Bike tour spans the length of Africa

That was in 2003 when nine cyclists competed as racers in the tour to set the record from Luxor, Egypt, to Cape Town, South Africa.

So far, 51 cyclists have signed up to take part in the 2006 edition of this incredible African bike ride, scheduled to start Jan. 14. Organizers have routed the bike riders through 10 countries on a 7,438-mile bike tour from Cairo, Egypt, to Cape Town in about 120 days, with 99 days in the saddle.

There are four classes of participants: racers, expedition riders who go at their own pace, relay teams, and cyclists who plan to only do one of the sections. There is space for nine more cyclists.

According to the Johannesburg (SA) Mail & Guardian, the cyclists range in age from 19 to 67. They come from South Africa, the US, the Netherlands, the UK, Germany, Canada, France, and Belgium.

The trip is organized by Tour d'Afrique Limited, an Ontario-based business. The group gives 5 percent of its profits to the Tour d'Afrique Foundation, devoted to human-power transportation and the environment in Africa.

From reading through the 2005 tour diary, this is no ride for a cyclist prone to complaining. There is a plan, but the plan needs constant adjustment due to weather, road conditions, government intervention, mechanical breakdowns, etc.

An early excerpt from Egypt summarizes the problems:

“Our first day of riding took us 100 kilometres directly south from Cairo. Day two was supposed to be a 140-kilometre ride, but due to some 'navigational rearrangements' we unded up riding over 200 kilometres. Our Tour Director had directed us to last year's campsite, but due to the whims of our Egyptian police escorts, we had to set up camp 60 kilometres down the road.

Many of the riders on the trip had never covered 200 km in one sitting, so there were some sore derierres by the end of the day. Those in the lead group spent 7 hours on the bike. Those who trailed behind spent as much as 9 hours in the desert sun. Already it's clear that everything is approximate, from the distances we cover to the time dinner will be served. We're learning to adapt; there's no other option.”

This entry from a bush camp in Tanzania, however, shows what makes the trip worthwhile:

“In the evening the Iringa municipality invited us for a dinner at the Saut College.  We feasted on heaps of spinach, sweet potato, chicken and Tusker beer while listening to the variety of speeches by members of the municipality with job titles unknown to the western world.  Our tour leader, Randy was wrapped into layers of traditional cloth and presented with a spear.  He is now Chief Randy.”