Newsweek calls us the "leading long-distance cycling operator"



Globe and Mail asks "What kind of person tries to ride almost 12,000 kilometres in four months? Cycling fanatics...who want to see a different world and push themselves to new extremes."



More Magazine says Tour d;'Afrique is "no stranger to0 the exotic" and we arrange tours "to some of the world's hardest-to-access dstinations."



National Geographic Traveler selected the Silk Route as one of its 50 Tours of a Lifetime.

If you are in or around Amsterdam this weekend you should think about taking in the Dutch premiere of "Where Are You Go", a documentary film about the legendary Tour d'Afrique Bike Race/Expedition.

Canada 2009 | 60min | Dir. Benny Zenga & Brian Vernor

Where Are You Go chronicles four months of cycling, from Cairo to Cape Town, en route with the Tour d’Afrique, the world’s longest bicycle race and expedition. Traveling more than 70 miles per day, 50 racers and expedition riders experience the boundless Nubian dessert of Sudan, the great majesty of Victoria Falls, and finally the cold rush of the Atlantic Ocean. The 7,000 mile expedition is a constant adventure full of playfulness and mysterious beauty, and is a testament to the endurance of human curiosity.

For information, please click here.

To watch the trailer please click here.


Enjoy the show!!

We are excited to announce the latest DreamTour to become a reality - An Indian Adventure!

This 7 week, 3100km journey from the Taj Mahal to the southern tip of the Indian sub-continent begins in late January 2011. For more details click here.

To reserve your spot, please register now.\

photo by mugley

If you're in or near Melbourne, Australia this weekend, catch the Tour d'Afrique film 'Where Are You Go' screening at the Bicycle Film Festival this Saturday evening. The screening will be followed by a Q&A session with Tony Wheeler, Quentin Frane, David Nelson, Fiona Siseman and Martin Heng - all from Lonely Planet - who participated in a relay team in the 2009 Tour d'Afrique. More info and ticket details can be found here.

For the first time, the Tour d'Afrique has been documented by a team of film makers and is making its way around the world with the Bicycle Film Festival.

We are working to keep the web site in fine working order. It was down for some upgrades for a few hours today but is now up and running. Apologies for any inconveniences.

In March, 2009, Tour D’Afrique/Planet Wheeler Foundation, through Africycle, donated 10 bicycles to Emmanuel International Malawi for a new program that was just starting up.  This program, called SAVEUP, is a village savings and loans program that is expanding in many areas of Malawi.

The concept is simple:  village people organize themselves in groups who are willing to pool a small amount of money on a regular basis.  As the fund grows, the group members start taking loans.  With these loans, they develop small businesses.  The groups follow a precise methodology of saving while at the same time developing their own rules and regulations that govern group choices….for instance, how much money equals 1 share, how large a loan can people take, and what interest will the loan attract.  

The SAVEUP program, a 2 ½ year program supported by CARE International, is hoping to help 17,200 people join a Village Savings and Loans Association, enabling those living in rural areas to generate a brighter economic future that previously has not been possible.  

It takes at least a year to get a group from start up to maturity.  As groups have been established, the Emmanuel International Malawi field team have worked with traditional leaders in their areas to identify individuals who can keep this program growing, individuals who are trained as Village Agents.  These agents will undergo more in depth training which will prepare them for starting up new groups, thus repeating over and over the village savings and loans opportunities in more communities…..the ripple effect!

And this is where the generous gift of 10 donated bicycles from Africycle through Tour D’Afrique/Planet Wheeler Foundation comes in.  Village Agents who have just completed their SAVEUP training have been gifted with these donated bicycles.  The bicycles will help them reach the communities around them, providing them with a means of  establishing an increased number of groups.  The chief of each Village Agent was on hand to witness the handover of these bikes, a precious commodity to these communities.



Anne Taulo is one of the VSLA participants from Zomba district, TA Chikowi in Chiwamba village.  Anne is the head of her household; she is 27 years old and lives with her 7 year old son, Brian.  Anne has about 3.5 hectares of land to farm.  She has depended on what she can produce from her farm, selling the surplus to make a living for her and her son.  But Anne did not have a culture of savings.  She couldn’t think beyond her door step and she kept doing what her mother and granny used to do:  keep the money under the pillow, in the house and even by digging holes in the ground.  

