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Cinelli BOOTLEG Bicycle Test Rider Report




I had waited to ride in Africa for so long and finally the time had come. The flight landed in Lilongwe and I was ready to run the Zambezi Zone section with the Tour d’Afrique Bicycle Expedition.



In order to test one of the BOOTLEG Cinelli bikes that had been prepared for the rigors of the world’s toughest race/expedition I faced a 1250 km ride across Malawi and Zambia, ending at the legendary Victoria Falls.

As most of the route was on paved roads crossing a seemingly endless string of rolling hills, I was able to test the qualities of speed and smoothness of the BOOTLEG Cinelli - especially the level of comfort over long distances - up to 180 km per day.



The  Zambezi Zone section turned out to be one of the most suitable sections for the characteristics of the BOOTLEG Cinelli bike. The frame is super stiff which I enjoy. When you stand during a climb there is no rear end flex when under power. The stiffness, however, entails a lower comfort level, especially on Zambian asphalt that is very wrinkled. The wheels of the BOOTLEG Cinelli and the carbon fork did absorb most of the annoying vibrations, so my back and shoulders arrived at the end of any stage in good condition. My Cinelli bike has been a great travel friend, very reliable and easy to maintain a good speed without particular problems. 



Riding on the hills of Zambia was an incredible adventure and experiencing it  along with the other Tour d’Afrique riders was a real pleasure. The Tour d'Afrique is truly unique! There is so much harmony between the riders and the spirit that emerges is that of "Grande Ciclismo".



I've collected a lot of feedback directly from other riders who rode the Cinelli along the rest of the route in very different conditions from those areas of the Zambezi Zone: off-road, sand, mud, etc… While there are many things to improve in the next year’s model all those who have tried the bikes have really appreciated its racing character.

Now I'm back in Italy and sharing with the Cinelli team new ideas that will make the BOOTLEG Cinelli bike even more powerful and suitable for the Tour d’Afrique Bicycle Race & Expedition.



Africa, it seems, has taught me a lot and given me some positive energy!

Thank you Tour d’Afrique!

In bike we trust! 


  -- Dario Toso  

Posted April 24, 2012 by Guest Author
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A Very Funky Ferry Ride across Four Countries in 500 Meters




Officially the pontoon ferry across the Zambezi River at Kazangula, about 75 km west of Victoria Falls, that the Tour d’Afrique takes each year, is the crossing between the Zambia and Botswana borders. But in fact the midstream point of this sometimes treacherous ride marks the only spot in the world where 4 countries meet, namely Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. In doing so a ferry passenger “visits” all 4 countries as the ferry struggles and smokes from one side to the other during the 8-15 minute crossing. At one point the boat does an upstream push towards an island that is in Namibia before drifting downstream to the other side. Moreover the landing on the Botswana side happens on a spur that is actually Zimbabwean soil – the Zimbabwe border fence just happens to have been moved very slightly east so that once off the boat traffic can proceed unhindered over the last 100 yards to Botswana border control.



This fascinating legacy from the colonial scramble for Africa has had a most colorful history. For the past 60 years the four countries have laboured to reach agreement over the construction of a bridge. Given the relatively limited width and depth of the river at this point this would not require a particularly challenging engineering design.



During the Zimbabwean War of Independence, the “rebel” ZANU-PF fighters used the ferry to smuggle arms into then Southern Rhodesia. In response the Prime Minister of the pariah Rhodesian state, Ian Smith, had his air force bomb and sink one of the ferries in mid-stream, in order to discourage this practice. And in 2006, a ferry flipped while carrying a brand new Volvo semi trailer cattle truck. Until recently one could still see the wreck of this boat and the truck on the Zambian shore.



There are 2 pontoon boats typically in operation today, one that carries passengers, cars, regional buses, as well as tourists on excursions from Vic Falls to Chobe National Park. For these customers the wait to cross is typically no more than an hour. The other somewhat larger pontoon slowly shuttles one of the literally hundreds of transport trucks lined up on either side across the Zambezi. In fact by googling “Kazangula ferry” you’ll find that this crossing is now best known for being the major bottleneck in the southern African transport network. One of the reasons for this involves the notorious Zimbabwean regime of Robert Mugabe. Many trucks travelling between South Africa and the copper mine belt of northern Zambia and the Congo’s Katanga province used to use two Zambia/Zimbabwe border crossings – the bridges at Vic Falls and Siavonga . But when Mugabe astronomically raised the tariffs on trucks transiting through Zimbabwe, the trucking companies decided it was cheaper to pay their drivers to wait as long as 7-10 days at Kazangula and avoid Zimbabwe altogether.



