Hands-free cyclist managed to keep going for 130 km by massaging legs as he pedalled

Robert Murray has broken a wheelie difficult record. 

The Alberta, Canada resident achieved the greatest distance cycled (no hands) after pedalling a remarkable 130.29 km (80.95 miles) on 12 June. 

The cyclist broke the record in 5 hours and 37 minutes as part of a fundraising campaign for the Alzheimer’s Society of Calgary. 

“Alzheimer’s is something that runs in my family, and I have since lost my grandma to the disease,” said Robert. 

“Breaking a record and raising money for a cause near and dear to my heart was just a double win!”

Robert first began cycling as a child. 

He was in swimming lessons and would bike with his sister to the pool early in the morning. 

“It was 10 km and at the time felt like a long time, but we did it every day for two weeks,” said Robert. 

At the time, I was too slow, and my sister always had to bike ahead so she wouldn’t be late, and I would just putt behind.

It was then that Robert fell in love with cycling long distances. 

At the age of 15, he saved up for his first road bike, which was the bike he used to break the record. 

“A lot of the parts have since been replaced but it’s the same frame,” he said. 

“It has a lot of the same scratches and dents from all the times I have fallen off of it.” 

Over time, Robert learned to cycle without using his hands. 

“Personally, I find it to be a more comfortable position to be in rather than hunched over,” he said. 

“I can text, change the song, get anything out of my backpack all while riding my bike. It’s like second nature for me.” 

Robert says the months leading up to the record attempt were very stressful.

He had to search for a venue, some volunteers to serve as witnesses for the event, and his bike needed repairs. 

About a week prior to the attempt, the gears on his bike snapped off and he struggled to get them fixed in time since most bike shops were booked for months. 

“I finally was able to find a bike shop that was able to make a temporary quick fix that made my bike at least rideable for the attempt,” said Robert. 

“In addition, just two days before the attempt my bike seat broke. A bike seat is held up by two parallel rails and because I was doing so much biking upright to train for this record, one of those rails snapped so I needed to get a new bike seat.” 

However, Robert says his bike seat breaking was a blessing in disguise because it allowed him to purchase a new one, which was a big part of why he was able to cycle as far as he did.

Robert was confident during his attempt and knew he would be able to bike the full distance required to break the record. 

He trained for the record attempt by practising laps in a parking lot and getting comfortable with sitting upright for extended periods of time and managing the pain in his legs when they began to feel numb.

Despite his training, his body fell asleep from the waist down during his attempt, creating complications as he cycled. 

Luckily, with his hands free, he was able to put them to good use by massaging his legs throughout the attempt. 

Robert says the first hour of the bike ride went by quickly because he was excited, and he listened to music which helped him get through the attempt.

On the day of the record attempt, he also had a lot of support. 

“I was lucky with the witnesses and timers I had as they were a great support for me,” he said.

I was out on that bike for almost six hours, and they stood there the entire time and cheered me on.

Robert says even people who had read about the event in the paper stopped by to watch him cycle without hands.

Exhaustion never crossed Robert’s mind. 

He was determined throughout his attempt and his concentration never wavered. 

It wasn’t until he passed the 122 km mark that fatigue really set it. 

 “I knew I had broken the record at that point, and everything started to catch up to me, but I committed to 130 km and that’s what I did,” he said. 

“I did start to get a little bold in that last 8 km. I picked up my pace and started to go a lot faster because I just wanted to get off that bike seat and regain some feeling in my legs.” 

In fact, Robert says he only lost his focus once around the 125 km mark where he reached for his handlebars and then quickly pulled back because he forgot that he wasn’t allowed to touch them. 

Robert enjoyed every aspect of his journey and was amazed and proud that he broke a record. 

“I gained a lot of confidence in myself that I never knew I had,” he said. 

“Putting myself out there to the community put me in a very vulnerable position, especially if I was not able to actually beat the record.”

He is also working out plans to break an additional record. 

“I have a side business selling ice cream on a bicycle in Calgary during the summers,” said Robert. 

I am hoping that in summer 2024, I can attempt the record for the world’s largest ice cream party/social.

Want more? Follow us on Google News and across our social media channels to stay up-to-date with all things Guinness World Records! You can find us on Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, LinkedIn, and Snapchat Discover.

Don't forget to check out our videos on YouTube and become part of our group chat by following the Guinness World Records WhatsApp channel.

Still not had enough? Click here to buy our latest book, filled to the brim with stories about our amazing record breakers.