Anne said, “I couldn’t think there can be meaningful and profitable ventures to undertake.”  Even if she had, she added, “I didn’t have anywhere to get a loan.”

The SAVEUP project targets the poor and less advantaged people, assisting them to improve their economic muscle.  In June, 2009, Anne found herself in the VSLA group.  So far Anne has managed to save MK 4800. 00 (US$34.00) and she has taken a loan out worth Mk 3000.00 (US$21.00).  She ventured into a cooking oil business and made a profit of Mk 2000.00 (US$14.00).  She hired temporary help to assist her on her farm for Mk 1500.00 (US$ 10.00) and with the remaining money, she purchased small household needs like soap and salt.  

When Anne was asked to talk about her vision of the future, she said that when the money is shared out in December 2009, she intends to buy a sewing machine (US$78.00).  Anne is thankful for village savings and loans and believes it will bring change and a chance to build her capacity.  

Anne was selected in her group to be trained as a Village Agent in her area.  She wishes to thank Africycle and Tour D’Afrique/Planet Wheeler Foundation for the gift of the bike which she feels will help her in her responsibilities of forming, mentoring and supervising more groups.  Her final statement is, “No more misuse of money as we have the Village Banks which are in our communities.”

Mr. Ronney Dauda is the head of a family with 5 members.  He provides for his family through subsistence farming.  In July 2009, Ronney joined the Tiyanjane Villlage Savings and Loans group.  Rooney saved Mk 5000.00 (US$35.00) and took a loan from his group for Mk 2000.00 (US$14.00).  He used the money to buy paraffin for lamps which he sold to his neighbors.  The profit on this start up business was Mk 1500.00 (US$10.50) which he used to buy chemicals for his fields and clothes for his children.  When asked about the program, Mr. Dauda said, “I didn’t know how to save.  I was just using the money anyhow.  I felt I had little money so I can’t save.”  Ronney feels the village savings and loans works well for people who have problems and will help to improve household livelihood security.  Ronney stated with a smile, “Thank you, Africycle [and Tour D’Afrique/Planet Wheeler Foundation], for giving me a precious gift of a bicycle.  I will be forming new groups in my area!”

With our launch of DreamTours, we are now asking you (not telling you) What is your dream bicycle tour? ...and people around the world are responding. With each new comment and question, the DreamTours concept takes shape!

The Latest Improvements
DreamTours BETA. This is a catch-all phase that basically means it’s a work in progress and so you can anticipate some things to not always work... yet.  

Through this beta-testing process we have allowed the concept to evolve naturally as each new user gives us further insight into what works, what’s popular, and what are the best ways to organize the DreamTours website.

Here are a few of the latest changes to the site:
•    Count Me In!: Now there is a way to show your intent to join a DreamTour with no up-front commitment. Click Count Me In! on the tour you want to join, and you'll be added to the list awaiting the tour's launch.
•    Thumbnails of participants: You can now see everyone else who has also "Counted In"
•    Progress bar: The bar shows how many more people are needed to reach the DreamTour's MINIMUM required. Once it's reached, the tour is ON, and registration opens. 
•    Free tour: On the DreamTour creator's “my Dream Tours” page they can view the extended progress bar. This shows the OPTIMUM number - the number of participants needed for the creator to get a FREE tour.
•    Better Commenting options
•    Minimum Numbers Reduced: We recently re-evaluated all the current DreamTours and lowered the MINIMUM number on several of them. So take a look, you might be even closer to making your DreamTour a reality.


We are busy with lots of other changes too:
•    Marketing Guide: Check our website over the coming weeks as we have been busy researching new ways to help you market your DreamTours. The internet and the real world have many tools to help people find other people with similar interest and interested in cycling adventures just like you.
•    Follow this Tour: Soon you won't have to keep coming back to our website to check the progress of your favourite DreamTour. Just click "Follow this tour" and anytime anything is changed or someone is Counted In to that tour - you will be alerted by email.
•    Clearer instructions and helpful tips: As we continue to learn how Dreamtours is evolving, we are conituning to improve the way it works. Check back regularly to see lots of changes, and helpful tips and instructions.

