Amy and Kyle Hudson rode around the world faster than any couple before them, in SunGods every mile of the way. Everyone's covered the record. This is the view from behind the lenses.
You've probably read about the record. 123 days. 18,018 miles. 20 countries. Almost three months under the previous mark.
You've probably read about the crash. A car turning across them outside Montreal. A broken collarbone. Thousands of miles still to go.
This is the other bit.
For four months, Amy and Kyle got up at 4am and rode 150 miles before dinner. Through 45°C heat in Malaysia. Biting cold in New Zealand. Roadworks and black bears in Canada. 53 punctures. Six crashes. One bike speaker, switched on only after lunch.
That's a lot of hours looking at the road ahead. And for every one of them, a pair of SunGods sat between Amy and Kyle and the world. So we didn't ask how fast. We asked what they saw. What it sounded like at the finish. The view at the top of the climb. The strangers who took them in.
Amy is a SunGod ambassador. She and Kyle wore SunGods every day of the ride. Not for the photos. In Amy's words, they were needed every day, not just for the sun but to protect their eyes.
The Interview
Take us back to the finish line moment. Where were you, what did it look and sound like, who was there, and what was the first thing that went through your mind when it hit you that you'd done it?
Amy: "It felt surreal, I was kind of in disbelief that it was all coming to an end. We finished at the same place we started at the Sudbury Stables café, not too far from where we live. All of my family were there, my dad met us 2 miles from the end on his bike and we all burst into tears! We had a group of 45 cyclists from a local club behind us for the last 10 miles. All my family and friends were at the finish line. It didn't really hit us that we'd done it until a few days later and it still feels a little bit like a dream now 3 weeks later!"
Kyle: "I remember riding in feeling a bit strange, completely quiet, not quite realising what we'd done and it not really sinking in. I kept saying to Amy "what have we just done?" Nigel from Derby Mercury met us riding in and then another local cycling club, Cycle Mickleover. Around 5 miles from the finish Amy's dad met us to ride in and he started crying and then Amy and then me. I still don't think I've fully processed it but I remember the feeling of relief and happiness when we finished, especially with the pain I'd been in with my collarbone, but also just disbelief."
What was the lowest point of the whole journey? A moment you genuinely doubted you'd make it, and what got you through it?
Amy: "When Kyle came off his bike after a car cut us up and he looked at me in so much pain and said "it's gone", talking about his collarbone, knowing that we still had 2,500 miles left to cycle. He was in a lot of pain. What got us through it I think was being there for each other and trying to be as positive as we could and make the most out of a bad situation. It was confirmed as broken the day after we got home!"
Kyle: "I think the obvious is coming off my bike and realising straight away that something was bad. I didn't doubt I'd finish because I wasn't seeing that as an option, but I do remember the next few days and thinking how tough it was going to be. I was in so much pain but it really showed how strong Amy was mentally, as she had to do pretty much everything off the bike and was really worried about me. She just took full care of me, making sure I could be as comfortable as I could be. In a strange way it made me more focused and sure we were going to get it done."
Walk us through what a typical day on the road actually looked like: the routine, the miles, the food, the small things that kept you sane hour to hour.
Amy & Kyle: "We averaged 150 miles a day, we had five days over 200 miles and a total of 6 days off during the 123-day ride, 5 of those were for flights and one for a bike service day. We would get up at either 4am or 5am and leave at either 5am or 6am depending on the weather and distance, after breakfast which was either porridge or Weetabix. We'd always ride 60 miles before having a first stop for some food and then go to at least 100 miles before having lunch. We'd break up the day into the three blocks between food stops. Music helped but we'd only listen to it after the lunch stop as a reward for getting to that point! "
"Kyle had a speaker on his bike. We would spend a lot of time talking about plans for the future, trying to make each other laugh and being amazed by what we were doing as we could never really believe it! We'd also think about dinner a lot too! Each lunchtime we'd check where we could get food in the evening, which would usually be us stopping at a supermarket and stuffing food into our panniers to cook. We usually had rice or pasta and chicken or tuna, but did have pizza or takeaway a few times! We would usually finish the day anytime between 6–8pm and try to get at least 6 hours of sleep after booking accommodation for the next night."
Was there one place, landscape, or person you met along the route that's stuck with you more than anything else? Describe it like you're back there.
Amy: "The first day in New Zealand I was taken aback by how beautiful it was. We had steep climbs on tired legs in the biting cold, but as we came to the top of one of the climbs the landscape opened up to reveal a massive lake with mountains all around its edge. It was so stunning and peaceful. It was a clear blue-sky day, the air was crisp and cold and the mountains were reflecting in the lake. We'd only had 1.5hrs of sleep on the flight over to NZ so were both extremely tired, but the nature around us immediately lifted our spirits. It was so beautiful and made me excited for the rest of our time there. It was made even better by one of the kindest souls we met, a man called Richard who is originally from England, now living in NZ. He offered us a bed at his home for the night and cooked us dinner. We chatted with him by his open fire while his cat snuggled up in front of us. It's a time we felt very well looked after and appreciated the warmth and kindness so much."
