By Amy Hudson
I can’t believe that in less than three months, my husband, Kyle, and I will be setting off to attempt to break the world record for the fastest couple to cycle around the world. We’ll be self-supported, bikepacking through places we’ve never been before on an 18,000-mile ride.
The current record to beat is 205 days, but we’ve set ourselves a personal target of 150 days, which will be tough — although we’ve agreed we’d be happy with anything under 180 days. I know Kyle is very set on 150 days, and secretly… so am I.
It feels like the round-the-world ride is all we can speak or think about at the moment. Constant route checking, adding to our ever-growing kit list (usually whenever I randomly think of something while out walking the dog), vaccinations booked, a meeting with a travel insurance company looming, and continual staring at a massive colour-coded spreadsheet showing daily mileage, average temperatures in different countries, flight options, and where shops are to restock supplies.
The route took months and months of planning — double-checking every single road, zooming in on Google Earth to see what it actually looked like. We’ve talked through everything that could go wrong and thought through solutions for worst-case scenarios. We know there’s risk involved every time you head out on a ride, but this one is far bigger than anything we’ve ever done before. One of the things we’re both most worried about is being chased — and knocked off — by stray dogs! The flights will also be stressful, as we have to rely on people we don’t know to bring us cardboard bike boxes at the airport. It feels like we’re well prepared, yet at the same time, there’s still so much to do before we set off.
The closer it gets, the more nervous I feel. I’m a natural self-doubter. More and more doubts have been creeping in about my ability to complete the ride — we’ll need to average over 200 km a day to meet our 150-day target. That doubting voice in my head says, “You won’t be able to do that,” “You’re going to fail,” “You’ll let down the people who believe in you.” But I’ve learned that thinking this way doesn’t help at all, so I flip those thoughts: “There’s no such thing as failure,” and “If we never try, we’ll never know.”
I’m a very determined person, and we’re doing this ride because we want to — no one has told us we have to. I’ll remember that when things get tough: we chose this. We’re also hoping to raise at least £100,000 for the mental health charity Shout, which will be a huge motivation when things inevitably get hard.
No matter how much I struggle on a bike ride — whether it’s crying my way up the Tourmalet while cycling every stage of the Tour de France plus the transfers (a 4,060-mile ride over 28 days), or crying through the final part of the 1,200 km Paris–Brest–Paris because of excruciating saddle sores — I don’t give up. I think that’s because nothing I go through on a bike is ever as hard as what I went through in my head when I struggled with my mental health. That’s the reason I ride a bike, and why I want to raise money for a mental health charity. I also want to inspire others to keep going through the tough times — because when the good times come back around, which they always do, they feel 100 times better.
Although I’m nervous, I’m massively excited. We’re going to see new places and embark on an adventure where we have no idea what will happen on the road. We’re creating a story without knowing the ending yet — all I know is that we’re going to make countless memories and experience something that not many people ever do. We’re incredibly grateful for the opportunity to take on this ride.
What I’m most looking forward to is being on the bike for such a long time. On multi-day rides, your focus narrows to basic survival: getting enough food and water, finding somewhere to sleep each night, staying warm (or cool), and staying safe. All the material things and insignificant worries from home fade away. You’re living fully in the moment — and that’s what I love about riding. Everyone is equal on a bike.
I am very grateful to have the support of CAMS, who are sponsoring our world record attempt. CAMS were there for me when I had a cycling accident, and I am proud to represent them on this journey
So, bring on the round-the-world adventure. We’re ready to see where the story takes us.
