In 1962, a German toolmaker rode away on a bicycle with almost no money; 52 years and about 403,000 miles later, he had pedalled through 196 countries

In November 1962, Heinz Stücke left his hometown of Hövelhof in Westphalia on a three-speed bicycle with no fixed return date. He was 22, had trained as a toolmaker and had grown increasingly reluctant to spend his life working in a factory. What began as an attempt to see the world became one of the longest bicycle journeys ever undertaken. Over the decades that followed, Stücke travelled hundreds of thousands of kilometres, crossed continents and eventually visited 196 countries.According to CYCLINGABOUT, accounts published around 2010 put Heinz Stücke's total distance at more than 609,000 kilometres, or about 378,000 miles. Later records put the eventual distance at around 648,000 kilometres. The 2010 figure reflects only part of his journey, since Stücke continued travelling for several more years before returning to Germany.A journey that was never meant to last decadesAs per Der Spiegel, Stücke did not initially leave Germany intending to spend decades travelling. His first major plan was to cycle towards Japan for the 1964 Olympic Games, but the journey soon developed beyond its original purpose. He eventually reached Japan in 1971, years later than planned, after choosing to continue exploring rather than hurry towards a fixed destination.Money was a constant problem. Stücke did not have many funds, and therefore devised his own system of financing his lifestyle. He would sell postcards, brochures, and pictures he took when travelling. Later, photography became central to his travels, and he amassed more than 100,000 pictures of the people and places he visited. The bicycle was as remarkable as the journey itself. Stücke spent almost the whole time during the expedition cycling on a steel-framed three-speed touring bicycle. The bike was heavily loaded and constantly repaired, remaining an item of equipment for decades of travelling. The bicycle was reportedly stolen several times but was always recovered.From seeing the world to seeing every countryDuring the first twenty years, the trips of Stücke were motivated mainly by curiosity and not by his goal to create an official world tour list. That desire emerged in the early 1980s, when Stücke decided he wanted to see every country in the world. The criteria changed as borders shifted and new countries emerged. Stücke believed that by 1996 he had completed his task and visited the Seychelles. Nevertheless, completing the list did not bring him the pleasure he expected, because he felt he had not spent enough time in some countries.He also faced dangers well beyond ordinary cyclist fatigue, including being knocked off his bike by a truck in the Atacama Desert and being chased through the streets of Haiti by an angry mob. Political boundaries and the international situation at that time also dictated how and where he could go.According to ABC News, Heinz Stücke was recognised by Guinness World Records in the 1990s for having travelled more widely by bicycle than anyone else. Stücke continued travelling, visiting more countries and documenting his experiences through photographs, gradually turning what began as a youthful adventure into a way of life that lasted for decades.196 countries and a lifetime on two wheelsWhen he finally came back home after all those travels, the numbers had swelled far past what his initial vision had been. His final tally was estimated at 648,000 kilometres, or 403,000 miles, and he visited 196 countries as well as many others. He used 21 passports and created extensive photographic and written records of his travels. His case is notable not for record-breaking round-the-world travel, but because the idea of a destination eventually became irrelevant to him. Decades later, the bicycle had taken him everywhere he needed to go, and a trip had become a whole life on the road.Catch the latest World News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.