Cycling Africa to Europe

Heating · 24 Sep 2018 at 21:32

I'm planning an international cycle trip in the future. Does anyone have any handy tips and advice to prepare for this? I'm planning to cycle from Johannesburg to Europe. What is the best time to cycle in Europe, weather related? And the visas ? Your assistance would be appreciated.
Thank you

Orionaut · 24 Sep 2018 at 21:34

Are you insane?

NoobCannon · 24 Sep 2018 at 21:34

Post in the cyclist forum

touch · 24 Sep 2018 at 21:36

You're going to ride across the equator - I'd plan the trip based around the best time of year for that rather than the best time of year to be in europe.

Diddums · 24 Sep 2018 at 21:39

Is jij mal?

Ayahuasca · 24 Sep 2018 at 21:45

Good luck.

jsmoke · 24 Sep 2018 at 21:55

Did Mark Beaumont not do similar though I think from north to south.

Like most other things it depends on your finances, type of bike, gear, support etc.

First thought I'd always have is safety and access to medical treatment.

Diddums · 24 Sep 2018 at 22:00

Alright mods, own up, who put a cycling thread in here? EVH again?

Heating · 24 Sep 2018 at 22:07

Thank you !!

DaleTheWhale · 24 Sep 2018 at 22:48

There's a dude on here that did similar? Does trips in NK as well... forgot his name though!

The_Abyss · 24 Sep 2018 at 23:03

Paging @MickeyFinns - OcUK's resident global cyclist and storyteller extraordinaire.

MickeyFinns · 24 Sep 2018 at 23:38

The_Abyss said:
Paging @MickeyFinns - OcUK's resident global cyclist and storyteller extraordinaire.

Hello

.

OP, West coast or East coast? I'd go for east, but once you hit Cairo it's tricky to get to Europe. I've been to Libya, and about to go to Syria, and the visas are super tough. I think there's boats from Alexandria to Turkey/Greece though.

If you go for east I can give you a good amount of advice, I've been to Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, DR Congo, Burundi and Somalia. West coast I can't give as much advice, but if you're on a UK passport, Equatorial Guinea is going to be your pain point (you can blame Thatcher's son for that one).

If you mention what countries you are going through I'm probably in a good spot to advise on visas, the company I'm a partner in (Lupine Travel) specialize in holidays in places with difficult to get visas (Saudi Arabia, Libya, Afghanistan, North Korea, Turkmenistan, etc.).

sHo0sH · 25 Sep 2018 at 09:21

I'm calling troll. 3 posts, all of them vague advice questions.

Terminal_Boy · 25 Sep 2018 at 09:27

OP is going to feature in a documentary about people who disappeared in Africa.

Heating · 25 Sep 2018 at 22:33

Orionaut said:
Are you insane?

I am insane now working 24/7 . Look like I was born to work.

Roady · 17 Jan 2019 at 10:22

@Heating What kind of mileage and riding are you doing at the moment as that will have a large bearing on what you would need to be working towards on a fitness and equipment level. I would guesstimate you would need to be doing 4-6k miles per year and knocking out multiple 100+ mile sportives/audaxes before seriously undertaking the training structure required for this. I do 4-5k miles a year, several 100 mile rides and know I couldn't achieve the fitness level required for that without many many months (possibly a year) of serious structured training. But that's me - it's a very personal thing. I'm no long distance rider, yet knock out 50-100 miles per week without much impact.

Someone like Mickey is a valuable source of information for something like this (he rode from the UK to China. It took a year!), the whole visa and cultural prospect of a long distance journey is something else (although being in SA you have more exposure to this than many of us here will have).

@MickeyFinns good to hear you're still lurking around and doing some amazing trips! Done much riding the last few years? Have to admit I've not revisited your blog since probably 2017 lol

MickeyFinns · 17 Jan 2019 at 11:17

Roady said:
@MickeyFinns good to hear you're still lurking around and doing some amazing trips! Done much riding the last few years? Have to admit I've not revisited your blog since probably 2017 lol

Hello! Not done much cycling in a while. The leg issues I developed during the big tour finally got diagnosed as an inguinal hernia which I got repaired surgically about 15 months ago. Took about a year to feel right again, but I'm starting to get back in shape now and hoping to run a 10k this summer and get back on the bike

.

Bear · 20 Jan 2019 at 14:30

Roady said:
@Heating What kind of mileage and riding are you doing at the moment as that will have a large bearing on what you would need to be working towards on a fitness and equipment level. I would guesstimate you would need to be doing 4-6k miles per year and knocking out multiple 100+ mile sportives/audaxes before seriously undertaking the training structure required for this. I do 4-5k miles a year, several 100 mile rides and know I couldn't achieve the fitness level required for that without many many months (possibly a year) of serious structured training. But that's me - it's a very personal thing. I'm no long distance rider, yet knock out 50-100 miles per week without much impact.

I don’t believe that is the case at all, I think it is perfectly achievable to do 50m - 70 miles a day without being as fit as you say. Just ride zone 2 using a HRM. Sure your average speed will be quite low but so long as time isn’t an issue then no need to rush.