Hosted Travelogs and Stories from the Road - bike for Africa - please help me!

I'll try and make this quick...

I'm going to Africa in January to go riding, starting in Egypt and going south. Since my bike has no brakes and has been run over a couple of times I think it might be time to get a new one. In Africa some of the roads will be paved, some will be hard-packed earth, some will be really bumpy, ****ty and hilly, and some sandy - I think I need a mountain or hybrid bike. I'm hoping to got for 7 or 8 months.

I've been quizzing dudes in bikeshops and have been told that getting a cheap bike from a department store is just as good as getting a bottom-of-the-range bike from a bikeshop. I really have no idea about bikes (though its an interesting learning curve!). If someone has the time, can they tell me if any of these bikes would be OK? (I know there are a lot)... and I know you'll all probably laugh at them, but I don't understand what the difference is between them, appart from price, some have suspension and some have different types of brakes... They're all cheap bikes, I only want a cheap bike.

Kawasaki Men’s 26" Mountain Bike with Dual Suspension (http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/ref=br_1_15/602-4530336-4676656?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=1&asin=B000BGLR5K)
Titan Pathfinder Women’s 18-Speed Mountain Bike - 26" (http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/ref=br_1_16/602-4530336-4676656?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=1&asin=B000JQWPIU)
Women’s Huffy Cavern 15-Speed All-Terrain Bike - 26" (http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/ref=br_1_7/602-4530336-4676656?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=1&asin=B000EGLWDO)
Forge Vero LS Comfort Bike (http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/ref=br_1_11/602-4530336-4676656?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=1&asin=B000E3UTM2)
Schwinn 24" Dual Suspension Bike (http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/ref=br_1_12/602-4530336-4676656?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=1&asin=B000F5X2Y6)
Schwinn 26" S-60 DSX Bike (http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/ref=br_1_14/602-4530336-4676656?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=1&asin=B000F5X2VO)
Women’s Huffy Highland 18-Speed Road Bike - 26" (http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/ref=br_1_16/602-4530336-4676656?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=1&asin=B000EG940W)
Huffy 26" Women’s Avarice Comfort Bike (http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/ref=br_1_13/602-4530336-4676656?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=1&asin=B000JF9BPQ)
Jeep® Hardtail Wrangler Ladies Mountain Bike (http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/ref=br_1_3/602-4530336-4676656?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=1&asin=B0000ASYEF)
Jeep® Dual Suspension Cherokee® Mountain Bike (http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/ref=br_1_3/602-4530336-4676656?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=1&asin=B0002DCLYS)
Huffy 26" Women’s Alpine Comfort Bike (http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/ref=br_1_7/602-4530336-4676656?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=1&asin=B000JF9BKG)
Titan Trailblazer Women’s 21-speed Mountain Bike - 26" (http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/ref=br_1_9/602-4530336-4676656?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=1&asin=B000JQQMMU)
Titan Punisher Unisex 21-speed Mountain Bike - 26" (http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/ref=br_1_14/602-4530336-4676656?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=1&asin=B000JQOQXC)
Titan Glacier Unisex 21-speed Mountain Bike - 26" (http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/ref=br_1_4/602-4530336-4676656?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=1&asin=B000JQQMNY)
Jeep® Cherokee Renegade Mountain Bike (http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/ref=br_1_15/602-4530336-4676656?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=1&asin=B000BGLU2U)

PLEASE HELP ME! The guys in the bike shops don't seem to take me seriously at all, maybe you won't either given I'm suggesting cycling for 8 months on a $80 bike.

So I need a steel frame or an aluminium one.... aluminium is lighter?

Thankyou!!!!!!

Is www,target,com the only place you are looking?

george

[QUOTE=Flic]
PLEASE HELP ME! The guys in the bike shops don't seem to take me seriously at all, maybe you won't either given I'm suggesting cycling for 8 months on a $80 bike.
QUOTE]

No wonder, they thingk you are time-wating Troll.
In the rare event that you really are an Trans-African explorer rather than a Troll, I would suggest a simple, old-fashioned non-suspension steel MTB. A used 1990s style mid-range model from a major brand (Spcialized, Trek) will do the job.
You will need to spend some money to renew worn components and start with the best tyres you can find.
If you know nothing about bike touring could I suggest a starter tour to learn how its done.

The other alternative is to use a local style of bike, the single speed 28" wheel roadster that is used throughout Africa and Asia.

The bike not to use is a cheap, nasty horrible discount store MTB. It will break and leave you stranded, providing a source of amusement and scap metal for passing cyclists on their Chinese-made roadsters.

no george, Target's not the only place I'm looking... it just seemed to have the same bikes as the other department stores but cheaper... I was also looking in bike shops...

Sorry MichaelW, I kind of figured people would be hatin on me a bit... I'm not a troll, I'm just an Aussie kid... who is gunna go on a trans-African adventure, I'm leaving in mid-January... Please take me seriously, everone had to start somewhere right? Could you tell me why a steelframe is better than an aluminium frame? Also, where do I get a second hand bike like that from? Thanks for the tip on trying to use 28" wheels so that it will be easier to get parts if something brakes...

I would really like to know if there is a big difference between department store bikes and low-end bikes from bike shops... the guy in the bikeshop suggested this to me. If its true, then why would I buy a bike from a bikeshop. I don't want to spend loads because it might get nicked...?

I'm sorry for asking stupid questions, I was just hoping someone who knew about bikes could give me an honest answer without trying to sell me something, like everyone I have talked to in the shops has...

Preview
These aren't stupid questions, really. If it is the same bike in a target or local bike shop then there probably isn't a difference. But I have never seen that myself. You don't need an expensive bike to go a long way, but you do need a good one. My wife, not to mention my parents, did all their touring one 1 speed or 3 speed hub bikes. These were rock solid bikes. It is often worse traveling with a bike that doesn't work than walking, you need solid stuff to do a long tour or you will soon find out that a cheap bike is an anchor. On the other hand it doesn't have to be fancy. Look up Hans Stuch (try looking up Hans here), he has traveled further and to more countries and longer than anyone. He uses a really basic bike.

