Bicycle west africa - ghana - timbuctu - europe?

Hey- I admire your sense of adventure, but having done several intercontinental rides myself I'd have major worries about riding accross half of Africa on a bamboo frame! Rough roads and heavy baggage put quite a lot of strain on a frame, and I can't imagine for a minute bamboo would be up to it for an extended period of time.

I also suggest that you take with a pinch of salt the suggestions of smart-arses on forums ;). However the frame's only the first consideration when it comes to having any confidence the bike will make the trip. The other main weak points of a touring bike set-up are the rear wheel, luggage rack and panniers - They're under the most strain. I'd consider importing all the above to have half a chance of making it to Europe. Have a look at the on-your-bike branch for recommendations.

If the bike was cheap I'd say just go for it, but at $700 for the frame alone it seems more of an expensive novelty (in the name of eco-ethical shopping) than anything else.

I kind of hope you try it. But only because it's not my money ;)

Cheers, Matt

Edited by: equatorial_matty

hey - yah, if it was costing 700 dollars i wouldn't buy it either. but that's the for shipment to europe price - i can buy it directly from the people building the frames in the village since I'm here, which seems to make it very substantially less. Also, i've worked with bamboo quite a bit and I actually do believe that it can be every bit as strong (the joints are my main concern, not the bamboo itself, and having seen them and read the testimonials, I think I'm willing to give it a shot).

And yeah, rear wheel i'm a bit worried about, hence my question about getting quality parts here or having them shipped from overseas. Probably will have to have it and a few other things imported. Still hoping to make the trailer thing work, though.

I should say too that I'm an designer/builder and I've encountered a lot of resistance in Ghana to using local materials (i.e bamboo) in construction, so part of the reason I want to do this is to show the potential of use. I know people will be totally amazed, and that's the idea!

Thanks for the comments. I'm going to the frame builders' workshop in a few days - I'll let ya know what I end up doing!

The more I think about the idea the more I like it :). I struggle to believe that bamboo could be anywhere near as strong as steel, but you've seen the build quality first hand, and if you have some faith in it, go for it.

How are the roads you'd be riding on, any idea? Rough/ bumpy unsealed roads are obviously what's going to be most likely to jar the frame and damage the joints. A trailer sounds like a better idea than panniers actually, to take the strain off the frame. Assuming it's very well built of course.

I don't know what's available in terms of bike parts out there, but if it's anything like other developing countries I've cycled through, options will be very thin. Whether you're intending on going just to Timbuktu or on to Europe will make quite a difference on which components you need, I think. Looks like (very) roughly 2000-2500km from southern Ghana to Timbuktu, but 10,000+ to Spain. Local parts might (just!!(?)) manage the former, but would likely be massively troublesome for the latter. For the longer trip I'd consider importing a well-built rear wheel (regardless of whether you can get a trailer or not- it's still under a lot of strain (you!), particularly on bumpy roads), a saddle, tyres (high end Schwalbe's preferably), and perhaps pedals. Unless you get lucky and find some quality stuff locally of course.

SJS cycles in England regularly post bike bits all over the world, so they'd be my recommended option if you need anything. They usually have good advice on components too.

Good luck - Already looking forward to hearing how you get on!

I'm gonna try to stick mostly to paved roads, though I'd like to avoid the high traffic highways as much as possible. I know the road best road is normally the busiest too, so will try to find routes that fall somewhere in the middle. In ghana, if i go through the Volta region, I know the roads are paved and that there is relatively little traffic (compared to say, the Accra - Kumasi road, which I'd never want to cycle on). I'm sure i'll be lured onto or stumble across some dirt roads along the way in the spirit of adventure, but not planning to do the whole way like that. I'm not entirely sure what to expect in Burkina and Mali, but anticipate it will be similar, if with a bit less traffic.

And yeah, I think whether or not I continue from Timbuctu will depend partially on how the bike and parts are holding up, and partially on how my person is holding up :). I'd estimated more like 1,500 kms to timbuctu and about 5,000 from there to tangiers. But either way I think you assessment holds. Have any idea how much SJS would charge to ship a package with rear wheel, tires, and saddle? And can you explain why pedals might be important - just that the cheap ones might want to snap off?

Thanks!

Yeah, aiming for Tim and playing it by ear from there sounds like the way to go. Though as you probably know there have been various kidknappings around the Tim / Mauretania area in the last few years, so you'll want to get some up-to-date info on how secure it is through there.

Cheapo pedals are usually badly sealed, so gunk / sand will mess up the bearings and they'll stop turning smoothly. If they don't fall apart before they even reach that stage...
Get metal rather than plastic if possible.

No idea about SJS's shipping costs- just email them an ask for an estimate. Have you sussed out yet if there's a half decent bike shop in Accra? Or perhaps a sympathetic cycling ex-pat? Or the Ghanaian olympic mountain biking squad?? ;)

Cheers, Matt

Your in for a hard ride that's for sure! Especially if your crossing from Mali to Mauritania... Might be easier (and safer) heading to Dakar and then continuing up into Mauritania from the coastal border. Alot less hassle. Roads are better as well... Good luck, will be a hell of a trip! :)
Cheers,
Sam (http://www.anyroad.net)