Depuis 12 mois deja, nous descendons l'Afrique avec notre velo (entre autre choses)
10 000 km realises depuis Lyon.
Nous voici en Namibie, ou nous nous appretons a rejoindre la Zambie et le Botswana (pour aller jusqu en egypte, dans un an, on ne sait pas encore par ou...)
Bonjour,
Partout, sur ta route, tu trouves de l'eau et de la nourriture !...
Au Botswana, dans les réserves, il ni a rien, ......mais de l'eau, oui !...
Bon courage pour votre périple ( fou ). Marie😉😉
Si vous passez par Kasungula vous serez passés par Kasane où j'imagine vous vous arrêterez pour faire une croisière sur la rivière Chobe et un game drive dans le parc du même nom !
Vous voyagez un peu comme l'ont fait - mais à pied - vos compatriotes Sonia et Alexandre Poussins si je comprends bien ?
Merci de vos reponses!
En effet on va faire APRES Livingstone une boucle dans les parcs... Livingstone sera notre point d'encrage...
Sonia et Alexandre sonbt des voyageurs, nous des touristes (pour le petit clin d'oeil a l'evolution dans une autre discussion du forum:)
Voici un message d'un illustre membre du forum en MP.
Je le colle ici car il peut renseigner de futurs voyageurs.
Si il veut se manifester, libre a lui, merci en tout cas:
"
>Votre itinéraire en Namibie… Ce n'est pas du tout ce que je ferais mais j'ai beaucoup de mal à me projeter dans un voyage à vélo. Vous n'allez pas dans le Naukluft. Je comprends que peut-être Sesriem ne vous attire pas >avec ses touristes, mais la région autour est magnifique ! Vous n'allez pas non plus là où vous pourriez rencontrer des Himbas ou des Bushmen de façon "un peu" naturelle. Les villages "himba" autour de Warmquelle et >Kamanjab sont des attrape-touristes qui enrichissent les proprios blancs des lodges ou des camps qui organisent les visites. Je crois comprendre que ce n'est pas votre tasse de thé ? Le Kaokoland, c'est plus au >Nord->Ouest…
>Ensuite, plutôt q'aller se faire ch*** sur les rubans d'asphalte tout droits interminables et sans intérêt vers Rundu et le Caprivi, pourquoi ne pas aller vers Tsumkwe pour passer au Botswana ? Là vous pourrez sûrement >faire de belles rencontres. Je ne me rends pas vraiment compte de la faisabilité à vélo, mais les pistes ne sont pas pire que ce que vous avez et aurez fait avant. Quelques km de sable avant de rejoindre le goudron au Bots, >mais ça devrait le faire. Vous faites combien de km par jour en moyenne ?
>
>Votre étape "touristique" aux chutes Victoria… Je comprends votre attirance pour ce lieu mythique, mais vous risquez d'être assez déçus. C'est un immense attrape gogos où tu payes 200 USD pour sauter à l'élastique ou >faire un tour en canoë ou raft, au milieu de gens qui vivent de moins que rien. En tout état de cause, la partie intéressante des chutes (les 2/3 en tout cas) ne se trouvent pas en Zambie mais au Zimbabwe. Un pays >d'ailleurs, qui au-delà de cette ordure de Mugabe peut peut-être vous permettre ce que la Namibie, le Botswana et la Zambie ne vous permettront pas : dormir dans des parcs ultra-sauvages."
Ma reponse:
Il est vrai que nous voudrions faire TOUTE la namibie, comme TOUT le mali, comme TOUTE l'afrique.
Le voyage a velo a des avantages, et des inconvenients, y compris de ne pouvoir zizgaguer, sauf si tu as 10 ans devant toi.
Alller a livingstone nous prend un mois et demi.
Naukfluft, c'est une semaine de plus par la cote, et on prefere rester dans le coeur ou on a des amis avec qui on a RV a Spitzkoppe pour de la randi grimpette.
>es villages "himba" autour de Warmquelle et Kamanjab sont des attrape-touristes
On prend TRES bonne note, et si jamais on est pas a notre aise, et bien en effet, de Kamanjab on fera le tour de Atosha et irons plus au nord...
