Cycling from Paris to Kenya

[samwilliams]

I know virtually nothing about cycling (I can ride a bike, but that's about it!), but I'm considering riding from Paris to Kenya later this year to complete a charity fundraising thing that I'm doing. At the moment I'm just trying to work out how it'd be possible and stuff like that, so does anyone have any ideas about doing this kind of thing?

How long do you reckon it would take? I've got pretty good endurance at the moment, but don't really know what would be a sustainable daily target for distance. 100 miles? More or less?

Also, perhaps more importantly, what kind of bike would be the best to take? I'm planning on having someone to carry most of my stuff and sort out a place for me to sleep, so I won't be loaded up with a lot of kit, but I guess once you get beyond western europe the roads aren't quite as nice and smooth.

Any suggestions along the lines of "don't do it, you're stupid" would equally be appreciated!

Sam

[The Londoner]

This will give you an idea of what is do-able; looks like he averaged around 93 miles a day:

http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.html?in_articl...

Your endurance might be good but to do it day in and day out is still going to require a fair bit of training.

[Phoenix]

This week I have watched the BBC programmes on BBC iplayer about this guy breaking the world record. An amazing feat of endurance and mental strength. I would love to have the time and finances to be able to train for and attempt something like that.

[JPJ]

Have a look at www.alastairhumphreys.com as well as he did a cycle round the world over 4 years taking in a much greater distance than the record holder. He's written two books which are both inspirational and informative, and will give you plenty of advice.

In terms of bikes and distance, it depends on what sort of route you are planning on riding. If it's nearly all on road then slick tyres, and a touring bike make sense. However if it will involve off road sections then try a mountain bike with low rolling resistance tyres. The distance will initially be a bit of a shock - 100 miles a day or thereabouts is a good mark to aim for, but don't berate yourself if some days you don't do it because the terrain is too challenging, there will be easier days. Just get out there and ride and get used to doing mileage and time in the saddle. Your biggest issue will be in getting your backside ready for the event, and prepping for riding multiple long days in a row. Get out of the UK if possible to do some hill climbing practise as well, we don't have anything over here that is similar to the Alps or other mountain ranges you might encounter on your journey.

However it sounds like a fantastic adventure and best of luck with it, please keep us informed how the training goes and what you're up to.

[pdV6]

I'd have thought that the simplest kit possible would be in order - i.e. steel-framed bike, no suspension etc so that running repairs are easy and there's less to go wrong in the first place. In case of a major failure, you should be able to find somebody to weld steel in any decent-sized town but you'll be stuffed with an aluminium / titanium / carbon frame.

If you have support, then you may be able to get away with panniers to carry what kit you'll need with you or else some kind of trailer would be in order.

[neil_bolton]

pdV6 said:

I'd have thought that the simplest kit possible would be in order - i.e. steel-framed bike, no suspension etc so that running repairs are easy and there's less to go wrong in the first place. In case of a major failure, you should be able to find somebody to weld steel in any decent-sized town but you'll be stuffed with an aluminium / titanium / carbon frame.

If you have support, then you may be able to get away with panniers to carry what kit you'll need with you or else some kind of trailer would be in order.

You're pretty much right

My friend dale used a steel touring frame (not sure what make) but put a set of Fox forks on the front to ride down to the Alps - it was a weird looking bike, but oh, so tough.

All the stuff you suggested, inc. steel panniers, mudguards etc, but with Fox forks

Worth considering, especially if you're riding really rough roads.

[rhinochopig]

I would go for steel frame also and v brakes. I would also look at using a Rohlhoff [sp] hub as they are pretty bombproof for the sort of distances you are considering - unlike a mech. If you're going to use suspension forks (which I probably would avoid TBH) use coil sprung not air.

Distances 100miles should be easy in a day. We regularly do 60 miles in a day with full luggage on an MTB tandem (converted for road use - rigid forks and slicks) on our yearly Easter pedal. That distance is a doddle and includes plenty of tea / beer / pie stops.

HTH

[pdV6]

Yeah - in Europe that would be a good call but then you'd likely be able to find a kitted-out bike shop in most large towns.

Africa would be a different kettle of bananas; you'd need to take a lot of spares for the fork with you.

[Parrot of Doom]

Go to a doctor and get a full checkup now, and before you plan to do it. I believe BUPA do a 'full body check' that takes a few hours, it may well be worth doing. The last thing you want is to discover your face full of dried salt and your limbs cramping up when you're in the middle of nowhere

100 miles a day sounds a lot to me, I would aim for 50-60 at first and see how you go from there. You should plan your route meticulously, and let everyone else know where you should be, what times you should arrive, etc.

There are some great bits of software for Symbian mobile phones that will work with a bluetooth GPS mouse, they can be configured to send hourly text messages to an internet server and let people know exactly where you are (password protected). I would strongly recommend that, especially if you're being sponsored I use one called Viewranger although I think they have OS maps for the UK only.

[samwilliams]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Sounds like as simple and solid as possible is the best bet. Are there any shops/chains you'd recommend going to first, or specifically avoiding?

I've just finished a similar kind of challenge in terms of workload, so hopefully it's a case of combining recovering from that with transferring the fitness to more cycling based, so I'm going to get hold of a bike as soon as possible and start spending a lot of time on it! I have a feeling my arse isn't going to like it.

Sam