On Sept. 12, MTB star Payson McElveen became the first person to bisect Iceland by fair means in a day. In doing so, he also set a new Iceland FKT of just 19 hours and 45 minutes.
Payson McElveen first grabbed the cycling world with his almost-freakish ability to break and create speed records under all sorts of conditions. The Red Bull athlete did it again earlier this month — covering the 257-mile stretch between Iceland’s northern and southern coastlines in under 20 hours.
It’s the first time anyone has traversed the nation by unsupported human power in fewer than 24 hours. And the feat sounds far from a pleasure cruise. Obnoxious, chilly conditions plagued the rider as he cut through remote backcountry.
McElveen said, “Ever since the success of the White Rim FKT in 2019, I’ve been thinking about other geographically focused routes to do a big effort on. To me, those are the challenges that inspire me most these days. Start at one landmark and ride as fast as you can until you literally run out of road or trail. In this case, that was hitting the ocean on the south side of the country.”
The trek featured Iceland’s least hospitable double-track terrain, most of it reserved for high-clearance automobiles. McElveen made the journey without the relief of pitstops where he could refuel, so he packed 7,000 calories, a few liters of water, and set out from the coastal city of Akureyri.
From there, he endured harsh terrain and gross weather, including 7 hours of cold rain, strong winds, and bottom temps around 31 degrees Fahrenheit. He rolled up to Vík‘s southern shoreline a day later.
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Payson McElveen’s Iceland FKT Gear List
Hardware
- Bike: 2022 TREK Checkpoint SL
- Helmet: Smith Ignite MIPS
- Glasses: Smith Shift MAG
- Headlamp: 4K-lumen Ledlenser
- GPS computer: Hammerhead Karoo 2 (he packed two!)
- Heart-rate monitor: Hammerhead chest strap
- Sat-comm: Garmin inReach
- Hydration reservoir: Osprey Duro 1.5L (pre-release update)
- Bike tool: Gerber multitool
- Frame pump: Lezyne Road Drive
- Rear blinker: Botranger Flare
Cycling Kit
- Shoes: Bontrager Cambion Mountain Bike Shoe
- Gloves: Full-finger MTB racing gloves
- Hemet cap: Voler Cycling Cap
- Gaiter: BUFF
- Vest: Voler x Payson Wind Vest
- Rain shell: Lululemon all-weather jacket
- Shoe covers: Neoprene MTB covers
Miscellaneous Gear & Fuel
- Triangle, top-tube, and saddle packs
- Emergency bivvy
- Chain lube
- Bike plugs
- Spare CO2
- Electrical tape
- Spare batteries
- Power banks
- Wired headphones
- Ibuprofen
- Bike bottles for drink mixes
- Mini pizzas, almond butter sandwiches, ham and cheese croissants, mini donuts, chia snacks, power bars, power waffles
- Gels, drink mixes, power gummies, chia snacks
