George Pilkington Mills' longest standing world record

    Lands End to John o' Groats is the longest journey that can be taken on Great Britain. The distance by road is 874 miles (1,407 km) and takes most cyclists 10 to 14 days.

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     A Victorian cyclist, George Pilkington Mills finished the journey in five days and one hour in 1886 while riding a High Wheel Bicycle (Penny Farthing).


    During the next 15 years he took up the "end to end" challenge time after time, holding the record on the first modern bicycles, tandems, and tricycles. His first record, on the High Wheel Bicycle became one of the longest held in the sporting world.

   G.P. Mills and fellow British cyclist Henry Strumey, both did the  "end to end" in motorized vehicles.  Strumey was first person to do so in 1897. Mills beat his own Tandem bicycle record by riding a motorcycle in 1904.  Like many early cyclists both men became figures in the automotive industry later in life.


Comments

  1. At five weeks David Irvine, Bob Schofield and I may have the record for the slowest End to End. But then we cannot claim a true End to End since we took the train across most of Cornwall. I can't imagine crossing Cornwall on a High Wheeler at any pace.

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