A father and son from near Norwich in the United Kingdom have achieved a remarkable feat of endurance and determination, breaking three world records after spending more than a year cycling around the world together.
George Kohler, 57, and his son Josh, 23, departed from their home on March 29, 2025, embarking on what would become a 18,000-mile journey spanning 14 months and four continents. The pair traversed Asia, Australia, South America, and Europe before returning home after 400 days on the road.
Upon their arrival, the accomplished cyclists were presented with Guinness World Records certificates recognizing their achievements for the fastest bicycle circumnavigation, the longest bicycle journey, and the most countries visited in a continuous bicycle journey by a father and son.
The journey was filled with memorable encounters that highlighted the universal language of human kindness. "There were thousands of highlights on this trip," Josh told Southwest News Service. "One standout moment is when we were cycling through a remote part of Turkey. We heard a shout on the hillside, and a shepherd was standing, beckoning us over. We walked up to him, and he offered to share his breakfast with us."
The young cyclist described the simple yet profound connection they made with the Turkish shepherd. "He had a pot on the campfire. We had eggs, bread and cheese, and we sat there. We wouldn't speak Turkish, and he couldn't speak English, but we had this incredible interaction with him," Josh said, speaking to Southwest News Service.
The world record attempt was not the Kohlers' first long-distance cycling adventure. The father-son duo began building their endurance when Josh was in high school, cycling the length of the United Kingdom in 2021 and completing a coast-to-coast journey across the United States in 2022.
"We had to learn to get our bodies used to doing long cycles," Josh explained to Southwest News Service. Two years after their American journey, Josh proposed the ambitious global circumnavigation to his father. George, who works as a chimney sweep, responded with characteristic simplicity: "Perfect, why not?"
The expedition tested the pair in ways they had not fully anticipated. While they expected physical and mental challenges from the daily cycling demands, the emotional aspects of spending every day together for more than a year proved unexpectedly difficult.
"We definitely had a full range of experience over the year," Josh told Southwest News Service. "Our bodies were tested day in day out, we were expecting the mental side of things to be tough as we anticipated long sprints. One thing we weren't prepared for was the emotional challenges, when you are with someone for so long, disagreements do happen frequently. We had one unwritten rule that we would never go to sleep on an argument."
Throughout their journey, the Kohlers experienced numerous acts of hospitality and generosity, from sharing lunch with locals in Serbia to receiving food and drink from welcoming monks along their route. These human connections became defining moments of their expedition, demonstrating the warmth and kindness that transcends cultural and linguistic barriers.
The emotional culmination of their journey came upon their return home. "The final day was extremely emotional seeing friends and family," George said, speaking to Southwest News Service. "People that I haven't seen for years and years were there to welcome us."
The Kohlers' achievement stands as a testament to the power of shared goals, familial bonds, and human perseverance. Their journey around the world not only earned them three world records but also created a lifetime of memories and strengthened the relationship between father and son through one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences imaginable.
