I am not tourdafrique, but I bicycled the last 4000km of the Silk Route with Tour D'Afrique last year. ...
The TDA trip was great for helping take care of logistics. My biggest task for the riding days was getting breakfast, figuring out enough of the route instructions and then riding. Logistics like breakfast/dinner, finding water, choosing where to stay each night were taken care of. My luggage was carried. The staff included a cook and a nurse. If I needed to, I could have SAG'd. ...
There is value in the camaraderie of traveling with the group, but also nice to be by yourself. As a solo traveler, you'll get more approached by locals and a better sense of what life is like for them.
I am now involved with Tour d'Afrique, but I cycled from Arusha Tanzania to Cape Town in 2008 with them on my own nickel. I had worked in Africa on relief and development projects and in alternative sports (disc golf) before, but I had no previous formal cycling yet alone long distance cycling experience. Here are some insights into what I found, much of which mirrors Merv's experience:
- with some training (mostly interval training on a stationary bike last winter) anyone in half decent shape can do a Tour d'Afrique Ltd tour. As a newbie with years of experience working in Africa this tour intimidated me (you're going to do what??!) so I took my training fairly seriously and it paid off.
- not having to do anything on the riding days (about 6 out of 7) except eat, drink, RIDE, basic bike maintenance (TdA also provides a mechanic), sleep, set-up/take down my tent, and occasional dish duty was really cool. The food was also excellent for the most part, maybe not for Europe but certainly for Africa, and I was amazed at what the tour leaders could find for us along the route. Mostly a supported tour meant my bike was light and so I could pedal as fast as my body allowed or at a much more relaxed pace, stopping for chai and a chapati and immersing in the local culture. Cycling down the open African road without the weight of baggage was probably the most intense feeling of freedom I have ever experienced. That is not to say that solo bike tourers or couples don't experience the same thing, of course they do!, maybe even more so ... it's simply a case of to each his or her own ... But having since read the stories of cycling with luggage notably the strain on the bike including breakdowns and on the bod this is my preference, although the cost per day is of course higher.
- if you are competitive and like to race, as I do, then a light bike (I had an Arkell bag on my rear rack) is a must
- the larger group also provides options. The camaraderie Merv mentions is the most obvious. Sharing your adventure and its challenges - there are a lot of TOUGH days on TdA - with others doing the same is cool. In terms of biking I could leave camp at dawn and cycle hard by myself trying to stay ahead of the small group of hard core racers; I could cycle with 1 or 2 riders of similar capability in a small group taking turns leading and saving ourselves work on the big km days; I could ride in a larger peleton of mostly young strong non-competitive cyclists and take in the sights and sounds of the day, not to mention a few beers ... Having friends meant help was at hand when I needed a tricky gears adjustment which was easily repaid by handing them a guava juice or a few cookies when they finished a long day in the heat after I did. In many parts of the route there is also considerable distance between towns/villages and TdA bushcamps - unless you prefer your own company to that of others, its nice not to be alone. Being in a group also reduces vulnerability ... but as Merv also said there are some fabulous adventures and experiences that only happen when you are solo ... so as he said there are mostly pros and a few cons to each ...
- Of course having a big group can also mean some folk dont always get along, and others can become uniquely challenging as they meet their limits, but all in all I had an absolute blast and I cant wait for my next ride ...