Heinz Stücke, World Traveller

This is Heinz Stücke, the 65-year-old holder of consecutive world records in the Guinness® Book of World Records for world travel by bicycle. He has cycled more than 539,000 kilometres on his bicycle (seen here next to him) since 1962. He was in Paris near the Sorbonne on this particular July day, selling postcards and books about his travels, when I encountered him. The sale of postcards (which he photographed and had printed himself) and his excellent 20-page illustrated, individually autographed brochure on his travels (which he also produced himself) provides him with funding to continue his travels.

Heinz lives on his trusty bicycle, carrying 50 kg of luggage and supplies with him throughout the world, and has no fixed domicile; he stays at small hotels, youth hostels, and in accommodation provided by friends in the course of his travels. He has no intention of stopping any time soon.

During the course of his travels he has taken more than 100,000 superb photographs of just about every conceivable landscape on the planet. Unfortunately he has no telephone or mailing address; but if you should happen across him, be sure to buy some of his postcards and a copy of his brochure; both are well worth what he charges for them (about 0.75 € for postcards and 3.00 € for the brochure).

His bicycle is overwritten with the names of many places he has visited. It converts into a boutique when he stops in a location to sell his postcards and books, as you can see.

I tried to convince Heinz of the utility of at least a Hotmail address for keeping in touch with people, but he is still not a great fan of computers and technology.

In 2002, Heinz rode across Canada with a partner, on a Pino Tandem recumbent bicycle built and sponsored by Hase Spezialräder.

Click directly on the photo to see a smaller version (half this size). Photographed on July 9, 1999.

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