Kyle: "I think to start with the landscape, I'll never forget the day where we'd had a really bad night's sleep. We'd passed into Canada the day before and the place we stayed was like a shed in Beaver Creek with flies and no air con, and the next day we had a long 170-mile day. Amy wasn't feeling too good, but I remember the day starting with loads of roadworks, but later in the day we kept climbing gradually, with music on, just looking up at massive mountains and big roads, and we saw our first black bear! It was just vast but breathtaking. The person that really stuck out for me was a German man called Matze. He had been in the army and spoke little English but told me he followed us and how we'd inspired his riding for his mental health. He'd been discharged from the army after two tours and being shot in the head. He'd told me whilst he was injured he met Prince Harry. It makes you realise that people like that have struggles but keep battling on, and he was just inspiring."
Why this challenge, why now? What's the real story behind why you wanted to cycle around the world, and when did it stop being an idea and become a plan?
Amy: "We decided we wanted to do this in 2024 whilst cycling a bikepacking trip from Italy to home. We were enjoying it a lot and didn't want it to end. Although it was hard, we felt like we needed a bigger challenge to fully feel fulfilled! There was a time back in lockdown where I really struggled with my mental health and got to a point that I didn't want to be here anymore. Kyle bought me a bike during lockdown and it really changed my life, so going from a place of not wanting to be in the world to being able to ride around it felt like the right thing to do. We wanted to inspire people that feel like they're not enough to believe in themselves, and share with as many people as possible that the world is a better place with you still in it. Now felt like the right time, as I did the Tour de France ride last year, which helped my confidence and proved to myself that I can do hard challenges. It was an idea during our trip in 2024, and two weeks later it became a full-on plan, with me emailing places to secure sponsorship. As soon as that was done we started planning. And now we've done it!"
What's something you learned about yourself out there that surprised you, something you didn't know before you left?
Amy: "I've realised that it's okay to let my emotions out, crying makes me feel better sometimes! I spent a long time holding tears in before this trip but actually letting it out helps and it's nothing to be ashamed of! Also how much I need Kyle and my friends and family. I've always been very independent and never thought of myself as needing anyone for things, but I realise now that my family and friends are everything and I want to spend as much time as I can with them!"
Kyle: "One thing I learned about myself is that in normal day-to-day life I can find myself getting stressed about little things sometimes, and it soon made me realise the little things I could get worked up about were pretty irrelevant. The biggest surprise for me was how I soon managed to cope with the early mornings, which is something I was never so good at, and I actually stayed pretty positive in the early hours!"
If someone reading this is sitting on their own big, slightly terrifying idea, what would you want to tell them?
Amy: "I'd say as long as you're as prepared as you can be, then go for it!! There's only so much you can do before a big challenge until you just have to go for it! We had a big spreadsheet of possibilities for things that could happen and how we would deal with them, which helped me feel better about some of my fears. I'd say don't let self-doubt stop you from going for it, because if you don't try you'll never know. You can do what you put your mind to and every problem always has a solution. At the end of it, if you don't achieve your aim you'll definitely have learnt something and had an experience."
"I'm so glad we did it. Despite all the fears I had before we left and nights of lying awake wondering if I could do it, none of my fears came true and some I didn't think of did! But we got through it and we're stronger for it. You only have one life, live it!"
Talk us through the equipment that got you around the world. What were the items you couldn't have survived without (other than the bike of course)?
Amy & Kyle: "We had two pans each, two fork bags each, and an under top bag. We had everything we needed for extreme cold weather to extreme heat. We also had some GoPros to film, and sleeping bags and bivvy bags which we didn't end up using as the lure of a warm bed always got us! Spare lights also."
"The items we couldn't have survived without: suncream, inner tubes, an electric pump to pump up the many punctures we had! Raincoats, gloves, Chamois Butt'r and Compeeds! Sunglasses, needed every day, not just for the sun but to stop bits going in our eyes! Fly repellent and bite cream. At one point in Canada, Amy had 38 fly bites on her back. Although a bit of a luxury, the speaker for the bike was really helpful to get music on that we could both listen to and cheer up our mood! Also gear cables, as Kyle had one snap on the road! Of course helmets. Kyle actually left his on a plane at one point and we had to have a late start the next day to wait for a bike shop to open so he could get a new one."
What They Wore
123 days of sun, rain, grit and flies. Guaranteed for Life, which should cover the next lap.
Riding for Shout
Amy and Kyle rode to raise money for Shout 85258, the UK's free, confidential, 24/7 text support service. You can donate to their fundraiser here.
If anything in Amy's story feels close to home, you can text SHOUT to 85258, any time, to talk to a trained volunteer.
