It's almost five years since Jenny Graham pedalled her Shand Stooshie away from the Brandenburg Gate in Germany to attempt a record-breaking, self-supported round-the-world ride. While it was possible to dot watch and keep updated with her progress at the time via communications from CyclingUK and the Adventure Syndicate, we've had to wait until now to read Jenny's own personal account of her adventure. Having read Coffee First, Then The World, I'd say it was worth waiting for. It launches next week and Jenny is also doing a book tour, starting on 12th April, with talks (and rides) happening at various locations across the UK. Scottish cyclist smashes round-the world record | The Guardian". www.theguardian.com . Retrieved 18 October 2018.

Starting in June, Jenny plans to break the record for a female cycling around the world. The current record of 144 days set in 2014 is held by Italian cyclist Paola Gianotti and Jenny hopes to complete the journey in 110 days, beating the record by 34 days. She will ride unsupported, aiming for 180 a day across 15 countries. She explained: “It’s hard to say where the Round the World project began for me. It had many different starts and stepping stones to get to this point. a b "Scottish cyclist Jenny Graham aiming to set new round the world record". road.cc. 7 June 2018 . Retrieved 4 September 2018. In Alaska, on another highway, the threat of bears saw her ringing a bell, playing music out loud and singing as she cycled. “I was quite the picture, riding along that lonely highway,” she says, laughing again. The relief was immense: no longer was I talking, thinking or worrying about this. I was just actually doing it. I, Jenny Graham, was riding around the actual world!'Without giving away too much detail, the commentaries paint an honest picture of Jenny's physical and mental state throughout the ride, as well as recalling memorable events, both positive and perilous. The style of writing reflects her attitude to breaking the world record – or, rather, smashing the world record! She never dwells on one single anecdote or description for long; what needs to be said is said, then the narrative moves on. On the other hand, it's definitely possible to sense when she is riding through impressive landscapes or witnessing a natural spectacle; things slow down just a little and her writing becomes more descriptive. I work alongside Pennie Latin from Adventurous Audio chatting about my Round the World adventures from my audio diaries and interviews.

The account of Jenny’s privations is brilliantly conveyed. People who imagine that these assignments are in any way romantic should take a bite from a reality sandwich. Cyclist Jenny Graham has organised a UK book tour for April and May. Image by Jason Hedges/DC Thomson. Add to that starting to write a book about her journey, and preparing to race the legendary Transcontinental Race across Europe (if the event goes ahead and it’s safe to do so), and it’s fair to say that Jenny Graham is a very busy woman. Encounters on the road, both human and animal, always get a mention, albeit briefly. They are frank, entertaining and invariably analysed by Jenny as battles with her own conscience (for riding away). She also freely admits making mistakes out on the road. All of this really makes you warm to her character; exceptionally tough on so many levels but a hundred per cent compassionate and human inside.Overall, it's an honest, easy-to-read account of an inspiring, record-smashing ride. It'll change your view of 'suffering on a bike' while simultaneously fuelling a desire to challenge yourself. Verdict One of the major and, in my opinion, most impressive aspects of Jenny's record was the self-supported element. The pros and cons of this are conveyed well in the book, as are the strategies and coping mechanisms that Jenny rolled out with, and developed over time. Again, I don't want to give too much away here... I grew up in the best adventure playground ever – the Scottish Highlands – cementing a deep-rooted love of the outdoors and mountainous environments. Videos