Cycling the globe via the interesting route!
Duncan Covey is more than simply an interesting person to speak with. He’s inspiring and yet relaxed and easy going, and he simply does things because it seems to be the right thing to do at a particular time. He also has an amazing outlook on life, that all of us can learn from – and he knows that life is here to be lived!
On April 6th, 2024, the right thing to do from Duncan’s perspective was to cycle around the world. And even though Mark Beaumont and others have done so, and in record time, Duncan wanted to ensure that his journey took in as many of the truly remarkable places as possible. After all, if you’re heading out for an epic cycling adventure, you should make it count! It had to have purpose as an adventure and not simply be a travelling opportunity. As he tells me, ‘‘You’ve really got to do something that you like and which has real meaning, if you’re going to work for 40/ 50 years!’’
This 25-year-old Cornishman grew up surrounded by the rugged and beautiful Cornish countryside and coast, where adventures were second nature, and where he describes it as being ‘an awesome, awesome place!’ After studying Sports Science at Bath University, life in London felt somewhat unfulfilling cycle-wise; and despite having taken several bikepacking trips, he craved something bigger. Adding his positive personality, his spirit and determination to the mix, and it seems to be obvious that Duncan was always going to seek freedom and adventure, without allowing the numerous challenges that others saw, to stand in the way.
The long road ahead
As we talk about the challenges, Duncan tells me that he’d spent time discussing potential issues with others: sitting on a saddle for so long; fitness; sleeping in a tent; not speaking the languages. However, none of these were in truth anything other than part of the overall challenge: ‘None of these held me back.’ One challenge that did arise, however, was when traversing Uzbekistan, where rice and boiled horse was on the menu,’ which Duncan recalls by saying ‘Yes, it was rubbish. However, there’s no point in complaining – you get on with it!’
His longest day in the saddle was 460 km, cycling out of Oklahoma and into Arkansas.
tornado alley section I basically had that window between a couple of storm warnings - so waited out the first set of storms, then hit the road once it cleared to knock out the 460km and then dived under cover again before the next set arrived
‘I was in tornado alley and there were big warnings. I basically had that window between a couple of storm warnings - so waited out the first set of storms, then hit the road once it cleared to knock out the 460km and then dived under cover again before the next set arrived. I had 48-hour window before the next set of storms would hit the area. I looked for wild camping places; but there was literally nowhere due to flooding – so, I kept on riding.’
Discussing this, Duncan is so “matter of fact” and relaxed as he continues by saying that ‘To ride a long way, you don’t need to ride fast. You just need to spend a long time on the bike!’
Re-evaluating self and the world around us
What strikes you most about Duncan is how passionate he is about life, people and cultures around the world - and how observant he is. He tells me that as he cycled further through Europe, wealth went down as he headed towards India; and yet, despite having far less in life, there were significant and positive changes in people’s values. They were kinder and more helpful. His face radiates the passion that he still feels for the journey and the people he met, recalling that ‘There is beauty everywhere, if you are willing to notice it. Even in the least pleasant cities. People who are simply overjoyed to see others; graffiti that becomes art, and simple street scenes.’
He then recounts the monsoons of South-East Asia, where the land was soaked with endless rain and the mist began rising in magical swathes, carpeting the landscape and creating a scene of such sublimity. As I listen to Duncan, his eyes light up, displaying the passion that carried him through this epic cycling journey, and he’s already inspiring me to seek my own adventure on 2-wheels – as we all should!
Ultimately, Duncan lives by the philosophy that ‘Adventure is a more spiritual thing than simply travelling, and life is so limiting at times. It’s up to us to be positive and to take that journey of self-discovery.’
His trip took him through 28 countries, across 4 continents and over 36000 km. Asking him what he plans to do next, he says quite relaxed and openly:
‘It’s a challenging one. I went on an adventure and a story-telling adventure. To continue with the adventure theme, there are so many places to go to and to feel inspired. Places I didn’t have the time to explore. I cycled through 28 countries; there are 168 still to explore… and India and the food is definitely worth considering again!’
Opening our eyes to life
There were good and bad moments during the trip; Duncan is above all else a realistic person and he’s seen a lifetime of cultures and places in a short timeframe. Talking about this, and despite his willingness to return to India, he recalls the crowded cities and the feeling of too many people, along with the poverty and the challenges that the people face. It was an overwhelming and exceptional place for Duncan; a place with a tightly woven tapestry of problems alongside the basic problem of simply existing.
However, the beauty of people comes to the fore when Duncan recalls cycling in Nepal, where a large festival was about to take place. Knowing how it would adversely affect his journey, an extended Nepalese family insisted on him staying with them for a few days, feeding and looking after him. On other occasions, cycling through the desert in Kazakhstan, people stopped him and have him water and half a watermelon. Small acts of kindness that helped to open up his eyes to the selfless beauty of the world, if we look close enough.
In Queenstown, New Zealand, he took a night trip out to the beach and sat surrounded by people travelling. Despite being alone, he wasn’t lonely; focusing on the warmth and smiles and love that ordinary people shared as they enveloped themselves in nature and the sounds of the sea. It’s ironic then, that as we talk more, Duncan opens up and tells me that when he’s back in London – one of the biggest cities in Europe – he recognises that it’s not always the welcoming city that people imagine. His own time in London is always filled with activity and friends; whilst accepting that for everyone, this simply isn’t the case. He’s a very thoughtful and philosophical person, and easy to talk to about life and travel and adventure.
He and I share our own individual tales of London, evidencing his thoughts, and realising that there is so much more to life than one city – that time is the most precious thing we have, and that sharing kindness is the simplest way of living. Talking to as many interesting people as possible, as we fill our minds with culture and meaning.
In his own words, Duncan tells me that ‘Nothing really matters, just ride. It’s a beautiful and simple lifestyle to lead!’
Travelling Lakeside
As we continue to chat and the time seems to stand still, I smile as Duncan tells me how he bumped into Ben Swift – a fellow Lake ambassador, and friend of ours – in Australia. This exceptional member of the world pro peloton took time to find out about Duncan’s journey, as they swapped Strava mileages for 2024, to see who had ridden the furthest! I’m looking forward to talking with both of them together, to find out how both ends of the cycling spectrum share that one simple gift and use it to inspire so many others - a love for riding bikes!
If you get an opportunity to attend one of the talks that Duncan is planning, then do go along. Listening to him will undoubtably inspire you to find your own cycling adventure. It has inspired all of us here at Lake to support his endeavours and to help him in a small way to at least have comfortable feet when riding those 36000 km, for 477 days!
Having extra wide feet, Duncan says that he chose our MX238X off-road adventure cycling shoes; which thankfully took him in comfort, all the way to Queenstown – 25000 km! The MX238X gave his wide feet the room to breathe, through deserts, rainstorms, and along the endless dusty trails, before we swapped them over for our latest MX239X! Take a look at the link below and see why the MX239 could be the right cycling shoe for you, as you ride into adventure!
Be inspired to be your own best version
Whatever you do, remember that life is a journey and, as Duncan reminds me, ‘We all have the option to choose.’ The world is still an accessible and quite beautiful place, filled with wonderful people – especially so in areas of deep poverty, where the trappings of a westernised life are absent. We can become too comfortable in our current lives, and we can easily forget to find real adventure. However, it is right there and waiting for you. And so, when you do grab it, do so with both hands… but just remember to wrap those all-important cycling feet in Lake – cycling shoes that have traversed the world!