‘Withers on Wheels’ is an incredible account of Mark’s round-the-world cycling challenge. The book materialised from a series of blog posts he wrote while on his incredible journey. Here is an extract about the inspiration behind Mark’s cycling challenge, and the feat itself, in his own words.
“With 60 quickly hurtling towards me, I wanted to do something that took me completely out of my comfort zone. I had been working for nearly 45 years and felt it was time to do something different. I read about a young lad called Tom Davies, who had circumnavigated the world on a bicycle and it really piqued my interest. Tom followed the Guinness (World Record) definition of a circumnavigation, at least 29,000km, start and finish at the same point, pass through two antipodal points, no cheeky lifts!
Going global
At the time, I was riding to work – around a 50km round trip – so I thought if I could do that distance twice in a day, I would be home by 10 months, give or take a week or two and a few rest days thrown in. The fact I have no sense of direction, no bike to use for the trip and a dislike for camping, were quickly put to the back of my mind. It was June, I earmarked 1 September to start the trip.
“The next few months were a blur. Telling loved ones, my daughter blurted out, ‘Don’t die, dad!’ My son just mentioned his concern for my backside. So, if I didn’t die and looked after my backside, I had the blessing from my son and daughter.
Next was the kit, if you plan to cycle around the world, it helps to have a bike. I bought a shining new bike in red, which looked very similar to a postman’s bike, so it was named Pat. Pat did not miss a beat throughout the trip.
Pedal Power
“I pushed off without much fanfare from London, got lost a few times heading to the ferry, which become the norm for the trip. I had a rough idea of keeping the sea to my right and with an iPhone I couldn’t really get lost. Importantly, take one day at a time.
“Each day I wrote a blog to keep family updated; it gave me a chance to take stock and reflect on the day. By the time I arrived back in London, I had ridden 29,454 km’s, crossed 23 countries and climbed the equivalent of 17 Everests. When you live in a big city you can sadly become cynical about the world.
“99.99% of people I met on the journey were friendly, supportive, and just good humans. The sights were amazing, naturally cycling over the Rockies is better than through the middle of Mumbai in rush hour, for obvious reasons. I have seen beauty that makes your eyes hurt and poverty that makes your eyes water. It made me realise small interactions, a hello or a wave make so much difference to your day.
“When I arrived home, my granddaughter Remi was diagnosed with a brain tumour at two years old. As a family, we were totally devastated and, frankly, lost. After many hours of operations, chemo and radio, she is a happy, smiling, brave and gorgeous little girl. Every day is a gift that we cherish.
Writing Withers on Wheels
“I decided to turn my daily blogs into a book. All proceeds from the book will go to The Brain Tumour Charity. This is no work of Shakespeare. It’s the ramblings of an old man cycling each day around the world and reporting back some of the events of the day. All proceeds will go to The Brain Tumour Charity.”