Ready to participate?
Create an account
Browse the many DreamTours currently on display
Get more information

Dream. Share. Ride
Here’s how it works...

DREAM up the bike tour you’ve always wanted…
•    Register your free account
•    Fill in the details of your dream tour
•    We review and approve it
•    Add photos
•    Plot your route

SHARE - Spread the word - find people to join you
•    Create your DreamTour homepage
•    Share your plan with others
•    Make a blog and use social networking
•    Collect comments from friends and strangers
•    Build a team of riders

RIDE - Will you ride for free?
•    Watch your progress via the progress bar
•    Increase your registered participants
•    Reach your group’s optimum size
•    Ride for free!
•    Live your DreamTour - as we lead the way


The Early Successes
Here is what’s being said about DreamTours...
Ndorfin Online
Adventure World Magazine
National Geographic Traveler

As more people learn of the concept, the closer some DreamTours are to becoming a reality.

Amber Route
A spectacular six weeks bicycle tour through eight countries will follow the ancient Amber Trade Route used by the Romans. The Tour will begin in St. Petersburg, one of the world most beautiful cities, winds its way through the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, then onwards through Poland and Slovakia, continuing on to Hungary cutting through Slovenia and end in the one and only - Venice, Italy.

An Indian Adventure
This tour isn't about getting from A to B as quickly as possible, it's about the journey, enjoying the sights and smells and seeing as much of the Indian subcontinent as we can…. Jaipur will be the next major destination before our final push to Agra, home to the iconic Taj Mahal. Watching the sunset on the Taj will be the perfect end to an epic 2000mile journey, through one of the most ancient, diverse and challenging countries on Earth. This is one adventure that could truly change your life!


So now’s the time to get involved. Help build the DreamTours system, and plan your own DreamTour, or participate by commenting and rating the current tour offerings. Or if you're ready to ride, click Count Me In! on the DreamTour you want to participate in.

If you see a problem, we would love to fix it for you. Please email us the details and we get to work fixing it.

I arrived in Chicago just as temperatures were skyrocketing. The shores of Lake Michigan were crowded with people soaking in the sun, watching the air show and taking a stroll along the waterfront path that runs the entire length of Chicago from top to bottom. The trail covered over 40 km and is an excellent way to introduce oneself to the city.

I had come to Chicago to see Where Are You Go – a documentary about our company’s epic cycling event in Africa. It has been traveling throughout the US with the Bicycle Film Fest, and so far has been received well by large crowds wherever it goes.

For me it was fascinating to see our tour on the big screen. It is satisfying to see the product that we have put so much time into now there for the viewing audience to see. The film was by no means perfect. Some commented that it lack a central theme or focus, but the imagines and scenery are stunning and all my congratulation to the Zenga Brothers and Brian Vernor for putting it together. It had some very funny, and very relevant interviews with some of the participants that I am sure will help people to better understand what it takes to cycle across a continent.

The morning after the film I headed north from downtown on the “L” redline train to Rogers Park where I was interviewed at Heartland Café with radio host and restaurant owner Michael James. We talked for 30 minutes about the film, and Tour d’Afrique. He asked questions about what it takes to ride the Tour d’Afrique, how does one train for the tour, and what challenges participants can expect to face along the way.



The Heartland is a unique place. Each Saturday morning Michael broadcasts live from the café – sitting on a small stage in the front corner of the café. He has interview guest like Barack Obama and Gary Fisher, and the café has been around since 1976 serving Good Wholesome Food for the Mind and Body – there website proclaims.
  
Thanks to Michael James for the interview, to Andrew and Brent for organizing an excellent film fest in Chicago. Thanks also to Augie, Nate, Paul, and Rob for their efforts to help me spread the word throughout Chicago about the film.


 
With the film and the interview we hope that we will soon get our first Chicago resident to ride the Tour d’Afrique. In a city with a very active cycling community, and excellent cycling infrastructure, and home to Tour de France star Christian Vande Velde, its surprising that none have taken up the Tour d’Afrique challenge yet.