The problem appears when you want to spend a few hundred bucks for something that really cost about 1000. Mountain bikes with proper brakes gears frames and rims are not cheap. But second hand etc... may well get you what you want.

So what do you need?

1) you need to do enough cycling now to figure out what size of bike you fit. And to discover whether you are an off the rack suit kind of guy or someone who needs a more challenging fitting. You could start also by checking out online bike fit calculators. I find the French fit calculators are pretty relevant to touring. Google google.

2) You need to find a seat that is comfortable. Many seats are terrible. Comfortable for 2-4 hours, but bike touring is long 10-16 hours days of low speed cycling over and over. I like the B-17, but whether that's a good choice for Africa...

3) You need some serious drive train components. These need to have the right gears for your terrain. While not my favorite, I think you have half a hope of finding, 46, 36, 26; 11-32. These need to be good quality I don't know what the cheapest here is but I would not go below Shimano LX myself. You need a quality chain.

4) Brakes are real important, but every mountain bike I owned had decent brakes, touring bikes are tougher to outfit with drop bars and sometimes narrow forks. A good cheap brake is the Nashbar canti for 16 dollars a pair, you are probably more likely to find replacement parts for this slightly old fashioned unit.

5) Wheels are a money pit, really important but probably not in your budget, just go with what the bike had on them, but get a serious bike shop to go over them for you. You need 26" and some good tires.

6) Frames are where you find them. As mentioned the older MTB frames are perfect. Larger centers often have some cheap bike sources, stores that specialize only in second hand bikes or play it again sports places. Charities. There is probably a Target quality bike thrown out every month in your neighbourhood, check the garbage. Garage sales. Remember cheap is meaningless unless it fits, or provides needed parts. Look at bulletin boards at places like MEC or REI.

(7) Cycling shoes for trekkers. Really a lot more efficient, but also a big step in ensuring you don't get sore feet in a progressive way. Stiff hiking shoes aren't bad, but the bike shoes aren't much more expensive so who cares.

8) Learn now how to fix it, how to tear down hubs, bottom brackets, adjust brakes, repair punctures, etc... Looking through a book isn't enough, you will need some tools, and practice.

Steel is better than al for touring. It is less likely to crack, the rack attatchment threads are tougher, the frame may be a bit flexier but this make it comfortable. Al touring bikes are very expensive and steel, even budget level steel has a good reputation. You can repair steel using traditional brazing techniques common in most towns and Africans are renound for their ability to fix stuff.
Modern tourists are returning for steel as material of choice for expensive luggage racks, although Al is still worthy.

The difference between budget bikes and entry-level proper brand bikes:
1, materials: branded bikes use better grades of steel and even where they dont, the tubing is more reliably made.
2. Design: Proper bike designers making proper bikes rather than wannabe MTBs for box-shifting stores. They have the full complement of threaded attachment points vital for relaible touring.
2. Construction: The joints are better prepared and better made so are stronger and more reliable.
3. Alignment. Budget bikes are notorious for having their wheels point in different directions.

Size, fit and saddle are all vital for comfort.
Most African tourists use traditional pedals rather than modern clipless ones: Clipless pedal systems are expensive and when they break you cannot pedal at all. Traditional platforms have a much better failure mode (they hardly ever break) and can almost always be used. Toe clips will aid efficiency. Trail shoes/boots are plenty stiff enough for expedition cycling.
The way a bike fails is important for expeditions. You want "graceful degredation" where you can still ride the thing even when broken. Most modern technology works reliably and well but has a poor failure mode eg look for gear shifters with simple actions not fancy trigger switches.

How hilly is the terrain, most of Africa is fairly flat or rolling but there are mountains in the Rift Valley area.

Here is a website I've enjoyed perusing that gives some sense of African expeditionary cycling:
http://tourdafrique.com/indextour.htm This is not an expensive tour operation when the support crew costs are considered & the 96 cycling days. Especially considering the variability in political situations that are likely to be encountered. I'd rather have someone running interference for me in this kind of situation since the challenge of the ride itself is going to be great, especially starting from the north. We crossed the Nubian desert by train 20 years ago between Khartoum & the southern end of Lake Nassar and it was beautiful and almost completely desolate.

This fall I worked with a Sudanese in Germany and we cycled together several times. His description of African bikes was interesting: heavy steel frames, sometimes with gears but often not, as good a set of tires & rims as could be afforded (with the expectation of flats) ridden for miles & miles at a leisurely but steady pace.

Whatever bike you get, make sure it is solid, can be repaired by a decent mechanic/blacksmith and has the best tires/rims you can find...If I were going, I'd look at a steel MTB as recommended by other posters & maybe add an Xtracycle to it to increase stability & create more room.

geez thanks so much for all the time and effort you put into your answers, you've all been really, really helpful. I don't understand everything you said but I'll print it all out and get some help. I really think I should have started figuring this out earlier. Thanks again.

It sounds like you're aiming to do a shoestring tour- quite admirable.

I would shy away from most the bikes on your list. Cheap store bikes make big quality sacrifices, usually in terms of components. And in department stores, often in terms of assembly. Poorly assembled cheap parts on a remote tour sound like a recipe for disaster.

Any of those bikes with a suspension fork should immediately be scrathed from your list. Especially if you intend to carry luggage in panniers. You can't fit racks/panniers on a suspension fork without a lot of expensive fiddling.

As others have no doubt mentioned, try looking into a good quality secondhand bike. Try the Trading Post. Or ebay.com.au. Craigslist in Oz sucks. Get an older steel or aluminium bike (really doesn't matter which) with no suspension. When you look at the bike, avoid Shimano parts which say Acera or Alivio- look for STX, Deore, LX or if you are really lucky, XT.

