BigDan

Hi,

I am (almost) a complete novice cyclist. I have done John O'Groats to Lands End a few times but have now set myself a much larger challenge. London to Cape Town Via the Middle East. I know that you push down on the pedals to make the bike go and can change a tire but aside from that I know nothing of touring. If anyone could help me with the below problems and any other problems that I haven't thought of I'd be really grateful of any advice.

1) Which bike? And where should I buy it from? I'm guessing that my local Halfords wont suffice! I am quite tall (6'6") will I need a specialised bike? On all of my John O'Groats-Lands Ends trips I have broken several spokes and warped wheels-is there any kind that are less likely to break than others?

2) The Route. Is it feasable? I intend to go through Europe, Turkey, Middle East and then down the Eastern side of Africa. How do I go about getting visas? Do I get them as I go along or before the trip starts? When are the rainy seasons through Africa? Will it be possible to Cycle during them? What are the roads and tracks like? Where can I get maps of the area? What type of map should I take?

3) Food and water. What sorts of food is best to take-what type of stove. How much water per day will I need? Will food and water be available during

4) Accomadation. Tent? Poncho? Roll Mat-inflatable of foam?

5) Clothing. Shoes? Cycling boots? Cotton or man made fabrics?

6) Help!!

I intend to leave in September 2005.

Dan Martin

wfin2004

You are going to be vulture bait. If you even get by the "Persians" without so much as a suicide bomber pushing the button within your proximity, the African deserts will get you. Next to Antarctica, you will be going through one of the largest expanses of nothingness in the world. My money is going to the vultures dude. And don't forget your lip balm.
You are kidding, right?

SAB

I'm not going to tell you this is crazy, or not to do it - people have done similar things and survived. But to do something like this without a lifetime of touring experience behind you is just plain nuts. I certainly would not want to traverse the middle east on a bike, without the aide of the British/American/Australian Special Forces. I suggest starting small by doing some in-country multi-day touring, then perhaps spend a few summers touring across Europe....

BigDan

Thanks for your positive responses! I'm sure it can't be that hard-I'll just take it slow and hope the bike holds out! As for the Middle East (apart from Iraq) there are no severe warnings and companies are still taking tours through there. Africa is a big desolate place but the route down the East Coast seems relatively OK-no more than a week or so without a town. Can any of you answer any of the more practical questions-which bike? What gearing? Extra strong spokes/wheels? Food? Clothes?

Travelinguyrt

Having NEVER done anything such as you are planning, my only suggestion is to plug into the I-Net and milk it for all the info contained therein, and you will find 1000s of pages of Great info.

If its to be your dream , DO IT and forget the naysayers, for the most part they are the bike around home and be safe types

I spent 2 months this past summer in Europe, my first ever long trip, some friends asked why??? others said, WOW how I envy you. I had the best vacation of my life and plan to return for a longer time in April 05.

Marco Polo and Joshua Slocum and Prince Henry the Navigator have been my heros since the 7th grade, did my first solo long trip away from home when I was 5 or 6, packed a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and started walking to my grandfathers house about 1 1/2 miles away.Got tired 1/2 way, and a friendly police officer stopped and started talking to me, found out who I was and who my grandfather was, shared my sandwich and gave me my first(and only) ride in police car.

The world has always been a dangerous place, the canals in A/Dam and Venice are poisonous,you can fall off a mountain in Italy

ORRRRRRRRRRRR you can have the most fabulous time of your life

Several years ago I trekked with some friends from W Pakistan,across India Bhutan Nepal, and Northern Vietnam, and we went thru the supposedly extremely dangerous Vale of Kashmir.And for the thrill of it did a partial ascent of Everest. The folks and villages we passed thru were ALL friendly and never once did I fear for my life
Take it one country at a time, one village at a time, and listen to what is said about the areas into which you are planning to travel next.

Sometimes I think that the vast amount of wordage we are presented, about how dangerous the world is, is done to keep us all from interacting with others
Case in point........ many times I was asked how I protected myself while living in America, it being such a dangerous place as reported in the media, and I explained as best I could how warped such reporting was. Was warned about the pickpockets in Paris,time and again, wore a money belt, never lost anything.

A friend who has traveled world wide pressed upon me the adage,"The journey, not the destination, is the important thing"
It has become my motto also

Go, Enjoy,keep a journal, and let us all know how you are doing

wfin2004

East Coast of Africa equals Mogadishu, Somolia. I hear it is always a nice place to visit this time of year.

