Bicycle Build to Tour Africa

[RyanFrog]

Moi,

I've been planning a bike touring trip in Western Europe / Africa for some years now. We intend to depart next year, but my bike won't take me much further than Spain as it will stand no chance on those famous African roads, and I cannot find a suitable bike that is within my relatively small budget. It's even more challenging to find a bike with a 63/64cm frame. Therefore, I am considering building a bike. This would be the first time I've ever built a bicycle and my knowledge of repair is relatively minimal. I've replaced tyres, cables, a chain and the bearings in a hub once but other than some emergency fixes on the road, that's about all.

Fortunately, over the last couple of years some friends of mine have built a bicycle workshop for the local community where folk can come to repair, or learn how to repair, their trusty steeds, so I can certainly get some guidance and assistance there. Does anybody have any recommendations for what kind of frame they would choose for such a trip? What kind of build would you choose and why? I plan to bike tour, rather than bike pack due to the extensive duration of the trip.

I'm planning to recycle some old items from a couple of old bikes of mine and mostly buy second hand parts. My total budget is around €1,000.

 

[vickster]

Maybe an old school steel MTB frame, fatter tyres.
Keep the rest as simple as possible
@Cycleops is in Africa and should be familar with what types of bike/components are suitable for rough roads

 

[Emanresu]

You can do it supported for $25K!!

https://tdaglobalcycling.com/tour-dafrique

But they do have a section on the type of bike they recommend - "a mountain or touring bike with one set of 35-40c tires and one set of 45-50c tires".

https://tdaglobalcycling.com/2020/02/choosing-a-bike-for-a-supported-cycle-tour/

 

[Reynard]

Definitely calling @Cycleops

I would definitely look at a steel 26" wheel MTB if you can find one, or, failing that, a vintage steel touring-type bike with standard tubing but with the capacity to take wider tyres. That way, you've got a bike that's weldable in just about any repair shop if something breaks. Also, stick to a standard 8x3 or 9x3 drivetrain with a square taper bottom bracket, as spares will be easy to come by. Stay away from anything remotely exotic.

Just make sure that whatever you pick has a common wheel / tyre size, as tyres and tubes for the less standard stuff can be a pain to source.

Older frames can come in some pretty big sizes and can be acquired on a very modest budget. Your 1000 euro budget should get you something suitable with a good deal of money to spare if you're willing to put the time and effort into searching. I suggest you keep an eye on this thread: https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/ebay-and-auction-watch-let-us-know-if-you-see-something.93126/

Also calling @biggs682 who may well be able to advise.

 

[Cycleops]

Thanks @Reynard . and @vickster
In fact another CCer @BromleyBoy came over this year and he bought a Cube MTB from me to go to the north of Ghana. Not a steel frame but aluminium with hydraulic discs. He said he got along quite well with it but unfortunately got knocked off it while there but was able to continue.
So I don't think you need to build a bike but any 26" wheel MTB should work for you @RyanFrog .

 

[biggs682]

@RyanFrog if it was me doing that trip with that budget then i know exactly what to look for and ir would be a good old fashioned steel mtb like this one i picked up recently https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/marin-palisades.296242/

Mind you frames in the size require might be hard .

Another one to look out for are the old venerable Dawes Galaxies with a preference to the ones with 700c wheels

Get what ever you decide on soon so you have time to get it ridden and sorted ready for the off and keep us posted

Thanks @Reynard

 

[Cycleops]

Dawes Galaxy is a tried and tested tour bike but not so sure it's up to the rigours of Africa. On the plus side it's steel so easy to weld just about anywhere but 26" tyres are more freely available than 700c , but still reasonably plentiful due to Chinese bikes here. MTB wheels are generally stronger though.

 

[BromleyBoy]

Thanks again @Cycleops for the bike and for you and your family's hospitality.

The Cube MTB did indeed do me well until a speeding taxi driver knocked me off it, early morning on an empty road in Kumasi, just by the prison! (My first crash/collision with a vehicle in 50 years of cycling.) Apart from a very bruised hand, several cuts and scrapes to my arms and legs, the front axle was slightly damaged, and the derailleur damaged that I couldn't use the higher gears.