As you are short on time, take the bike to a good store and have it tuned and checked. Then do try to figure out some basic maintenance yourself, otherwise you're quite likely to be stuffed if when something goes wrong with it in Africa (and something will go wrong).

Sounds like you just haven't found the right store yet, if nobody is taking you seriously. If you are in Sydney, check out Cheeky Monkey next to Central station, but make sure to go outside lunchtime on a weekday as they are busy on weekends. Oh, and if you *are* in Sydney, I'm selling my old tourer there... although for considerably more than any of the bikes you've been looking at so far :)

flic, i don't want to rain on your parade,
but please reconsider.
you sound as if you haven't done much touring. perhaps not even been out of australia before.
have you thought about the language barrier? yes, some people migth speak english, but most of them wont.
have you thought about food, sleep, water?
i don't want to stop you from touring, not even from going to africa (i'd like to go there sometime too), far from it.
BUT, and i mean this serious: you CAN die in africa. especially if you are not well prepared.
please be careful with yourself.

have a nice day
jurjan

BUT, and i mean this serious: you CAN die in africa. especially if you are not well prepared.
please be careful with yourself.

+ 1 you can die even if you ARE well prepared. That's one trip that, having some experience in north Africa, I would never do alone. The people are wonderful but there are many situations and the route will need to be unbelievably well-planned. Instability politically and environmentally would be often encountered with widely-variable local conditions. Need to have someone watching your back, watching your stuff. You can explore all the exciting possibilities via the Web and find experienced Africa tourers but for heavens sake, it is not a continent to approach with naivete.

again thankyou all for the advice. I'm a little anxious about buying a second hand bike because I really don't know if I'll end up buying a piece of crap (though I guess you all think the bikes I was looking at were pieces of crap anyway)... its just, I'm not this hardcore cyclist (obviously!), I find it hard to understand what can really go wrong with a bike besides it getting a puncture, its chain breaking, or its breaks failing...

I understand and appreciate your concerns about my potential death, and you are correct, I've done no cycle touring at all. But I have travelled a lot (in ok areas, and areas with extensive warnings) and am used to not speaking the language, and all of that.

I'm gunna go to some more bike shops today and have located a bicycle recycle centre. Thanks again, your help is really, really, uh, helpful.

Something doesn't add up here. If you are in Australia why are you looking to buy a bike from Target, which is an American store?

we have Target in Australia too. Sometimes the red and white colour scheme is reversed though, but appart from that its the same...

Don't take offense, but as some one who has traveled around the world you should really rethink the idea of Africa. For you first cycling trip try something like Tilba Tilba to Casino to see if you like cycling and can handle the problems associated with it. If you find you it's not for you, a foreign country with poor infrastructure is the worst place to be.

A couple of comments, many of which have been said already....

• You should absolutely do some short tours before you go. You need to make sure you're comfortable on your bike and that you've worked out all the kinks. The last thing you want to do is ride 2 days out of Cairo and realize you've forgotten several critical items. Or worse yet, that you go 2 days out of Cairo and realize that, well, you don't really like bike touring that much after all.


• You must be in good shape, physically and mentally, before doing a tour like this. This is not the kind of thing where you can whip yourself into shape in the first week or two of the tour. Also, you will be dealing with extremes of humidity, temperature, poor water supplies and unfamiliar foods, combined with strenuous physical exertion. At this point, you probably don't even realize how much water you need to consume and carry just to avoid basic dehydration while riding.


• You absolutely need to know a LOT about bicycle maintenance, and carry a lot of supplies. Extra spokes, extra tires, extra cables, extra brake pads. Bike shops will be few and far between, if not downright non-existent, for most of your trip. Many Rwandands resort to wooden bikes, (http://www.velonews.com/tech/report/articles/10960.0.html) for example. Break yours while you're there without being a repair guru, and you are walking the rest of the way.


• Doing this project on an $80 bike is, well, absurd.

Good panniers will cost you more than $80. Good quality cycling clothes -- and yeah, you're going to need them if you plan to tour -- will cost you far more than $80. A good saddle -- and you will definitely need a good one -- will cost you at least $80. The flights are likely to run into the thousands. And odds are good they'll even charge you to take the bike on the plane.


• The sketch of your itinerary sounds far, far more dangerous than you realize.

Do NOT be overconfident about your safety and skills in traveling in Africa. If you do "start at Egypt and head south," you'll be in Sudan. In case you missed it, there's an ongoing genocide there, the security and travel infrastructure is shot, anti-government militias control several borders, and the 20-year old civil war that stopped less than a year ago could flare up at any time. The south is littered with land mines from that conflict. Medical facilities are all but non-existent outside of Khartoum.

To the west is Chad. Terrible choice, as it's hundreds of miles out of the way and home to the Janjaweed, who are committing the genocidal acts against civilians in Sudan. To the east is Eretria, whose own government requires foreigners to get permits to travel outside of Asmara for safety reasons -- so even if you wanted to pass through, they may very well tell you to get lost. If you did somehow make it through, both Eretria and Ethiopia are awash in bandits and left-over land mines from their border dispute.

Chad. Sudan. Congo. Eritrea. Central African Republic. All issued Travel Warnings by the US State Department. Unless you're a war reporter, Central Africa really is not the place to go right now.

And let's face it, you will have to carry medicine. And food. And cash. Lots of it, by local standards.

I'm sorry to be blunt and abrasive, but even if you had touring experience, you'd have to be a total idiot to travel, by bike, alone, with cash, through active war zones littered with land mines, bandits and shattered infrastructure.


Extensive travel in Africa is a good project to aspire to, and a bad project to plunge into with a cheap bike, no touring experience, no traveling companions, little apparent awareness of the political situations, and a route that goes through large war zones.

Africa isn't going anywhere. Take the time to gather the experience, know-how and the gear to do it right.

