Today, we have a massive project that’s been over a year in the making. Rugile Kaladyte documented Lael Wilcox‘s Around the World record to a level unseen before. Read on for words by Lael herself about how transformative this experience was, a massive gallery from her route, and the feature-length film “Lael Rides Around the World.” All presented by SRAM…
More than ever, I feel like we need to come together to celebrate what is good in the world. Riding around the world was unlike anything I’ve ever done. This trip wasn’t as hard as I thought it’d be. I got to enjoy it more than I expected. It took 108 and a half days to ride 18,125 miles. I set a target of 110 days, asked friends to help me with the route, got the best bike for the job, and set out without any firm plans.
For “Around the World,” you make your own route. You have to ride a minimum of 18,000 miles and hit two antipodal points— for me, this was Madrid, Spain, and Wellington, New Zealand. The clock is continuous, meaning from start to finish, everything counts.
“In 2024, Lael Wilcox set a new world record for circumnavigation of the earth by bicycle. For 108 days, 12 hours and 12 minutes she rode, joined by friends and fans, with her journey documented by Rugile Kaladyte. This is the film of that ride, filled with highs and lows, incredible roads, friends and fans. Beyond the record, it’s about the experience and the connections made, and how the bicycle makes it possible.”
I invited anyone to join me for any stretch, and that’s what really made the ride special and memorable. I had a SPOT tracker showing my location, and about 3,000 people came out to ride with me— some for a few minutes and others for a couple of days, often hitting their own longest rides. It felt like a celebration of cycling.
For the first week, I tried to hit high mileage days and find somewhere to sleep when I got tired. I booked a flight for the 6th day, rode huge on the second, changed the flight to a day earlier, threw up all day 4 and had to change the flight back. I got the chance to ride all the way into New York City with Joe Cruz on the 5th evening. My flight didn’t leave until the following night, so I decided to host a group ride in Central Park the next morning. I was in full spontaneity mode and loving life.
Yes, I was very tired, but when you’re doing what you love most, energy somehow just keeps coming. We rode laps in the park, Rue found a cargo e-biker to take her around so she could shoot video and we spent the rest of the day doing errands— tracking down a replacement mount I needed, swapping cut up tires, packing the bike and trying to figure out how Rue could get cars to take her from Portugal to Georgia via Turkey. It turns out, the logistics for riding are often much easier than driving.
We took the redeye to Porto, put the bike together, and that day I rode 150 miles with 17,000’ of climbing. It was a hot and gorgeous Sunday. My first and only day in Portugal, but I’ll definitely be back.
The trip kept cruising. On day 14, I rode past the Eiffel Tower in Paris. By the end of the month, I was on a flight to Australia for the next leg. It was another 28 days across Australia. I had no concept of the size and scope of that continent before I rode it. I’m from Alaska, and Australia feels way more remote, beautiful, stark, and when you do meet people, they are so positive and encouraging.
Next up was New Zealand, my favorite new country of the road. The land is constantly changing— from coastline to snowy mountains to volcanoes and the warmest people. When they say “all the best,” they mean it with their whole hearts.
The best memory is getting off the overnight ferry in Wellington, and a group of locals was waiting for me in the frost at 6 am with their lights on to ride me out of town. It was winter in the southern hemisphere— so cold and dark. When I flew back to Alaska, everything felt easy. It stayed light until 11 pm, and I felt like I was flying up the climbs and to the Canadian border.
We didn’t have cell reception for 4 days on the Cassiar Highway in British Columbia, a very pretty place to ride a bike. Everything picked up crossing the final border back into the US and down the coast— Washington, Oregon, and California— the feeling of endless summer.
Getting through LA and the Mojave Desert was tricky— hundreds of traffic lights and a high of 110F (43C) in Needles, California. I slept through the day and rode through the night. I knew once I made it to Flagstaff, I’d be in the clear. I took the Route 66 back to Chicago. It turns out the modern version runs along I-40 in the west.
Riding the Interstate was tough on my tires, but I made it through. Phew! Four days out from the finish, I realized if I picked up my pace, I could get it done in 3. That carried me to the end. I didn’t know how I’d feel, and I cried with relief, with the blood and sweat and tears and love.
Seeing the film Rue put together is something else. It’s a tight 90 minutes, and it shows how special this ride was for me. It has time for beauty and the quiet moments, but it never loses momentum. I’m so proud of her— greatest work yet.
Next year, we’re giving it another crack. I have my eyes on the men’s record. It’s 78 days. That means I have to ride 60 miles more every day. When I look at my stats, they’re an even split— 12 hours on the bike and 12 hours off. Next time, I have to be a little more efficient. Less stopping and more constant motion. I’m up for the challenge.
I’m so grateful we got this first beautiful ride, and I’m back for the completion of it. We learned a lot, and next time we’ll be more dialed. Looking forward to it!