Tour d'Afrique - Cairo to Cape Town by Bike

A neat story about my preparations for the tour just appeared in the Ontario version of this week’s “Get Out There Report” put out by the good people at Get Out There Magazine! You can read the online report at: http://www.getouttheremag.com/report/Nov30ON.html#racepreview Keep an eye out for their next print magazine!


I continue to be in a flurry of preparations for the tour. Daily, I gain confidence that I will be prepared for just about any eventuality that I can come across. Extra parts that almost amount to a new bike (minus frame and wheels), a small pharmacy in case I get any of a number of infections that I have difficulty pronouncing, and most importantly all of the extra pounds that this holiday season can offer. I currently eat like a champion and have never been concerned about body weight, but historically people have lost a great deal of weight over this tour despite having eaten enormous quantities of whatever they can get their hands on. The more I eat on the tour, the healthier I can stay. Bring on second helpings of …well everything!

This certainly provides a stark contrast to the places we will ride through. Locals who have difficulty finding enough water and food for them and their families to stay healthy. Good thing we are going to be able to donate bicycles to the local health care providers with the donations to the Tour d’Afrique foundation I have been receiving! Many thanks! That means less community money going towards expensive fuel!

Just over a month to go until the big day!

I would like to welcome and greatly thank some new sponsors.

Holistic Clinic, Ottawa: They have always taken great care of me and now they are ensuring that all of my musculoskeletal issues are in check before the start of the tour. Considering the gross quantity of repetitive strain that I will be encountering over the 12 000km of the tour, making sure I am stretched out and activated in all of the right places is imperative and they are doing a great job of that. Thanks Holistic Clinic!

Bushtukah: They are helping me acquire some of the mountains of bike and camping gear that I am going to need to stay moving and stay comfortable along the journey. Bushtukah is a perfect fit since they are able to help me with both good quality bike components and reliable camping gear; there aren't many places where you can do that.

Koobi Saddles: Needless to say, my posterior and surrounding area will take quite the beating over the washboards that define all washboards on the tour. Luckily I will have one of the industry's best saddles between me and my machine. The Koobi PRS (Personal Ride System) offers breakthrough tunable suspension right in the saddle while still being light, stiff and efficient. A Koobi saddle is a welcome addition to any road or mountain bike.

I have now bought a flight, paid the full entry fee and have made a weekly pilgrimage to the travel clinic to be immunized from a book full of diseases. With each step my smile grows bigger with the anticipation of getting to spend four months on my bike.

Cairo keeps feeling closer!