Don't let the nay-sayers dissuade you Flic. If you want to do it, then do it, but don't rush into it. Try to prepare and research as much as possible.

You say you're a kid. How old are you?

And always remember rule number 1: If it looks valuable, it WILL be stolen. Buy an old, used mountainbike.

By the way, have you thought about all the vaccinations and other medical prep you need before going to Africa? Malaria medication alone needs to be started 3 months before going. Trust me, I spent a chunk of this summer in Tanzania and Zanzibar, and most of that time in the bush.

Extensive travel in Africa is a good project to aspire to, and a bad project to plunge into with a cheap bike, no touring experience, no traveling companions, little apparent awareness of the political situations, and a route that goes through large war zones. Africa isn't going anywhere. Take the time to gather the experience, know-how and the gear to do it right.

That's the best advice anyone has given you so far Flic!

Again thankyou for your replies, it is really nice of you all to take the time... All advice is much appreciated. I do understand why most of you (all of you?) are dubious.

Believe it or not (and I don't blame you for not believing) I'm not a total idiot. I have been researching a lot of the stuff regarding political situations, best ways to carry coin, best maps to use etc. I also started my vaccinations today! I'm 23 years old.

I found this Mountain bike with 26" wheels: Alloy Frame, 21 Speed Shimano Revo Shift Gears, front suspension fork, Stainless Steel Spokes, Alloy Rims and Brakes... is this any good? I know its not Steel...

Again thankyou for your replies, it is really nice of you all to take the time... All advice is much appreciated. I do understand why most of you (all of you?) are dubious.

Believe it or not (and I don't blame you for not believing) I'm not a total idiot. I have been researching a lot of the stuff regarding political situations, best ways to carry coin, best maps to use etc. I also started my vaccinations today! I'm 23 years old.

I found this Mountain bike with 26" wheels: Alloy Frame, 21 Speed Shimano Revo Shift Gears, front suspension fork, Stainless Steel Spokes, Alloy Rims and Brakes... is this any good? I know its not Steel...
Okay, here's why I think you are TOTALLY UNPREPARED to make this journey. You did no valuable research on touring bikes before posting here. You found inappropriate bikes on the US WEBSITE of a store which has branches in Australia. You should be looking at the AUSTRALIAN site at the very least.

This shows me that you don't have the attention to detail and ability to think things through that is needed on a trans-African trip, by bike or by any other means.

Where have you traveled outside of Australia and for how long?

Well before I posted here I did research the roads over there quite a lot, reading travelogues, looking at maps, scanning Google Earth Traks 4 Africa, and looking at loads and loads of photos which had roads in them. I also went to a few bike shops, including one where a guy I'd met who had ridden around Egypt works sometimes, but he's not around right now - the people in them knew nothing about Africa and couldn't advise me properly - like telling me to go to a department store... I read stuff too, but I don't understand all of it. So I thought I would try and get advice from people who actually understand touring... I'm sorry if I wasted your time with stupid questions...

Also I realised those bikes came off the US website a few hours later when I was in bed thinking about it. At the time I hadn't realised because the Kmart and Target stores I went to in Australia actually did stock the same bikes. Sorry it was the wrong site, I sort of hoped no one would notice, because theres enough people here who think I'm sketchy as it is...

In terms of where I have been... Outside of Australia I have been to a fair bit of Europe: Ireland, England, Wales, France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, The Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, The Czech Republic, Greece and Bulgaria - I have been to some of these places up to 6 times, most recently (last half of 2005) I bought a car and lived in it whilst I and a mate drove 20,000km around these places. I have lived in the USA, I went to University there for a while (Berkeley - believe it or not... my oh my how the standards have slumped I here you say). I have been to Mexico a couple of times. I spent a month or so in Sri Lanka, also been to Thailand a couple of times. Popped into Morocco, been to New Zealand. Thats about it I suppose. I know I havn't exactly been to Africa before...

I understand how dubious most of you are, and I really don't mind any criticisms, but I don't think anything you say will dissuade me from going, so I would encourage you to offer advice and constructive criticism rather than rubbishing me too much... I hope I don't sound rude.

Well before I posted here I did research the roads over there quite a lot, reading travelogues, looking at maps, scanning Google Earth Traks 4 Africa, and looking at loads and loads of photos which had roads in them. I also went to a few bike shops, including one where a guy I'd met who had ridden around Egypt works sometimes, but he's not around right now - the people in them knew nothing about Africa and couldn't advise me properly - like telling me to go to a department store... I read stuff too, but I don't understand all of it. So I thought I would try and get advice from people who actually understand touring... I'm sorry if I wasted your time with stupid questions...

Also I realised those bikes came off the US website a few hours later when I was in bed thinking about it. At the time I hadn't realised because the Kmart and Target stores I went to in Australia actually did stock the same bikes. Sorry it was the wrong site, I sort of hoped no one would notice, because theres enough people here who think I'm sketchy as it is...

In terms of where I have been... Outside of Australia I have been to a fair bit of Europe: Ireland, England, Wales, France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, The Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, The Czech Republic, Greece and Bulgaria - I have been to some of these places up to 6 times, most recently (last half of 2005) I bought a car and lived in it whilst I and a mate drove 20,000km around these places. I have lived in the USA, I went to University there for a while (Berkeley - believe it or not... my oh my how the standards have slumped I here you say). I have been to Mexico a couple of times. I spent a month or so in Sri Lanka, also been to Thailand a couple of times. Popped into Morocco, been to New Zealand. Thats about it I suppose. I know I havn't exactly been to Africa before...

I understand how dubious most of you are, and I really don't mind any criticisms, but I don't think anything you say will dissuade me from going, so I would encourage you to offer advice and constructive criticism rather than rubbishing me too much... I hope I don't sound rude.
You don't sound rude, just very naive......a package holiday is a lot different from a cycling trip....

Well like I said, I've never been on a cycle tour before, so I guess I am naive...