Travelinguyrt

The east coast of the African continent also equals some of the most spectacular game preserves, grasslands, mountains on this planet. Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, the Rift Valley, Egypt, producer of the finest cotton grown. Let us not forget that Jane Goodall has lived in East Africa for more than 40 years, mostly alone
When you get to Mt Kilomanjaro spend 6 days to do the trek to the top, an experience that surely beats sitting home and saying, 'Oh woe to the world traveler of today, such perils and dangers if you venture from your air conditioned home"
I would have thought that the mind set of members of this forum would have been far more upbeat. Maybe the comforts of aging are producing mind rot.
Certainly it wasn't apparent judging from the 1000s of young, mid aged and older travelers I saw this past summer from all over the world in Europe. The enthusiasm was contagious. I found and kids from Australia and New Zealand think nothing of taking off for a year or two and do a round the world.And Americans do the same
And if your bike wears out or falls apart buy a local used one and continue

wfin2004

There are a lot more safer places to ride in this world than the troubled middle east. If YOU want to go there then be my guest. Do not tell me that stuff of "woe to the world travler if he leaves the comforts of his air conditioned home". If anyone wants to put his life in danger by traveling through the most troubled part of the world then he can join you. The man wants to leave in a year for a trip down through 3 continents and he has no clue on the amount of water he will need or how to go about getting visas? That should have already been resolved. I give Bigdan credit for wanting to take such a trip but there are many more SAFER places on this planet that he could do instead of the middle east for cryin' out loud. Honestly, how long do you think an American would last going down through Syria, Jordan and Egypt?

rodfrank

check www.horizionsunlimited.com website. These are people traveling all over the world primarily by motorcycle, though some have traveled by bicycle and some by four-wheeler. They will be able to give you good real world advice rather than what they heard or read.
Have a good trip.

Guest

You may want to go to lonelyplanet.com and plug your question there. There are cyclists who've done probably more than what you're proposing, and they can probably help you best. I have nothing about the Middle East or Africa, unfortunately.

Koffee

IronMac

I did part of the route that you're thinking of doing and I was an almost novice cyclist too. In fact, it was my first long-distance trip and I was trying to cycle around the world. I won't give my opinion of those who pooh-pooh your idea because it's a waste of my time.

In 1991, right after the first Gulf War, I cycled from Brussels to Cairo through Belgium, The Netherlands, Belgium again, France, Monaco, Italy, Austria, Hungary, took the train through the Balkans because of the civil war and the Canadian consulate said don't do it (idiots), Turkey, Syria, Jordan and Egypt. I stopped due to illness and lack of funds.

It sounds like you have a LOT of questions but I will only deal with the ones listed. It's also because it's close to my bedtime (yawn).

1. You need a touring bike. Don't know the brands in England but I have a friend in Liverpool and could ask him. He's been to more countries than anyone else that I know. He has a house and garden now so I doubt that he would join you. Given your size, you may need a custom model but, yeah, you definitely need the best touring bike possible for a trip like your's. I used a Trek 790 hybrid which worked out pretty well. The only mechanical problem were flats and this included getting rear-ended in France.

2. I don't know about East Africa. An alternative route might be through France, Spain and down the West coast of Africa. Check with each country's consulate as to visa requirements. Some will require them ahead of time and others will give you one at the border. As for maps, best to buy them before you enter the country...so, if you are in France and want to go to Austria...buy the Austrian map in France. You do NOT want to carry all of those maps with you.

3. Food and water are available throughout Europe and the Middle East. It probably gets dicey once you go past Egypt. Which reminds me, a few years back my Liverpudlian friend tried to cycle south to Anwar (sp?) and they stopped him because of the terrorist situation. This was after terrorists killed a whole bunch of tourists at a major tourist site.
For a stove, get one of the multi-fuel ones because you may not be able to find what you need. I purchased an MSR Whisperlite Internationale which could handle about 7 types of fuel.
How much water? It depends on the climate and how much you are sweating out. Drink what you need. You won't be able to carry all of it anyways. Your bike should have braze-ons for three water bottles...all touring bikes do.

4. Accomodation depends on your budget. I slept everywhere from hostels to garages to people's homes to a spot on the roof of an abandoned post office in the middle of a Jordanian wadi.
I had a small tent with me along with a sleeping bag and a Thermarest. There was a tradeoff between a more compact Thermarest and the bulker but less fragile foam pad.

