He was suicidal. Now he’s bikepacking the entire British coastline. 🚲🎒

“Earlier this year, I was suicidal.”

That’s how British cyclist and content creator Chris Hall opened the Instagram post that would shift everything. No preamble. No branding. Just truth. And every time someone shares their personal truth about mental health, its stigma is crushed a little more. 💪💪

Then recently, in July, he started pedaling. More than 6,800 kilometers around the entire British coastline. One man. One bike & backpack. One reason.

And he’s still going. You can track his LIVE whereabouts here.

“Suicide is the biggest global killer of men. That’s why I’m doing this”, Chris said. And instead of hiding, he chose to go public with his voice, his story, and his recovery. That choice would eventually become a route: a full perimeter ride of the UK with Movember, to raise awareness and support for men’s mental health.

If you haven’t heard of Movember yet, they’re a worldwide nonprofit that supports men’s mental health and the prevention of men’s suicide.

They are also a big fan of mustaches as they work on changing the “face” of mental health. See more about them here, and check out the extra-thick mustache below. 😁

This isn’t about performance. It’s about survival and the silence that keeps too many men from making it.

He left his job to stay alive. Earlier this year, Chris quit his job in architecture. He had hit a breaking point. “I’d had enough of brushing things under the carpet. I was suicidal. I knew I needed to change something.”

No dramatics. Just a line in the sand.

The ride became a moving conversation.

Chris didn’t just ask people to donate. He invited them to ride with him.

He noticed that something changes when men cycle side by side — no eye contact, no pressure. The act of riding creates space to talk.

He said, “When you’re riding a bike, you're not staring into each other’s eyes, and that means people start to talk.”

One man told Chris he hadn’t felt comfortable joining a cycling club until now. Another opened up about a deep struggle he’d never voiced out loud. And Chris just kept listening and pedaling. He’s not performing strength. He’s showing what it really looks like.

“This is about saying, ‘I’ve been through it. I’m still going through it. I want to be here for others who are going through it too.’”

There’s no tidy arc here. No big win. He’s not cured. He’s not claiming answers.

He’s just riding the coastline and telling the truth.

And somehow, that’s exactly what we need more of.

No shame. No crisis PR. No spin.

What happened after he shared his story?

He didn’t get dropped. He wasn’t pushed into silence. He gained more support. Because it turns out, people can handle the truth when someone’s brave enough to say it plainly.

And it turns out men don’t need rescue campaigns. They need permission to speak.

One More Thing

Chris Hall isn’t riding for stats. He’s riding because he knows what it feels like to stop wanting to exist. And he knows how many men are feeling the same quietly, dangerously, alone.

This isn’t about finishing “strong.” It’s about staying alive and helping others do the same.

If this hit something in you, pass it on. Talk. Share. Ride alongside someone, even for a mile. Because silence won’t keep us safe. But honesty might.

Please reply to this email and let me know what you’re thinking of the newsletter so far. I read every email and respond to each person.

Thank you all for coming along this journey.

Until next Friday morning, come back…be here.

Keith