Thanks for taking the time to visit our JustGiving page.

 

 Well we completed our African Cycle Challenge on behalf of Transaid and arrived back from Tanzania late on Sunday Night. 

 

It was tough, it was very tough and much harder than anyone expected due mainly to the heat, (over 40C on all days with a max of 46C on the Thursday) the terrain which was pretty hilly for the first three days and the road conditions which were generally very demanding.  The roads were sometimes covered in soft sand and suddenly hitting a patch like that led to loss of control and a few falls but thankfully not to us.  On other occasions short rain showers turned the red dirt roads into muddy, rock strewn obstacle courses.  The heat and heat exhaustion meant that we both had spells in the van and we both on occasion needed the support of the doctor to deal with the effects of the heat and the exertion, but we cycled every day and both gave it 100%. 

 

We were drinking 7 or 8 litres of water a day and spending 6 to 7 hours on the bikes per day.  It was a constant effort to keep hydrated and to take on enough food to keep going.  As a consequence much of the night was spent struggling out of the tent every couple of hours to pee which on a positive note meant that we could enjoy the fantastic clarity of the African night sky before being finally woken at 4am by the Imam calling the faithful to prayer.  Getting up at 5am, giving just enough time to get the gear together, have breakfast and get ready for another early start.

 

We had some fantastic experiences and it’s really hard to sum it all up.  The people of rural Tanzania have hard lives and we certainly provided them with some light relief.  The two nights we camped we were surrounded by an audience of avid watchers keeping a respectful distance but highly entertained by everything we did including using the showers.  Our early morning warm up sessions led by our group leader - Henk – provided them with a source of boundless amusement.  The terrain and mixed ability of the group meant that we often rode alone or in small groups with one vehicle at the front and another sweeping in the rear.  In some of the villages the local school children lined the road leaving only enough space to ride through in single file with them all wanting us to high-five them as we passed – just an awesome experience.  

 

We rode through a game reserve as one large group with an armed ranger in each of the support vehicles.  We saw a giraffe walking across the road in front of us as well antelope and baboons.  When we arrived at the coast and stayed in a game lodge our first experience of the Indian Ocean was like having a hot bath!

 

The final day we rode on a busy tarmac road into Dar es Salaam with the challenge of heavy traffic which took little account of our rights as fellow road users.  But we all made it.

 

Despite Marion’s usual propensity for collecting war wounds on bike rides she navigated through the whole thing without major incident but I managed a collect an impressive set of crescent shaped wounds on the back of my leg from the gear rings.  Marion was truly awesome on the hardest and hottest days (days 2 and 4) her commitment gaining legendary status.  My best day in the saddle was day three, feeling good and strong and giving it a good go and being entirely done in at the end. 

 

After the last days ride we had a celebration dinner and we each received a certificate personalised to highlight an aspect of our contribution to the group or event.  Some were funny some serious.  Marion’s was for ‘Not wilting in the African Sun’ and mine was for ‘Endurance.’  We’ll settle for that!

 

The people in the group were a great set of individuals and generally very fit.  We had ex-Olympians and some really talented amateur cyclists in the group but it was a very supportive environment.  Good riders regularly rode at the back to help pace the weaker ones and generally help through the difficult sections.  Something for which I am immensely grateful.  There was a lot of commitment to the group and a lot of determination to complete the challenge.  The Doctor (Steve ‘Feelgood’ Gibson) was good at giving everyone the best chance of completing the ride and the group leader and the local crew were brilliant.  They had to work so hard to keep us supplied with food and water, keep on top of the bike maintenance, manage the camp set up and so on. 

 

When we finished it was quite an emotional experience.  Nine months of training, planning and fundraising and the physical effort of the ride itself culminated in the final group ride into the hotel car park and a glass of fizzy.  Now all thats left is a mountain of gear to wash and some brilliant memories.  There were times when I thought I just wouldn’t be able to get through it and it’s probably the most physically demanding thing either of us has ever done.  It’s certainly an experience we’ll never forget.