Now Zambia and Botswana have entered into an agreement to conduct the feasibility study for a road/rail bridge and a “one stop border crossing” beginning in mid 2012. But whether this project will finally take-off as planned and will not be scuttled by further political bickering remains to be seen. In the meantime all we can say is wow … and good luck to all who clamber aboard. This is indeed a most fascinating and funky ferry.

Posted April 16, 2012 by Brian Hoeniger
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It’s a tough life being a racer




Usually I like to take it easy when I ride – I have no problems with riding sweep.  But today I feel like a change, so I take an iButton from race director Ben and jump on my bike.  Before I leave camp I pause at the time pilot (our timing system for the racers and riders that want their journey to be timed) and press my iButton into the machine until I hear it beeping, put it safely into my jersey pocket and start pedalling as fast as I can along the dirt road out of camp back to the pavement.

There’s a sharp corner coming off the dirt road with gravel just before the pavement.  I take it a little too fast and end up going SPLAT on the pavement!  Ouch!!! 

“Oh sorry!” says the Zambian bypasser.

She makes sure I am ok and even offers me some special Zambian cream for my wounds.

But I have a race to win.  “I’m okay!” I smile at the friendly face, jump back on my bike and get the legs spinning again. 

Before long I pass rider Robert who is busy fixing a flat.  He already has Ciaran helping him out and has everything he needs.  I give them the thumbs up and keep pedaling. 

Next I catch rider Ming.  Ming is busy taking photos.  I give him a big smile and a thumbs-up too and I’m sure he has a lovely shot of me zooming down the hill in front of him.



Next I catch riders Jen and Carla.  I think they are riding super slow to let me win!  I don’t want them to go slow just because I’m racing though because if I’m the only one racing then it’s not a real race.

Jen, Esther, Jana, Femke, Marita  and Natalie are sitting enjoying a cold coke when I pass.

A little later I pass Lisa, Bev, and Nola.  By this time I am getting tired.  There’s a big hill and before long they have all caught me again. 

“Only 10km to lunch,” Nola tells me as she passes.  Phew I think I can do that!  I let them pass and decide all these guys are much fitter than I am and I need to play dirty if I want to win!  I don’t think I can make 104km without eating so I can’t do like some of the boys do on a mando day and skip lunch.  So I pull into the truck wash my hands, grab some food, wolf it down in a couple of mouthfuls, fill up my water and get back on my bike.  Most of the female riders are still sitting at the truck when I leave.  Gizele only left 10-15 minutes ago.  She had a head start from me already from camp so if I ride fast and even if she gets to camp before me I could still win!

At 80km I am feeling a little over racing and feel like taking photos.  I don’t let myself though.  I am getting tired again but I have to keep moving – I have a race to win!

At 90km I am feeling completely stuffed.  My back is hurting, my shoulders hurt, my knee and my elbow and my hand are all hurting from my fall. 

I stop at the next possible coke stop and have an icy cold coke.  And a freshly made Zambian doughnut.  I have had enough racing and just want the ride to be over. 

After my coke I am feeling much better so I get back on the bike and continue my ride.  I’m still tired though and it’s not long before Jen, Femke , Natalie and Gennesse catch me.  They offer me a wheel and I take it for a little while.  It’s a smart way to race but I’m in Africa and I don’t really like staring at a wheel in front of mine when there’s so much other exciting stuff to look at! 

I let them pass.  I have no energy to keep their pace.  I remember how much I hate racing!

Eventually I roll into camp.  I don’t have energy to sprint to the finish line flag.  I stop by the time pilot, clock out, chill for a little while before jumping in and having a shower.

I don’t know how the racers can do it – riding as fast as they can every single day. Now I can barely move.

I didn’t get the stage and I don’t really care but from now I am happy  to just ride sweep where I can chill out right at the back, stop a lot, take photos and enjoy being in Africa!

-    Claire Pegler

Posted April 11, 2012 by Guest Author
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It is the small things




Most people associate Africa with the big five. Lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino are usually the animals visitors to the continent want to see and they are usually not disappointed.



