My guest today is Gemma Baird who recently set a new Singlespeed FKT (Fastest Known Time) on the Highland Trial 550 in Scotland. After battling breast cancer, surviving homeschooling her three kids through the pandemic, and turning 40, Gemma needed a big goal. That’s when she set her sights on the 2022 HT550 group start. Unfortunately, she wasn’t able to make the group start, but that didn’t stop her. In August she lined up at the start line solo for an ITT (Individual Time Trial). She finished with a time of 5d 9h 48m which was good enough to best the previous SS FKT by Isla Rowntree.
Gemma’s gear selection can’t go overlooked. The HT550 is known to be a rough and challenging course, Bikepacking.com rates it a 9 out of 10 on difficulty. The most common bike you will see on this route is a full suspension 29er. Gemma rode a fully rigid singlespeed Surly which adds style points, but listen to the episode to hear her reasons for going with this setup.
The FKT didn’t come easy. Gemma had to ford rivers that were high and fast moving, back pain, and she developed multiple personalities due to sleep deprivation. She pushed herself further than she had ever done previously and in doing so help to put some personal challenges in the past and gave her a renewed confidence in herself and her bodies ability to do hard things. Listen to today’s episode to her her amazing journey and then go ride your damn bike!
Gemma pinned an article about her experience for Bikepacking.com that is worth a read as well.
Quote of the Week: “Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will rule your life and you will call it fate.” ~ Carl Jung
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