Wind

Patagonian wind is a force to be reckoned with and a constant robust presence. Because of the intense thermal contrast between the South Pole and the equator, the southern latitudes between 38 and 50 degrees south are some of the windiest places on Earth. Day after day of headwinds could make this part of the expedition a real challenge.

Heat

I’ll be passing through the Sahara desert in Egypt and Sudan in May and June of 2010. 2 years later I’ll hit the Australian outback. My route passes close to areas in Sudan and Ethiopia which are reputed to be amongst the hottest places on earth with annual average temperatures of 37C. In some areas of the desert I expect to have to carry up to 16 litres of water on the bike.

Cold

I’ll cycle up into Northern Alaska, inside the Arctic Circle, during April 2012. Average temperatures are expected to be an unforgiving -19 C.

Wet

November 2011 may be a tough month. Parts of Columbia I’ll be cycling through see over 30 inches of rain per month - London in contrast averages 2 ½.

Altitude

I will cycle through a number of mountain ranges including The Andes, The Himalayas and The Alps and occasionally over passes in excess of 5000 metres. I hope to climb to reach some of the highest towns and vehicle accessible roads on each continent. Here are some of the highest - many of which are on my hit list:

Roads

Some African roads can be gruelling for cyclists and I’m sure my bike will suffer the consequences of the hidden potholes and miles of unpaved surface. The longest stretch of straight tarmac lyes nearly 1,000km to the east of Perth on the Nullabor Plain in Australia - “The 90 Mile Straight". Several months later I’ll meet the world's longest continuous road descent (of 4600m) on the trans-himalayan highway near to Everest basecamp.

Wilderness

I’m keen to take off into more remote regions given the opportunity. The Patagonian steppe and the 'stans of central Asia probably represent the most sparsely populated areas on my route around the world.

Endurance

50,000 miles is equivalent to twice the circumference of the earth, over 20 Tour de Frances and over 80 times the length of the Great Britain. I’m aiming to travel between 70 and 150 km a day depending upon, amongst other things, the road conditions, the gradient and the wind speed. To keep my legs turning I’ll have to take in anything up to 6000 calories per day. And how will all this cycling affect my body?... have a look at The Experiment