> pourquoi ne pas aller vers Tsumkwe pour passer au Botswana ?
Hum.. en effet on a fait "au plus simple"
C'est pour ca que j'ouvre ce sujet, merci d'y avoir repondu, toi qui connait le mieux la zone... On va se nourir de ta reponse et se poser d'autres questions...
> Vous faites combien de km par jour en moyenne ?
Entre 50 et 80.
Des fois 10, des fois 120....
> En tout état de cause, la partie intéressante des chutes (les 2/3 en tout cas) ne se trouvent pas en Zambie mais au Zimbabwe.
Ma maman vient nous rejoindre 10 jours a Livingstone. Un an qu'on ne s'est pas vu, alors.. pour ces 10 jours on va faire VF et un peu de choses autour.. Mais pas de saut a lelastique ou de tour en helico, c'est pas notre voyage.
On ira en effet cote zimbabwe.
On compte bien se balader et trouver ce truc superbe vu ici http://brunolambert2000.free.fr/botswana/vicfalls.htm:
Nous serons accompagnee d'une superbe personne rencontree sur couchsurfing et qui connait bien le coin.
Je pense qu on voyage de la meme maniere, alors, wait and see, on vous dira.
merci divinement pour tes precieux conseils, "voyageur" :))))))
Et quel dommage que nous ne nous nous rencontrions pas.
jeremie
"Il faut pédaler comme on range sa chambre"
ou
"Heureux le pauvre à qui rien ne manque"
Il ne faut surtout pas éviter les chutes Victoria, côté Zambie et Zimbabwé. C'était un des incontournables de mon voyage et c'est ce que j'ai vu de plus beau en Afrique. Saut en élastique, hélicoptère ou autre artifice, ne sont pas indispensables pour en aprécier la beauté et le côté majestueux. Je vous souhaite surtout le même débit d'eau que j'ai connu : pas trop mais suffisamment. J'ai logé à Livingstone à l'hôtel Zigzag : très sympa, bon accueil que ce soit du côté du personnel ou de la direction (pour info)
Je suis allée au Botswana en 2005 mais tu ne pourras pas passer dans certaines réserves en vélo .... J'ignore si déjà tu pourras même en payant les droits d'entrée entrer en vélo.... Les animaux sont chez eux et il n'est pas conseillé de croiser la route d'un rhinocéros qui va boire (Ta seule survie , c'est que ces mastodoms sont myopes ! Mais ils courent vite et chargent (les mâles rhinos noirs) ceux qui passent sur leur territoire) ou de croiser un troupeau d'éléphant.... A éviter les campements près des points d'eau à cause des crocos (ou ne pas sortir de sa tente dès la nuit tombée: les hyènes n'hésitent pas à attaquer si elles ont faim... elles bouffent n'importe quoi!).
Du moment que tu restes dans ta tente, les animaux l'identifient à de la végétation mais de nuit, ils est hors question de sortir si tu veux rester vivant....
Dans les réserves, tu n'as rien en ravitaillement... Ta seule chance est un lodge de luxe où les clients sont amenés en avion ou 4x4....
Merci encore et toujours, Zaga et cyclote pour vos conseils!
Si je me sens en danger, je donne un coup de pied dans le velo de Claire, et je me casse vite fait :)
Jerems
"Il faut pédaler comme on range sa chambre"
ou
"Heureux le pauvre à qui rien ne manque"
ça fait des mois (voire des années?!) que je n'ai pas posté ici... A tout hasard, quelqu'un aurait-il des conseils pour rejoindre la bande de Caprivi depuis…
Ayant trouvé peu d'infos sur les pistes de Namibie, je vous fais savoir que je suis dispo pour vous aider si vous envisagez de les parcourir en vélo. C'est…
Voyager à vélo › Namibie / Afrique du Sud · 16 replies
Je commence à réfléchir à ma prochaine destination de voyage (été 2008). Parmi les destinations qui me font rêver, j'aimerais faire un périple en Namibie,…
Avec mon mari on envisage de partir en Namibie et faire un circuit à vélo et je voudrais savoir si vous aviez une agence de voyage à recommander car nous ne…
Hi everyone! Thanks for welcoming me to the forum :)
I’m preparing for a long trip heading to Nepal, with stops along the way depending on my mood, work needs, and the season. I cycle a lot, but this will be my first big touring adventure. I’d like to camp regularly to keep costs down, so I’ll be riding on all kinds of surfaces: smooth and rough roads, main highways and rocky paths to find my camping spots, flat terrain and the occasional steep slopes.
