january-2011

Clockwise from
above: A rider from
team Benin takes a
breather; The Tour du
Faso draws supporters
closer to the sport;
A local cyclist attempts
to keep up with the
race leaders
Opposite page: A
product of Ghana’s
Bamboo Bike Project is
taken for a test drive
Though the Tour du Faso race has been running
since 1987, it received international recognition when in
2005 it was included in the inaugural UCI Africa Tour
(uciafricatour.com); a kind of two-wheeled Formula
One organised by the Union Cycliste Internationale.
Now it stands alongside events like the African
Continental Championships, held in Rwanda last
November, as well as more recent editions such as
the Tour du Cameroun, taking place 15-26 February.
Races such as these give hope to Africa’s cycling
devotees, who dream of a two-wheeled society. And if
you don’t fancy joining the peloton, there are plenty
of other, less strenuous ways to enjoy cycling in Africa
– so read on and get pedalling…
Two-week trips
Ibike is a non-profit organisation that promotes bicycle
transportation and international understanding. It
runs a number of well-supported bike tours in Africa;
this month, there’s a 14-day tour of Uganda from 9-22
January (which is also run in August), which costs
$1,290 (€982). A two-week tour of Ghana from 29 May
– 11 June costs $1,490 (€1135), while Burkina Faso and
Cameroon tours are set for November (dates TBC),
for the same price. ibike.org
Coastal caper
Join Swiss-run company Bike the Coast for bicycle
day-trips along the Kenyan coastline. The brief
(23-31km) tours follow the seashore in and around
Mtwapa, near Mombasa, and all guides carry first-aid
24 Brussels Airlines b.spirit! magazine Jan-Feb 2011
kits and speak English, German and Swahili. Expect
villages dotted along a coastline of palm trees and
mango forests. bikethecoast.com
Cross the continent
Tour d’Afrique is a Toronto-based company named for
its flagship annual cycling tour that traverses the African
continent from Cairo to Cape Town. It’s open to anyone
between the ages of 18 and 75, though riders who can’t
manage the full 12,000km trip should sign up for one of
the week-long sections instead – the route is divided into
nine parts. The Kenyan stretch could be a good starting
point, beginning in mid-March. The full tour costs
€8,900, while sections start at €900. tourdafrique.com
Bamboo bikes: the future of cycling?
It might sound like a material consigned to the scrapheap
of history, yet the thick, rigid, fast-growing grass bamboo
measures up well against carbon and alloy bike frames.
It’s also far more plentiful in places like Ghana, where
heavy, rigid-metal bikes currently rule the roads, and
can be bound together with resin or natural fibre.
The Bamboo Bike Project, a joint venture between
American environmental experts and Ghanaian
manufacturers, has started producing bamboo bikes
at its production facility in Kumasi, near Ghana’s
bamboo forests. Matching the bamboo up with cheap
components shipped from overseas, the project can
produce a tough, light vehicle for around just €40,
while also aiding local business and helping to protect
the environment. bamboobike.org
IMAGES CHRISTOPH HERBY, BAMBOOBIKE.ORG