Connecting Three Universities: A 15,000-Kilometre Cycling Journey

The Journey

Luke Rimmer is an exchange student from the University of Liverpool at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University. On 21 July 2026, he set off from Suzhou on a 15,000-kilometre cycling journey across 15 countries, expected to take around 150 days.

Retracing the ancient Silk Road westward, Luke plans to travel via Xi’an Jiaotong University in Shaanxi province before arriving at the University of Liverpool in time for his graduation ceremony in December.

The journey reflects his determination to challenge himself while experiencing and sharing the landscapes, kindness, and realities of the world along the way.

Timeline

This section will be updated as Luke’s journey progresses.

July 2026

21 July: Departed from Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University in Suzhou, China.

August 2026

4 August: Arrived in Xi’an, China.

6 August: Reached Xi’an Jiaotong University (XJTU).

By 30 August: Plans to continue along the Silk Road through Qinghai province and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, exiting China into Kazakhstan via the Khorgos border crossing.

September–November 2026

Central Asia
Plans to cross Central Asia through Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.

Europe
Plans to fly across the Caspian Sea into Europe, passing through Turkey, Croatia, Italy, and France, before crossing the English Channel to reach the UK and continuing to Liverpool.