“Le Tour De L’Oz”: Breaking the Unsupported Around Australia Cycling Record on a Fixed Gear

Lawrence Walters is a part-time bike courier based in Bristol, UK. After delivering fruit and veg full-time through the pandemic, his growing fitness led him to ultra-endurance racing. His first was the Pan Celtic Ultra in 2022—ridden on a fixed gear. Hooked ever since, he continues to explore the limits of endurance cycling.
We’re stoked to welcome Lawrence as a guest writer to share his experience breaking the unsupported Around Australia record on a fixed gear bike!

On Saturday, March 15th 2025, I set off from South Mole Lighthouse in Fremantle alongside 27 other riders as part of the unofficial Indian Pacific Wheel Ride (IPWR) to Sydney. It’s an unsupported, single-stage ride across Australia from Perth to the Opera House—and the opening leg of a much bigger goal.

A Seven-Year Dream

I’d long dreamt of riding a full lap of Australia, inspired by Joseph Kendrick’s fixed-gear lap in 2018. I also knew of Erik Straarup’s unsupported record of 51 days 47 minutes, set in 2008 on a geared bike. I wondered if it could be beaten - on a fixed gear.

After seven years, the idea finally became reality. Along the way, I chose to raise money for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), which saves lives at sea 24/7 across the UK and Ireland.

Route Requirements and Planning

For the lap to be officially ratified by the Road Records Association of Australia, I had to ride at least 14,200 km and pass through six of eight coastal towns or cities. I chose:

• Adelaide

• Melbourne

• Sydney

• Brisbane

• Darwin

• Perth

This excluded Esperance (off route) and Broome (a 70 km out-and-back).

Why Fixed Gear?

I chose a fixed gear for its simplicity and reliability over huge distances. Australia is the flattest continent on Earth, with the main climbing challenges being the Victorian High Country and the Snowy Mountains late in the IPWR. I’d ridden fixed gear for years - including ultra races and DIY tours - so it felt like the right tool for a remote environment.

Early Pace and Strategy

During the first half (approx. 25 days), I averaged around 270 km per day, prioritising sleep and food. Despite this, I fell almost five days behind record pace. To claw back time, I increased my daily average to around 330 km in the second half.

Life on the Road

Resupply was a constant challenge. I often carried food and water for up to 450km between “servos”. My routine involved:

• Night Riding: I rode roughly 200km at night to avoid heat and traffic.

• Safety: I used a UHF radio to communicate with truck drivers and avoided riding at dawn when visibility is lowest for motorists.

• Rest: I typically finished between 2am and 6am, camping until the sun woke me around 9am. 

Then I’d repeat the process.

Crossing the South

The IPWR was a brilliant way to start, especially crossing the Nullarbor Plain (a vast, treeless, arid limestone plateau) with other riders. One major danger was riding east at sunrise, when glare can make cyclists invisible. I avoided dawn riding and carried a UHF radio to communicate with truck drivers, which significantly improved safety.

It took about two weeks to reach Melbourne, via the desert, the Adelaide wine regions, and the Great Ocean Road - a trip highlight. The Victorian Alps and Snowy Mountains slowed things down, so I fitted a smaller chainring in Melbourne, allowing me to ride gradients up to 7%. Anything steeper, I walked.

I rolled into Sydney having finished 5th out of 27 riders in the IPWR for the first 5500km of the lap.

Heading North and Back West

I left Sydney the next day, feeling strong three weeks in. It took about a week to ride north to Townsville via the Pacific and Bruce Highways, before turning west. Townsville was my last major resupply for 2,500 km. I stocked up on tyres, chains, and spares before heading into the remote north, often riding 200–300 km between servos, mostly at night when shops were closed.

The Final Push - Chasing the Record

Through the middle of the country, conditions were ideal and my pace increased. My biggest week averaged 380 km per day, including a 410 km day on day eight. With the record within reach, quitting wasn’t an option.

I reached Darwin with 4,100 km to ride in 12 days. The route south through Western Australia was remote, beautiful, and unforgettable - huge skies, barren landscapes, quiet roads, and incredible sunsets.

I finally moved ahead of the record pace four days from the finish. After puncturing my sleeping mat, I booked my first roadhouse stays on days 48 and 49 to recover slightly before the final push.

The Finish

I finished at 8:29pm on Sunday, May 4th, just hours inside the deadline of 7:09am Monday morning. In 50 days, after weeks of digging deep, I broke the record by just under 11 hours!

It was incredible to be welcomed to the finish by friends and dotwatchers who had heard about the journey. I was absolutely toast! It took many days and weeks to get over the physical fatigue, having frequent mood swings and vast bouts of hunger. I’ve happily had some time away from riding over the summer after burning many matches on the road. I’m back to enjoying some stress free rides, on the trails away from traffic and having fun with friends. 

Setup and Equipment

It was an epic mission, a long time dream that I had to work really hard for, and luckily paid off with making it back in record time. It was the icing on the cake. Thankfully, I had no long term body issues. I’ve previously suffered nerve damage on ultras and chose to ride a disc brake fork which helped my hands. Vibration damping was gratefully assisted with the Redshift ShockStop Suspension Stem. I softened up the inserts after three weeks when I got to Sydney to give a bit more compliance and it worked a treat, soaking up the imperfections in the road and really comfortable on the tri bars.

I also used a Redshift Dual-Position seatpost,allowing me to get further over the bottom bracket and output more power when using the skis. I found it super fast, and easy to change between the standard and TT positions. I carried lots of lights, including the Arclights which were really useful to be able to switch easily between red/white if needed!

Support the Mission

I have raised over £2,800 for the RNLI to date. This journey was the culmination of a seven-year dream, and while the physical recovery took weeks, the experience was the dream of my life in my cycling career. Fundraising is still open here if you would like to donate:
👉 https://www.justgiving.com/page/lozwalters

Final Stats

• Distance: 14,656 km (9,107 miles)

• Elevation: 55,656 m (182,598 ft)

• Time: 50d 14h 07m 58s

• Route: Anticlockwise

• Checkpoints: Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Darwin, Perth

• Start / Finish: South Mole Lighthouse, Fremantle

• Departure: 15 March 2025, 06:22

• Arrival: 4 May 2025, 20:29

• Previous Record: 51d 47m (Erik Straarup, 2008)

• Record Margin: 10h 40m

Records Achieved

• Fastest unsupported circumnavigation of Australia by bicycle

• Fastest unsupported circumnavigation on a fixed gear

• Furthest distance ridden on a fixed gear in one month (8797.07 km in 28 days)

Technical Gear Highlights

• Bike: Dolan Pre Cursa (fixed gear)

• Tyres: 12× Specialized Mondo (28–35mm)

• Chains: 5

• Gearing:

• 49×16 / 17 / 19 / 22

• 45×16 / 22 (Melbourne–Canberra)

• Components: Redshift Dual-Position Aero Seatpost, ShockStop Suspension Stem, Arclight Light Modules 

Bio

Lawrence Walters is a part-time bike courier based in Bristol, UK. After delivering fruit and veg full-time through the pandemic, his growing fitness led him to ultra-endurance racing. His first was the Pan Celtic Ultra in 2022—ridden on a fixed gear. Hooked ever since, he continues to explore the limits of endurance cycling.
📸 Follow the journey on Instagram: @ridefixedordietryin