Post by Henry
The mandatory all-rider meeting was this morning. It lasted over two hours to go over all the logistics of completing this type of tour. There are 34 riders signed up for the entire route from Cairo to Cape Town. There is a span of age groups and nationalities, as expected. Americans, Canadians, Europeans, Aussies are well-represented. This is the 21st year of the Tour d'Afrique. Staff is comprised of a tour coordinator, her assistant, two physician medics, a content creator (he will be taking photos and videos along the entire route and posting on social media), two bike mechanics, a local Egyptian guide, and an operations manager.
Mandatory pow-wow.
The meeting ended before noon. There was a bike mechanic session from 1 to 4 PM to help anyone needing assistance assembling or adjusting bikes. At 5 PM, our "permanent" duffel bags were loaded onto the truck. Permanent duffel bags are only unloaded on rest days. It took me more than two hours of careful thought and planning to decide what would go into my "daily" bag versus my "permanent" bag.
Bike mechanic station.
Assembly complete. (For the tour, I have a new cassette, chain, derailleur and brake cables, tires, tubes, and a double layer of handlebar tape. In the truck is a set of wider tires to swap out when we hit a known stretch of unpaved gravel/sandy roads.)
Having accomplished the repacking, our permanent bags and bikes were then loaded onto the trucks at 5 PM. From here, we have one more overnight stay, and then the ride begins!
Permanent bags loaded onto the truck.
Bikes ready for loading.
Bikes being loaded.
Coordinating these final preparations was an all-day affair for everyone involved.
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