• Home
  • About
    • Who’s Alex?
    • Tour d’Afrique
  • Itinerary
    • Interactive map
    • Planned itinerary
    • Detailed schedule
  • Gear
    • My bike
      • Selection criteria
      • Bike specifications
      • Packing my bike
    • All other gear
      • My packing list
      • Packing my gear
      • TDA packing list
  • Countries
    • Botswana
    • Egypt
    • Kenya
    • Malawi
    • Namibia
    • Rwanda
    • South Africa
    • Sudan
    • Tanzania
    • Uganda
    • Zambia
  • One lesson a day
  • Social impact
  • Links
ALEX CYCLES AFRICA
  • Home
  • About
    • Who’s Alex?
    • Tour d’Afrique
  • Itinerary
    • Interactive map
    • Planned itinerary
    • Detailed schedule
  • Gear
    • My bike
      • Selection criteria
      • Bike specifications
      • Packing my bike
    • All other gear
      • My packing list
      • Packing my gear
      • TDA packing list
  • Countries
    • Botswana
    • Egypt
    • Kenya
    • Malawi
    • Namibia
    • Rwanda
    • South Africa
    • Sudan
    • Tanzania
    • Uganda
    • Zambia
  • One lesson a day
  • Social impact
  • Links
  • Social impact

    20 months post TDA – a truly life-changing journey

    September 8, 2019 No Comments Yet
  • Sudan

    Sudan Video—unembellished footage of what it’s really like

    January 28, 2018 4 Comments
  • Video

    Riders sharing their lessons learnt and inspirational stories

    September 10, 2017 2 Comments
  • Gallery

    Day 121: The journey is the reward

    May 13, 2017 6 Comments
  • One lesson a day

    Day 120: Don’t drink and ride

    May 12, 2017 10 Comments
Map

Interactive map

December 24, 2016 10 Comments 14951 Views

On this map, I’ve overlayed our planned Tour d’Afrique route (red) with my actual cycling data from Garmin/Strava (green), as well as photos and other interesting information. While cycling, readers were able to track our progress and follow my experience live.

Read More
Social impactVideo

20 months post TDA – a truly life-changing journey

September 8, 2019 Leave a Comment 1708 Views

Cycling through Africa has changed my life. Check out my interview with famous Francis Tapon in his popular WanderLearn travel podcast series. Francis is a true legend. He’s visited every single country in Africa, authored books about his adventures, produced a film and spoke twice at TEDx. In the podcast, we talk about how...

Read More
SudanVideo

Sudan Video—unembellished footage of what it’s really like

January 28, 2018 4 Comments 4076 Views

It’s a year since we crossed the Sahara and tried to stay cool in 40-50° Celsius. Finally, here’s a video to show you what it was like. This is the real thing, including my footage from both good and bad times. Enjoy 😉

Read More
Video

Riders sharing their lessons learnt and inspirational stories

September 10, 2017 2 Comments 2881 Views

It’s almost four months since we cycled into Cape Town. Finally, here’s a video that I had promised months ago. Hope you like it. 🙂  

Read More
GalleryOne lesson a daySouth Africa

Day 121: The journey is the reward

May 13, 2017 6 Comments 4416 Views

When I first heard about Tour d’Afrique (TDA) over a year ago, I was instantly hooked. It sounded like exactly the kind of challenge I’d been waiting for—to ride Every F***ing Inch (EFI) from Cairo to Cape Town. However, I was an unlikely candidate for that challenge: I had no particular cycling experience—even just pumping...

Read More
Quote

Paul’s humorous Pirate Speech about our staff

May 12, 2017 1 Comment 3427 Views

“Four months ago, I turned up at a rider’s briefing in a Cairo hotel. I looked at the staff line-up and thought… You have got to be fricken kidding! Has someone kidnapped the original crew and a bunch of pirates taken over? The head pirate, Jack Tellis Sparrow, when I looked at him, I...

Read More
One lesson a daySouth Africa

Day 120: Don’t drink and ride

May 12, 2017 10 Comments 4699 Views

Today has been a mostly enjoyable ride, with heaps of opportunities to stop for a drink and/or snack. Everyone has been in a good mood, knowing that we’ve done it and nothing can stop us now. I joined Liz and her friends (who joined Liz yesterday to cheer her on and cycle into Cape Town...

Read More
One lesson a daySouth Africa

Day 119: Accomplishing something extremely difficult is highly rewarding

May 11, 2017 4 Comments 3179 Views

Yesterday was a very difficult riding day, today was expected to be even harder—the make or break day for our EFI. “Don’t take long breaks”, Rupert had advised me. “Last year, even the best riders only reached camp at 4.30 p.m.” Tough climbing, dirt, and expectation of headwind in the afternoon would make today...

