New Attempt to Break Speed Record for Solo Ride Around the World

Scotsman Mark Beaumont set off last month from Paris on the first leg of a solo bicycle trip around the world that, if it goes like planned, will total 18,000 miles when he finishes in February and make him the fastest person to circle the globe on a bike. He plans a route that will carry him through 20 countries in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Australia/New Zealand and North America before the last leg from Lisbon, Portugal takes him back to the finish line in Paris.

The current record is just under 277 days. Beaumont is shooting for a pace that brings him in at 210 days, a full two and a half months faster.

You can follow Beaumont's progress via an online BBC documentary, Web Diary and GPS tracker: http://www.artemisworldcycle.co.uk/

Image: Edinburgh Evening News via artemisworldcycle.co.uk