Felice de Schutter

Hitchhiking through Argentina and Chile 6 years ago first inspired me to travel by bike. Meeting so many long-distance cyclists and listening to their stories I just couldn't help it but buy a bike for my own adventures. And once you start travelling by bike, you can never go back. The freedom it gives you, not having to wait for a bus but just hop on the bike, the perfect pace at which you move through the environment, fast enough to cover some distance, but slow enough to see everything, interacting with the locals whenever you like, occasionally stopping for delicious local meals, and in the evening, finding the most beautiful campspot for setting up the tent, it's unique. Not to forget just feeling good moving in the fresh air all day. Since I fell in love with bikepacking, I spend a couple of months every year on self-supported bikepacking trips. The Alps, Eastern Europe, Dolomites, Italy, and most recently I spent 6 months cycling all the way through Mexico from North to South. Before I started working with TDA, I guided MTB tours crossing the Alps, and, combining my degree in Psychology with my passion for the outdoors, I took troubled kids for month-long hiking trips through the German forests. I am convinced that being outside in nature, especially in combination with sports is the best way to stay healthy, both physically and mentally. Being confronted with and testing and overcoming your own limits each day inevitably leads you to become stronger. Share this experience with a like-minded, adventurous community like you meet with TDA, and the positive outcomes double. I'm super excited for this next trip and curious to meet everyone! Hasta luego!

Samuel Roy

I see bike touring as an opportunity to slow down and bring yourself back to the essential things in life. Food, water, shelter, love, connection, space in your heart, space in your mind, movement, exploration. I believe that travelling by bike is the best way to discover our beautiful planet because of the pace of travel. It's fast enough to cover ground and cross continents, as we do with TDA, but it's slow enough to be able to truly soak in the destination you're in and everything that comes with it. The vulnerability of being alone on a bike, dressed up in bright lycra in the middle of nowhere makes you approachable and sparks curiousness and interest in the locals you meet on the road. As a tour leader with TDA, I am grateful to have the opportunity to facilitate these experiences, moments and connections.

I'm originally from Montreal in Canada where I studied business and tourism, but I have recently moved to Barcelona where cycling is unreal, even over the winter months. For the past few years, my career has been a collection of different projects and opportunities such as working as a TV host back home in Quebec, guiding with TDA and other outdoors companies as well as running my own vanlife conversion business. I've always loved getting around on two wheels, for some years, my focus was to go as fast as I could while I raced Ironman triathlons as a semi-pro. Nowadays, I still enjoy riding my bike, but a little slower, and looking around much more.

My best memory on tour is without a doubt when both my parents joined the 2019 Tour d'Afrique as riders to cycle the last two sections of the tour, from Vic Falls to Cape Town. It was such a precious privilege to be on sweep duty and get to ride with both of them through the namibian dunes.

As a tip for future participants, I think the best mindset to come onto a tour with is one of gratitude. We are all so privileged, both staff and riders, to be on these trips that being grateful for this life we get to live is an attitude we must cultivate.

See you on the road!

Yanez Novoa

A long time ago, I had a ten minute conversation on the beach with Steve who had been on a TDA tour through Africa. I didn’t know it then but it planted a thought in my head that would soon change the course of my life.

It seemed that everything I had done before had in some way prepared me for this. A life in hospitality and a few years at sea - from some grand establishments to some very inhospitable vessels and anything in-between.

There were a variety of less stimulating occupations I had explored before I landed at TDA. I think this is what has kept me here for so long, the almost overwhelming stimulation that one gets from daily life on tour, which is miles apart from my quiet country life in South Africa.

That, and the other people. There is always such a variety of people from all walks of life and from all over the world that I would otherwise not have met.

Rama Kanth

i am from Manali Himachal Predash India.

Samuel Covins

UK-based doctor working in emergency & expedition medicine and previous tour medic on the Tour d'Afrique. Looking forward to cycling around Asia with you all on the Trans Himalaya and Golden Buddha tours later this year!

Ezhil Vasanthan Ebinezer

depi Chaudhry

Shaik Baba

Baba is a maestro in the art of cycle maintenance. He has close to 20 years of experience in the industry along with 10 years of travelling the length and breath of the country on cycle trips and camps. India is a highly diversified country with many languages. With five spoken languages under his belt, Baba is an asset to have on the team. Baba is a very friendly team person and ever willing to help & contribute in all aspects.

Sharita van der Merwe

“The thing I love most about my job is watching the social dynamics unfold.”

For as long as I can remember I’ve been stripping, fixing, and riding bicycles. As well, I knew from a young age I wanted to explore, travel, and see the world—my dream at one time was to fly airplanes. However, it wasn’t long before I realized that flying in a straight line from point A to point B wasn’t for me!

