Coffee First, Then the World : One Woman's Record-Breaking Pedal Around the Planet

Selected for the BBC and Reading Agency's Big Sporting Read 2024. Shortlisted for the Sports Book Awards 2024 – Cycling Book of the Year. A Waterstones Best Book of the Year 2023 – Sport.

16 countries, 124 days and 18,000 miles. This is the story of one woman's solo lap of the planet by bike. In 2018, amateur cyclist Jenny Graham left family and friends behind in Scotland to become the fastest woman to cycle around the world. Alone and unsupported, she crossed the finish line at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin four months later, smashing the female record by nearly three weeks.

With infectious wit and honesty, Jenny brings readers into her remarkable Round the World adventure, as she takes on four continents, 16 countries – and countless cups of coffee. Her journey swerves from terrifying near road collisions in Russia and weather extremes in Australia to breathtaking landscapes in Mongolia and exhilarating wildlife encounters in North America. Tight on time and money, she resorts to fixing her bike on the fly, sleeping on roadsides and often riding through the night to stay on track and complete her mission.

As she battles physical and mental challenges to race against the clock, Jenny gradually opens up to the joy of the adventure and all its daily discoveries. She gives in to her impulse to connect with people, making friends with strangers across the globe and embracing new cultures. This is her account of a record-breaking ride, and how one woman and a humble bike conquered the world.