One man, two wheels, and 25,000 kilometres. George is pedalling across the globe from England to New Zealand to turn every mile into a life-changing bicycle for those in need in South Africa.
England, United Kingdom (22 January 2026) – From South Africa to around the globe, the boys are on their bikes and cycling for causes that make a difference. Even all the way in the UK, 18-year-old George Malcolm got the memo and is currently riding over 25,000 kilometres from England to New Zealand, all to raise funds for Qhubeka Charity!
“I’m excited to be part of the Qhubeka Charity initiative, where I am raising funds to provide bicycles to those in need (quite an appropriate charity for my adventure),” George says.
In the face of extreme and persistent poverty, bicycles can change lives by helping to address socioeconomic challenges at the most basic level – helping people to get where they need to go. Qhubeka works to move people forward by distributing bicycles to people in underserved communities and teaches them how to ride them.
Under bright, sunny skies, George officially began his epic “Big Bike Ride” journey six days ago, pedalling out of England in perfect sync with his two-wheeled companion.
All seemed to be going well until he reached day four, when all that could have gone wrong, did.
“If you can think of something that could go wrong when biking, it probably happened. Two punctures, a broken spoke, data stopped working, needed to wade through a river, lights stopped working halfway across the river. That sort of thing. If it wasn’t for the great people, like the couple who helped me fix puncture number one and my great warm shower hosts, it could almost be called a bad day,” said the determined cyclist, keeping in good spirits.
One of Qhubeka’s UK trustees met George yesterday for a quick catch-up, a bike check from their mechanic, and to hand over some Qhubeka merchandise for his journey.
George is hoping to complete his extreme biking challenge in about a year and a half and is documenting his journey on Instagram at @big.bike.ride and welcomes support from all corners of the globe.
“A bicycle can truly transform lives, allowing people to travel further, carry more, and access the resources they need to thrive. Join me in this incredible journey to empower others and bring positive change to their lives.”
If you wish to make a donation and help George change lives with bicycles, visit his funding campaign here.
Sources: Qhubeka Charity | George Malcolm
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