22,000 Miles Cycling Around the World

What started as a charity cycle ride to Australia ended in a World bicycle tour! And took Garry just over a year to complete, from October 2011 to November 2012.

Garry’s original plan was to cycle to Australia and visit his family. And, in the process, raise some much-needed money for cancer research. Garry’s wife, Josie, had died from breast cancer, aged only 42, so it was a ride close to Garry’s heart.

The Route Garry Cycled

Garry’s original route was to cycle through France, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, India, China, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and then finally cycle across Australia to Brisbane. Unfortunately, as Garry was halfway across Turkey, the British Embassy in Iran was invaded by a crowd of Iranian protesters. And the British Foreign Office advised against all travel to Iran.

Unable to find another route to cycle, Garry decided to miss out on his journeys to Iran and Pakistan. And instead, he flew to India, where he would continue his journey East.

Once Garry had cycled across India and Bangladesh, he caught a flight to Kunming in China. Garry couldn’t cycle to China because Myanmar wasn’t open to foreigners at the time.

Once in China, Garry’s journey took him through Lao, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia. After cycling through Indonesia, Garry reached Bali. Garry then caught a flight to Australia. Garry’s final leg was to cycle the 2500 miles across Australia to his finish in Brisbane.

After spending a few weeks at his final destination in Brisbane, Garry decided to cycle back home rather than fly. So, he booked a flight to the United States.

After another five weeks, Garry had nearly crossed America. And was thinking of turning this into an around-the-world bike ride. But after missing out Iran and Pakistan, he couldn’t say that he had cycled around the world.

The Accident

Things took a turn for the worse when Garry got knocked off his bike 23 miles from the finish in New York. Luckily, Garry wasn’t too badly hurt and managed to finish his ride into New York the following day.

Due to Garry’s accident, he returned home to England to recuperate. After a few weeks at home, Garry felt fit enough to continue on his world tour. So, he booked a flight back to Turkey.

The Return to the Saddle

Once in Turkey, Garry spent a few days in Istanbul catching up with the friends he had made when he was there earlier on in the year. But it wasn’t long before Garry was back on his bike heading for Georgia. After Georgia, only Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan were left to cycle and the small matter of China. Garry finally ended his world tour in Beijing. And after twelve months and 22,000 miles, Garry could now say that he had cycled around the world! And in the process, he raised over £13,000 for cancer research charities. If you want to follow Garry’s ride from day one, read his first post.

The Press Release

Garry’s Cycle Route

Garry’s World Tour Photos

Videos from Garry’s World Tour

Subscribe to Garry’s YouTube channel.

Follow & Support

If you’re enjoying the ride and want to fuel Garry’s next mile, you can always support him by buying him a beer. Or subscribe to his blog and follow him as he travels around on his bike. As a subscriber, you’ll be among the first to receive news and updates on future tours. And, of course, you can always follow Garry on social media: Facebook, Bluesky, Threads, X, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest. Garry’s also on Flickr, where you’ll find pictures from all his tours, along with regular photo updates that he generally publishes each month.

If you want to find out if Garry’s away touring at the moment and check his location, visit the Where’s Garry page. And after thousands of miles on the road, Garry’s condensed everything he’s learned into one place. So if you’re planning your own cycling adventure, read his reality check on long-distance touring.

Garry McGivern is a solo, self-supported bicycle tourist and the creator of Travelsonabike2. Having cycled over 70,000 miles worldwide on his trusty bike, Passepartout, Garry documents the reality of long-distance travel. Follow along for updates, gear insights, and the daily highs and lows of bicycle touring, whether he’s camped beside the road or in the luxury of a hotel. Join Garry on the road, and be inspired to start your own adventure. Read more.