The local TV coverage suggests it is mostly fireroad type trails, but the scenery is pretty spectacular.

Local bike mags indicate it is massively over subscribed, internet is too slow to check but my imagination has words like “prequalification” and “lottery.”

I’m guessing you’ve already looked them up on the internet:
Cape Epic[/url]
Joberg2C[/url] (also some stuff on YouTube)

Or you could do a stage of the Tour d’Afrique[/url] (blog[/url] from an occasional STW poster).

Or the Grand Divide down the spine of the USA.

Only 100,000?

You’re not even trying: Botswana has 300,000* and homosexuality is illegal.

Seriously: unprotected sex with randoms is a stupid thing to do whatever continent you’re on. Antiretrovirals are for life, not just for Christmas, and if you forget/stop taking them you’re even more stuffed than before.

As you were…

*if you didn’t click through: Botswana’s population is 2,000,000

I had this, started a few weeks ago. Finally got round to fixing it last week: the solution was to go Control Panel -> Windows Update -> Change settings -> “Download updates but let me choose when to install them”.

Then go through the process of installing them one by one with a restart between each: bit long winded but it worked for me.

Win7 64-bit, for what it’s worth.

Edit to add: the install log just showed an error for all 8 updates again and again and again and again and…, so not possible to identify exactly which one had the problem. On shut down it processed them all but after reboot Windows popped up the message “Update failed reverting changes” or similar. Ran Malwarebytes, didn’t seem to be any infections.

When I saw “safari” I thought of this[/url], but I see your interest is in continental Europe.

Thanks, chaps.

In a fit of procrastination last week I spent some time flicking between the Gates’ calculator linked above, Sheldon Brown’s Gear Calculator[/url] and MTBR.

With a 39F:24R you get a primary ratio of 1.6 and overall range 0.53/0.64/0.75/0.85/1.00/1.22/1.42/1.62. The 1.6 primary is probably acceptable for the type of use it’s going to see and MTBR people (well, one of them) reports going down to ~1.5 without issues. Aesthetically better to run with smaller cogs, so will be back on the Gates’ charts tonight!

[Edit: I see you were both typing at the same time as me, thanks again for the input]

I think MidlandTrailquestsGraham and d45yth’s Mountain Pedaler NZ link have just cost me whatever it takes to get one of these.

Chuckie Egg.

More than 25 years later I can still hear the footsteps…

I’ve always read “VAG” as shorthand for “VW-Audi Group” products due to the common platforms. Encompasses Skoda, Seat, Bentley, Lamborghini and the rest in my mind (well, the last two might be stretching it…).

Racqueteers, string ’em up!

I discovered The Hacker’s Diet[/url] after losing my first 10kg and it rather confirmed what I had worked out for myself: diet is as important as exercise. Went on to lose another 15kg after changing my diet.

Took me a year, and weight has been stable for two years since.

Please see my alternative what tyre thread for subsistence travel across the African savannah

My observation is that it is not the tyre per se but the whole package, and you will find it is this.

Doesn’t matter where you go or how deep the sand is, the tyre tracks will be there.

No: they’d make a mess of the bodywork if I did.

How much do you trust Paypal’s security?

There should be an explanation page linked from the front screen you refer to.

From memory, I recall that they debit a small random amount, you then access your bank statement and tell the Paypal website how much was debited and that confirms your identity (or that your identity has been thoroughly stolen). Oh, and you get credited the money back.

Of course, check that the web address is paypal.com or .co.uk and not paypal.wewillripyouoff.com, i.e. that you haven’t been redirected to a phishing site.

…I take no responsibility if you lose all your money.

What are you into: city life or the wild?

As others have said: Cape Town area is great for food, scenery, wine, sea life. Johannesburg is industrial.

If you want wild animals rather come north to Botswana.

Personal safety comes down mainly to common sense: not being conspicuous, being aware of what’s going on around you, leaving room to manouevre when driving, moving confidently, and so on.

Disclaimer: spent 3 hours in Cape Town 10 years ago collecting a car, have spent weeks at a time in Jo’burg on work-related trips including going “downtown.”

headpotdog: as above, Jo’burg is quite industrial but there are good, safe spots for nights out (presumably you will get to know people you are working with) and it’s a great base for going to other places. Low cost airlines run between the main urban areas.

I’m pleased to announce that Ian is alive and well, as witnessed on a garage forecourt in north-east Botswana. (Pic taken last week, I’ve been away from the internet for a while)

He had a special message: “Tell that TJ I’ll ‘ave ‘im when I get back.”

For the Facebookers among you: Ian cycles Africa[/url]

LoL, might take a while as its about 50 tons worth. Not sure how many wheelies bins that it but I know its around 6.8 routemaster buses worth.

50 / 7.35 = 6.8, maths innit.

You’ll need more if you’re planning on carrying it with them though: 12, based on a load capacity of 4,150kg (11 if you’re talking about the RML model).