I agree with most of the others about the steel frame, and simple and easy fixable/repairable components. Regarding MTB or steel tourer and the wheels size, I'm in two minds about 26 inch and 700c.

On the main roads/highways in Ghana - which are of OKish quality, 700c x 35 (perhaps even 38) tyres will give good enough momentum on the tarmacked and paved roads to make reasonable distances without feeling overly laboured (like a weighed-down donkey/pack horse) in the heat or high humidity. I saw a fellow tourer on the highway near Cape Coast, on a Koga World Traveller I think, with what looked like strong 700C wheels making better progress than me while dodging the potholes. (He did look younger and fitter though .)

However, away from the main roads/highways (and on the verges of them where I was forced to cycle a fair bit of the time because of traffic or careless/dangerous drivers) the very variable/poor quality surface of the tracks/roads are better suited to an MTB, e.g have to go slow and carefully on stretches that are very sandy and/or strewn with semi packed-down rubble. The other thing to think about is if, like me, you have to put your bike on a bus or shared-taxi at some point (see photo), the 26" wheels and shape of the MTB may fit in easier than a tourer with 700c wheels.

Best of luck! And let us know how you get on with the bike-building and the trip.

 

[Cycleops]

Good to hear from you again Andy. Here's a pic you might remember.

 

[Emanresu]

@BromleyBoy Was that a Cube MTB with Decathlon wheels?

And generally, best saddle for long term trips on an MTB?

 

[8mph]

anybody have any recommendations for what kind of frame they would choose for such a trip?

I'd start off with something like this

Edit: ( eBay links don't seem to be workin)

Marin Bear Valley SE

 

[Cycleops]

They're the original wheels AFAIK @Emanresu .
As for saddles that's really a person choice isn't it? I've got a an old Brooks Swallow on my gravel bike in the pic ( buy used as it'll already be worn in). They might be preferable to vinyl if it suits you as it'll stand up to abuse much better.

 

[RyanFrog]

Thank you all for the quick responses. This forum space is a lot livelier than the others that I use these days, it's great to see such an active community!

A little bit of extra information. I currently have a 2006 Koga Miyata touring bike, it's great for Europe but unfortunately the frame doesn't permit for the fatter wheels that will be necessary for the southern continent. This isn't my bike but it's almost the same.

Spoiler: Current bike

The plan for this journey is that it will be open ended (no time constraints) and undertaken with my partner. We plan to cycle from the Netherlands to the south of Spain and cross the straight of Gibraltar around autumn time. We will then see where the road takes us, although we mostly expect to be following the Atlantic coastline. We intend to travel slowly, staying in locations as long as we wish / need. More than the cycling, the intention of the journey is to meet new people and to get a feel for new ways of life in different regions throughout Africa.

---

You can do it supported for $25K!!

https://tdaglobalcycling.com/tour-dafrique

But they do have a section on the type of bike they recommend - "a mountain or touring bike with one set of 35-40c tires and one set of 45-50c tires".

https://tdaglobalcycling.com/2020/02/choosing-a-bike-for-a-supported-cycle-tour/

Thanks. That's not really my style (and far beyond the financial power that I possess), but I appreciate the help.

@RyanFrog if it was me doing that trip with that budget then i know exactly what to look for and ir would be a good old fashioned steel mtb like this one i picked up recently https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/marin-palisades.296242/

Mind you frames in the size require might be hard .

Another one to look out for are the old venerable Dawes Galaxies with a preference to the ones with 700c wheels

Get what ever you decide on soon so you have time to get it ridden and sorted ready for the off and keep us posted

Thanks @Reynard

Thank you very much. I expect so, I live in the Netherlands (the second tallest country in the world) and even here such frame sizes are hard to come by. I have a good year until the approximate departure date, but it would be ideal to find something soon so I can get to work on it. I'll keep this post, or perhaps another, updated as my search develops!

Dawes Galaxy is a tried and tested tour bike but not so sure it's up to the rigours of Africa. On the plus side it's steel so easy to weld just about anywhere but 26" tyres are more freely available than 700c , but still reasonably plentiful due to Chinese bikes here. MTB wheels though are generally stronger though.

