He Wanted to Become the Youngest Person to Bike Around the World. Then His Bike Was Stolen.
Global cycling treks require a ton of fuel, gear, and coordination, but the main key to their success is, obviously, the bike. So we all let out a collective groan when we heard that Charlie Condell, an 18-year-old Brit aiming to become the youngest person to ever bike around the world, had his ride stolen this week.
Condell’s bike, a Cervélo he named “Colin,” had already gotten him through 102 days of his eight-month, 18,000-mile trip, which he began in July. Traversing more than 20 countries in Europe, Asia, Australia, and North America, Condell planned to follow the same route as Tom Davies, another British cyclist who, at age 19, broke the same record in 2015.
A post shared by Charlie Condell (@rtwcharlie) on Sep 26, 2018 at 5:25am PDT
To finish in his goal time, Condell needed to average about 100 miles a day-a tough task given the varied elevation, which included climbing the equivalent of 26 Mount Everests, according his fundraising page. Part of his journey took him through the French Alps, which had him climbing more than 1,600 meters each day.
Earlier this week, Condell reached Townsville, a small city in Queensland, Australia, where he checked into a hostel for the night. But on Tuesday morning, when he awoke to begin his 103rd day of riding, he realized his bike was missing.
A post shared by Charlie Condell (@rtwcharlie) on Oct 16, 2018 at 2:18pm PDT
“You can never quite believe it,” Condell told the BBC. “I thought maybe someone had moved it at first. But then I came to the sinking realization that it was gone and I just had on my shirt and my board shorts and one bag.”
Along with his bike, the thief took Condell’s passport, camping gear, and other bike equipment. In total, Condell lost about $4,000 worth of items, according to the BBC.
As Australians learned the news of Condell’s misfortune, however, several people in town offered to donate spare gear, housing, and even replacement bikes to help get the young rider back on track.
“The people of Townsville have been awesome at getting involved,” Condell wrote on Instagram.
Despite the setback, Condell told reporters that he’s still chasing that record. “It’s not going to stop me,” he said. “Once I get another bike, I’ll be off again.”
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