I've never been on a package holiday before... and agree that a cycling trip would indeed be vastly different.

oh and I agree with your earlier comment that discovering I don't like cycle touring 2 weeks into a trip with poor infrastructure isn't ideal. Thats why I was hoping to take a cheap bike that I can you know, leave on the side of the road, if I decide I hate it. I'm going to pack my things into a 25Ltr bag and put it on the back of the bike (I have researched the best method to do this by) so it will be easy to carry when I am not with my bike, or if I ditch my bike completely. I know it makes the centre of gravity higher but I talked to a guy who did this and he reckoned he got used to it really quickly, and hey I won't know any different right?

I know that going on a practice tour might make me realise if I hate it before I go, but I don't really have the time, and am possibly too lazy... (I know I shouldn't have said that)

Flic

Good luck mate, you are going to need it.

could you post a proposed route please.

many others had given good advice. But I may repeat some here to just to make sure.

1. Any ride is possible, on any bike, what you need to do is look at the probabilities, flats, tyres worn out, breakages. Try to at least buy a steel bike!! Cover all the logos etc with masking tape to make it look even worse than it may be.

Can you change a tube, or patch a tube? Change a tyre? Replace a broken spoke, especially the ones behind the rear cogs ( they have to be removed first). Use a chain breaker and replace links..
Learn these basics before you go,

2. Language, lots of people speak French in Africa, can you at least speak a little French? Have you got a book like "Point It" with photos of most stuff you will need, handy to indicate what you need.

3. Food and Water. Have you the capacity to carry enough, or even more than you may think?
Look at what kind of food stuffs you can actually buy or acquire in way out places. Water purification and/or filter.

The more time you spend now on planning and preparing for the worst, the better your trip will be.

I have only cycled in North Africa, Arab countries, where the people are either very friendly or hate me because I am British ( the Iraq problem), and a couple of times I have had the hairs on the back of my neck raise in apprehension. I have learnt to walk away and not inflame situations.

take care

george

Thankyou George :-) How is it best for me to post a proposed route? Should I just write down what I plan on doing? I have a loose plan but am keeping it flexible.

Unfortunately I'm not exactly sure how quickly bits on bikes wear out. I was planning to bring with me 4 spare tubes, an allen key (spelling?), a pump, some oil and maybe a spoke or two. I have seen more comprehensive lists from other people but am just sort of hoping things won't break too much... I don't know how to change anything at all, but will definitely try and learn a bit before I go.

I can speak french, not brilliantly, but I did it for four years at school and have been to France 3 or 4 times.

I have been reading about food. I am not gunna bring any cooking gear, because it will reduce weight and mean I won't have to cook anything, just eat cold food or buy it along the way. I was going to bring a few energy bars for the first few days in case. Also I was planning on riding 25km on my first day and then having a few days off riding while I check out some oasises and can put my bike on the bus, and then start riding again once I hit the Nile. I have been looking into water purification too. At my work we sell these flexi bottles which are really strong, like camelbaks sort of, but they are just 1ltr bottles... might bring some of them as spares. I've been told by some crew you need 5ltrs of water a day... I'm sure this varies for climate, exertion and person to person... I hope I don't need to carry that much... seems heavy. And I don't know where it would fit.

I am pretty chilled and will definitely make sure to walk away.

Thanks again.

Flicca,

Don't let people put you off! But there's a lot of stuff that hasn't occurred to you it seems since you're not a cyclist (yet). You say you'll be carrying all your stuff in a 25ltr bag - have you ever wondered then why most people touring in Africa have at least 2 panniers with at least 50ltr capacity? They're carrying stuff they NEED. Without cooking stuff or a tent then maybe you'd manage with the 25ltr bag, but you can't be thinking about going without a tent????? If you are then prepare for some VERY long days to get you from one village with guest house to the next. More than 200km often. That's along way to travel with only 12 hours daylight! Also, even if you got all your stuff in a 25ltr bag then it doen't give you much capacity for food and the 5ltrs water you WILL need to carry at times.

As for the route down through the East, well that's fine and don't listen to the idiots telling you all about the civil wars, bandits, etc. as if there's no chance you'll make it alive! The route you'd take through Sudan is fine. The route you'd take through Ethiopia is fine. The route you'd take through Kenya is (mostly) fine.

Don't be dicouraged, but please find someone to talk to who has toured a lot in Africa or the third world and listen to what they tell you. Africa isn't actually THAT difficult to cycle or travel through - my first cycling trip there was off the back of one 1 week trip previously (you recognise me yet ;-)) and I survived.

If you want to travel ultralight then PM a guy called iik on the lonely planet TT for advice on ultralight packing. Otherwise have a look around for expedition gear lists and take notice of how many spares people carry - on rough roads bikes (especially cheap bikes) do go wrong and in Africa few spares will be available, so you need at leat to be able to get yourself to the next main road to catch a bus (to the city so you can Fedex spares out to you).

Good luck, iambaisekeli

hi amaferanga.... I have written down some of the advice you previously gave me... gunna take it with me, the bit about regreting and forgetting... I really appreciated it very much. I agree with the part about it being good to talk to someone who has been cycle touring in Africa, but the thing is I really don't know anyone who has done any cycle touring anywhere at all... Thats half the reason I keep coming up with stupid questions... I agree that the route will be OK... I've been reading loads and loads.

I've been thinking quite a bit about what I'm going to be bringing with me and I think it will fit into a 25Ltr bag mostly, and if it doesnt fit I won't bring it I guess. I have talked to iik briefly and read his site fully. He's the reason I have decided a bag instead of panniers is a good idea. In my bag I will be able to fit a tent, thermarest and light sleeping bag... a change of clothes, a little first aid and some spares will have to squeeze in. This may sound unrealistic I guess... but I've had a bit of a play around and reckon itll hopefully work... Oh, I'll bring some maps too! They may come in handy... you never know.

