New World Record!!

Friends- as many of you know, last May I attempted to break the Guinness World Record for the “largest GPS drawing by bicycle”- aka “Strava Art”. 7 days to ride nearly 1000 miles of dirt roads, farm paths, highways, and too many detours to count in South Dakota, Nebraska, and Minnesota was the easy part.

Strava- Day 1 the world record attempt begins
Strava- Day 2 the longest day
Strava- Day 3 epic day of mud, floods, & barely roads
Strava- Day 4 definitely easier
Strava- D a y 5 exceeding the current world record
Strava- Day 6 I will rest on the 8th day
Strava- Day 7 the cross is complete- a symbol of love, hope, sacrifice, & service to others

Another month was needed to compile the Guinness documentation: over 100 photos, 40 minutes of video, witness statements, hundreds of entries on a ride log documenting every stop, and the GPS file itself. And then wait.

Finally- we have the answer! It’s a new world record!!!

Guinness World Record- Largest GPS drawing by bicycle

However, you may not know the backstory- the why.

In 2019, I was honored to join a team of 25 incredible athletes- led by the amazing Megan Hottman and Ryan Avery- that set a Guinness World Record for the world’s longest spin class- 28 hours!

About 2 years ago, I had the spark of an idea to attempt my own individual world record. I became interested in GPS drawings (aka “Strava art”) in which you ride or run with a GPS tracking device to form a shape. My first idea was to spell out “SRAM”, but Guinness rejected it:

I did a smaller version anyhow- the “SRAM500” over Memorial Day weekend 2022. Then I submitted “The Power of Bicycles”- World Bicycle Relief’s slogan. Guinness again rejected it for the same reason. There were many submittals…

What else could I do? I was inspired by a friend- Matt Gay- who rides a 20 mile cross. A former NFL player, he’s devoted his life to serving the people of Indianapolis through Circle City Relief. Inspired by Matt’s cross rides, I submitted a 1000 mile image.

This was Guinness’s response:

So why a cross? If you’re not Christian, you may not understand. Based on some of the comments from press articles about my ride, the cross may even represent pain and hurt to you. I want to help change that.

I do these rides for 3 reasons:

To challenge myself (such as 1000 miles of desolate terrain)
To help others- via World Bicycle Relief and Filter of Hope
To engage the community

Whatever your beliefs, I’m sure we all agree on the great needs of this world. Engaging the community for me means inspiring others- to dream big and then make those dreams happen. We are all capable of so much more than we realize! Let’s use our talents and time to help others.

This is what I said at the end of the Cross Ride on STRAVA:

That is what the cross means to me: love, hope, sacrifice, and service to others. Let’s spread that message together. If this effort inspires you, I humbly ask to please consider a donation to World Bicycle Relief or Filter of Hope.

This is why I attempted the world record! Not for the notoriety or the Guinness record- though both do bring a sense of satisfaction for completing a big challenge.

Challenge ourselves with big dreams- but don’t just dream. Plan and execute. Dream and do.

“With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Matthew 19:26

And speaking of possible- this never would have happened without the incredible support and encouragement of my best friend and partner Julie, my life group of friends in Carmel, Indiana, and notably, my “eye in the sky” Eric- who provided route guidance through many detours, hotel and food stops, and made sure I knew I was never alone. You’re all amazing people!