Canterbury’s most adventurous cyclists have arrived home after riding around the world on a tandem.

John Whybrow and George Agate – known as The Tandem Men – have completed an extraordinary 18,250-mile journey and are expected to set Guinness world record.

The pair left Canterbury last June and have ridden through 29 countries and across six continents.

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Yesterday, exactly 290 days, eight hours and 35 minutes, later they cycled into the city's Buttermarket to a rapturous and emotional greeting from family, friends and supporters.

They had ridden the last leg from Great Ormond Street Hospital accompanied by members of Canterbury Velo Club, who had also escorted them to Dover when they left last June.

VIDEO: The Tandem Men told KMTV about their trip

The London hospital, Porchlight in Canterbury and Water Aid are all benefiting from the cyclists' mammoth fundraising effort.

The former University of Kent students' achievement is not only be a remarkable feat of physical endurance and mental determination, but is expected to set a world record for a circumnavigation world tandem ride.

Speaking minutes after their triumphant return to Canterbury, John, 25, said it was "surreal" to be back home.

He said: "This had been a dream for three years and it's so gratifying to have finally done it. I think it' going to take a few days to sink in.

"It's been an amazing way to see the world and meet people. All around the world, people really reached out to us travelling the way we did, even when didn't share a common word.

"We kind of treated Europe as our training area and by the time we got to Turkey we were pretty fit and it got easier but there were also some really tough days."

He added: "Our bike, Daisy is a bit of a relic now and will need quite a bit of work if she was ever to be ridden again, but of course we have great affection for her. She could end up on the wall somewhere.

George, 23, said that although it had been an incredible adventure, they would need a break before considering any other trips, adding, "maybe not so far next time."

Asked what they missed most, apart from family and friends, he added: "Cups of tea and home cooking."

The pair enjoyed generous hospitality from strangers along the way, they have also endured many extremely uncomfortable nights in all weathers in their tiny tent, sleeping at the roadside.

Their custom-built Orbit tandem bike carried them and their luggage across some of the world’s roughest roads, with the help of cycle mechanics all over the globe.

“We’ve been amazed by the generosity of the people we’ve met around the world, said George.

“We’ve been given food, drink and beds in their homes, which were very welcome after many nights in our tiny tent.”

But they had many low points when their determination was tested to the limit.

The pair recalled spending the night in the trolley bay of a supermarket in Austria, soaked through, and being woken at 5am by the bakery staff, and struggling to find enough food and water in remote parts of Nicaragua.

“We really had to dig deep that day,” said John.

The pair celebrated their homecoming last night with a reception at the Jolly Sailor in Canterbury.

For more information on their incredible journey and to sponsor them visit their website.