The man who has been pedaling across the globe for 16 years

Somen Debnath has been on his bike for 16 years crossing continents and experiencing many adventures including being robbed and even attacked.

But as Covid-19 hit, this global tourist found himself in one of the safest countries in the world – New Zealand.

“Yeah, it’s [had] ups and downs like a heartbeat – life is amazing,” Somen told 1 NEWS.

Travelling for nearly half his life, Somen’s journeyed through 157 countries with another 34 planned. He’ll ultimately cycle more than 200,000 kilometres.

“[I've travelled] 35 states of America to Canada to Alaska...it took me four years to travel.”

He’s pedaling a message of love and peace while raising awareness for HIV.

An adventure for the most part well received but locals in the countries he visited, but there have been hiccups.

“More than 20 times I was robbed. I was encountered by different community people and I have had three bicycles stolen.”

Here’s now on his seventh bike. They have carried him into some of the most dangerous parts of the world.

In Afghanistan he was attacked by a group of men.

“They started to beat from the back of the gun. I forgot to speak because tears were running down my cheeks.”

The zoology graduate and social worker talked himself out of danger and into the kitchen of one of the most feared terrorists groups on the planet.

“I was blindfolded they dropped me 16 kilometres before Bharat and that is the end of the journey which took me from Bharat Bhandar, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.”

Covid’s kept him in New Zealand longer than planned, but with more time to tell his captivating story.

“The world doesn’t know good and bad, it is simply just on how we offer.”