Editor’s note: REI is title sponsor of Lael Wilcox’s global circumnavigation world record attempt. Follow along on our social media channels for updates.
Records are made to fall. For ultra-endurance cyclist Lael Wilcox, there’s something freeing about pursuing a margin of improvement. It’s not contingent on where it happens or when it happens. “In racing, at the end of it, there’s just a number,” she tells REI in a phone interview. “All this adventure happens in between, but it’s kind of clean: The world, 18,000 miles, 78 days.”
Two years after Wilcox became the record-holding fastest woman to complete a round-the-world route on bicycle, she’s lined up to attempt the feat again—but faster. She set out in the early hours of June 7th to cut 30 days off her previous pace with the overall record in her sights.
Between her and the speed record is more than 18,000 miles of cycling over seven stages weaving across North America, Europe, Central Asia, Southeast Asia and Oceania. When we chatted to Wilcox as she drove to a pre-start launch party with another sponsor, Rapha, she seemed unfazed by the scale of the upcoming push. Each day she’ll attempt to hit 240 miles over 16 hours on her bike. But for now, she laughs easily and is quick to joke about how long washing her hair—which she’s buzzed down for aerodynamics and comfort—or putting on sunscreen might add to her time over 78 days.
Take me straight to Lael’s gear
Making the Time
With ultra-distance athletes pushing their speed for days and even weeks on end, time is as often calculated by the bare few hours spent off the bike as the total time on the saddle. “I can’t worry about the hypotheticals,” Wilcox says. “I have contingency plans but, at the end of the day, I only have control over so much. I am committed to doing this ride and doing it as fast as I can.”
In the 12 years since completing her first endurance race, Wilcox has frequented podiums in many of the events that define the world of ultra-distance cycling around the world. Wilcox finished second overall in that first competition, a 400-mile road race in her home state of Alaska. In the following years, she broke multiple Tour Divide speed records and became the first woman and the first American to win the Trans Am Bike Race from Virginia to Oregon.
This isn’t Wilcox’s first rodeo with the world record, either. In 2024, she made a bid to complete the mileage in 110 days, and did it in 108 days 12 hours and 12 minutes, beating the previous record by more than two weeks. “What I learned from last time is, you can’t look at the big picture. You just ride the days, eat something, sleep, wake up and start the next day. Otherwise, it is just too much of a monster, especially when things are hard.”
Listen to the Podcast
In 2024, REI Co-op Wild Ideas Worth Living podcast host Shelby Stanger spoke to Wilcox about her first global circumnavigation world record attempt. Check out the interview here:
New World Record, New Puzzle
It’s clear that the difference between 2024’s and this year’s attempts is finding every possible minute in the saddle—and that’s going to take extra resources. “This is my first supported ride ever,” Wilcox says. “I’ve never had a crew helping me with stuff. I usually carry everything and figure things out along the way.” This previously meant finding meals and a suitable place to sleep each day on her first circuit, as well as going out of her way to find local mechanics for fixes that required more than she could do herself. “This will be very different for me, a different kind of puzzle.”
In addition to a mechanic, a driver and a nutritionist following along in a support van, Wilcox’s wife, photographer and videographer Rugile Kaladyte, will join and record the second attempt. Kaladyte created a documentary for Wilcox’s first circumnavigation as well as many of her rides.
“Her job is harder than mine,” Wilcox adds. “All I have to do is bike, she has to shoot and edit. But she has a fire in her to shoot, especially in stressful situations. She likes trying to get the shots, trying to find the light, and she just gets more and more fired up. We’re lucky that we both get to do what we love and […] do it together.”
In order to maintain 16 hours on the road, Wilcox will wake up at 3:30am most days to start pedaling at 4am. Wilcox notes the strain these long rides wreak on the body and tells me that while she knows that she might be able to find lighter or leaner gear, she knows that efficiency for her is about taking care of herself for the long term.
“I’ve found that if I’m more comfortable, I ride faster,” she says, recalling a challenging 2017 attempt of the Baja Divide. “I didn’t have easy gearing. I didn’t have enough suspension. I didn’t bring a proper sleep kit. It was a major deprivation. Why would I do this to myself? It wasn’t a better performance and I made myself miserable.”
A Time Advantage
Time, both in age and experience, adds perspective. “Now, I am 39 years old and I have to make choices that my body can sustain,” Wilcox says. “I get so obsessed and motivated that I don’t want to stop and do the stuff that is not moving forward. Then you realize that you do need to take care of yourself if you want to have your best result.”