Hopefully everything will work out fine :-) my mates gunna make me a travelogue so that anyone interested can see how I go, and those of little faith can laugh at me and mutter "I told you so" when I f it up.

hi amaferanga.... I have written down some of the advice you previously gave me... gunna take it with me, the bit about regreting and forgetting... I really appreciated it very much. I agree with the part about it being good to talk to someone who has been cycle touring in Africa, but the thing is I really don't know anyone who has done any cycle touring anywhere at all... Thats half the reason I keep coming up with stupid questions... I agree that the route will be OK... I've been reading loads and loads.

I've been thinking quite a bit about what I'm going to be bringing with me and I think it will fit into a 25Ltr bag mostly, and if it doesnt fit I won't bring it I guess. I have talked to iik briefly and read his site fully. He's the reason I have decided a bag instead of panniers is a good idea. In my bag I will be able to fit a tent, thermarest and light sleeping bag... a change of clothes, a little first aid and some spares will have to squeeze in. This may sound unrealistic I guess... but I've had a bit of a play around and reckon itll hopefully work... Oh, I'll bring some maps too! They may come in handy... you never know.

Hopefully everything will work out fine :-) my mates gunna make me a travelogue so that anyone interested can see how I go, and those of little faith can laugh at me and mutter "I told you so" when I f it up.
You'll need WAY more than 25l for your tent, sleeping bag, therma-rest, and other things. Where do you plan on keeping your water?

Flic, if I may ask, are you a male or female? There are a lot of womans bikes from Target you were showing. If you are female, that is extremely dangerous, especially alone. You will probebly be places where women are thought to be here, for mens pleasures and domestic chores only. You could be beaten to a pulp or killed, if you refuse to do what some guy(s) say, and very unlikely anyone will help you. Not sure if you are a guy or not though, or why you were looking at womens bikes if you are. Mens bikes frames are stronger.

I hope that nothing really bad happens to you, if you go. I wish I could see Africa by bike, but I dont want to be raped or killed.

Whilst this might be a possibility, I would mention that my ex-girlfriend has travelled through about half of the African continent, often alone, with no problems. So long as the obvious hotspots were avoided, I'd be much more worried about a single female travelling through the US.

On that note though: Flic, can you give us more info about yourself? What prior travel experience do you have, and where abouts in Oz are you based? For example, if you're in Sydney you should contact the UNSW BMC- they've usually got some pretty hardcore bike tourers in the club that could provide useful advice. Other unis would have similar clubs.

In terms of where I have been... Outside of Australia I have been to a fair bit of Europe: Ireland, England, Wales, France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, The Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, The Czech Republic, Greece and Bulgaria....
Dude. Seriously.

It's good that you're a seasoned traveler, and you would do fine as a traveler in many parts of Africa. Central Africa is not one of them.

Even Lonely Planet suggest you avoid southern Sudan; cites landmines and border closings and bombings as a "major problems" in Eritrea; points out that Chad is in a state of emergency; cites how foreigners are "favorite" targets for gangs in the CAR, and is clear that Congo is violent and unstable. Borders are frequently closed and many of these countries require permits to travel outside of the cities.

The Australian government says that its citizens should not go to Sudan, and if they're already there to leave immediately. They do not have a consul there, and the nearest ones are in Cairo and Nairobi. So if you get into trouble, your government can't help you.

You will also be traveling much slower than almost any other method. It could easily take you a month to get through Sudan. That's a lot of time to spend all alone in a conflict zone.

Has none of this information come up in the "loads and loads" that you've read?

I'm not saying that you need to spend the rest of your life in Perth or Nimbin or whatever with your feet propped up on the coffee table. I'm pointing out that this specific region is very dangerous and is one of the least safe parts of the world. On top of that, you have not yet developed the skills to do a long bike tour. In fact, it sounds like you are unwilling to commit yourself to traveling via bike -- which, given how physically and mentally challenging any extensive tour is, is practically guaranteed to result in abandoning your bike 4 days into the trip.

You should seriously reconsider your route and your approach to long bike tours.

Whilst this might be a possibility, I would mention that my ex-girlfriend has travelled through about half of the African continent, often alone, with no problems. So long as the obvious hotspots were avoided, I'd be much more worried about a single female travelling through the US.



I have traveled all over the U.S. alone, and have had car break downs in very remote areas, 50 miles from the nearest phone. The worst thats ever happened to me, is some guy grabbed my behind, when I was stranded in the desert in California. Ive been to all 50 states, and some places people nicer than others, but I dont know why you think its not safe.

Dude. Seriously.

It's good that you're a seasoned traveler, and you would do fine as a traveler in many parts of Africa. Central Africa is not one of them.

Even Lonely Planet suggest you avoid southern Sudan; cites landmines and border closings and bombings as a "major problems" in Eritrea; points out that Chad is in a state of emergency; cites how foreigners are "favorite" targets for gangs in the CAR, and is clear that Congo is violent and unstable. Borders are frequently closed and many of these countries require permits to travel outside of the cities.

The Australian government says that its citizens should not go to Sudan, and if they're already there to leave immediately. They do not have a consul there, and the nearest ones are in Cairo and Nairobi. So if you get into trouble, your government can't help you.

You will also be traveling much slower than almost any other method. It could easily take you a month to get through Sudan. That's a lot of time to spend all alone in a conflict zone.

Has none of this information come up in the "loads and loads" that you've read?

I'm not saying that you need to spend the rest of your life in Perth or Nimbin or whatever with your feet propped up on the coffee table. I'm pointing out that this specific region is very dangerous and is one of the least safe parts of the world. On top of that, you have not yet developed the skills to do a long bike tour. In fact, it sounds like you are unwilling to commit yourself to traveling via bike -- which, given how physically and mentally challenging any extensive tour is, is practically guaranteed to result in abandoning your bike 4 days into the trip.

You should seriously reconsider your route and your approach to long bike tours.