When I left school I had no direction, no idea of where I wanted to be or what I wanted to do, once my dream of flying died. In 2003, I saw a magazine ad of a bunch of cyclists lined up in front of the Giza pyramids and I became hooked on the idea of doing that but I had to choose between taking a four-month cycling trip across Africa or going to Warriors Boot Camp to get educated. I chose Warriors and the programme equipped me for life by giving me a solid foundation. There, I was free to discover and explore who I was and to test physical and mental endurance. Having my attitude and my comfort zone constantly pushed readied me for all sorts of real-world challenges. I stayed at Warriors for three years, then cycled solo across Africa when I was 22 years old. In 2009, I landed the job as TDA’s assistant tour director on the Cairo to Cape Town trip—and the rest is history.

Ever since, Africa has been my baby and my favourite. I’ve worked on other tours—the Silk Route, the Bamboo Road, Ruta Maya, Magical Madagascar—but Africa is my full-time project and has lately included TDA’s complex tour of West Africa.

I’m based in beautiful Cape Town; when I’m not here, I’m scouting, exploring, problem-solving somewhere in the world and revelling in the adventure of being alive.

TDA has taken me to 80 countries and my most incredible off-the-beaten-track expedition was the West Africa scout in 2017, especially Guinea—I’d never been to a place so remote, rough or wild. I fell in love with Africa all over again on that trip. The stories are epic and endless!

There’s never a dull moment with TDA, because you absolutely never know what’s going to happen next.

Dag Willems

I love nature, the mountains, landscapes, endurance and i like riding my bike in new territories. I like to feel the elements on my body, a challenge and an adventure. I like to be completely freed and taken away from the every day routines and responsibilities of life. The Trans Himalaya seems to tick all the boxes! I look forward to meet everyone on the tour.

josine meurs

Birgit Loppenthien

Looking forward to this bike adventure :0)

Karin Lind Hansen

I love travelling. I love biking. I love visiting new places. I completed my first trip with TDA in December 2019 and just returned back home now from a TDA tour in Morocco - and I just cannot wait for the next trip.

Mary Potyrala

Dennis Joe

I'm looking for the next adventure and new places. And I look forward to meeting and traveling with my fellow travelers and sharing this adventure. See ya soon!!

Richard Schingler

I love to travel and see the world from the seat of a bicycle. This will be my fifth tour with TDA.

Craig Tingle

Looking forward to another trip with TDA and meeting up with my very old Canadian friend.

Tjeerd Saatrube

Hi, my name is typical Dutch and for most people difficult to pronounce. So just call me 'cheers', that's very close to what it should be. Although I am a flatlander of 57 years, I love the mountains all year round: hiking, skiing and biking. It's my first trip with an organised tour and my first trip to Himalaya. Looking forward to meet you all in Leh. Less than 3 months to go!!!!

