Africa by Bicycle (Click here)

Starting on February 26th, I will embark on an exciting adventure as I ride my bicycle approximately 4,000 miles across the breathtaking landscapes of half of the African continent! My journey will kick off in Nairobi, Kenya, and will take me through seven amazing countries, including Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana, and Namibia, culminating in Cape Town, South Africa, on May 4th.

The question I’m often asked is why I am doing this. There is a lot packed into my answer which I’ll unpack another time, but in brief, in 2022 I rode my bicycle across the U.S.A. It was also a roughly 4,000+/- mile, 10-week journey from Washington D.C. to the coast of Oregon. The ride was such a transformative, yet deeply challenging personal experience that it inspired me to keep going. To see more. To learn more about people, places, and things. Now that I have a richer understanding of America and realized that a self-described non-athlete athlete like me can actually accomplish a feat like that, I decided to make it a goal to cross as many countries and continents as possible. Africa is next. I hope to do it in two parts. The first will be as referenced above, Nairobi to Cape Town. If all goes well, then I will return in 2026 and ride from Cairo, Egypt, to Nairobi, thereby completing the continent.

Throughout the ride, I will be supported by the Toronto-based bicycle tour organization, TDA, in their Tour d’Afrique ride. No, this is not one of those luxury safari tours! I will take all of my own gear and camp in a tent along the way. TDA will provide logistics support, including setting the daily route, food, and transporting gear from site to site. There will be 25+/- other riders from around the world. Each day I will carry on my bike everything I need for the day: water, food, and a bike repair kit.

As for the route, it will be difficult as I’ll be averaging 80+/- miles per day, which will be about 6-8 hours. Road conditions will include paved roads, but sometimes we’ll encounter rougher gravel and even sandy roads that can be muddy during rainy periods. The upside is I will see so many incredible sights along the way, like Mount Kilimanjaro, Victoria Falls, red-cloaked Masai tribesmen, and lots of elephants and wildlife as I cycle along the Trans-Kalahari Desert Highway in Botswana, also known as The Elephant Highway, ultimately culminating in the vibrant coastal city of Cape Town.

From my past experience, I anticipate this to be a long and difficult journey, yet wildly rewarding. I will have to, as people often say, “dig deep” to find the mental and physical stamina to carry on. I can only hope my well doesn’t run dry! However, what helps during difficult stretches on the road or afterwards at camp, aside from contemplation, is listening to music or light reading. To break up the monotony and help me along, I’ve asked friends and family to join me… share with me some of their favorite music or condensed reading such as passages, poems, or short stories. Anything they may turn to when needing to pass time and/or lift their spirits. This is also a way for me to connect with you and others while I am so far away.

Please, follow along, check out my occasional updates, send me messages, and keep me company! It will truly help, more than you know.

The circle marks the spot! My approximate route is marked in red.

The circle indicates the location! My planned route from Nairobi, Kenya, to Cape Town, South Africa, is highlighted in red within the circle. The route outside the circle, which runs from Cairo, Egypt, back to Nairobi, Kenya, is the journey I aim to undertake in 2026, completing my ride across the continent.