It's been a long time coming but I have now received official confirmation from Guinness World Records that I hold the record for the longest journey by rickshaw. In 2010 I cycled just over a thousand miles on a circuitous route from Aviemore back to London. Using a rickshaw donated by Bug Bugs, I was raising money for the Special Olympics Great Britain. The official record is only for 856 miles. That's bec ...

A couple of months ago I got a call from somebody at the BBC's The One Show asking about riding a rickshaw long distance. I have to admit that I didn't know what The One Show was but, after being as helpful as I could, I've since been brought up to speed and seen presenter Matt Baker has started his journey from Edinburgh to London. It made me think about a few celebrity challees that are similar to some th ...

"Your tyres are too worn" - "The brakes won’t work" - "It’s too heavy"At the advent of another adventure, the usual voices of doubt began. Some real, some in my head. The list of potential hurdles and hiccups mounted and, as ever, I began to question whether what I was doing was feasible.But I made it. I cycled a rickshaw that weighed more than me, 1000 miles from the Highlands back to London. So, what of a ...

How has your year been? As another precious one slides by, I've found myself, as ever, wondering how it's passed so quickly. So, to make myself feel better, I cast my mind back to the adventures I've had over the past twelve months. And it's worked a treat. What a year! This is the first of a few posts looking back at 2010 (they won't all be about me!) and lists a few of the things I've been up to this year ...

Distance travelled: 1,001 milesCurrent World Record: 950 miles Average daily distance: 40 miles (not including rest days)Longest day: 74 miles (roughly Hereford to Oxford)Average speed: 7.71 mphFastest day: 9.82 mph (Aldershot to West Molesey, 33 miles)Slowest day: 5.23 mph (Shrewsbury-Bishop's Castle, I blame the girl running with me)Top speed: 28.8 mph (may have been faster but reading my odometer at such ...

The rickshaw I used to cycle 1000 miles from the Highlands back to London is being auctioned for charity this week.It may be pending Guinness World Record status but it is, in my books, already the stuff of legend having been pushed so hard, so far and so fast.It's fully functioning and ready to roll. It started at 99p and all the money will go to Special Olympics Great Britain.Please put your bids in and p ...

When I started planning my trip a year or so back, I struggled to find any information about cycling rickshaws long distance. Almost as if it wasn't a common thing to do. So, here are some tips if you fancy having a go (which I would highly recommend): -1. Use the Rickshaw Forum -2. Don't worry any more or less about weight when packing than you would for a normal bike trip The truth is that an extra pair o ...

Yesterday afternoon I arrived back home having cycled a rickshaw a thousand miles home from the Highlands.It took just over four weeks, meaning that I finished two weeks ahead of schedule. I passed through all the Special Olympics Great Britain operating regions, furthered the previous record of 955 miles and had a bit of an adventure. That, I believe, is mission accomplished.Next Wednesday, June 2nd, I'll ...

They have the aerodynamics of a brick If you're camping, you ain't gonna hide it You can't lift them over walls/fences They are wider than many gates and cycle lanes (see above) They are slooow on the uphill and unstable on the down (and thus slow) You can't lean them and they don't have a stand (so they sometimes run away when you're not looking) In traffic they are the worst of both worlds - too slow to o ...

When next shall I find myself lying in a ditch beneath a sheet of camouflage nylon inside a sleeping bag strewn at the most obscure of angles to find comfort whilst tending a pot of luke warm cous cous as it heats slowly above the purr of a stove? How long until I once more find myself staggering into a noisy pub on a Friday night, clip-clopping my way to the bar in cycling shoes, head-to-toe in shiny, swea ...

This blog post is being written from a small gravel layby off the A4074 from which I've just turn off in a mild hypoglycaemic funk. Yesterday was my biggest yet - 74 miles - but I've decided to crack on today with another 40-odd to a friend's house to keep momentum up, push the body a little bit and in lieu of future rest days. My original plan, and a fairly standard one I am sure, was to cycle for a few da ...

Loads of space for kit Seat cushion doubles as a great mattress You have an instant and comfortable park bench wherever you are Better crowd support It stands up on its own (and you don't have to unclip your SPD shoes at traffic lights)People are even friendlier than normal when you ask for help It's so heavy you don't notice the difference when you fill up on food/water You can tie your tarp off it (or mak ...