Couple who 'aren't all that keen on cycling' complete 30,200km round-the-world ride
British couple Bob and Deborah Gulliver have spent the past two years cycling around the world to raise funds for CHAS charity
James Howell-Jones
Junior Writer
© Instagram / thegulliverstravels_
Deborah and Bob Gulliver in Fife, Scotland
On December 11, a couple who claim they "aren't all that keen on cycling" completed a 21-month circumnavigation of the globe.
Deborah and Bob Gulliver took on the 30,200km ride to raise money for Children's Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS), setting off from the CHAS Rachel House children's hospice in Fife, Scotland, in March 2022.
Their journey took them across Europe, through West, Central and Southeast Asia, then to Australia and New Zealand and across the United States. Back in Europe, they finished with a ride from Lisbon to Scotland, where they completed the ride back at the children's hospice in Fife.
Read more: From catastrophe to victory: the fastest tandem at Paris-Brest-Paris
The pair began the ride on a Hase Pino Tour tandem, a semi-recumbent tandem on which the front rider lies low and the rear rider sits upright in a traditional cycling posture. However, the bike slowly fell to pieces between Thailand and Las Cruces, US, so Bob and Deborah switched to two individual touring bikes, Koga Randonneurs, to finish the journey.
Their journey was marred by more than just mechanical issues. The pair suffered a number of incidents over the 21-month ride, including gastric illness, eye and ankle injuries, and having a gun pointed at them in Florida.
Read more: Powered by kindness: This worldwide movement is making cycling more accessible
Speaking to local news outlet the Daily Record at the finish line, the pair estimated they have raised a five-figure sum for CHAS, and said they have "created more memories in two years than many do in a lifetime", despite confessing that they "aren't all that keen on cycling".
"Whenever we felt exhausted," said Bob Gulliver, "we would think of the children supported by CHAS across Scotland, and that would always spur us on."
CHAS Community Fundraiser Cara Bowden said: “Their contribution will help us continue to support children with life-shortening conditions and their families across Scotland.”
Learn more about Deborah and Bob's journey on their website, The Gullivers Travels, and donate to CHAS via their JustGiving page.
Related Content
Powered by kindness: This worldwide movement is making cycling more accessible
Since 2011, Ole Kassow’s idea to make cycling more inclusive has grown from a Copenhagen experiment to a worldwide movement. We spoke to him to hear more
From Luton to Mallorca on the Vuelta a Casa: GCN catches up with fundraising superstar Ottilie Quince
With her personal Grand Tour complete, GCN’s George Poole sat down for a catch-up with Ottilie to hear all about her adventure
“I just want to show to my Mum and my Dad what it means to be alive”: GCN sits down with Ottilie Quince
On the eve of her Vuelta a Casa challenge, GCN's Nancy Arreola and George Poole sat down with the extraordinary athlete to hear her story
Father and daughter ride 2,162km to create largest Strava art ever
After spending 16 days drawing an enormous heart in France, Frédéric and Mathilde de Lanouvelle have taken the Guinness World Record and raised €26,000 for charity