British Cyclist Sets New Circumnavigation Record

British cyclist James Bowthorpe set a new world's record for circling the globe via bicycle earlier this week when he completed his journey in London's Hyde Park after just 175 days on the road. During that time, he covered more than 18,000 miles and crossed through 20 countries.

Bowthorpe averaged an impressive 103 miles per day as he peddled for a cause. He hopes to raise £1.8 million for research into Parkinson's Disease, and although his ride is complete, he'll continue to work towards that goal. He had hoped to raise £100 per mile rode along his journey.

Over the past six months, Bowthorpe crossed through France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Iran, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States, using airline flights only when it was necessary to cross oceans. Along the way he faced all kinds of weather conditions and struggled the most when crossing through India where he was beset by an illness that put him in bed for three days.

The Brit's efforts break the old record, held by Mark Beaumont by nearly 20 days. Beaumont is likely too busy to notice however, as he is currently cycling through Mexico on his Cycling The Americas trip.

Pretty impressive journey. That's a quick way to go around the planet on a bike, and averaging over 100 miles per day through crazy conditions had to be a challenge at times. Great stuff!