Man sets off on 55,000-mile motorbike trip via Elephant & Castle

The former BBC cameraman, author and philosopher began his seventh and final bid to circumnavigate the globe – on this last occasion travelling up and down the length of each continent as far as possible while circling the globe, visiting 45 countries, crossing 25 time zones and covering 55,000 miles in 120 days.

Sanders made his way to his official start point at the Greenwich Meridian on Sunday from the Stockwell branch of biking retailer Hein Gericke, the sponsors of his expedition, accompanied by convoy of 50 biker fans.

The celebratory ride travelled via Elephant & Castle, New Kent Road, Tower Bridge Road and Grange Road en route to Greenwich.

Sanders' kit includes a Sony HD camera, laptop and protective climate-controlled clothing.

"With several months of training and preparations under my belt, I'm as ready as I'll ever be for what lies ahead," says Sanders.

"There's always a pain barrier to ride through normally caused by real tiredness and around the 10th week mark, however it's true to say that I never really know how I'll respond until I'm well under way.

"When I'm riding quite fast for 10 hours a day on limited sleep through underdeveloped territories, it's important to keep my mind positive, focused and on the job – I do this by concentrating purely on the job and of course having a vivid imagination also helps to keep me entertained.

"Sure, there are some concerns about travelling through places like Kenya, as I don't know what to expect or believe, but with eight trips successfully completed, I'm pretty confident I can ride my way through most situations. The weather is another major obstacle, so it's good to know that I'll be kitted out in the latest and most innovative technologies available to bikers."

• Follow Nick's adventure at www.hein-gericke.com/parallelworld