Rest in Peace, Heinz Stücke

I was on holiday when I found out Heinz Stücke passed away, so here is a belated post on his story.

Heinz Stücke was a German man who in 1962, when he was 22 years old, quit his factory job and grabbed his bicycle for a “gap year” cycling, which then turned into more than 50 years on the road. He not only cycled through every country on Earth, but holds the record for the most travelled man on a bicycle.

Unlike other long-haul cyclists, for decades he used a basic three-speed steel-frame bicycle, nothing fancy. I remember when I was a kid reading Alastair Humphrey’s account of cycling around the world (Moods of Future Joys and Thunder & Sunshine), and he used a fancy Specialized bicycle which also broke in two halfway through his trip. Still a commendable trip, but Heinz’s trip was actually a mad project. Of course, he almost died several times, getting robbed, beaten, hit by cars, shot, chased and generally roughened up on several occasions. And still he cycled. He relied on the kindness of strangers and on selling and licensing photographs he took on his trip.

Heinz Stücke was a one of a kind man, with an immensely inspiring (and sometimes foolish) story. After pedalling around 650 000 km he retired in his late years and passed away on July 22nd. He’s also the subject of a 2021 documentary – The Man Who Wanted to See It All.

Of course, in my early 20s I wanted to do something crazy like that as well. I don’t think I had the courage and/or madness needed to cycle around the world, so I limited myself to a 3500km tour of Scandinavia. Needless to say, these two months were some of the best in my life. It was a small trip, but I probably wouldn’t have even thought about it if it wasn’t for people like Heinz to inspire me. I never met the man, but some part of me hoped to see him on the road during that time. I hope Heinz’s story and legacy will inspire others as well. God speed, Heinz, and have a peaceful cycle ahead.

I’ll add a few photos from my trip, leaving you to discover Heinz’s story by yourself. 🙂