Why are you doing this?
– At the start of lockdown in the UK, I decided I needed an adventure to look forward to.

Have you done something like this before?
– I’ve cycled in Europe before. I cycled to Marseille in 2015 on a cheap hybrid bike. I’ve since cycled the Rhine from Switzerland to Holland, across Holland and Sweden, to Paris about 4 times, the English/Yorkshire Coast to Coast, and a big Yorkshire loop to the coast and back.
– I spent a few months in Tanzania, and also went to Ethiopia and Malawi, many moons ago. But not on a bike.

How are you paying for this?
– I saved some money during lockdown. But it’s going to be tight.

Where will you sleep?
– Wild camping (ie sleeplessness until used to it), campsites, cheap hostels.

Have you got a really expensive bike?
– No, it’s very old but it’s an ‘expedition bike’ and absolutely made for adventures like this. It was an Ebay bargain.

What about Covid?
– half of my expenditure will be PCR tests at borders. I’m triple vaccinated. As I plan to camp, I don’t think I’ll be in too close much contact with people but I’m also bringing some lateral flow tests. I think managing, responding and reacting to Covid may also be how we live now – which doesn’t mean take risks, but does mean try to manage and mitigate them.

Are you super fit?
– I have managed to get less fit as the departure date approaches. For the past 2 months (winter) there has been less cycling, less running, more cake. I now have an additional spare tyre (not made by Schwalbe). I think I’ll be getting fit very quickly though!

Have you planned your route?
– not really. The Cairo to Capetown itinerary is known but not particularly well defined as far as I can tell. Plus I’d like to throw in some jollies like doing Mount Kenya and Kilimanjaro.

Will you cycle all the way?
– Probably not. I’m flying from Khartoum to Nairobi because Ethiopia is not good for cyclists at the best of times, and recently cyclists have been arbitrarily jailed or beaten up by rebels. Also, the border between Sudan and Ethiopia is currently a no-go area according to the Foreign Office. There’s also a high likelihood I do some detours to beaches or similar and have to get on a bus to make up time.

How long have you got?
– I’ve taken 6 months off work. It’s tight… but buses exist.

How far is it?
– about 15,000km. I don’t really know.

“Are you crazy/mad/brave?”
– Possibly. Depends who you ask.

My running blog during this trip is at https://eilidhonabike.wordpress.com/news-all/