Around the World in 18,000 Miles – Two Guildford Cyclists Plan Epic Ride for Charity

Published on: 6 Mar, 2022
Updated on: 9 Mar, 2022

Round the World cyclists

By Martin Giles

Video by Mark Insoll

Two young men from Guildford will be setting off soon to cycle around the world.

Marcus Pillinger from south Guildford and Oli Lyon from Normandy, as well as having the adventure of their lives, intend to raise money for “School in a Bag”. The charity provides school bags for less advantaged children worldwide to give them the tools to learn.

They expect to depart on May 2 and further details will be announced, so you can wave them off.

Those wishing to donate to the charity or support Marcus and Oli can donate here. To keep the costs of the trip to a minimum they will be living as frugally as possible spending most of the nights in tents, spending as little as they can.

The 18,000 mile circumnavigation route (click on image to enlarge).

Their marathon ride will circumnavigate the globe and their provisional route will take them to the opposite side of the planet in New Zealand, passing through 25 countries.

To officially be considered to have cycled “around the world” they need to complete 18,000 miles (29,000km). In comparison, the Tour de France is on average a mere 2,200 miles (3,500 km).

They aim to complete 250-300 miles a week but are expecting setbacks and challenges on such a long journey. They anticipate the whole trip will take about a year and hope to give Dragon readers update reports on their progress.

Please see Marcus and Oli talk about their ride here…

Marcus Pillinger

Marcus Pillinger has lived in Guildford for most of his life and has recently moved back here after a few years in London. He says: “I studied in London and graduated in 2015 with a degree in Biochemistry.

“Growing up in the hills around Guildford, I have always been an ‘outdoorsy’ person and cycling has been part of that since going on rides with my Dad as a child. I am also a keen cook and photographer, skills I’ll definitely be deploying on the tour as we camp after a long day’s ride, and to document our trip.

“I have never embarked on a trip this big before and I’m relishing the challenge.”

Oli Lyon

Oli Lyon studied Fine Art at Chelsea Art College in London. He says: “I had a great experience at art school and art has remained a major part of my life, I am always creating or thinking about the next painting.

“I am looking forward to being inspired by seeing the world from the perspective of two wheels! I am fortunate that I live in a part of the world that enabled me to have this type of education which is why I feel the work done by the charity, ‘School in a Bag’, is so important.

“I have always enjoyed cycling, using it as my main form of transport for many years. Most recently during lockdown, cycling has provided a great escape into the countryside – no matter the weather. When at home I spend most of my time reconditioning old road bikes for selling and painting.

“I can’t wait to get going and am hoping to raise a good amount of money for charity on the way.”