Since leaving London in July last year and returning to the Gold Coast I had been planning my escape, back to London, as the starting point of what would hopefully turn into an epic, trans African journey to Cairo via Cape Town. Many an hour was spent researching visas, transport options, interesting places & events along the way as well as reading countless other travellers’ own experiences. Unfortunately a couple of months ago the shit hit the fan and my planned travel partner bailed on me having been wooed by some young, eligible bachelor.
Somewhat dejected by this turn of events and having just started reading The Masked Rider: Cycling in West Africa, I began pondering alternate plans. Having been a avid bike commuter during my time in London (faster, cheaper and a whole less crowded than catching the tube), the idea of merging travel and bike soon emerged and led me to the holy grail of cycle touring, Crazy Guy On A Bike. With 6000+ journals from weekend getaways to lifetime adventures CGOAB has given me all the inspiration and ideas to set off on my own crazy bike adventure. So come January 2012 I’ll be setting off with a planned route looking something roughly like this.
I’ve just ordered a Surly Long Haul Trucker frame and will shortly begin a crash course in how to build up a bike. I could have ordered a complete bike ready to go but that’d be taking away half the fun. The build up process should hopefully leave me with a somewhat more intimate knowledge of the various parts of my bike and the ability to fix anything when it fails which something inevitably will.
Recent Comments