Expat Couple Sets World Record for 20,000 Mile Motorcycle Ride Through Every Province in China

Buck Perley (US) and Amy Mathieson (UK) have been recognized by Guinness World Records (TM) for their unprecedented 146 day motorcycle adventure through all 33 provinces in China, called The Great Ride of China. They were the first foreigners to have completed such a feat, raising money for charity along the way.

"To be recognized by Guinness for our trip around China was a real honor, a perfect end to an experience of a lifetime." Buck Perley

Beijing, China (PRWEB) February 12, 2014

On January 6th, 2014 Buck Perley and Amy Mathieson were officially recognized by Guinness World Records (TM) as having completed the longest continuous motorcycle journey within a single country. The official distance of their record was 20,727.13 miles (33,357.15km). During their trip, which they called The Great Ride of China, Perley and Mathieson raised over US$11,000 for China based charity, Free Lunch for Children (http://mianfeiwucan.org).

On July 19th, 2013 the couple set out from Beijing on their Chinese made CFMOTO 650TR with the goal to ride through all 33 provincial level regions in China. Their journey, which they completed on December 11th, would take them through 3 different seasons as well as climates ranging from the grasslands in Inner Mongolia, the Gobi Desert in the west, the Himalayas in Tibet, and the sub-tropics in the south. Perley and Mathieson’s incredible accomplishment was realized almost entirely unassisted as they traveled solo on a single motorcycle for most of their 146 days on the road.

The couple would face immense challenges while on their journey as they had to overcome torrential downpours, hundreds of kilometers of road construction, vicious sandstorms, and high altitude snowstorms. Their route took them from the 3rd lowest point on earth at 150m below sea level in the Turpan Depression to over 5,200m at Everest Base Camp. The two also explored cultural relics across the ancient country, some dating back over 1,000 years.

“Traveling by motorcycle is an incredibly immersive experience, which offered a unique opportunity for us to visit places off the beaten path and rarely visited by foreigners,” Perley says of their journey. “To be recognized by Guinness for our trip around China was a real honor, a perfect end to an experience of a lifetime.”

With the help of their partners, CFMOTO and Free Lunch for Children, the expat couple helped to raise over US$11,000 (over CN¥70,000) to provide free school lunches for children in impoverished areas around rural China. The charity, Free Lunch for Children, aims to help alleviate malnutrition for young children in over 20 provinces around the country while also encouraging school enrollment for kids whose only chance for a full meal is the one that they receive at school.

Amy, an architect trained in Oxford with an interest in building preservation, and Buck, a web designer who had previously circumnavigated the US by motorcycle and hiked the 2,200 mile Appalachian Trail, have both been living in Beijing since 2010 which is when they first met. The couple had taken shorter motorcycle trips around the east coast since first moving to China but were hungry to see more of what the country had to offer which is how The Great Ride of China was born. Next, the two are planning on writing a book about their adventures around China.

They kept a daily trip diary on their website at http://www.TheGreatRideOfChina.com and regular updates on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and Weibo.

The Great Ride of China was made possible thanks to the support of their partners: CFMOTO, PICC Insurance, SOS International, CICC Insurance, QIYI Motorcycle Accessories, Light in the Box, KOA Group, Ogilvy Public Relations, and ACA Publishing.