Cat Dixon and Raz Marsden, who are attempting to break the world record for circumnavigating the globe on a tandem bike, say Kiwi motorists are the least cycle-friendly in the world.

Two English women who have cycled across Western and Eastern Europe, South East Asia and Australia in their bid to set a world tandem record say New Zealand motorists are the least friendly they've encountered.

Cat Dixon and Raz Marsden set off from Oxford, UK, in June on a bid to set a new Guinness World Record for circumnavigating the globe on a tandem bike, while raising money for Motor Neuron Disease research and UK charity Oxfam.

Despite cycling through places like India and Croatia that are renowned for dangerous driving conditions, the pair said they had never felt less safe than in New Zealand.

Supplied Raz Marsden, left, and Cat Dixon are attempting to set a Guinness World Record for circumnavigating the globe on a tandem bike while fundraising for Motor Neuron Disease and Oxfam.

"It's brutal," said Marsden. "We've had more close encounters with cars here than anywhere else."

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"We get the impression that the drivers just sort of resent the bikes just being on the road," said Dixon. "As a consequence they make no effort whatsoever to pull out and they drive incredibly close."

Marsden agreed. "They go so close you can feel the hairs on your arms stand up, the gust of wind."

Supplied The pair have cycled through places like India and Croatia but say New Zealand motorists are the least respectful they've encountered.

Dixon said the women had been on the receiving end of verbal abuse from Kiwi drivers, too.

Rural areas were particularly bad, especially in the South Island.

"I think it's a cultural thing," said Dixon. "Maybe it's because there's lots of rural communities and people are used to riding along fast and aren't used to seeing bikes as much."

The pair typically stuck to the hard shoulder when cycling and took back roads where possible and convenient.

"We're not riding in the middle of the road or anything like that. We're pretty experienced riders, we're not riding stupidly," Dixon said.

Fully laden, their tandem, nicknamed "Alice", weighed around 200 kilograms.

She and Marsden stressed that off the roads, Kiwis had been friendly and helpful, and they praised the beauty of our landscape and scenery.

Supplied Fully laden, the tandem, which they call "Alice", weighs about 200 kilograms.

Kiwis "couldn't be nicer, kinder, more helpful, more supportive, just great, fantastic," said Marsden. "But when they get in a car, something happens."

There had been some better areas, however, and they praised Cambridge for being a particularly cyclist-friendly town.

Dixon, a lawyer and CEO, and Marsden, a consultant nurse, met a few years ago when they both took part in a charity ride from London to Paris.

They had initially intended to try to break the women's tandem record, with a goal of completing their nearly 29,000 kilometre journey in under 320 days, but were now pushing to beat even the men's record, with a target of fewer than 280 days.

Supplied Dixon, left, and Marsden are attempting to complete their journey in under 280 days.

The pair were also on track to smash their fundraising goal. They set out to raise £18,000, one for every mile of the journey, but 13,000 miles in had already raised over £17,600.

Dixon and Marsden's last cycling day in New Zealand would be today, January 2, day 188 of their record attempt. They next fly to Los Angeles to begin cycling across North America.

They are chronicling their journey on a Facebook group and blog.

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