Amy and Kyle Hudson targeted round the world cycling record with Santini backing
British pair Amy and Kyle Hudson set out to break the world record for the fastest circumnavigation of the globe by bicycle as a couple, with Santini supplying the kit for their huge endurance challenge.
Amy and Kyle Hudson had taken on one of the boldest projects in endurance cycling, aiming to ride around the world in a record-breaking time while raising money for the mental health charity Shout. Supported by Italian clothing brand Santini, the British couple had planned to beat the existing benchmark of 204 days and hoped to complete their journey in between 150 and 170 days.
Their attempt had been about far more than numbers on a stopwatch. The ride had also carried a strong charitable purpose, with the pair using the challenge to support Shout, a service that offered 24/7 help to people experiencing mental health difficulties. It had been the latest chapter in a story that had already resonated with many riders, particularly through Amy’s openness about how cycling had helped her through difficult periods in life.
The roots of the project had stretched back to lockdown, when Kyle had bought Amy a bike during a particularly hard time. That simple act had proved transformative. As Amy spent more time riding, she had rebuilt her confidence and found renewed balance, eventually developing a large following online through her cycling content and her message about sport as a tool for self-care. On Instagram, where she had built an audience of more than 100,000 followers, Amy had become a well-known voice for accessible, inspiring cycling adventures.
The round the world record attempt had grown naturally from the couple’s shared love of long-distance riding. Amy had said the first spark came during a cycling trip from Venice to Derby, but the idea had truly taken shape in August 2025 after she completed her remarkable Tour de France Challenge. During that ride, she had covered 6,556km in 29 days, tackling all 21 Tour de France stages as well as the transfers between them, and had raised £93,000 for Shout in the process.
That performance had already marked Amy out as a rider capable of handling huge back to back distances, but the global challenge represented a different level altogether. The scale of the undertaking had demanded serious preparation, especially for Kyle, who had balanced training around his full-time work as a builder. Their build-up had included two to three high-intensity turbo sessions each week, long weekend rides and a UK bikepacking trip designed to test their bikes, luggage and overall set-up.
Kit choice had also played a central role, and Santini’s support had been a major part of the couple’s preparations. With the route set to take them across a huge range of climates and conditions, they had needed clothing that was compact, versatile and reliable enough to cope with months on the road. Amy had already worked with Santini during her Tour de France Challenge and had said the brand’s ability to provide high-performance kit for varied conditions made it the right partner for another ultra-endurance effort.
There had also been a personal touch in the custom jersey Santini created for the pair. Its design had been inspired by shooting stars, a symbol that had carried deep meaning for Amy and Kyle since Paris-Brest-Paris in 2023, their first major endurance event together. During the closing stages of that ride, when Amy had been struggling badly with saddle sores, the pair had spotted a shooting star. The moment had given them a lift and helped drive them on to the finish. Since then, the image had stood for hope, resilience and the determination to keep moving forward when things became difficult.
The route itself had underlined the ambition of the record attempt. The couple had planned to start in France before riding through Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria and Turkey. From there, the journey had continued through Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore, before moving on to Australia, New Zealand, Alaska, Canada, the United States, Portugal and Spain.
For Amy and Kyle, the challenge had represented a shared test of endurance, partnership and purpose. They had wanted not only to set a new record, but also to show what could be achieved through determination, support and a willingness to embrace the unknown. In doing so, they had set up a ride that promised to be one of the most inspiring ultra-cycling stories of the year.
