“Extraordinary, Life Changing Adventure” – 2019 Tour d’Afrique Riders Look Back On Their Experience

Full Tour Riders

“The Tour d’Afrique was my first long bike tour. TDA staff and procedures struck a good balance between providing the support and safety we needed while still allowing a good measure of independence and ability to explore and tailor our own experiences. Staff were fantastic in almost every way.” – Mike Mossing (USA)

“Fantastic!” – Fritz Renger (Canada)

“Great!” – Scott Burton (Canada)

“Memorable!” – Clement Rouleau (Canada)

“The Tour d’Afrique really challenged me physically and mentally. The experience changed my ideas about Africa and its people and allowed me to push past my own mental barriers. From that perspective, it was a life changing experience for me, and I’m 72. I’m grateful to TDA for providing me with that opportunity. Its not the kind of trip that I would feel competent to do on my own.” – Dan Frye (USA)

“The TDA team were excellent , hardworking and focused on helping us get safely from A to B.” – Paul Bullen-Smith (UK)

“Riding across Africa is a challenging and privileged experience. The support offered by the knowledgeable, accommodating, tolerant team from TDA was excellent.” – Peter Cox (Canada)

“Riding into Cape Town, after four months and 11,000 kilometres, I was overcome by a spasm of elation and wonder. I had come this long way; I had done something that I was greatly uncertain that I could ever do thanks to the support and sense of security provided by TDA. I was at the end of an undertaking that proved to be much more than a test of physical endurance. I came to see it as a pilgrim’s progress, a quest for the ways in which we construct meaning in our lives. In a dual movement, centrifugal and centripetal, we confronted ourselves in extreme situations and the Other through engagement with African lives that daily challenged our understanding of the world. Along the way we discovered that a motley group of ordinary people from a variety of backgrounds, occupations and ages could and did become extraordinary in the pursuit of our common objective.” -Tom Perlmutter (Canada)

“Extraordinary, life changing adventure.” – Tom Bell (Canada)

“The Tour d’Afrique is a life changing experience. I was challenged mentally and physically yet what growth ever occurs without challenges. Sharing these challenges with the other riders really makes the ride even more special. I have met friends for life that live all over the world. I love that my preconceived notions of the world were mostly shattered. The people of the Africa are amazingly warm and friendly and generous despite living a hard life with hardly any possessions. The support of TDA Global Cycling such as logistics and safety were critical. It allowed me to focus on the cycling and experiencing Africa more fully. They do an wonderful job. I was constantly amazed at how hard they work and how exceptional they are at meeting any unexpected “crisis”.” – Shirley Frye (USA)

“There is something special about cycling new roads. Slowly rolling into environments you’ve never seen, heard or felt the fragrance of. Images and experiences from bike rides are etched into your mind with special sharpness. I clearly remember moments from camps, roads, meetings, sunsets. I will wear them with joy for the rest of my life.” – Mats Wennerholm (Sweden)

“One of the greatest and most rewarding experiences of my life.” – Karl Siebart (Australia)

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TOUR

Tour d'Afrique

Our original trans-continental journey and flagship expedition crosses Africa from north to south, covering 10 countries in all. Beginning at the...

“It is an experience of a lifetime – life changing – shifts perspectives. Got to know myself a lot better and got to spend four months with some truly marvellous individuals in a magical yet confounding place My advice is just do it. Its hard and tough and brutal at times but so, so worth it.” – Veronica Ruddenklau (New Zealand)

“The 4 months immersed in our tight knit “society” of staff and riders against the backdrop of beautiful, diverse and complicated Africa was the experience of a lifetime.” – Gerry van der Weyden (Canada)

Sectionals

“So fabulous. One section is way too short. A very tight well organized supportive organization.” – Jackie Silverberg (Canada)

“Ride, eat, sleep, repeat.” – Bob Kieckhefer (USA)

“Great people, great organization and a fantastic experience.” – Phil Miles (UK)

“I had an amazing time on this tour. From challenging myself to go distances I’d never even considered going, to becoming friends with people with whom I would have otherwise never spent time; from seeing places I’d only dreamed of seeing up close and personal, to sharing the road with animals I thought I’d only ever see in zoos; this was incredible. The staff did an excellent job of keeping us all safe, well fed and well informed – I’m not sure they ever slept, but they somehow kept going and did so with positive attitudes.” – Melissa Casey (USA)

“I felt like my comfort zone had been destroyed in a large explosion and fire, with the ashes scattered on the sand. That’s not to say I wouldn’t go back.” – Jonas Barter ( Canada)