Whilst travelling through Zambia one can understand why this landscape lends itself to these animals so well as we are making our way west through miles and miles of lush, green landscapes. Usually you cannot even see over the grass growing next to the road and it remains a mystery what kind of wildlife have ridden past in these past few days.



However, travelling on a bike gives you the chance to see more than the big things and the ability to truly appreciate the little things that you would have missed had you been in a car. It’s all about the two yellow butterflies playing in the air, the small brown snake slither next to the road, the brown butterfly following you around, the dragonfly that appears and disappears from sight in the blink of an eye, the millipede crossing the road, the dung beetle escaping imminent death from an oncoming truck and the surprise on the little kid next to the road’s face that a “msungu” is in the middle of his village on a bicycle.



One thing is clear. Zambia, and Africa, is about so much more than the Big Five and the Vic Falls. What truly makes this a special place is those little things that many forget to look for.


   -- Catharina Robbertze

Posted April 07, 2012 by Guest Author
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A Very Funky Ferry Ride across Four Countries in 500 Meters




Officially the pontoon ferry across the Zambezi River at Kazungula, about 75 km west of Victoria Falls, that the Tour d’Afrique takes each year, is the crossing between the Zambia and Botswana borders. In fact the midstream point of this sometimes treacherous ride marks the only spot in the world where 4 countries meet, namely Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. In doing so a ferry passenger “visits” all 4 countries as the ferry struggles and smokes from one side to the other during the 10 minute crossing. At one point the boat does an upstream push towards an island that is in Namibia before drifting downstream to the other side. Moreover the landing on the Botswana side happens on a spur that is actually Zimbabwean soil – the Zimbabwe border fence just happens to have been moved very slightly east so that once off the boat traffic can proceed unhindered over the last 400 yards to Botswana border control.  

This legacy from the colonial scramble for Africa has had a very colorful history. For the past 60 years the four countries have laboured to reach agreement over the construction of a bridge. Given the relatively limited width and depth of the river this would not require a particularly challenging engineering design. But they continue to fail, most recently because Zimbabwean President Mugabe insists on huge payments for use of “his water.”  

During the Zimbabwean War of Independence, the “rebel” ZANU-PF fighters used the ferry to smuggle arms into then Southern Rhodesia. In response the Prime Minister of the pariah Rhodesian state, Ian Smith, had his air force bomb and sink one of the ferries in mid-stream, in order to discourage this practice. More recently, in 2006, a ferry flipped while carrying a brand new Volvo semi trailer cattle truck, which incidentally was built in South Africa by the father of TdA Tour Leader Sharita. 16 people died, trapped under the wreckage while other clung to the banisters on the top side and didn’t even get wet. Until recently one could still see the wreck of this boat and the truck on the Zambian shore.  

There are up to 3 pontoon boats in operation today, one that carries passengers, cars, regional buses, as well as tourists on excursions from Vic Falls to Chobe National Park. For these customers the wait to cross is typically no more than an hour. The other somewhat larger pontoons, 1 of which is often out of service, slowly shuttle one of the literally hundreds of transport trucks lined up on either side across the Zambezi. Google “Kazungula ferry” and you’ll find that this crossing is now best known for being the major bottleneck in the southern African transport network. One of the reasons for this again involves the notorious Zimbabwean regime of Robert Mugabe. Many trucks travelling between South Africa and the copper mine belt of northern Zambia and the DRC’s Katanga province used to cross at two Zambia/Zimbabwe borders – the bridges at Vic Falls and Siavonga . But when Mugabe raised the tariffs on trucks transiting through Zimbabwe by astronomically, the trucking companies decided it was cheaper to pay their drivers to wait as long as several days at Kazungula and avoid Zimbabwe altogether.   All we can say is wow … and good luck to all who clamber aboard. This is indeed a most fascinating and funky ferry.  


   --  Written by Brian Hoeniger with Consultation from Tjisse Kamstra (Owner, Livingstone Safari Lodge)

Posted April 18, 2011 by Tour d'Afrique Ltd.
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Another great dinner




Another great dinner on the Tour d’Afrique 2011 that deserves to be shared. Tonight, Kim and Ferdi’s every-pot-in-the kitchen-used menu for the day. Stuffed apple and pineapple roasted Pork, corn on the cob, broccoli and cauliflower with a creamy parmesan and oregano sauce, honey glazed carrots, roasted potatoes and for the veggie option, garlic baby potatoes and peppers with soya meat stir fry.