That's good to know, my initial reaction is that I much prefer 28" due to my height (195cm). I always feel too large on 26in wheels. I expect I'll be fixing my fair share of spokes on a 28", but I expect that's what I'll be opting for.

I'd start off with something like this

Edit: ( eBay links don't seem to be workin)

Marin Bear Valley SE

Thank you. The link works just fine!

Thanks again @Cycleops for the bike and for you and your family's hospitality.

The Cube MTB did indeed do me well until a speeding taxi driver knocked me off it, early morning on an empty road in Kumasi, just by the prison! (My first crash/collision with a vehicle in 50 years of cycling.) Apart from a very bruised hand, several cuts and scrapes to my arms and legs, the front axle was slightly damaged, and the derailleur damaged that I couldn't use the higher gears.

I agree with most of the others about the steel frame, and simple and easy fixable/repairable components. Regarding MTB or steel tourer and the wheels size, I'm in two minds about 26 inch and 700c.

On the main roads/highways in Ghana - which are of OKish quality, 700c x 35 (perhaps even 38) tyres will give good enough momentum on the tarmacked and paved roads to make reasonable distances without feeling overly laboured (like a weighed-down donkey/pack horse) in the heat or high humidity. I saw a fellow tourer on the highway near Cape Coast, on a Koga World Traveller I think, with what looked like strong 700C wheels making better progress than me while dodging the potholes. (He did look younger and fitter though .)

However, away from the main roads/highways (and on the verges of them where I was forced to cycle a fair bit of the time because of traffic or careless/dangerous drivers) the very variable/poor quality surface of the tracks/roads are better suited to an MTB, e.g have to go slow and carefully on stretches that are very sandy and/or strewn with semi packed-down rubble. The other thing to think about is if, like me, you have to put your bike on a bus or shared-taxi at some point (see photo), the 26" wheels and shape of the MTB may fit in easier than a tourer with 700c wheels.

Best of luck! And let us know how you get on with the bike-building and the trip.

Thanks, great to hear of your experience. I certainly hope not to need to use any public transport, though I expect it will be unavoidable due to the great distance and varying situations in places I will traverse throughout the course of the trip. Hopefully 28in wheels won't be too much of a nuisance if they are quick release, which I would really like them to be.

 

[Jameshow]

@BromleyBoy Was that a Cube MTB with Decathlon wheels?

And generally, best saddle for long term trips on an MTB?

Saddles are a very personal thing tbh.

Some love Brookes / spa leather saddles others curse them.

Others like turbo spoon or fizik.

Generally the faster the riding the narrower the saddle tends to be.

But do t think that lots of padding will result in comfort it won't the padding will squeeze out the way and you feel the hard plastic underneath ime.

What ever you do get the saddle on long rides before you go, and preferably on hot days so you know what to expect.

Also don't skimp in quality shorts and keep them clinically clean washing the night by night.

Take some chammy cream and also antiseptic in case you do get sores.

 

[BromleyBoy]

@BromleyBoy Was that a Cube MTB with Decathlon wheels?

And generally, best saddle for long term trips on an MTB?

I bought the Decathlon tyres at one of the two large (European-style) Decathlon stores in Accra at near UK prices, as the existing ones on the Cube were quite worn. (Btw, I was surprised that I only got one puncture, walking my bike through a market to my hotel at the edge of it.)

Saddle-wise, as @Jameshow suggests, it's horses for courses. Take whichever one you use most, but be flexible. I took my Brooks on my first two trips to Cambodia and then Vietnam (on my Condor Heritage, flat bars, 26" wheels) and both times had problems with the heat and sweating to the extent that I got welts on my backside on the 2nd trip, had to lay-up for a couple of days applying loads of antiseptic cream, and bought a gel seat cover, which cured the problem completely. When I was in Vietnam's Mekong Delta last year I hired a Trek Marlin 7 MTB in HCMC which had a San Marco saddle (can't remember which model). It was pretty comfortable, but I sometimes put on a gel saddle cover instead of or in addition to wearing heavy duty/quality padded shorts. I also had a couple of light Crane boxer-type cycling shorts (doubling up as underwear 😉) I used sometimes when using the gel cover or when cycling a fairly short distance (e.g. to some historical site out of the town I was staying in for a night or two).