Laidback approach to round the world cycle
Richard is a frequent visitor to Arran
A regular visitor to Arran has published a book about his adventures while cycling around the world.
Richard Evans made the epic journey on his recumbent bicycle and Laid Back Around the World in 180 Days: Diary of a long bike
ride, published last month, is a travelogue of his sixmonth journey around the planet in 2014.
Author Richard is a frequent visitor to Arran and has been since early childhood, being the greatnephew of Sheila Selkirk of Brodick. He gave up his car some years ago and now uses a bike – usually his recumbent cycle – as his main mode of transport, no matter the distance.
His round-the-world journey takes him from the vast deserts of Kazakhstan to the Pyrenees via the monsoons of south-east Asia, the Australian Nullarbor, the Canadian Rockies and Great Lakes.
Potholed highways
Averaging around 1,000km per week, Richard shared treacherously potholed highways with speeding juggernauts, faced freezing nights and scorching days, and battled headwinds strong enough to blow him off the road.
He had inquired whether he might be able to attempt a new world record, but Guinness informed him that he would not qualify as he was using a recumbent, and the world cycling record was achieved on an upright machine.
He suggested that they open a new category for recumbent cycles, but they rejected this idea. So he did it ‘just for fun’ and to raise money for the charity Road Peace, which supports those bereaved or injured in road crashes such as cycling fatalities, and works for road safety.
Richard was last on Arran, enjoying some hillwalking with some of his siblings and Arran cousins, in May, but had to leave early to head to Aviles, Spain, to take part in the World Duathlon Championships as part of Team GB at the beginning of gune.
He came in as the third British finisher and 12th in the world for his age group.
Cousin Laura Selkirk said: ‘Richard is the second of my cousins to circumnavigate the globe. My cousin Helen Selkirk sailed around the world with her husband in the early 1990s, stopping off in Lamlash Bay en route.’
Laid Back Around the World in 180 Days: Diary of a long bike ride by Richard Evans is available from Amazon in both paperback and Kindle format.