go on the final leg of their trip and are set to finish by early December.
Their journey will see them cross through 21 countries before returning back home to Derby, England in time for Christmas.
On their travels so far, they have endured tough terrain, ever-changing weather conditions - including -10°C (14 °F) temperatures - and steep climbs through the Rocky Mountains.
They have also hit other bumps along the way encountering a stomach bug in India, Visa issues in Azerbaijan - and even being knocked off their bike in Malaysia.
To make up for lost time as a result, Laura and Steven have since only been able to stop once a day for a break in order to keep on track to beat the record of 263 days.
Speaking from Thunder Bay, Ontario, Laura, a veterinary surgeon, said: “We’ve done over 13,500 miles and are just on schedule for 180 days.
“The whole trip has been tough.
“The relentless nature of getting up, riding 100 miles or more every day, eating and sleeping is tough.
“We don’t get to sightsee at all.
“We make a really big effort to have a positive mindset and support each other and break it down a day at a time.
“Stevie has a tougher job on the bike handling the weight of our kit and steering whilst I do the admin and planning, so I try and let him have more rest in the evenings.
“Ironically and problematically, we were woken by a thunderstorm today.
“We’ve got a day of headwinds and hills ahead so it’s going to be a tough cycle and it can be pretty remote between places.
“We lost time early on due to sickness and border issues, but we’re pushing really hard to make up the time lost.
“India was very challenging culturally and some of the roads were very bad.
“We also had to tackle sickness and monsoon weather.
“In Malaysia when we were knocked off our bikes, I was left with bruised ribs and half of our panniers (bike bags) were destroyed which nearly end the trip.
“Luckily, we were able to replace the bags and carry on."
The fighting fit pair met in 2015 at a beer festival and after going on a tandem bike ride on their first date, cycling soon became a joint passion.
After being inspired in lockdown by the current female tandem record holders, the ambitious duo decided to set a faster mixed male and female record of 180 days.
Following 18 months of planning, the couple set off on their tandem world tour on June 5 and are currently covering over 100 miles a day.
So far they have made it through Australia, Canada, Thailand, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, Berlin, Hungary, Czechia, Austria, Romania, Turkey, Georgia and Bulgaria.
With just over a month left on their planned route the pair have celebrated Laura’s 36th birthday and their fourth wedding anniversary out on the road in Tbilisi, Georgia.
The couple treated themselves to a meal to celebrate the two occasions that fall on the same day - July 1.
They are currently in Canada and are heading in the direction of Sudbury and then near to Toronto.
Afterwards, they will ride through Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax and then fly to Lisbon, Portugal.
Their final destinations will include Spain and France before the pair ride through Germany to finish at the Brandenburg Gates in Berlin where they started the challenge.
“We always knew it was be tough, but knowing is different from actually doing it," Laura said.
“It’s been massively important to look after each other and stay positive.
“It’s really hard to think about how far we’ve come as we’ve still got a long way to go.
“This will be the first and last time we will do something on this scale.
“The whole trip has taken 18 months of planning and has been incredibly expensive.
“We have self-funded the whole trip apart from some kit sponsorship.
“We’ll be massively proud if we do get our record despite all the setbacks.”
As well as the record, the duo are raising money for three charities – Sustrans, Mind and Vetlife.
Donations to Laura and Steven’s big ride can be made at here.
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