Latest news with #GeorgeKohler
Daily Mail
19-07-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE We're cycling through 30 countries in a year - there's a Brit holiday hotspot that's as magical as the Northern Lights and Grand Canyon
George and Josh Kohler like a challenge. The father and son duo, from Norfolk, are currently on a mission to circumnavigate the entire globe on two wheels. Their epic 30,000km route will take them through 30 countries across four continents over the course of a year, and they're aiming to pick up the Guinness World Record as the first father and son to complete the challenge. And along the way, they're raising money for two charities; UNICEF and Bicycle Links, a local Norwich charity that provides bikes to children in need. Speaking to MailOnline from their 15th country, Kyrgyzstan, 56-year-old George says: 'A few years ago we'd decided to cycle across America and then a couple of years later Joshua came up with the idea to cycle home from Singapore. And then we thought "if we're going to do that, we may as well do the whole thing". 'When we looked into it we realised that's nobody done it before as a father and son. So all of a sudden we've got Guinness World Records on board.' The pair will travel through Europe, Asia, Australia and South America in their attempt but so far, it's Turkey that's stood out. Joshua, 22, reveals: 'Turkey was probably my favourite. I guess you have kind of an idea of what it's going to be like from the media. LEFT: Josh and George in Uzbekistan which has so far been the most challenging country to cycle RIGHT: George is pictured above in very hot conditions in central Turkey 'But then it was so different in real life. The locals there were so friendly and kind. We got invited to breakfast by a shepherd and just the landscapes throughout the whole country were stunning.' And his father agrees, saying: 'Turkey was a real eye-opener for us. We had had a few days off in in Cappadocia in Turkey, which was the most amazing place that I think I've been to in my lifetime. It's up there for me with the Northern Lights and the Grand Canyon.' The pair's hardest cycling so far has been in Uzbekistan where they faced daily temperatures above 40 degrees. 'There was a sort of 450km stretch of single straight road through the desert,' explains Joshua. 'So we were waking up at 2am in the morning to get good distance in before the sun came up and the heat rose, but there's 50km periods without anything. 'We had to stock up on water but of course the water bottles turned hot within minutes. All you want is a cold drink and it's pretty impossible to get out there. We did have a couple of trucks stop and give us water but that was the hardest week of the trip so far.' There have also been technical challenges, the most serious so far when a crack appeared in the frame of Joshua's bike in Turkey. He explains: 'Our bikes are made of aluminum so you can't really weld them back together. Because of shipping and customs we couldn't get the frame sent to us in time.' A solution eventually came in the form of Joshua's mother who flew out to Tbilisi in Georgia with the new frame. Next stop on the journey is China which George explains is 'going to be so different to anything either of us have experienced before in terms of language, culture and scale.' The pair aren't fazed though and are looking forward to the challenges to come. 'It's either been good, really good or incredible [so far],' reveals George. 'The people that we've met have been universally hospitable. We've had nothing but goodwill from everyone we've met.'
The Independent
13-03-2025
- The Independent
Father and son hope to break world record in year-long cycle around the world
A British father and son are hoping to set two new world records by embarking on a year-long bike ride around the world. George Kohler, 56 and his son Joshua, 22, from Norfolk in East Anglia, will cycle 30,000km (18,641 miles) through 29 countries across four continents while fundraising for Unicef. The adventurous duo, who previously cycled across the United States in 2022, will bike through Europe, Asia, Australia and South America over the course of a year. The pair, who will take on the challenge while carrying all their kit on their bikes, are hoping to set two Guinness World Records – the longest distance cycled and the fastest circumnavigation of the world by a father and son on bikes. They plan to set off from Norfolk to Harwich in Essex on March 29 and take the ferry to the Hook of Holland where they will kick off the European leg of their tour. 'The sheer scale of the challenge is incredible, with us encountering diverse cultures, remote landscapes and dangerous wildlife,' George Kohler told the PA news agency. Mr Kohler, who served in the British military for 27 years until 2014, before setting up a chimney sweeping business, says he is looking forward to sharing this experience with his son. 'I know we will face huge adversity on this adventure, but I'm looking forward to seeing how our relationship develops as it's tested to its limits. 'There are times where we will be at each other's throats, I've got no doubt about that, but there will be times where we will share the most amazing joy together with the most amazing people.' The pair will encounter a diverse range of landscapes, from the familiar architecture of Europe to the Silk Road of Tajikistan, to the vast expanses of China and the jungles of south-east Asia, to the majestic mountains of New Zealand and the Andes. Mr Kohler said he is most nervous about cycling across the Pamir Highway, which runs through Central Asia and the Nullarbor Plain in southern Australia. 'There's an element through the Stans called the Pamir Highway, which is part of the old Silk Route,' he said. 'It's the second highest highway in the world, and it's supposed to be absolutely stunning as a cycling route, but clearly very high altitude, very remote. 'It's a mixture of excitement to go into that level of remoteness, but also a bit of trepidation on something that's going to be quite tough, physically and emotionally to get through.' Regarding the Nullarbor Plain, a flat, arid landscape which spans 746 miles at its widest point, he said: 'Anyone who knows that we're cycling through that thinks we're nuts as it's because it's a treeless desert for miles and miles and miles. 'So there's a lot of logistics involved in it to make sure we've got enough water and food.' The father and son started cycling together in 2021 as a means of enjoying adventures together. Later that year the pair cycled from Land's End to John O' Groats and in 2022 they cycled 3,728 miles across the US in just three months. Joshua Kohler, a content creator and filmmaker, said he is excited to document their journey and to share the experience with his father. 'I am very much looking forward to taking on this challenge with my dad,' he told PA. 'We know there are going to be many ups and downs along the way but this will only strengthen our relationship. 'I also want to inspire others to appreciate the times they have with their parents or children and to make time to do things together. 'We can often get carried away in our own worlds and only realise the importance of these relationships when it may be too late.'
