An ultra-endurance bicyclist has set his sights on pedaling the length of Route 66 in just eight days in June.
Joe Barr of Ireland, who in 2023 won the World Ultra-Cycling Association’s World Cup and World Championship, tentatively plans to begin his trek from the Santa Monica Pier on June 5 and finish in Chicago on June 13, which happens to be his 66th birthday.
That’s an average of 315 miles per day.
A new release explained the genesis of his forthcoming Route 66 trip:
It only took a moment. One glance at that iconic shield as Joe drove through Oklahoma, and the pedals in his mind began to turn. Has anyone ever cycled the entire Mother Road non-stop? If so, what was the record?
By the time Joe arrived in California, he’d learned that there was no record. People had tried, but no one had succeeded. That was all Joe needed. In his mind, he was already at the start line.
Joe turns 66 in 2025. What better time to master Route 66? A turn of fate too glorious to pass up. […]
A documentary team will follow Joe’s epic journey for this Guinness World Record attempt. The team will capture the cyclist day and night along the route, at iconic sites, and with the people who make Route 66 an American classic byway.
Though Joe’s ride will be nonstop, the eight-person American film crew will work in shifts to document as much as possible.
Barr’s official website for the Route 66 trek is here. Firmer dates for his trip will be issued in the final weeks leading up to its start.
Barr also will give away his custom-built bicycle, valued at $9,000, at the end of his journey. Tickets for the giveaway are $125 each, with only 266 total tickets issued. The winner will receive the bike and other items, including a signed race jersey. Tickets can be obtained here.
Barr is a multiple world record holder, including his first on Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way, racing over 1,600 miles with 81,000 feet of climbing in 127 hours.
(Courtesy image of ultra-endurance cyclist Joe Barr)