Stuffed Apple & Pineapple Roasted Pork

At home                                    On the road with TDA

1 kg of pork roast                      20 kg of superior pork roast
4 spoons of barbecue spice          2 packages
20 ml of Worstershire sauce         400 ml
1/2 cup of olive oil                         2 cups
4 tablespoons crashed garlic        2 bottles
2 tablespoons of parsley              1 box
1 tin of pineapple rings                6 tins
1 tablespoon of rosemary             1 box
1 tablespoon of thyme                6 tablespoons                   
½ tin of apple slices                     6 tins
1 package of streaky bacon          12
10 baby potatoes                          4 kg
2 to 3 cups of red wine                   2 bottles
1 package of roast gravy sauce     30 packages    

Preparation

Start of by taking a knife to the pork, making as many holes as possible. Put roast to one side.

Mix the barbecues spice, olive oil, worstershire sauce, garlic, parsley, thyme and rosemary together. Stuff the pork with the pineapple, the apple and the bacon strips in the already made holes, not forgetting to add a little bit of spice as you go. When it is stuffed to its capacity and can take no more, rub the remaining spice mix all over the pork. Place the pork roast on a bed of potatoes in your oven pot,  add the juice from the pineapple and apples, add a little bit of water, cover and bake it in the oven at 180 degrees for about 3 to 4 hours, adding water when needed.

Gravy: When pork roast is cooked, to your satisfaction, remove from pot with potatoes and add about 3 to 4 cups of wine, depending on the amount of liquid left, together with one package of roasted meat gravy. Reduce the sauce and serve!  

TDA method

Same as above, larger quantities needed. Loads more stuffing and poking, bigger pots and a hotter fire.

PS: Don’t forget to start the fire before you start the poking. Put pot on coals, bring to the boil and then reduce heat at the bottom and add coals on the top of lift, creating our very own bush oven.

Cooking time: 5-6 hours

Posted April 15, 2011 by Tour d'Afrique Ltd.
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ZamBikes




Like a bus load of kids in a candy shop, 20 or so riders and crew piled into the back of a flatbed for what was to be the best TDA field trip yet.  Outside of the city limits, past the smaller villages where many of workers live, we made our way to the ZAMbikes factory.  On the way out Dustin had passed around one of their finished bamboo frames for all to drool over.

Holding this bamboo frame felt like sitting in a hand built cob home.  Passing all the tests of performance and function, all the while adding a world of aesthetic beauty and sustainable design.  It’s beautiful.  ZAM’s  bamboo bicycles are one-of-a-kind pieces of handcrafted art, with the strength/weight performance of carbon fibre, and style beyond any.

Beautiful bamboo frames are not all that the ZAM brothers are up to, they also build steel bikes and trailers for a variety of local uses.  My personal favourite; the ZAMbulance.  A bicycle powered ambulance.  Whilst visiting the factory, a few of us were encouraged to take one out for high speed test rides round and around the factory.  With the gear ratio’s set up as they were,  it was actually quite alright to pedal, however even more alright was playing patient.

With invitations to show their bikes all over the world including the North American Hand Made Bicycle Show, the ZAM love is spreading.   It doesn’t take a wizard to realize what you really get when purchasing a ZAM, a custom fit, high performance, piece of artwork that supports a non-profit bicycle movement in Zambia… hrmmm can someone please bring me order form.

http://www.new.zambikes.org/

    -- Adele Woodyard

Posted April 14, 2011 by Adele Woodyard
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Report from Zambia




The show goes on! The world’s longest bicycle race/expedition has made its way to Zambia, the seventh country on the route (out of 10).

The Tour d’Afrique spends 10 days in Zambia, being 8 riding days (covering 1150 km) and 3 rest days (1 in Lusaka and 2 at Livingstone/Victoria Falls).

After crossing the border and buying supplies in Chipata, we rode along the thinly populated Great East Road across rolling hills and the Luangwa River Bridge to Lusaka. Days were long and hot, and we had some strong showers at what is (or should be) the end of the rainy season.

Two very strong riders (including the second place on the race) lost their EFIs this week, not so much because it was that hard, but because at this point everyone’s bodies are starting to feel the 3 months of strong riding since January when they left Cairo, in Egypt, to the 12,000 km journey across the African continent. The tour is now on its way to the 8,000 km mark.


