A Surrey cyclist has launched an attempt on the seven day distance Guinness world record, covering a staggering 445km on the first day of the challenge.
Richmond’s Bruce Berkeley is attempting to break the current record of 2,800km – or 400km per day – and took advantage of ideal summer conditions on day one (Monday June 23) to get ahead of schedule.
Berkeley, a former elite-level racer, has emerged as a ‘Strava celebrity’ for his monster mileage. The New Zealand native has already ridden more than 25,500km in 2014, consistently registering more than 1,100km a week and amassing nearly 900 hours in the saddle. Berkeley’s exploits have earned him more than 1,800 Strava followers and nearly 15,000 ‘kudos’.
Berkeley is undertaking the challenge on his regular training roads around south west London, Surrey and Berkshire from his base in Roehampton, Richmond.
The seven day distance record is expected to be the first in a series of future attempts on some of cycling’s long-standing distance records – the pinnacle of which is Tommy Godwin’s annual distance record of 75,065 miles (or 205 miles a day) set in 1939.
Berkeley is supported in his record attempt by Canyon Bikes, Sportful, Continental, Noble Wheels, Northwave, i-ride, Strava and G!RO Cycles.
You can follow his progress on Strava and show your support via his Twitter page using the hashtag #GOBRUCE.
