The challenge: ride 290km of mixed terrain with 5,500m of ascent faster than anyone has before. The route: the stunning and savage Marcher Castles Way. The rider? Our very own Simon Richardson. Follow Simon as he attempts to set a new Fastest Known Time (FKT) on one of the UK's newest and most demanding long-distance trails. This is a story of endurance, determination, and the sheer mental and physical struggle of a 15-hour day in the saddle. Will he break the record, or will the route break him? Check out the Strava ride here: https://www.strava.com/activities/15225016424 Want to see a closer look at Si's bike? 👉 https://www.youtube.com/ ⁨@gcntech⁩ Paid Promotion With @wahoofitness & @insta360 http://gcn.eu/Wahoo-Fitness https://gcn.eu/Insta360 This incredible route was created by Cycling UK. To find out more about the Marcher Castles Way and their other long-distance trails 👉 https://www.cyclinguk.org/routes/long-distance/marcher-castles-way Chapters ⏱️: 00:00 - Intro: A 290km FKT Attempt 00:46 - The Route: An Introduction to the Marcher Castles Way 02:15 - The Goal & The Mindset: Aiming for the FKT 03:25 - The Ride Begins 05:13 - First Sights: Roman Cities & The Iron Bridge 07:14 - The Modern Advantage: Why GPS Makes This Possible 08:41 - The Birthplace of the Olympics: Much Wenlock 09:35 - Riding on Wenlock Edge 11:13 - The First Big Test: The Brutal Clee Hills 12:03 - Into the Pain Cave: "I'm in Mordor" 12:31 - Mid-Ride Bike Check: Orbea Terra vs Terra Race 14:28 - A Moment of Respite in Ludlow 16:23 - On Familiar Territory 17:47 - The Pacing Strategy & Fueling Update 19:50 - The Welsh Borderlands: Clun & Knighton 22:31 - The Final Gauntlet: The Three Big Climbs 26:32 - At The Limit: The Struggle up the First Climb 27:52 - Facing The Second Beast: The Stiperstones 29:27 - Hitting The Wall on The Long Mynd 30:38 - The Advice That Kept Simon Going 31:46 - The Mental Finish Line: Church Stretton 35:04 - THE FINISH: The Final Time & FKT Result Useful Links: Join this channel to get access to perks 👉 https://gcn.eu/JoinYTmemberships Subscribe so you don’t miss a thing! 👉 https://gcn.eu/subscribe Visit the GCN Shop 👉 https://gcn.eu/gcnshop Let us know what you thought of Si's effort! 👇 🎵 Music - licensed by Epidemic Sound 🎵 Departing - DEX 1200 a lone chair across a silent continent - Shinji Wakasa Arizona - Lennon Hutton Balkanic - Yinon Muallem Better You - Swif7 City, Alley, Quiet, Distant Traffic 02 - Epidemic Sound Contemplations - Aiyo Countryside, Wind, Tin Roof, Close Bird Chirps - Epidemic Sound Crawling - Hanna Ekstrom Daydreaming - Ryan James Carr Ducere - Christoffer Moe Ditlevsen Full Throttle - Aiyo Get the Table Set - Arthur Benson Illusory Motion - Gavin Luke Impact, Dark, Cinematic, Low - Epidemic Sound Impact, Dark, Cinematic, Snappy Hit - Epidemic Sound In All Seriousness - Howard Harper-Barnes Intimacy (Instrumental Version) - Alex Kehm J. S. Bach_ Cello Suite No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1008 III. Courante - Laura Metcalf Lock In (Instrumental Version) - Nbhd Nick Locked In - Aiyo Malhana - DEX 1200 Metal Chime Hit, Reverse, Build, Crescendo 01 Moonlight - Witchitaw Slim My My (Instrumental Version) - Loving Caliber NRG - STRLGHT Our Final Mission - Christoffer Moe Ditlevsen Ripple Effect - Bjorn Alva SULTAN - BLUE STEEL Surfing Astray - Johan Glossner Swell, Thriller, Tension Builders 02 - Epidemic Sound Tall Tale - Trevor Kowalski The Early Hours - The Eastern Plain The Foreshadowing - Gabriel Lewis Vinyl, Record Scratch, Stop - Epidemic Sound Yami Ichi (Black Market) - Isaku Kageyama Your Time Is Now - Christoffer Moe Ditlevsen #gcn #cycling #roadcycling #roadbike #bike #bikes #bikelife #Gravel #FKT #UltraEndurance 📸 Photos - © Velo Collection (TDW) / Getty Images & © Sirotti Images Thanks to our sponsors: Canyon Bikes: http://gcn.eu/-Canyon Orbea Bikes: http://gcn.eu/Orbea Pinarello Bikes: https://gcn.eu/Pinarello Topeak Tools: http://gcn.eu/Topeak CamelBak: https://gcn.eu/Camelbak Pirelli Tyres: https://gcn.eu/Pirelli Vision Wheels: http://gcn.eu/Vision Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles: https://gcn.eu/VW Wahoo Fitness: http://gcn.eu/Wahoo-Fitness Park Tool: http://gcn.eu/-parktool Selle Italia: https://gcn.eu/SelleItalia Zwift: https://gcn.eu/Zwift Silca: https://gcn.eu/Silca MET Helmets: https://gcn.eu/methelmets Core Body Temperature: https://gcn.eu/corebodytemp Precision Fuel & Hydration: https://gcn.eu/precisionhydration Elitewheels: https://gcn.eu/Elitewheels Watch our sister channels: GCN Tech - https://www.youtube.com/@gcntech GCN Racing - https://www.youtube.com/@gcnracing Global Triathlon Network - https://www.youtube.com/@gtn GCN en Español - https://www.youtube.com/@gcnenespanol GCN auf Deutsch - https://www.youtube.com/@gcnaufdeutsch GCN en Français - https://www.youtube.com/@gcnenfrancais Global Mountain Bike Network - https://youtube.com/@gmbn GMBN Tech - https://www.youtube.com/@gmbntech