                                   Racers

Dennis Kipphardt, from Germany, has won his first “mando day” and got a 30 minutes bonus for it. World Champion Paul Wolfe (Canada) is still leading the race, now with an advantage of around 15 hours from the second place Jorg Hartmann (German). It looks like a lot, but the race is far from being decided, things change quite quickly on a race of this magnitude.


                                     Ryan

South African Ryan Paetzold is working hard to win a stage, and is getting closer to it every day. Ryan, who considers the TDA “the tour of a lifetime” has been improving his cycling a lot since Cairo and is now decided to take a winner’s plate home.

From Lusaka, where the nomad cycling village (now around 100 people) is set up now for a day of rest, to Livingstone (where the great Vic Falls are) the roads are flatter and fast, passing through several larger towns. From Livingstone it’s a short ride to Kazungula and the pontoon ferry across the Zambezi to Botswana.

Posted April 12, 2011 by Tour d'Afrique Ltd.
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A change in morale




Somewhere around now a change in group morale is sensed.  It takes a lot of physical energy and a lot of determination to ride a bicycle across Africa.  Right now it takes a lot of mental energy to keep those pedals turning.  Riders are just plain tired. 

Does the tour get easier as we head further south???  The answer is indeed no.  Sure we have already covered the day with the most elevation coverage back in Ethiopia, we have covered the toughest terrain back in Northern Kenya.  Now it’s time for the kilometers to start increasing, time for longer days in the saddle.  The chamois start wearing out, wearing thinner, the saddle sores keep coming.  Bodies are worn down beyond what they were made for. 

Never fear though because in 4 more riding days we’ll be in Botswana where the Bo-Bo-Bo-Botswana Bonanza will begin to revoke that mental energy needed as we conquer the straight flat thorny stretch of Botswana.

        --   Claire Pegler

Posted April 11, 2011 by Tour d'Afrique Ltd.
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Advice for future TDA riders




Today I’d like to share some of my thoughts on selecting equipment for a expedition as demanding as the Tour d’Afrique.  We’ve had a number of months to see what kinds of gear holds up to the rigors of traveling in Africa, and what items are best left behind. 

Tent

Your tent will be your home and refuge for the four months that you will be on tour, so it’s critically important to select a good one.  It must keep you dry when it rains, and it also keeps the mosquitoes at bay while you are asleep.  Here are some features to look for in a shelter:

It should be a freestanding design, meaning that it can be assembled and stand without any stakes driven into the ground.  At times, we have camped at hotels and the only areas available to set up our tents have been a concrete pad.  If your tent needs stakes to stand, this will present a problem.  Freestanding tents do not do well in the deserts of northern Africa.  The tension of the tent can easily pull the stakes out of the ground, and when rains come to soften the ground and the wind starts to blow you will find yourself inside a collapsed tent.  This is not fun at 3:00am.  Trust me, I know this from firsthand experience.  Your tent should also have a completely removable rain fly.  This will help keep you cool on hot, muggy nights.  Make sure that the manufacturer of your tent has a footprint available for your tent.  A footprint will protect the bottom of your tent from sharp rocks and thorns, as well as make it possible tom take down and fold up the tent without it becoming covered in dirt and mud.  A good tent design will have easily repaired tent poles.  Be certain that replacement pole sections are available, and that you do not need too many different lengths to make up your repair kit.  The segment that you decide not to bring will surely be the one to get stepped on in camp and then you’re out of luck. 
  
Sleeping bag

Down filled bags are warm, light, and compress well into their stuff sacks, but do not keep you warm when they become wet.  A synthetic filled bag might be a better choice.  Be sure to buy a sleeping bag liner.  Either silk or cotton will be fine.  I prefer a mummy bag, other like regular bags.  If you are tall, make sure that the bag you buy is long enough to accommodate your height.

Headlamp

A headlamp is a very important part of your equipment as you will use it every evening.  I recommend that you purchase a unit that accepts AA or AAA sized batteries.  Replacement batteries are widely available in Africa.  There is no reason to use a halogen based lamp.  Buy a LED system that is dimmable and has adjustable aim.

For my next blog, I will go into great detail about selecting a bicycle and its requisite spare parts for the Tour d’Afrique.

    -- Gabriel Altman


Posted April 10, 2011 by Tour d'Afrique Ltd.
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