Leigh Timmis Sets New World Record For Greatest Distance Cycled in Seven Days
Ultra-cyclist Leigh Timmis beat the Guinness World record for the Greatest Distance Cycled in Seven Days!...
In the early hours of Sunday 13th November, Leigh Timmis broke the seven-day cycling world record. Riding a total of 2230 miles, he added 19 miles to the existing record, set by Arvis Sprude in July this year.
What makes this record so impressive is that for three days of the record attempt every mile was affected by Hurricane Nicole. A storm of this magnitude has not made Florida landfall in November, for many years but this one dumped some of the worst wind and rain on Highway 41, since 1935.
Despite this, Leigh and his team dug deep, dynamically changing strategies to bring home the world record.
It was a gargantuan effort by Leigh, skilfully supported by the road team – Christian Aucote, Sally Carter, Dan Smith and Jack Hague. Four amazing, professional, passionate, and enthusiastic people.
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Ultra-cyclist Leigh Timmis beat the Guinness World record for the Greatest Distance Cycled in Seven Days!...
Our team doesn’t just break records; we ensure every performance gain is identified and maximised, to achieve the ultimate in human performance. That's why we've partnered with Huub Design...
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This Mental Health Awareness Week I share how loneliness impacted my mental health, how cycling helped me to overcome it and why I’ve launched the 7 Days of Smiles charity campaign...
For 2022, I’ve set my sights on breaking the world record for the Greatest Distance Cycled in Seven Days....
At the age of 25 I was diagnosed with depression. I found my salvation in adventure and went on to cycle around the world. Attempting this record presents an opportunity for me to raise awareness of mental health issues in the hope that others won’t end up in the same situation as I did.
An accompanying support team will allow Leigh to focus on cycling, whilst ensuring that equipment and knowledge are at hand for any eventuality. A team of sport science experts has been selected to bring professional experience to the attempt.
Christian Aucote is the owner of Bike Guru Derby, the city’s leading independent bike servicing company. He has 25 years of experience in the industry, which he uses to help cyclists achieve their own personal best. As an ex-elite cyclist and current British Masters Cross Country Champion, world-class performance is second nature to Aucote.
A core member of the world record team from the beginning, Christian advised on component choices and built Leigh’s custom bike. On the road, he will ensure the bike is continually optimised for maximum performance.
Christian is also the team CMO – Chief Morale Officer
Photographer and Film Maker based in Sheffield.
My passions lie in adventure sports and wildlife conservation. From documenting ultra endurance cycling across the Spanish deserts, to conservation research in the remote forests of Madagascar, my work over the last 5 years has taken me across the world.
My role on this project is to document the emotional and physical journey Leigh is undertaking to break a world record.
Visit my website and socials to see more of my recent work!
Dan is a Physiotherapist specialising in Cycling Biomechanics and Bike Fitting. He is the owner of UK Bike Fit, a company based in the East Midlands which provides Bike Fitting and Cycling Analysis to cyclists of all abilities. You can find out more about Dan’s business and services via www.ukbikefit.com.
Dan has worked with Leigh on this project to help with selecting a bike and its components, then fitting Leigh to the bike to develop a powerful, aerodynamic and comfortable position. The chosen bike was sized specifically for Leigh to find the perfect balance of performance and comfort. Leigh has been working with Dan on his riding position for the past few months to squeeze out as much speed as possible for the power Leigh can push.
Whilst on the road, Dan will be supporting Leigh with Physiotherapy, Massage and other recovery techniques to help keep him cycling at maximum capacity
Sally Carter is a BASES Supervised Sports Scientist specialising in physiology support with an MSc in Exercise Physiology. She has experience providing physiological support to swimmers, runners and more recently, cyclists! Sally is currently a Laboratory Technician supporting physiology research at Loughborough University.
Sally has been with Leigh throughout his training for this event, providing physiological testing at the end of each training cycle, forming training plans, leading the heat acclimation training and supporting Leigh through trial days. Sally has used scientific literature to inform evidence-based approaches, to tailor the support she has provided to Leigh to enable him to maximise training benefits. Using innovative ideas and excellent problem solving skills, Sally has helped Leigh overcome many challenges during his training to keep him on track to reach his goal.
Throughout the record attempt Sally will be in charge of monitoring Leigh’s physiological markers, such as blood lactate and heart rate and adjusting the strategy depending on levels of fatigue and performance on the road. Sally will also be keeping track of Leigh’s daily nutrition to ensure that he is fuelled sufficiently, along with hydration testing to allow Leigh to perform at his best.
The TEDxRNCM audience were utterly captured through Leigh’s account. This wasn’t just an account however, but an experience. Eloquently delivered but with real personality, Leigh gave inspiration, insight, enjoyment and even humour - a talk I won’t be forgetting for a long time
Hayley Parkes, TEDx Event Organiser
The young people of Kingsmead School are generally from disadvantaged backgrounds and have low aspirations for their future. Leigh held the attention of the young people superbly, he was entertaining and funny and the pupils engagement was not lost at all. I would heartily recommend Leigh and his inspirational story to anyone, it left pupils and staff inspired and awestruck.
Huw Lloyd, Assistant Headteacher, Kingsmead School
Leigh is a natural communicator, using humour and his modest personality, Leigh's account of his fascinating experiences was delivered in a completely natural way that immediately connected with both the students and the teachers.
Claire Tresidder, Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School Ashbourne Academy
Leigh delivered a fantastic presentation during our Global Health and Wellbeing day. We had a lot of positive feedback from his inspirational talk which definitely raised the profile of mental health within our organisation. Leigh is an inspiration to everyone
David Wilson, Global Head of Health and Wellbeing, Victrex
Leigh delivered one of the most professional and engaging talks at the festival this year. It was clear that Leigh had put a lot of thought into what he wanted to convey in his talk, carefully pulling out the key stories and themes from all his years on the road. Leigh's talk was engaging throughout and delivered with a real sense of humility.
Laura Moss, Cycle Touring Festival Organiser
It’s was a real honour to partner with Leigh, he’s such an inspirational person and a great business speaker. The aim of the session was for delegates to leave in a positive, can do frame of mind, feeling confident that they can use some of Leigh’s tips to bolster team spirit, harness potential and exceed expectations. This is something I’m confident the event achieved
Mary Maguire, MD, Astute Recruitment
Leigh articulates his passion and learning so well that his enthusiasm and motivation transcends the world of sport and is relevant for physical, psychological and organisational wellness and performance. He is a truly phenomenal speaker and comes highly recommended
Deputy Chief Constable, East Midlands Special Operations Unit
Wow. Utterly, wow. Leigh certainly was inspirational and indeed such a breath of fresh air, he created such a buzz around the school. I was impressed by not only the attendance of staff and parents, but the volume of students who came along. Thank you – Leigh really has touched and motivated a lot of our students
Roberta Keys, Deputy Headteacher, Malvern College
When we invited Leigh to present to our staff about his experiences in creating a support echo system and team to help him break a world record, we never imagined that it would have had such a positive impact on everyone who attended. Leigh influenced, motived and inspired our staff to be the better version of themselves and gave them guidance and the tools to achieve this individually and within a team environment
Steve Reynolds, CEO, TBS Mobility