TikToks, arguments and magical moments: Meet the father and son cycling around the world
By Ben Church, CNN
(CNN) — On the face of it, George and Josh Kohler are just like any other father and son duo — only these two men are on an extraordinary mission.
Having set off from home in the east of England in March this year, the pair are attempting to cycle around the entire world. On a journey spanning four continents, the Kohlers will battle physical, mental and emotional exhaustion, navigate the complicated world of visas and hopefully break three world records in the process.
The pair have already crossed Europe, successfully made it through China and are now already in Thailand.
Speaking to CNN during a “non-cycling day” in China, both George and Josh were pragmatic about what they were attempting.
“We set out on this journey with three aims,” Josh said, sitting next to his father on a video call from a hotel room.
“The first one was to challenge ourselves, which this is certainly doing in all aspects. The second was to raise money and awareness for UNICEF and also for a local bike store.
“And the third aim was to inspire others, to inspire everyone to do small adventures, big adventures, just get out of their comfort zone and really push themselves in ways that they didn’t know they could before.”
The challenge is huge. The pair will travel over 18,000 miles on two wheels, passing through 25 countries and spending over a year away from home.
And while progress has been impressive so far, neither are getting too ahead of themselves, admitting they are learning a lot on the way.
It’s not the first time the pair have tackled a long-distance bike ride together. In 2022, they cycled across the US and got the hunger for more adventure.
Having initially thought about flying to Singapore and cycling back home to England for their next big trip, the pair decided they might as well do the “extra bit” and cycle around the planet.
They could soon hold the record for the furthest distance ever cycled by father and son, the fastest circumnavigation of the world by father and son on bicycles, and the most countries cycled through by father and son.
In order for their record-breaking attempt to be verified by Guinness World Records, the pair must travel in one direction across two antipodal points — two locations connected if you drew a straight line through Earth.
The two points for this journey are in New Zealand and Spain, while the rest of the route is up to their interpretation.
“I will take absolutely none of the credit for this whatsoever,” George said, rolling his eyes when crediting his son for driving the idea.
“We are novice cyclists and somebody decided he wanted to go on a bike ride.”
As his dad would agree, Josh is the driving force behind the adventure. His eyes are full of enthusiasm and, since leaving the family home two years ago, he’s been no stranger to traveling the world.
It’s an interest sparked, he says, by Northern Irish explorer and author Leon McCarron, who spoke to Josh and his classmates at their school.
Social media stars
The 22-year-old has since set up a YouTube channel which features his travel storytelling and demonstrates his talent for videography. He’s now using the platform to chart his latest adventure with his dad, with videos attracting hundreds of thousands of views.
The pair are also active on other social media sites, regularly posting short videos explaining where they are in the world. It’s something that comes more naturally to one half of the dynamic duo than the other.
“I’m the reluctant partner,” George says. “I had no inclination at all of getting into this whole Instagram, TikTok malarkey, but Josh twisted my arm and said to just give it a go.
“All of a sudden, I think I’m close to 30,000 followers, which is bizarre. Why people watch what I do, I don’t know, but it’s nothing compared to what Josh is doing.
“We’ve since found out that there’s a growing following on TikTok in China, which we haven’t been aware of until today.”
It’s safe to say the world of content creation and growing social media followings is far removed from George’s life before this adventure.
Coming from a military background, George more recently took up work as a chimney sweep. But while Josh may be the instigator, none of this would be remotely possible without George. He can take credit for raising a son with the confidence and ambition to tackle the challenge — and agreeing to join it himself.
The chance to chase his son around the world on two wheels was perhaps too special to turn down, but George is fully aware that the special dynamic lends itself to some tough situations.
While his time in the military put him in some compromising and challenging environments, nothing, he says, could have prepared him for the emotional toll of this odyssey.
“That’s why I think no father and son has ever done this before,” he said, with both smiling knowingly when asked whether there had been any arguments so far.
“I suppose it’s a bit like lancing a boil,” George added. “Because the pressure builds up and we’ve had a few explosions over the months.
“But you say your piece, we have a big hug and realize that we’ve got to build this and do this together. It’s about the overall relationship, longer term, the friendship that we will continue to build and develop over that period.
“The ultimate aim is to finish this as father and son.”
The goal is to finish the trip early next year but the team is taking things one step at a time.
They try to cycle around 62 miles (100 kilometers) every day but it depends heavily on where they are, how they are feeling and what the conditions are like around them.
The route has changed and will continue to change as they travel east around the world, with the pair dedicated to enjoying parts of the world they cycle through.
But with such long distances being traveled every day, nutrition is a huge factor in their success.
On average, the pair estimate they burn around 5,000 calories every day, so they aim to eat “absolutely anything” in order to fill the deficit.
“It’s great when you’re in locations where you’ve got a lot of food but where there’s not a lot of food, it’s a bit of a challenge. Sometimes you just have to eat what you can get,” George says, noting China boasted a number of memorable meals.
Trip of a lifetime
Both George and Josh struggle to pinpoint an exact moment that stands out for them on the trip so far.
Instead, it’s been a patchwork of memorable experiences and interactions with local people. The kindness of strangers, they both say, has been the most satisfying aspect, from people offering them water from the windows of passing cars, to a shepherd in Turkey sharing his food with them on the side of the road.
But there have also been the inevitable lows. Both have days where they miss their family and loved ones back home, and have moments when enthusiasm for cycling is missing.
It’s in those moments, though, that the pair remember how lucky they are to be taking on this challenge together.
“I’m incredibly grateful,” Josh says, adding how “fortunate” he is to have a dad who is willing to share this journey of a lifetime with him.
“The proudest thing you can have as a father is a son that’s better than you,” George responds.
The-CNN-Wire
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