Brandon Lyons’ Record-Setting 24-Hour Ride Was A Test Of Strategy, Toughness

Four years later, and with an analytical and mental approach that’s at the core of his personality, Brandon Lyons became a world-record holder.

Lyons, a 2024 U.S. Paralympian from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, broke the Guinness World Record for most miles ridden on a handcycle in 24 hours when he covered 414.71 miles between 7 a.m. Feb. 15 and 7 a.m. Feb. 16 at a course in Sebring, Florida.

His final distance bested German Thomas Lange’s 403.8 miles, set in 2009. Official recognition by Guinness is pending, Lyons said.

Lyons, 34, was able to break the record with 2.5 hours to spare, despite daytime heat that touched the 90s and chilly overnight temperatures at the Bike Sebring event.

It was the second world-record attempt for Lyons, who in 2021 came 60 miles short in difficult conditions in Borrego Springs, California. But he was not to be denied this time, even if there were roughly 70 other bicyclists and handcyclists on the course at the same time.

“I went in fully confident,” said Lyons, between world-record attempts made his Paralympic debut last year in Paris, where he posted a pair of top-10 finishes in the H3 road events.

His strategy may sound cut and dried — go out fast the first 10 hours on the 3.6-mile circular course — but it was really highly technical.

A “strategic analytics professional” by trade, Lyons leaned on his natural analytical instincts to map out a strategy for the entire 24-hour endeavor.

“I had a plan for every lap,” he said, noting he was running at 22 mph for the first four-and-a-half hours. “I had every single lap paced out to what I thought I could hold, what that meant for the speed and time of day and based on (Lange’s) record pace what that would have equated to.

“Given my strategy, I was always up on the record at the start, and then I would start deteriorating … 21 mph, 20 mph. I had a deterioration factor of what I would lose throughout the day.”

When he got to 200-mile mark, he was up 80 miles on the record. That, he said, was when he realized the record was likely to fall. He ultimately completed 113 laps at an average speed of 18.52 mph.

But it wasn’t just the on-track strategy that mattered for Lyons; it was his strategy for pit stops roughly every four hours. When he stopped, he had a plan to maximize speed. His mom, Kelly Bennie, was right there to swap in a new water bottle reservoir loaded with electrolytes and carbohydrates. She would also swap in and out a headlight lamp strapped to his helmet, depending on the time of day.

Bennie understood the gravity of her job and marveled at her son’s preparation, even down to the peanut butter and Nutella sandwiches she handed off.

“Brandon had it all planned beforehand,” Bennie said. “It took a lot of science: How many calories he needed, salt and electrolytes, gels.

“He had a schedule. He never stayed in. He went in and went back out.”

For the record, Lyons determined he consumed just shy of 8,100 calories while burning 8,200. That’s the level of preparation that went into his ride.

But a world-record attempt isn’t just the physical and the down-to-the-mile planning. There was the immense mental preparation as well.

“It’s almost more mental than physical,” he said. “It’s the same thing, not being mentally fatigued more than anything. This is what I was set on, this is what I wanted to achieve, I was close the first time. Let’s try to tackle it this time.

“I was trying to tell myself why I was doing this, what was motivating me and keeping me on the bike.”

All that hard work left one pretty proud mom. She had made big celebratory posters, including one that noted Lyons’ bucket list: Team USA? Check. Paralympian? Check. Guinness World Record?

Check.

“We really did think he would do it,” Bennie said. “He rides for five hours at a time at home.”

While the world record is great, there is more coming up for Lyons. He and the rest of the nation’s top Para-cyclists will convene March 29 in Huntsville, Alabama, for time trials that will determine the U.S. roster for the first two UCI World Cup events of the season, in Belgium and Italy. His ultimate goal for this season is to compete the 2025 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships in late August in Belgium.

Setting the world record and the Huntsville event “are so different,” Lyons said.

“Riding for 24 hours, you’re pacing yourself off of power and heart rate,” he said. “You do the same pacing and strategy, but you pare it down for 20 minutes. How fast can I complete the course that’s put in front of me? The overall pain is different. The 24 hours is more mental fatigue, whereas these 20 to 25 minutes is physical fatigue.”

Breaking world records may not be possible for every athlete, but as far as giving any objective a shot, Lyons is clear.

Take the risk.

“There are a lot of things that seem impossible, but you never know unless you actually try,” he said. “Whether you break the record or don’t break the record, I always try to look for some positives out of it.

“Look at it as an opportunity to grow. Look at it as a way to improve and then get closer to the milestone the next time.”

Gregg Voss is a journalist based in the Chicago suburbs who has been writing sports for newspapers and magazines for more than 20 years. He is a freelance contributor to USParaCycling.org on behalf of Red Line Editorial, Inc.