On a world record attempt, Anchorage cyclist Lael Wilcox makes hometown pit stop before the final stretch

After spending the better part of the last 10 weeks pedaling through unknown territory, Lael Wilcox was back on familiar ground Wednesday.

But not for long.

Wilcox arrived in Anchorage on Tuesday night, nearly 12,000 miles of the way through her attempt to become the fastest woman to circumnavigate the world on bicycle.

Wilcox, who is now based out of Tucson, Arizona, was born and raised in Anchorage and took the short pit stop as an opportunity to visit family and friends.

“It feels awesome,” she said. “So happy to be back. It feels good to be somewhere familiar.”

By Wednesday morning she was already heading north. The last third of her journey will take her through British Columbia and across much of the United States. Wilcox spent nearly all of July riding across Australia and the early part of August in New Zealand.

“It was super, super long,” she said. “Australia, it’s like the same size (geographically) as the U.S., but with only 22 million people. So just really big expanses.”

Wilcox knows what it takes to crank out a monumental ride.

She’s won the Tour Divide, the Trans Am and other long solo unsupported races, is one of two women to complete Switzerland’s Navad 1000 and even broke the overall record at the Baja Divide.

And while at 18,000 miles, her attempt to go around the world is significantly longer, Wilcox is in cruise mode. With only the calendar to race against, she’s been eschewing some of the competitive tactics she’d generally embrace to win a shorter race.

“It’s a lot longer but that means I’m taking care of myself a bit more,” she said. “I’m sleeping a bit more and eating pretty well. It feels good. Sometimes I’m out there and I forget I’m in the middle of this big trip. It’s just super long days every day.”

The Guinness World Records does not distinguish between unsupported or supported rides, so that has made life a bit easier on Wilcox as well. The current women’s record is held by Jenny Graham at 124 days, 10 hours, 50 minutes, and Wilcox is aiming to top that record by two weeks.

The idea for the around-the-world run came to Wilcox in 2016, when she became the first woman and first American to win the Trans Am.

“I think I first thought of this when I was racing across the U.S. and I thought, ‘Oh, what if I just kept going and went around the world?’ she said. “And I got a new passport. I finished that race and I was like, totally trashed. There’s no way I’m continuing. But then I think the idea was there.”

After starting in Chicago on May 26, Wilcox biked to New York City to complete the first 1,100 miles. From there she flew with her bike to Europe, tackling a number of countries on that continent.

She headed southeast passing through Balkan nations and Turkey before ending that stretch of the journey in Georgia. From there she flew to Australia, which is in the middle of winter, which meant less sun and colder evening temperatures.

As part of the rules of the ride, Wilcox must pass two points that align through the earth’s center. For her ride, Wilcox chose Madrid, Spain, and Wellington, New Zealand.

All the travels have made logistics part of the most difficult part of the record attempt.

“The main thing is not getting overwhelmed with the big picture,” she said. “Setting goals for each day and then just staying patient with it and then making good decisions.”

Being in Anchorage made for a nice break from that side of the run as well. On Wednesday,she had her bike overhauled at Speedway Cycles and caught up with local friends and fans.

Wilcox launched a podcast series for this ride as a method to update fans and interested onlookers. It’s also given her an outlet to talk about her experiences and the people she’s met along the way.

“I meet somebody in Belgium and then I meet one of their family members in Australia,” she said. “It’s been so cool. Some people they just pop out their front door. Some guys have driven 10-11 hours to come find me in the middle of nowhere. In a lot of ways, it feels like just celebrating cycling.”

The final third of her journey will take Wilcox to Los Angeles and then back to Chicago, where she started. While her stop in Anchorage was brief, she’ll be returning to the state next winter to race in the 1,000 mile Iditarod Trail Invitational. But for now, she’s focused on setting a record.

“I’ve got another 38 days to finish this, and that feels pretty massive, and then I’ll reset,” she said.

Earlier coverage:

Faster than crude oil: Anchorage’s Lael Wilcox bikes the trans-Alaska pipeline in less than 4 days

Anchorage’s Lael Wilcox wards off possums and snakes to claim women’s title in 358-mile gravel bike race

Anchorage’s Lael Wilcox overcomes health scare and brutal weather to win endurance bike race

Step into Alaska cyclist Lael Wilcox’s Globe of Adventure