AFTER cycling through suffocating heat and dust storms on a three-year around-the-world adventure, John Harwood has finally returned to his West Oxfordshire home.

The intrepid cyclist originally only planned to be gone for two months on a ride from London to Sydney, Australia.

But by eeking out his redundancy money and finding a new passion for life on two wheels, the former IT worker travelled to the USA, Nepal and Burma as part of his mammoth 37,000-mile expedition.

Last week, the 49-year-old pedalled the final 30 miles from Aylesbury, where he was visiting his sister, to his local pub The Cock Inn in Combe, near Woodstock, hoping for a pint of real ale.

Unfortunately, the pub was closed but he still caught up with friends.

Mr Harwood set off on his epic journey in May 2007, with the intention of cycling to Sydney. But after arriving in Australia, he kept on going – returning home via New Zealand, Japan and the USA.

Mr Harwood, a bachelor, said: “I didn’t really expect to be gone for more than two months. But I decided that if I was still enjoying myself when I got to Sydney I would carry on.”

Averaging 60 miles a day, he rode across 30 countries on four continents. He lived on no more than £20 a day, camping in the wild or staying with people he met. He carried his possessions and a tent in bags on his bike.

He used a redundancy payout to pay off his mortgage and rented out his home in Stonesfield Road, Combe, to fund the trip. He travelled between continents by air, but cycled everywhere else.

Low points on Mr Harwood’s trip included contracting a virus in Delhi, being bitten by a paralysis tick in Australia and having £800 stolen in Burma.

However, when the thieves were arrested, he took food and water to the captives in prison as he was so shocked by the conditions.

His favourite places were Bulgaria, Nepal, Australia, Japan and the USA.

He said: “I used to work in IT and I didn’t particularly like the day-to-day routine of it. While I was cycling I loved what I was doing and I loved the people I met.”

He added: “Australia was the hardest place, because of the immense heat. At the end of the day I was totally exhausted and almost passing out. The USA, though, was having its worst winter in 50 years – and at times the snow was 3ft deep.”

Asked what he missed most while away, the keen Norwich City fan said: “Match of the Day and real ale.”

He now plans to write a book about his travels.