5. Clothing? Sheesh...you need to do more research on that. Shoes? Cycling shoes for sure! And sandals for the shower and walking around camp.

You have a lot of time to figure this out but I would get training as soon as possible. If it is winter then you need to get an indoor trainer. You also need to do more research.

I will monitor this thread and chime in from time to time. I've done some touring since that trip but in the civilized confines of Canada...sigh...no trip longer than 6 days so far.

Good luck!

P.S. I doubt very much that your life will be in danger...some of the friendliest people that I have ever met were in Syria.

SAB

Well I've trekked all over north and south america, europe, and some of the middle east (Israel and Egypt). I haven't had that many bad things happen, but there are places I just won't go. For me, personally, it's just not worth it. One incident I will share with you involves a young gypsy boy cutting my pant leg from my ankle up to my pocket to get to my wallet. I was on a train in Turkey and my friends and I were asleep. I awoke when he got to my thigh - he just ran off and I kept my money in a money belt after that. In any case if you're set on this particular route and if you feel it's worth any risks you are taking then by all means, pursue your dreams! Here's some advice for you:
1. Get all the visas you can ahead of time, knowing that you will have to bribe some border officials in Africa, even if you have visas. They take cash only - consider having multiple currencies on-hand including British Pounds, Euros, and American dollars.
2. When traveling through Africa you will need to recieve certain vaccinations beforehand and take prophylaxis for Malaria, depending on when/where you're going. You may also wish to have medications with you for such things as dysentary and parasitic infections, although often these drugs can be found locally - but not if you're a week from the nearest town! Check with your physician. You don't have to take all those precautions, of course, but you can die of Malaria and go blind from parasites. Really - I'm not just trying to scare you...
3. Carry a water filter or purifier with you. These are small hand-operated devices which can be used to purify water for drinking from even the most questionable of sources. I used a device produced by the PUR company while in Peru and Bolivia and it worked great. Bleach or iodine tablets can be used but give the water a bad taste.
4. Get a bike that fits you well. Then ride it - a lot - before leaving. Plan out how many miles you plan to do per day and be sure you can keep up this pace. Know your bike and which specific tools you will need to fix it yourself when it breaks. You can't fix everything, of course, but you should now how to change a flat, how to true your wheels and replace spokes, adjust derailleurs, headset, brakes, chain, etc...
5. Bring simple clothes that can be used in layers should things get cold. Get a comfotable pair of cycling shoes. Clipless pedals are more efficient, but they can break. Pedals with toe-clips can be used with any kind of shoes. A pair of sandals would be good to have as well.
6. Thermarest for sleeping and a good sleeping bag. Down bags are extremely compressable and light but you cannot get them wet. Synthetic bags are larger and heavier but maintain most of the insulation properties even when wet. Keep in mind that ANY wet sleeping bag is miserable to sleep in - learn how to keep yours dry. A good quality tent is the best way to accomplish this. Try a single-person, 3 or 4 season tent from North Face, MSR, Dana Design, Sierra Design, Bibler - there are many others and I'm sure plenty in Europe which I don't know about.
7. For food you will have your MSR multi-fuel stove and some utensils. You will be relying on whatever is available locally when cooking for youself. When you're in town you will more than likely want to sample some of the local restaurants.


These are just few things I can think of off the top of my head. I agree with internet searches and reading a lot of books - you will have questions you can't imagine until you start planning your trip!
Good luck!

LessbigTom

I shall be accompanying Dan on this adventure. I welcome all the positive and negative responses. I will assure you now that we will not be doing anything stupid, and will get sound advice from the UK embassies of each country before we enter. We will be leaving in a year at the earliest, and are just beginning to start our research. Dan asked all the questions that are currently on our minds. Obviusly we will not leave, not knowing the answers as some of you think. Any useful hints at this stage are being greatly welcomed.
I have spoken to several people who have cycled through the middle east along the red sea recently, and they have said how stunning it is and how friendly the people are.
Right, I'm off to learn how to mend a puncture!

