Irish ultra-cyclist Joe Barr has completed a 2,400-mile journey along Route 66 in 10 days, six hours, and 27 minutes, with the time submitted for Guinness World Record ratification. “It’s been the journey of a lifetime,” Barr said. The ride concluded in Chicago the day before Barr’s 67th birthday, marking the end of a challenging yet rewarding experience. “The second last day, whenever the weather turned into that storm process in Illinois and the tornadoes hit,” Barr said, describing one of the obstacles he faced. He also recounted the extreme heat and headwinds in New Mexico.”There was a point in the race actually when I was crossing, it was in New Mexico when I was crossing the Great Divide, we had a day where the heat was incredible. It was like 108 degrees, and there was a direct headwind all the way,” he said. Wildlife posed additional challenges during the nighttime in Texas.”In Texas in the nighttime, there was a huge amount of rattlesnakes that come out onto the road. And we had to use the team cars to segregate the snake so that we could get all the team cars through and I could get through safely,” Barr said. Despite the difficulties, Barr found moments of beauty along the way.”I remember in Navajo, we came across a lot of wild horses, and they were on the left side of the road,” he said. “The whole troop of horses crossed across, and we got it on camera where they just continually ran beside me for ages.” Barr was also motivated by the people he met during his journey.”There was a police officer with the direct follow car. You instantly think, oh, what have we done wrong here? But it was the complete opposite,” he said. “He actually gave me one of the police challenge coins and the certificate to go with it.” He recalled a memorable moment in Joplin, Missouri.”The whole team came with all these huge foil trays where someone had come and fed the whole team. The ice cream shop supplied them all ice cream,” Barr said. Reflecting on the ride, Barr said it was about more than setting a record.”I felt that I was traveling a journey that almost demanded me to leave a little bit of myself so I could become part of what that historic journey was,” he said. “In the Route 66, I have this little grain of sand of history that I can be proud of,” Barr said, adding that his journey coincided with the centennial year of the iconic Mother Road. Barr’s journey was documented by a film crew, and they plan to release a movie about the experience later this year.
Irish ultra-cyclist Joe Barr has completed a 2,400-mile journey along Route 66 in 10 days, six hours, and 27 minutes, with the time submitted for Guinness World Record ratification.
“It’s been the journey of a lifetime,” Barr said.
The ride concluded in Chicago the day before Barr’s 67th birthday, marking the end of a challenging yet rewarding experience.
“The second last day, whenever the weather turned into that storm process in Illinois and the tornadoes hit,” Barr said, describing one of the obstacles he faced.
He also recounted the extreme heat and headwinds in New Mexico.
“There was a point in the race actually when I was crossing, it was in New Mexico when I was crossing the Great Divide, we had a day where the heat was incredible. It was like 108 degrees, and there was a direct headwind all the way,” he said.
Wildlife posed additional challenges during the nighttime in Texas.
“In Texas in the nighttime, there was a huge amount of rattlesnakes that come out onto the road. And we had to use the team cars to segregate the snake so that we could get all the team cars through and I could get through safely,” Barr said.
Despite the difficulties, Barr found moments of beauty along the way.
“I remember in Navajo, we came across a lot of wild horses, and they were on the left side of the road,” he said. “The whole troop of horses crossed across, and we got it on camera where they just continually ran beside me for ages.”
Barr was also motivated by the people he met during his journey.
“There was a police officer with the direct follow car. You instantly think, oh, what have we done wrong here? But it was the complete opposite,” he said. “He actually gave me one of the police challenge coins and the certificate to go with it.”
He recalled a memorable moment in Joplin, Missouri.
“The whole team came with all these huge foil trays where someone had come and fed the whole team. The ice cream shop supplied them all ice cream,” Barr said.
Reflecting on the ride, Barr said it was about more than setting a record.
“I felt that I was traveling a journey that almost demanded me to leave a little bit of myself so I could become part of what that historic journey was,” he said.
“In the Route 66, I have this little grain of sand of history that I can be proud of,” Barr said, adding that his journey coincided with the centennial year of the iconic Mother Road.
Barr’s journey was documented by a film crew, and they plan to release a movie about the experience later this year.
