Bike – tick, Flight – tick….anything else?

So things are going great….as of about 2 seconds ago. It seems I may now have a bike. There’s nothing like a bit of last minute panic to bring things together. All the shops laughed at me the other day when I said I only had 9 days to get a bike before I sit on it for 5 months. Ha! Apparently it is prudent to practice on the bike. Alas, time constraints mean this is not possible…..and I have almost 6 months to become intimate with my bike. I almost got one for £270…..but it’s now £845 all in (parts, bags, bike, kit, etc). Still a great deal! Thanks Dawes and thanks Cycle Care in High Wycombe. Last week I was looking at £1200 just for the bike…not an option.

Flights done. Tent done. Insurance done. Jabs, pills done. Mini video camera bought. Bike on its way. Progress!

Training….zero, none, niente. Clue about what I’m doing…also none. I doubt reading everything I get my hands on will prepare me remotely. Camping….I am hoping being a big fan of Ray Mears is going to serve me in good stead. Although all I seem to be able to remember from his shows is how to whittle a spoon out of a log and what to do when lost in the snowy mountains. Not so practical in the desert. I bought a mini survival kit today….it comes with snares and fishing line…..I know….I’m living the dream….hunt and gather, hunt and gather. I now feel fully prepared to take on a lion or some such beast. On that note, I had a debate with John as to which would be better to scare a lion…..I said pepper spray….John says flares. Are lions like bees…..where spraying things at them only makes them mad? Anyway, we don’t have to worry about it for a few months, but fire is probably wise.

So I leave Tuesday 9th at midday. I am a combination of minimal preparation, minimal clue and an assumption that I’ll learn pretty quickly the realities of what I’m undertaking. You can only plan so much on a trip like this. As long as we have the tools to operate, then jump on and head south. Piece of cake! Although talking of operating, I seem to have gathered a vast collection of syringes. They’re to protect us from Hep B more than donate to the local crack community, but hopefully I’ll get to donate them to some medical folk on arrival in SA rather than need them. What I do know is that the first two months are all set to be the hardest. A combination of acclimatising to our bicycles, dodgy roads, searing heat, some relentless endurance terrain combined with less enthusiastic locals could be a bit of a test. I have also read a lot of positives about this part of the trip which will hopefully counter the bad (Tom provides a clear insight).

Right, I must crack on. If anyone has any tips (especially desert tips…if anyone knows me they’ll know I’m not designed for excess heat) then do let me know. Or if you have questions, ask away. My website is becoming a team website this weekend so you can compare notes with my comrads. If anyone has ideas for things for me to do, take pictures or videos of then let me know. Similarly, if there are people I should visit on my route or ideally stay with….then do pass on their contact details to me (dickbroadhurst@gmail.com). I’ve never camped for longer than about four days and that wasn’t exactly marshmallows on the fire and a hippy sing along to kumbaya. A bed now and again I’m sure will be an uplifting experience.

Ps. Does anyone know of the existence of solar powered speakers. I know transporting a beat box through Africa shouldn’t be on my list of priorities, but the odd bit of musical accompaniment is a bit of a must in my view.