Bob Whitehead

Bob Whitehead Age: 75 Profession: Retired Chartered Civil Engineer Resident in Hong Kong: 31 years I was attracted to join my first bike tour in 2012 with TDA Global by the prospect of long distance adventure cycling in intriguing and sometimes remote and hostile environments. This was TDA's Silk Road tour. Some time later, when I saw their South American bike tour advertised, I was immediately attracted back to do my second long distance tour. I have now fitted bike touring into my already full & active lifestyle! So where have I come from? I’m a retired civil engineer and have lived in rural Hong Kong on and off for much of the last 40 years. There is a great range of outdoor activities on the doorstep, in particular excellent trail running and sailing. It’s also a good hub from which to take off to countries in the region and indulge in skiing, trekking and even simply just travelling! When one is still fit, why would you want to leave Hong Kong, even after 31 years? Well, I have at last now moved back to UK. As for what else got me into cycling……..Well, I’ve been a trail runner for most of my time in HK and reached the top level in my age category in cross-country, long distance trail running and mountain marathons at the ripe old age of 55. Then, after a few years, I decided to take after the great ultra-marathon runner, Marshall Ulrich, and diversify. This, as a way to keep motivated. It started with adventure racing and along with a team mate, we travelled around SE Asia competing at the top level for a number of years. Mountain biking was an important discipline and to help with my bike fitness, I brought my trusty 30-year old Carlton Gyro road bike over from the UK as my training steed. This had to go back recently to be sandblasted and painted after suffering from the ravages of Hong Kong's humidity for 10-years. Then in 2010, we competed in the Scottish Coast to Coast adventure race, for which I purchased a 16-speed cyclo-cross bike. I decided to "tour" back along the route over 5-days. This started me thinking about doing a "proper" bike tour and since I possessed a book about the Silk Road, such a bike tour loomed high on the agenda. I had also picked up a couple of books in a second hand bookshop back home in England. They were travel books on Morocco and Yunnan province in China. Glancing through those I rediscovered trekking, something I had experienced years before in Nepal in the early ‘80s. So long distance bike touring and high altitude trekking have been the focus more recently. In 2012, it was the Silk Road for 10-weeks for which I set up my mountain bike with road transmission components. In May 2013, I completed two solo treks in Morocco each based on the two highest peaks of Toubkal and Mgoun, both a little over 4000 metres. And from May 2014, China was the focus. It started with the Big Kora, a Pilgrims' circumnavigation of three 6000-metre peaks in western China involving seven mountain passes of up to 4700m. Since then, Habba Snow mountain has been the focus, with several trips (there being no maps available) culminating in a successful trip to the summit at 5,396m in 2019. Late in 2014, I completed a 5-day tour in Devon, UK on my cyclo-cross bike. This with a view to tackling LEJOG, a bike challenge of 970 miles taking in the UK from bottom to top (SW to NE). I needed to test out my gearing for the many hills on LEJOG. The idea was to take in LEJOG as a warm up for the SA Epic. The part of the LEJOG in Devon has the toughest hills on the whole LEJOG route, so this was an ideal testing ground for my equipment and gearing. And the result? I straight-away ordered a new MTB cassette and new rear changer for the bike! As for LEJOG, well I completed this in 12-days after Easter 2015 …….. and still had to walk up a number of the hills! For the South American Epic, starting in July 2015, I decided to take my mountain bike, which had proved very successful and trouble free on the Silk Road. I felt it more suitable and comfortable for the longer distances and longer climbs. And it featured yet again in the TDA West Africa tour in 2018. Meanwhile I'm still enjoying trail running and find it compliments biking very nicely. I also more recently introduced road biking to my activities and found a superb circuit in South Devon which takes me about 23kms there and back along superb coastal scenery.

Richard HIMBERT

Cyclist since 1987 after having been a runner, I traveled mainly in France and a little in Europe, in 1993, I made my first trip ouside the european continent, it was Colorado's turn. In 2018 i started a world tour by bike....The tour d'Afrique is one of them.

frank smith

This is a great chance to ride with some old Boet from the RSA.I have only been in this part of the country while travelling in a car so it will be great to slow down and see the area.

Laurens Keesen

I am a man, 60 years of age. I cycle a lot. I am born in Holland, and moved to the Caribbean island of Curacao 26 years ago. I am really looking forward to my next adventure. I did several bike tours in Europe and South America carrying my own stuff. This is my first time on an organized tour.

Erik Snucins

Retired Land Surveyor , gentleman farmer, and enjoy long rides

Tom Woodard

I'm 58. Family grown up, and making their own way in life. Business organised to allow these sorts of trips. Time for adventure travel again (veteran of Tour d'Afrique 2018 and South American Epic 2022.) Looking forward to meeting a group of like minded people to share the experience.

Mats Fredrix

I remember the first time I had tears of joy running down my cheeks on a descent, and screaming every syllable of 'Paradise by the Dashboard Lights' to endure the pains of a full day in the headwind. This might just be one of mine, but you'll experience plenty, beautifully weird 'joys of riding' of your own, and when those happen, I'm your man. To tell your story, your adventure. Or you might just want a cool looking picture of you and some mountains. See you out there, Rouleurs. Live Slow, Ride Fast.

Brenda Trenholme

I have a passion for most outdoor sports, especially in the mountains. I’m looking forward to exploring the Himalayas and getting to know the other cyclists in this group! By giving slideshows of my cycling adventures, I fundraise for a Canadian charity called the Kenya Education Endowment Fund.

An Vaes

After tour d’Afrique, I didn’t expect to take part of a new adventure so fast. But as life can sometimes take unexpected turns, this is definitely one of them. I’m looking forward to this adventure. See you all very soon!

Henk van der Huls

Dutchman , cycles regularly , 75 years of age , medical background , living in the carribean on Curacao . NA .Happily married.

Brian McCloskey

My wife Karen and I reside along the seacoast just north of Boston. My previous experiences with TDA were riding GART tour in 2021; riding a section of the 2023 NA Epic from Banff to Helena last fall; pedaling across Rajasthan Province on the Hippie Trail and most recently riding in the Himalayas. We are looking forward to reuniting with some of our GART friends and meeting some new riders to share this adventure with in Italy.