Gust of wind foils 100-mile wheelie – but 56-year-old cyclist still manages to set new world record

A US cyclist has set a Guinness World Record for the longest continuous bicycle wheelie. Rich Flanagan rode 50.5 miles on only his back wheel before a gust of wind foiled his attempt at doing 100 miles.

UPI reports that the previous record was 26.09 miles, set by Stefan Stock of Austria in 2017.

Flanagan spent four hours and 10 minutes riding around a track at Lindale Middle School in Linthicum, Maryland, to beat Stock’s record.

Flanagan says he rides on one wheel six days a week, doing at least 10 miles. On two of those rides, he goes long, doing 50 to 100 miles.

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He’s previously said that he started doing wheelies when he was eight, but “didn’t get serious” until he was in his forties.

Flanagan’s YouTube channel documents his efforts, which include doing a wheelie in the snow and while riding up a 33% slope.

In 2016, he broke the world record for the longest wheelie ride in one hour, covering 16 miles. He’s since also achieved the fastest bicycle wheelie over 100 metres, covering the distance in 10.86 seconds.