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Cyclists

A celebration of women cyclists who push boundaries on two wheels — from classic endurance routes across Britain to world-record rides that inspire adventure, resilience, and freedom.

Cycle from London to Paris in 24 hours

A popular endurance route connecting two iconic capitals, London, UK and Paris, France. The challenge draws cyclists from around the world, testing stamina and speed over roughly 300 miles, often completed in just one day.

Cycle from London to Brighton

 A classic UK cycling challenge covering around 55 miles (88 km) from the capital to the south coast. It’s a favourite first long-distance route for many women taking up endurance cycling, offering a rewarding mix of scenic countryside and coastal views.

LEJOG – Land’s End to John o’ Groats

The traversal of the whole length of the island of Great Britain between two extremities, in the southwest and northeast. There is no continuous long-distance path from Land's End to John o' Groats. 

  • Fastest woman to cycle Land’s End to John o’ Groats — Christina Mackenzie (Scotland) — 51 hrs 5 mins 27 secs — 30 July 2021.

    • Christina broke the women’s record for this historic ride, averaging remarkable speed and consistency across the 874-mile route. Her performance stands as a modern benchmark for endurance cyclists in the UK.

  • Youngest girl to complete Land’s End to John o’ Groats on her own bicycle — Evangeline Towers (UK) — age 10 — 14 August 2020.

    • Evangeline completed the 1,020.74-mile (1,642.72 km) journey over 22 days, cycling alongside her father and uncle. She covered the distance in 110 hours and 5 minutes, becoming the youngest solo girl to achieve the feat.

  • Youngest to complete Land’s End to John o’ Groats on a trailer bike — Rhoda Jones (UK) — age 4 years 4 months — 2 September 2018.

    • Rhoda, cycling on a trailer bike with her parents Katie and Tom Jones, finished the journey in 22 days, 3 hours and 26 minutes. Her sister Ruth Jones (UK), aged 5, completed the same journey earlier and became the fastest on a trailer bike.

 

Famous Routes & Endurance Races

  • First female to win the Transcontinental Race — Fiona Kolbinger (Germany) — 2021

  • First woman to ride the Everest equivalent elevation in 24 hours by bicycle — Sarah Hammond (Australia) — 2014

  • First to cycle the length of the Alps and climb the 8 highest Alpine mountains — Sophie Radcliffe (UK) — 2014

 

More Female Cycling Achievements

  • First woman to win the inaugural Tour de France Femmes — Annemiek van Vleuten (Netherlands) — 25 years old — July 2022

  • First French woman to win Tour de France Femmes — Pauline Ferrand-Prévôt (France) — 33 years old — 3 August 2025

  • First American to win the Tour de France Féminin — Marianne Martin (USA) — 1984

  • Oldest female to cross the USA east-to-west solo by standard bicycle — Lynn Salvo (USA) — 73 years 359 days — 15 September 2023

  • Fastest female solo 200 km road record by recumbent bicycle — Sandy Earl (USA) — 6 hrs 39 mins 50 secs — 12 March 2023

 

Community & Inspiration

Pushbike Girl – Interviews with Solo Female Cyclists

An inspiring collection of stories from solo female cyclists around the world who travel vast distances, explore new cultures, and challenge what’s possible on two wheels.

Related Tough Girl Podcast Episodes

Lael Wilcox

Ultra-endurance bike rider and racer who won the Trans Am Bike Race in 2016, and set Tour Divide's women's course record on an individual time trial in 2015.

Abhejali Bernardová

Completing an extreme ultra-triathlon from Dover to Prague (1,111 km) in 7 days 12hrs and 5 mins.

Sophie Ruffles

Mum, runner, & wild swimmer. Host of @whatnextmumpodcast 1x100km ultra, 7x marathons. Fast-packed The Jurassic Coast!

Laura Massey-Pugh

Ultra/long distance cyclist, planning to break the tandem around the World Record with her husband Stevie in 2022.

Helen Butters

Having a positive mindset during times of immense stress. Lessons learned from rowing the Atlantic Ocean.

Rebecca Lowe

Author of “The Slow Road to Tehran” - documenting her year-long cycling journey from London to Tehran.

Kelly Smith

On the Go - Being passionate about the outdoors and showing people there is a place for physical activity outside of elite sport.

Eleanor Carey

Adventurer and Ocean Rower, 2x GWR holder for rowing 2,400 miles across the Pacific Ocean.

Abi Melton

Neurodivergent, Fat Cyclist, Co-Author of ‘Gears for Queers’. Promoting body positivity and encouraging everyone to get on their bike.

Kumbirai Kariwo

Senior NHS Nurse and climber - sharing her love for the outdoors to inspire others to explore and be adventurous.

Quinn Brett

First person to hand-cycle the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route from the Canadian border to the Mexico border.

Helen Dainty

Full time global hobo cycling the world on AU$100/week. 5 years in and 58,000 km cycled so far…

Women Who Have Cycled Around The World

Kiko Matthews

Kiko Matthews - KIK PLASTIC 2019 - Cycling 6,900km around the UK and Ireland’s coasts, beach cleaning and building a community against plastic!

Juliana Buhring

Juliana Buhring - Ultra-endurance cyclist & Guinness World Record for Fastest Woman to Cycle the World!

Loretta Henderson

Loretta Henderson - quit her normal life at 36, and having never cycled before, set off to cycle around the world!

Sami Sauri

Exploring the World Through Multi-Sport Adventures and Creative Storytelling

Christine Armstrong

Christine Armstrong - Has just returned from 2 years cycling the world!

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