Wrong, druidh, THIS is the end of the internets.

As the thread is veering towards an(other) argument about sustainable energy I’ll leave this[/url] here.

It seems balanced and realistic to me, but I’m only an engineer.

Edit to add: the bottom line is this.

What was the registration number?

It’ll probably drive through the town I’m living in a few weeks from now.

As skink2020 says, there’s a big trade in shipping used cars from UK/Japan/Singapore to Anglophone Africa: they load them on a car transporter at Sheerness (for UK sourced…), collect them in Walvis Bay (Durban for Far East) and drive them through to Botswana/Zambia/Zimbabwe/Malawi.

I bought my car this way – cost the same as buying similar age/spec/mileage from South Africa/local! (Y287 TOA in its previous life)

Keeping vaguely on-forum: Mashatu in Tuli Block apparently has some good mountain bike trails, and there are mountain bikers based in most urban areas – Gaborone, Francistown, Maun – who know the local trails.

Be careful. I did one of those industrial placement things in 1998 and it got permanent.

Spent a while in Botswana when I was younger, and I gather it has been very stable for a while now.

Since 1966, I believe, and before that it was called Bechuanaland 😀

Can’t speak for Sudan and Ethiopia, but Botswana is, as has been said above, pretty magnificent. That ianpinder fellow is passing through Sudan and Ethiopia[/url] now.

Well worth reading Dark Star Safari by Paul Theroux – he really captures the essence of Africa.

To Botswana:

I’ve known a few medical types working in government hospitals: generally good experience but some frustrations with resources overcrowding, drug shortages. What you experience will depend on your field: HIV/AIDS related illness is probably the main reason for hospitalisation, and a lot of patients will be in terminal decline.

It’s difficult to do things like Makgadikgadi, Okavango, Moremi, Chobe, Kalahari on the cheap, but public transport is very reasonable – a tenner takes you 500km (Gaborone -> Francistown (hourlyish), Francistown -> Maun (4-5 buses per day), Francistown -> Kasane (3-4 buses per day)), less than a quid for a taxi or combi within a town or city. Once you’re in Gweta (Makgadikgadi), Maun (Okavango, Moremi) or Kasane (Chobe, stepping stone to Vic Falls) you can arrange day trips, overnights and things in the bush (sleeping out on the Makgadikgadi is magnificent).

In 3 weeks you could do a leisurely circuit round Victoria Falls, Maun, Windhoek, Swakopmund and into South Africa. Either independently using public transport or join one of the overlander routes (hateful things…) with Gap Adventures, Drifters, or a dozen other companies.

Drop me a line michael@<username>.com for more info.

For what it’s worth, the top-of-the-line all-new Ford Ranger just got an “Our Choice” rating in South African Car magazine, dethroning the Hilux. And South Africans know a thing or two about bakkies pickup trucks.

We have a pair of 2.5 turbo-diesel Rangers and a pair of 3.0 D-4D Hiluxes in our fleet. 50,000km each in the last 14 months. Rangers are horrible, gutless things and given to the junior staff (when they aren’t at the workshop waiting for parts).

VW Amarok got good reviews, but people here don’t trust small displacement engines.

Nissan Navara is well regarded and popular, mainly with company owners due to its more upmarket interior.

Isuzu’s seem to be bit meh: haven’t driven or been in one for many years – the 2.8DT from 2001 was pretty nice to drive.

For out of copyright work (copyright laws vary according to location, etc.) there’s some interesting stuff on Project Gutenberg[/url].

Flashing lights to tell you that the other side-stick is being moved, apparently: from pprune. (check the dates!).

Plus more background with a carefully crafted Google.

(Edit: I see Flaperon did the lights and alarms already, leaving the links becuase I know the thirst for reasons to procrastinate knowledge is great on STW.)

Are you importing “from file” (the folder icon and navigating to the folder on the device) or using the “SportTracks Garmin GPS Plugin” (icon of a Garmin device that automatically finds new activities)?

If you don’t have the plugin go to “Settings -> Plugins -> View plugin catalogue” and find it.

(SportTracks 3, paid/registered user)

I’ll just leave this here: Dynamic Traffic Simulation[/url].

I was expecting a thread about concrete.

The wheels on the bus don’t go round and round, apparently.

I’ve been using a Concept2 for a couple of years (started at the gym then bought my own).

Great piece of kit, especially plugging it into a computer with RowPro[/url] software (a bit clunky, but has good training plans, custom workouts and online racing).

Lots of hints, tips and suggestions at the Concept2 UK Forum[/url].

They also make the SkiErg.

For what it’s worth most of the RowPro training plan sessions involve 20 strokes per minute at 80% max HR to build strength (hard pull, slow recovery). Resistance set at 5.

My wife has made positive comments about the improvements to my physique, so it must be working, right?

I feel a fat bike calling me.