You should only comment on things you know something about. You are saying that South Sudan is dangerous, but there's no need to pass through the part of the south where there's trouble to get to Ethiopia! Look at a map and you might learn something about Africa. The route down the east coast of Africa is a well trodden path. It may interest you to know that the people of Sudan are possibly the friendliest in all of Africa. Every cyclist I've met who has passed through has had tales of families giving up their beds for them - imagine that, insisting a complete stranger sleep in your bed while you sleep on an earth floor. But that's the reality of Africa. People are unbelievably friendly. The route down the west coast of Africa is slowly becoming more and more well trodden. Check that map again - no need to pass through CAR or Chad to get south! The 'problem' countries are Angola and Congo/DRC, but people are passing through these countries every week (on bikes) and surviving. The main routes really aren't that bad provided you have your wits about you. By the time Flic reaches these countries should she choose this route (which I don't think she is anyway) she'll be a VERY experienced Africa-cycle tourist and will know how to deal with any situations that may arise.

The reality of Africa and the Africa portrayed in the media and by government warnings are worlds apart. But then you only learn that by travelling there and I suspect you haven't been so not sure what makes you think you're qualified to give 'advice'.

Let's try to bring the focus back to helping the OPer....

I think we can all agree that an X-Mart bike is a horrible idea.

Does any here think that that this trip is doable with a 25l pack as the OPer has suggested? Looking at my tiny 2kg tent and the 25l backpack I sometimes use for commuting I just don't see this as being possible.

I also noticed from a post in the mechanics forum that the OPer doesn't seem to have a firm grasp on how cycles work. Any comments?

Hi everyone :-) thanks again for your replies, I really appreciate you all taking the time to do so.

THE 25LTR BAG: I work in an outdoors shop and have had a bit of time to play around with putting things in the bag. The tent I am looking at taking weighs between 1.1 and 1.9kgs (havn't decided which one yet) and takes up a little less than half the bag. The sleeping bag and thermorest take up a little less than half too. I am only bringing minimal spare clothes and then some maps with information written on the back of them. The front pocket of the bag can have the bike spares put into it, and the top pocket can have toiletries/first aid. If it turns out I am wrong and can't fit it all in, then I can move up to a 28 or 30 Ltr bag, but I definitely don't want more stuff than that! I thought I would have a small handlebar bag too for my camera and a snack. I though in terms of water I could put some of those cage things that hold bottles on the frame. Couldn't I carry enough water this way?

ME: Yeah I'm female. I didn't bother saying it earlier because I figured it would just make people focus on telling me the dangers of solo female travel instead of useful bike information - thanks for the tip that men's frames tend to be stronger than women's. But thankyou all for your concern. I may well meet people to travel with for sections along the way, I'm very cruisy, and I too hope that nothing really bad happens to me. I am based in Melbourne, and I mentioned some of my travel experience earlier, but in includes most of Western Europe, some of Eastern Europe, a few parts of Asia, the USA and a few straggling countries.

THE ROUTE: The countries I intend to visit are Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia (Somaliland and if it isn't too sketchy Puntland, not Somalia itself), Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania. Central Africa isn't really on the radar, but if I might pop into DRC if it seems appropriate at the time. Southern Sudan isn't really on my itinerary because its pretty sketchy, but again, I'll play it by ear when I get there. I'm not one to make firm plans, because I don't want to miss opportunities, or be dissapointed when I can't do something. I've talked to the Ethiopian embassy here in Australia and the bloke there reckons its fine to get in from Sudan, and I will organise my Ethiopian visa before I leave Australia. I'm stoked that you think it might take a month to get through Sudan, because thats about how much time I factored in there. Everything I have read from people passing through Sudan recently indicates its an awesome place to visit. I might get shouted down for this, but I don't pay much attention to government warnings to leave unless they seem really serious. I just take note that the area is obviously sketchy and remain alert, not alarmed(!). I've spent time in countries with such warnings and experienced no problems, looking back I would have been very disappointed if I had taken the warnings literally.

COMMITMENT: Yeah, I'm kinda scared to be honest, but excited too. I know I'm pretty tough, and have achieved things before which people doubted.

BIKE MAINTENANCE: 100% correct. I am a knowledge free zone. The good part about that is I'm like a sponge, and won't leave Australia without at least learning something.

QUESTION: If you had the option of buying a $300 bike (down from $450) that had front suspension that you could lock if you wanted, would you get it, or is it just another thing that can fail on the bike? Would you just go the $200 bike instead (down from $300) that has standard front suspension and slightly crapper gears? Yeah yeah I know all of you would in reality go neither...

Shoot for the moon, why not... but AFRICA?

1. Wild, hungry animals that like to attack bicyclist (meals on wheels)
2. High crime rate (Johannesburg, anyone?)
3. Few hospitals and doctors.

Dude, wake up!

1. When was the last time a cyclist got eaten by an animal in Africa?
2. My camera survived a year of travel only to get pinched from my house a couple of months later, and I'm not going to Joburg, though I can see your point but somehow feel the same thing might be said about a lot of places, Newyork for starters?
3.I'm in the midst of having my vacs, have a full first aid certificate, will take some first aid gear, get travel insurance and hope for the best...

thanks for the advice anyway, particularly the first four words... :-)

You don't want an "adventure". adventure means you weren't prepared. (who said that...? someone famous and with lots of foresight i think...)
I can't say whether this trip is a good idea, because that depends entirely on you. I've met kids 10 years younger than you who could get thrown into just about anything and come out on top. They're rare, but they do exist. And I've met plenty of people of all ages with big ideas an even bigger aptitude to screw things up and insult those who could help them in the process. For my own peace of mind I'd like to believe that you tend toward the former end of the spectrum. Out of curiosity, what is your motivation for making this trip?
I'll try to keep my actual advice simple:
Learn to patch a tire, and learn how your bike is put together. If you're mechanically minded it really is not that hard--just a matter of having a few tools (and some standard parts for repairs). The trick is knowing which ones. If you're not mechanically minded, you should consider relying on other transportation for distances that you wouldn't be willing to walk. while pushing a bike. Chances are you WILL break down. Murphy's law says it will be in the worst possible place. Expect that.
I'm rooting for you. But please, please, be aware of your own limits. Do your homework, and do practice rides. even short ones. That is the one point that makes skeptical of your competence. I can't emphasize how important it is to be familiar with your equipment--both its mechanics, and the way you respond to it.

