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Cycling in Africa

Max Chiswick

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Cairo to Cape Town Jan-May 2016

  • 4 months
  • Roughly 90 riding days and 30 rest days
  • 10 countries
  • 12,000 km / 7,500 mi
  • About 80 mi/day average on riding days

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Why?

  • Classic overland route
  • Get out of standard areas
  • Viewed differently by local people
  • “Fun”

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Egypt

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Sudan

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  • 20 full tour riders
  • 5-10 sectional riders at any time
  • ~6 crew

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Ethiopia

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  • Given suggested route each day and free to get to end however you want

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  • Sleep in tents unless choose to pay for a room if available

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Kenya

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Tanzania

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Malawi

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Zambia

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Botswana

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Namibia

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South Africa

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Reasons to do a long trip

  • Lots of weird things happen
  • Generally very cheap
  • Access non-standard locations → people who don’t see tourists all the time
  • Freedom/open to spontaneity
  • *But don’t get addicted!

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Lessons

  • Group = More social, more $$, much easier
  • Solo = More spontaneous, more “I have no idea what’s going on”
  • Getting up at 7am every day and doing something consistently for many hours = good/satisfying results (maybe this is what a job feels like?)