Hugor, your Australian terrain looks very similar to some of mine (Botswana).

Do you get a lot of deep, dry, drifted sand or is it a few cm/mm over hardpack?

The next question is what chain lube for sand? (And whether to go singlespeed or keep some gears)

Any recommendations for online fat bike sellers with international shipping? (Have identified a few, would be nice to hear personal experiences)

Around here they don’t dehorn:

Bushbabies in the trees are also good for eerie eye-shine.

That Pointor looks interesting I’ll be having a go with the demo and might pay money for it.

For free (but fiddly):
If you’re comfortable editing tab and comma-delimited files you could have a go with Sokkia Prolink (bottom of the page).

It’s a bit of a shonky programme (has a tendency to close if it encounters an error) and you will have to play around a bit to get the csv/txt input file in the right format (number of columns) but it does output a dxf file with labelled points at the end of the day (points and text labels, not blocks with attibutes).

Mapsource exports to dxf, but I’m sure you would have done that if you had it, also the paid-for version of GPS Trackmaker does GPS data to dxf and can read correctly formatted txt files.

Also, our registered surveyor spends a lot of time (and rightly so) bleating about the hazards of transformations/projections from one system to another, especially geoids (dms wgs84) to planes (utm wgs84), so be careful if you want accuracy.

96kg to 72kg – 38″ to 32″
3.8st in old money?

On its way to the side of the road:

Side of the trail:

The Southern Red Bishop in my hedge disapproves of your tits.

We just happen to have 2 x Rangers (2.5TD XLT) and 2 x Hiluxes (3.0 D4D Raider) in our fleet.

The Hiluxes have been numbered 01 and 02, the Rangers 03 and 04: make of that what you will!

Economy is pretty similar. On an almost daily cycle of 20km town, 140km open road, 50km dirt road they are all returning about 10 litres / 100km.

Hilux is bigger and more awkward to park than the Ranger, but definitely the better one to drive.

After a couple of months (one vehicle is pushing 7000km) the Fords are already a bit rattley: this may also be the result of less professional fitting of the accessories by the local dealer.

South African Car Magazine tested a VW Amarok, it might have been head-to-head with a Hilux, which is the benchmark. I don’t remember the results exactly but it came down to something like “if the Amarok had been around since the dawn of time like the Hilux it’d be the winner.” And they know a thing or two about 4×4 pickups.

Although it has to be said, the Volvos have a bigger payload and are better offroad.

My wife has been driving a ’96 1000cc model (like the silver one above but without wings) for the last 3-4yrs. 30-60km per day and it hasn’t missed a beat apart from when the accessory belt snapped due to overdue replacement.

Very economical and an absolute blast to drive around town: I call it the roller skate.

Replaced at Christmas because I don’t want my children to die in it: I suspect it would fold up like wet cardboard in an accident.

How much time do you have and what will your budget be?

What are your skills and commitments “back home”? Would you have anything to offer charitable/volunteer projects? I have issues with gap-year volunteers who have few skills to offer and pay somebody else to organise their year-out for them, but I do like the idea of identifying volunteer projects and joining them up as a basis of a trip.

A book I found myself nodding, chuckling and shaking my head at was Dark Star Safari by Paul Theroux. Egypt to Cape Town overland. Caution: may contain spoilers for your own trip. By which I mean he seems to have had a good time and met lots of interesting people. Your mileage may vary.

I reckon scotsman has it about right: too much unpleasantness in the west and centre. I know people doing business in DRC and Central African Republic and nothing happens without greasing the wheels.

fontmoss might be onto a good one: I commute between Francistown and Maun (Botswana) every couple of weeks and the overland trucks are endless. As far as I can tell most of them start in South Africa and don’t go much further north than Maun/Victoria Falls. Typically the ones that do the whole north-south/south-north trip are UK registered – you can search for things like africa overland, cape to cairo, etc. for companies. I doubt the drivers would take you on informally as a helper for the whole trip but it might work out for short stretches.

However, ask yourself what kind of trip you want: I get the feeling that sitting on an overland truck driving between campsites (mostly on tar roads) leaves you a bit isolated from the environment. A bus-truck full of sunburned firstworlders dozing or reading novels and getting silly-drunk in the evenings wouldn’t be on my list of things to do.

Also, you might find yourself on a bit of a mad dash from one place to the next to finish the journey in time. If it was me I wouldn’t set myself the goal of “Cape to Cairo,” but rather just meander around and see how far I could get within my budget of time and money.

The majority of people are genuinely friendly and you can have great conversations, but the ones that believe in wealth redistribution and free enterprise will be on you like iron filings on a magnet. My advice: travel light and low-tech.

Bumpity-bump

Just came across this simple page, which seems to explain the seasonal variations quite well.

epo-aholic: sorry, didn’t look closely enough. I see it has an appalling looking bar mount. The bar mount should still fit on one of the head mounts in my link, it’ll just look naff!.