A feature of Wilcox’s first ride was the peloton of fans that gathered at her back wheel to cheer her on from the start in Chicago. (This attempt will start in the same place.) The only restriction was that fans could not provide a draft or any aerodynamic advantage by riding at the front. Wilcox said that she thrived off the support she encountered along the way.
“It’s always a good reminder when people come out and ride with me because I am reminded we’re all doing the same thing. I’m just doing it for 16 hours a day.” She adds, “It’s a bike ride. It should be fun, even if parts of it are really hard.” This year her route will be live-updated for local fans to join as she makes her attempt at a new record.
“It’s about showing what’s possible,” she adds with a chuckle. “Trying to do something hard, including local community, having fun and then, you know, if it doesn’t pan out, that’s fine too. I’m just riding.”
Gear Guide
Here are the bike and camp essentials for Wilcox’s 2026 round-the-world record attempt. She considered this gear’s performance, durability and specialization for varied conditions when picking these pieces. She encourages anyone new to the sport to start with a comfortable day ride or an overnight somewhere familiar and find a few pieces of gear that will work. “You start to find out what you really need, then you learn from there. After that, if you spend about a week riding, I think you will be about a 90% expert on your preferences.”
Rapha Kit
Released just before Wilcox starts her record attempt, the Rapha Brevet Kit III comes with three individual elements: a wind gilet, a lightweight jersey and a cargo bib short. The gilet adds a protective layer against the elements as well as high-visibility safety details for roadside stages. The durable nylon can pack down to be easily pocketed. “It has a more relaxed fit than other kits, which helps for long distances,” Wilcox says. The lightweight jersey works well in varied conditions. An air pocket system—mesh or perforated panels throughout the bib—keeps the core cool in high heat conditions. The cargo bib shorts feature accessible quad pockets as well as one flex mesh and a zip pocket at the lower back. Wilcox notes that a major change from previous versions has been additional stretch in the shoulder straps for when nature calls. When every minute counts on the road, accessibility is important, and she adds, “I don’t have to get naked to pee, thank God!” Customers can shop Rapha kits for road and gravel on REI.com.
Revelate Designs Handlebar Bag
Shifting most of her nutrition and sleep gear to the support van means Wilcox can stay light on the bike with only riding essentials like snacks and a communication system at hand. She is opting for a longtime standby for her attempt with a prototype Aerobar Bag from Revelate Designs. “Revelate was my first sponsor back in 2012, before I started racing, and we’ve been working really closely ever since,” Wilcox says. “A lot of the products they’ve made for me end up going into production over time.” The model she’ll use has a streamlined aspect that reduces weight and wind drag while keeping stashables secure in elastic side pockets. Customers can shop Revelate Designs bike bags on REI.com.
Zipp Wheels
While Wilcox is required to use the same frame type for the attempt’s duration, she’s allowed to kit out her bike to fit each stage’s needs. With the addition of the support van, she’s also more flexible for changes throughout. “Last time, my bike was built for durability for the entire course. This time it’s built more for performance. It may not be the lightest possible because it needs to last for 78 days but I get to optimize a bit more, which will be fun.” She has opted for two wheel sets from Zipp: the 454 NSW and the Zipp 202 NSW. The 454s are designed for distance road racing, minimizing air drag and energy loss from internal tubing. Zipp 202s are designed for mountain climbing, with a new 23 mm inner rim allowing more variation in tire width and pressure for speed at elevation and in descent. Shop Zipp bike parts on REI.com.
Camp Kit
REI Trailgate Weekend Cooler 20L
Full Windsor Magware Magnetic Bowls and Plates
Having a supported setup with a van and a team also allows Wilcox to transition into rest quicker each evening. After spending the majority of the day on the bike, fighting against adrenaline can fill the hour or so she has to wind down before going to sleep. “Having a nicer car camping set up, a cooler, a cook set and nice dishes in the van helps,” she says. “I feel supported and protected, like we’re home on the road.”
REI Co-op Lightweight Logo Beanie
Crossing between hemispheres, Wilcox will face dramatically different climates. “I’ll go from Singapore, where it will be 100°F to Australia at 30°F. It is a tough change when your body’s not acclimated.” She has also shaved her head for extra speed and comfort. “With a shaved head in the winter, things like having a beanie can make the transition from the hardest part of the day on the bike a little easier.”
Follow along on our Instagram and the live tracker to keep up with Lael’s journey. Fiending for your own adventure? Take a look at our Bikepacking Checklist for a more comprehensive round up of gear essentials.