Welshman completes epic charity cycle ride around the world

A Welshman will return home this weekend after an epic round the world charity bike ride after promising his mam he’d be back for Christmas.

Nathan Hurley from Blackwood will ride back into Cardiff Bay on Saturday (December 13) after departing on St David’s Day 2024 for an epic 28,000 mile bicycle journey through 43 countries and six continents, raising £10,000 for the Tŷ Hafan and MSA Trust charities.

The 36 year old said the 500 days in the saddle was “completely exhausting” but the excitement of riding his bike hasn’t worn off, “riding each day has become more comfortable for me but I promised my mam I’d be back by Christmas 2025 so I’ve been in a rush for the past few weeks.”

Nathan is a self-titled, “urban dweller” and so setting off with a tent, stove and a blow-up pillow was a daunting prospect. He stated he wasn’t even an accomplished bike rider as he recalls nearly falling off just 50 metres into the ride near the Senedd with his parents’ heads in their hands.

“Out of all of my friends I’m the guy who doesn’t do adventure well. I always forget the pump, spare batteries or the inner-tubes.

“I remember riding with mates from Cardiff to Brecon when I was 20 years old and needed to stop at B&Q in Merthyr to buy a car sponge as extra padding for my backside.”

He travelled south through France and cycled the famous Alpe d’Huez as his national hero Geraint Thomas did when he won the Tour De France in 2018. Nathan said: “It took G under 40 minutes to climb that mountain, it took me four hours.”

He then followed the ancient Silk Road from Italy to Turkey and through the Caucuses where he hit his first diplomatic hurdle. To avoid conflict and visa restrictions he took a short flight from Armenia to Kazakhstan where he continued to climb up over the Pamir mountain ranges and to the Great Wall of China.

“The Pamir highway takes you to an altitude of 4,600m and it’s hard to breathe or even concentrate, let alone ride the bike,” he said.

While cycling in western China, Nathan had an undercover security team following behind him as he crossed the Taklamakan and Gobi deserts.

“I didn’t mind the police following me, they made me feel like a VIP but they weren’t very inconspicuous, they were the only car following 200m behind me at 12 mph.”

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From there he rode down through South East Asia where he eventfully arrived in Jakarta, Indonesia and flew to Perth, Australia. The 3,000 mile journey across Australia was some of the hardest riding as he set his sights for Sydney Opera House.

“Australia is famously wider than the moon and for weeks and weeks it really felt like that in the heat. Home to wonderful people but it doesn’t help I’m terrified of snakes.”

Nathan says that even though the countries he’s travelled through are filled with warm and inviting people, loneliness is the toughest battle whilst on the road.

“Spending months speaking to strangers through a translation app can be exhausting. When I met English speakers I would waffle on at them for ages.”

While on the road Nathan got invited to two weddings and shared countless meals with locals curious about the cycling Welshman.

“My dad and uncle gave me Welsh flag pin badges to hand out to kids along the journey. Chinese children were so excited because it was the year of the dragon (2024) and they thought the gesture was very special. I ran out of them quickly.”

After completing the landmark journey from South Wales to New South Wales a new plan was made for the journey home.

“I had every intention of coming home after reaching Sydney but there’s no point in cycling half way around the world, is there?”

From there he journeyed to New Zealand and then up to Alaska to ride south on the Pan-American highway eventually arriving in Montevideo, Uruguay.

“Riding through the Americas is hard as the climate changes drastically but incredibly fun. In Alaska I was riding past three or four bears per day. Then in Mexico the temperatures soar to above 40 Celsius. In Central and South America the food is tasty, the streets are full of music and dancing but once I hit the Andes mountains the riding became so remote and logistically challenging.

“While in the Peruvian Andes my bike wheel cracked and was unrideable. I was a couple of days walk away from the nearest paved road. I had to wait five hours in the baking heat for the next vehicle to come by and help me. It’s tough up there at 5,000m altitude.”

After South America Nathan flew to Morocco and rode up through North Africa and Iberia before getting the ferry to Ireland and then into Fishguard, Pembrokeshire.

“Arriving back into Wales was an emotional moment. Even though I was on a once in a lifetime cycle ride I daydreamed about Wales every day on my journey.”

Nathan hopes that his journey can encourage others to take up cycling as a mode of travel.

And for his mum, her son’s return home is the best Christmas present ever.