Read More
One lesson a daySouth Africa

Day 118: We cannot control whether people like us, only our own thoughts and actions

May 10, 2017 6 Comments 3497 Views

We generally have quite a good group dynamic. Tallis had commented several times about our group being particularly positive and tolerant of each other. Apparently, in prior years, there had been instances of people openly fighting with each other. Well, we certainly have tribes and sub-groups, people who share more similar interests and thus tend...

Read More
One lesson a daySouth Africa

117: Focus, focus, focus

May 9, 2017 Leave a Comment 2628 Views

This morning has been a difficult start: deep sand, heavy corrugation, and downhill right out of camp against freezing air. My fingers had become so frozen that it was painful to pull my breaks or shift my gears. Before TDA, there’s no way I’d have cycled under these conditions, and if, there’s no way I’d...

Read More
One lesson a daySouth Africa

Day 116: Air resistance is an exponential function of speed

May 8, 2017 Leave a Comment 4614 Views

Last afternoon, Rupert announced that he had to watch his diet. Because he wasn’t cycling that fast anymore, he wasn’t burning the same amount of calories. That didn’t make any sense to me. Wouldn’t cycling from A to B always require the same amount of energy, no matter whether we’re going faster over shorter...

Read More
1 2 … 14 Next

Stay updated

POPULAR VIDEOS

LATEST RIDES

LET ME HELP YOU EXPLORE AFRICA

I found my purpose while cycling through Africa: To help you too experience the beauty of this continent and the warmth of its people – safely and responsibly.

At Fair Voyage, we partner with local sustainability leaders to curate socially and environmentally responsible travel experiences. You get personal travel advice directly from local experts and tailor-made trips crafted just for you. Tell us your trip ideas to speak to your advisor today.

Before cycling through Africa, I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, became aware of the exploitation of porters working on the mountain, and wrote the book Kilimanjaro Uncovered.

Appalled by the continuing exploitation of human life in travel, I partnered with the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project (KPAP) and volunteered with them as advisor and board member to help make a difference.

At Fair Voyage, we treat our porters fairly, which also leads to a safer and more enjoyable experience for our travelers. See what our travelers say.

Climb Kilimanjaro

Been to the top of Africa yet? I’d be excited to help make this happen for you. Ask to speak to your Kilimanjaro advisor today!

Facebook Twitter Youtube
  • Popular
  • Recent
  • Interactive map December 24, 2016
  • Packing my gear for TDA—a miracle of organization and compartmentalization January 5, 2017
  • Day 3: Losing EFI is like losing your virginity—supposedly January 15, 2017
  • Packing my Koga bike for the flight in 25 simple steps January 4, 2017
  • My almost perfect bike that won’t make me a racer December 31, 2016
  • 20 months post TDA – a truly life-changing journey September 8, 2019
  • Sudan Video—unembellished footage of what it’s really like January 28, 2018
  • Riders sharing their lessons learnt and inspirational stories September 10, 2017
  • Day 121: The journey is the reward May 13, 2017
  • Paul’s humorous Pirate Speech about our staff May 12, 2017

RECENT COMMENTS

  • Alex on Sudan Video—unembellished footage of what it’s really like
  • Stephen Owen on Sudan Video—unembellished footage of what it’s really like
  • Alex on Riders sharing their lessons learnt and inspirational stories
  • Rohit on Riders sharing their lessons learnt and inspirational stories
  • Alex on Day 121: The journey is the reward
  • Alex on Sudan Video—unembellished footage of what it’s really like
  • Victor on Sudan Video—unembellished footage of what it’s really like
  • Helen Dawtrey on Day 121: The journey is the reward
  • Dale M on Day 121: The journey is the reward
  • Jeannette Gravett on Day 121: The journey is the reward
  • Jeannette Gravett on Paul’s humorous Pirate Speech about our staff
  • Kim on Day 121: The journey is the reward
  • Gun Frisk on Day 121: The journey is the reward
  • Alex on Day 120: Don’t drink and ride
  • John on Day 120: Don’t drink and ride

Categories

  • Botswana9
  • Egypt19
  • Gallery11
  • Gear3
  • Kenya9
  • Link3
  • Malawi7
  • Map1
  • Namibia14
  • One lesson a day97
  • Quote1
  • Resources1
  • Rwanda5
  • Social impact2
  • South Africa7
  • Status15
  • Sudan21
  • Tanzania15
  • Tips2
  • Tour info2
  • Uganda10
  • Video8
  • Zambia10

Get live updates

ALEX CYCLES AFRICA
© Copyright 2017.