MichaelW

There was some informed debate on the Sudan/Somalia/Uganda part of this route in the forums of Cycling Plus, just a few months ago.
A good source for expedition-worthey bike in the UK are Thorn at sjscycles.com. Orbit also do an exp model, and Roberts are great if you have more cash.

thebarnsy

Hi Dan ! As regards the bike go for steel tubing such as Reynolds 531 ST . it`s only marginally heavier than aluminium etc but it can be repaired should you have a mishap.
Again the same goes for racks etc.Have you tried e-bay touring bikes section for something like a Dawes Galaxy or Super Galaxy, these are bog standard relatively bomb proof touring bikes that come up regularly for sale and have good wheels. The essence of any good touring bike is the frame and the wheels, go for quality which basically means money!
The route, personally I would give the Middle East a miss , for obvious reasons. Have you considered going down through the Greek Islands to Crete where you can get a ferry to Egypt ? As regards Africa I dont have much of a scooby about a route other than to suggest that you read a book written by an ex pro cyclist Nick Sanders called "Journey to the source of the Nile" He and his pal did this about 20 years ago on racing bikes and travelled through Egypt,Sudan, Uganda and Tanzania a total distance of4,165 miles .It`ll give you some idea of the kind of problems you may face and is a good read. I`m sure it must have been done since, there`ll be tons of stuff on the web about touring in Africa. The rest of your Q`s have been answered previously. Best o` luck.

Travelinguyrt

So glad to hear some positive, upbeat encouragement

Best of luck,smile a lot, and if it rains, remember, its only water and dries fast

BigDan

I just tried to get on to www.horizonsunlimited.com and the browser couldn't find it-are you sure that's the right address?

eurotrash666

are you out of your mind?
i don't have any constructive web links or encouragement. as i write this, i am in a uniform and in iraq. right now, there are people who will pay good money for your head- simply because of where you come from. for a first-time tour, why don't you do something more tame? ride thru france or spain, and take a ferry to morocco if you want to see africa.
i really do buy into what josie dew was saying about naysayers when she wrote tales from a strange state, but what you are planning is nuts. i could think of a thousand better ways to risk it. the middle east is a toilet. you would have a better time sucking on ice cubes in mexico.

halfbiked

Good place to start. Once you get that figured out, you're going to need to move on to the rest of the components on the bike. I wish I could give you guys more detailed advice, but your primary concern needs to be durability of the equipment. This should mean simplicity. Skip the fancy stuff & get stuff that'll work when you've been riding through a desert for a week. Next comes creativity/ingenuity when something odd breaks & you're halfway between Aswan & Nairobi. That means you have to know how its supposed to work in the first place; then you can set about finding out how to make it work without the proper tools and/or parts. Other posters have offered good links to lonely planet, horizons unlimited, etc. One more reference for inspiration, a book called Jupiter's Travels. Its about circumnavigating, in the late 60s by motorcycle. The author redid the trip last year. If a 70 year old man can ride a motorcycle around the world, a couple young bucks can make it from the UK to capetown. Good Luck.

halfbiked

Just worked for me...

rodfrank

try again. it worked for me just now
Rod

gf71

I found this link on cyclingtheworld.org https://www.cyclingtheworld.org/tours...submitted=TRUE. Alistair Humphrey is on a round the world tour and did all east africa to cape town.
good luck

BigDan

Cheers for that link mate-there's obviously been a few people do this route (and more) and survived!

hardtail

Hi BigDan,

Check out sjscycles.com I am probably soon going to buy a Sherpa or a Raven Tour from them but for yourself something like their eXp or Nomad XL snould suit. Be sure to check them out anyway. Lots of technical info on wheels, tyres, etc. All the best

ankev1

Dear BigDan,
As well as being a keen cycle tourist, I'm in the Brit Army and part of my job involves studying what goes on in dodgy and potentially dodgy parts of the world. If I had to
give you one bit of advice about your proposed trip it would be ''Do not travel through the middle east''. If you persist in this barminess, I honestly hope you get away with it. I'm sure that most of the locals you will meet in that part of the world will be friendly and hospitable, but all it takes is you to run into the islamic equivalent of the man propping up the pub bar just after, say, the yanks have accidentally wiped out a school and you could be the next hostage in an orange boiler suit. That in itself would not be a problem; you are presumably a sensible adult who has accepted the risk. But what about the poor bastards who get tasked with getting you out and the risks they'll have to take?
The best thing you can do before you go is leave a note with someone responsible in which you state that you were aware of what you were doing and you'll take any possible consequences on your own head. To go cycling around the middle east in the current climate seems to me to be about as responsible and sensible as going sailing without a life jacket.
Sorry about being negative but I think it had to be said. Good luck to you in whatever you do,
Andy.