Flic, Do you have much experience in Muslim countries? Even my most hard core female traveler friend (she did Greece to Pakistan/Afghanistan border solo starting in November 2001) finds a man to pretend to be her husband in the places where Islamic fundamentalism is strong. Often lone females are viewed as prostitutes in these places. Make sure to do your research.

Flic, i'm probably one of those nay-sayers you imagine gloating over your troubles
when reading your travelogue.
please believe me, i won't.
i don't know you, but all i want is for you to have the trip of a lifetime, AND return safely home.
will you give us the internet address of your travelogue? i would love to read about your trip.

please take care,
jurjan

Oh and as for water.....I know that my wife and I usually drink about 2l apiece on our 50km weekend ride to the beach. The temp is usually around 23-25c, and we don't carry a heavy load.

Akugluk... I really always try my hardest not to insult anyone, I hope I havn't. I also hope I'm one of those kinda kids who comes out on top. I'm usually pretty lucky, but then again I do believe that you create your own luck. I've tried a few times now to write down my motivation for the trip and I can't get it out properly saying what I want to say. Its an opportunity... And let me assure you, I will definitely learn some bike mechanics before I go. Thankyou.

Ziemas... I have practically zero experience in Muslim countries, but I am aware of the cultural stigma associated with western societies. Its been suggested to me to bring a wedding ring and maybe a photo, I understand appropriate dress and will bring something to cover my hair. If you have any other tips please let me know, its kind of you to be concerned.

jurjan... I believe you and will certainly pass along the website address when its properly up and running. Thankyou so much for your interest, I will try and make sure to write down things that will be of interest to cyclists. Man, I really, really hope I make it.

thanks for the figures Ziemas, they are very handy.

Akugluk... I really always try my hardest not to insult anyone, I hope I havn't. I also hope I'm one of those kinda kids who comes out on top. I'm usually pretty lucky, but then again I do believe that you create your own luck. I've tried a few times now to write down my motivation for the trip and I can't get it out properly saying what I want to say. Its an opportunity... And let me assure you, I will definitely learn some bike mechanics before I go. Thankyou.

Ziemas... I have practically zero experience in Muslim countries, but I am aware of the cultural stigma associated with western societies. Its been suggested to me to bring a wedding ring and maybe a photo, I understand appropriate dress and will bring something to cover my hair. If you have any other tips please let me know, its kind of you to be concerned.

jurjan... I believe you and will certainly pass along the website address when its properly up and running. Thankyou so much for your interest, I will try and make sure to write down things that will be of interest to cyclists. Man, I really, really hope I make it.
Another female friend of mine was locked inside a shop in Egypt by the shopkeeper. They were alone and he was chasing her around the store. She started knocking things off shelves to break them. Seeing his shop being destroyed, he let her go without raping her.

Sooooo, be on your toes and think fast! (Also find a man to travel with to act as your husband if necessary. - I saved a lone Swedish woman this way once in a VERY conservative part of Indonesia.)

Shoot for the moon, why not... but AFRICA?

1. Wild, hungry animals that like to attack bicyclist (meals on wheels)
2. High crime rate (Johannesburg, anyone?)
3. Few hospitals and doctors.

Dude, wake up!

1. Wild animals in National Parks mostly, not everywhere. Even then its possible to cycle through NPs and make it out alive. I did. The locals do in some parks (e.g. South Luangwa in Zambia) every day. You can even camp in lion/elephant country and live to tell the tale. I did several times.

2. Utter rubbish. Yes lots of crime in Jo'berg, but in the bush (where cyclists tend to spend their time) virtually no crime. Safer by far than the US.

3. Ya takes yer chances on that one, but I've never heard of any cycle tourist dying while on the road in Africa. Know of one guy that died after being bitten by a snake while not cycling, but that could happen almost anywhere now couldn't it.

It still amazes me the number of people that feel they have something to add to this thread despite the fact that they've never even set foot in Africa!

And another thing, for those suggesting that a lone woman with virtually no knowledge of repairing bikes can't cycle across Africa, I draw your attention to a very famous Irish lady by the name of Dervla Murphy. Not only did she cycle for months in Africa, cross the Simien Mountains in Ethiopia with a mule and cycle twice round South Africa (once before and then after the end of appartheid), but she did it all as an elderly lady who refused even to mend a puncture herself!

Speaking of medical services.....when I travel to third world countries I always take a few clean hypodermic needles with me....If you do need medical attention you can always provide your own clean, unused needle.

EDIT: Lariam might make you go mad, or it just might give you crazy dreams like it does to me. Either way, this is normal and expect it to happen!

And another thing, for those suggesting that a lone woman with virtually no knowledge of repairing bikes can't cycle across Africa, I draw your attention to a very famous Irish lady by the name of Dervla Murphy. Not only did she cycle for months in Africa, cross the Simien Mountains in Ethiopia with a mule and cycle twice round South Africa (once before and then after the end of appartheid), but she did it all as an elderly lady who refused even to mend a puncture herself!
It's not a matter of being a woman or not, it's a matter of being able to travel in third world conditions. It all about experience, and Dervla Murphy had lot's of it. You need to be able to walk before you can run.....

I'd neither travelled much in the 3rd world nor toured properly before heading to Africa to take on my first big tour (starting in Uganda). You chuck yourself into it and learn VERY quickly. I think Flic will be just fine.