For my bike model, I’m prioritizing durability, versatility, and repairability. From that perspective, I prefer a steel frame and fork with rim brakes since I’m used to them. I’ve narrowed my choices down to four models:
- The VSF Fahrradmanufaktur T-700 LTD (1400 €): steel frame, aluminum fork, hydraulic rim brakes, 28" wheels, 40mm tires, 36 spokes (2 mm), lightweight rear rack (max 20 kg), no front rack included, smallest gear ratio of 0.72, weight of 13.9 kg.
- The VSF Fahrradmanufaktur TX-400 (2200 €): steel frame and fork, hydraulic rim brakes, 26" wheels, 50mm tires, 36 spokes (2.34 mm), front and rear racks included (40+18 kg), smallest gear ratio of 0.71, weight of 15.9 kg.
- The Genesis Tour de Fer 30 (2150 €): steel frame and fork, mechanical disc brakes, 28" wheels, 36 spokes, 40mm tires, front and rear racks included (27+10 kg), smallest gear ratio of 0.77, weight of 15.9 kg.
- The Rockrider ADTV 900 from Decathlon (1700 €): aluminum frame and fork, mechanical disc brakes, USB port, 28" wheels, 47mm tires, 28 spokes, front and rear racks included (40+20 kg), smallest gear ratio of 0.71, weight of 17.1 kg. This is the successor to the Riverside Touring 900, which was a hit.
I’ve got a few questions:
1/ Should I go for 26" or 28" wheels for my trip? 26" wheels seem better for rough terrain, but 28" wheels feel more comfortable on roads. I’ve also read that 26" tires/tubes are easier to find.
2/ Do you recommend a steel frame and fork over aluminum? I’m guessing a high-quality aluminum frame and fork would be better than a low-quality steel one, right?
3/ Regarding the smallest gear ratio, is 0.71 a good number for a loaded bike in the mountains?
4/ Finally, what do you think of these four models for my project? My heart leans toward the TX-400—it seems to combine the versatility and robustness I’m looking for. But the price difference with the T-700 LTD is making me think twice!
Thanks so much for reading and sharing your thoughts!
Hi,
what are the easiest ways to get back from Nordkapp without pedaling—
train, boat, or plane?
Has anyone already done this?
Thanks for sharing your tips!
17 days, 1,400 km, and 17,500 m of elevation gain cycling in northern Vietnam! 🇻🇳 🚴🇻🇳
From the misty Fansipan to the breathtaking landscapes of the Ha Giang Loop, from remote villages to vibrant markets...
I cycled through the north of the country, getting up close with its people—through mud, heat, endless mountain passes, and unforgettable encounters.
Most importantly, I discovered a Vietnam far different from the usual tourist circuits.
Join me on this adventure through a video that captures these 17 days of travel. :)
If Vietnam calls to you, come ride a stretch with me!
Hi,
I need to arrive in Thessaloniki by bike at the end of September and I plan to head to Istanbul along the coast.
Could anyone help me pick the best route? Safety, difficulty.
Thanks in advance.
Marc
Hi,
can anyone give us some tips on how to get to North Cape from Lyon Gerland?
What’s the best route to join the EuroVelo 7?
How many kilometers is it from Lyon to North Cape via EuroVelo 7?
The best month to leave—we’re thinking early May.
Thanks for any advice!
Looking for a female travel companion for a cycling trip (arriving by plane in Porto Alegre, Brazil, and cycling toward Montevideo, Uruguay, returning by plane to France from Buenos Aires, Argentina) – 1,500 km
Hello everyone!
I’m planning a cycling trip across Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina, with a departure set for late October, November, or December. I’m looking for a travel companion to share this long-distance adventure with.
Experience:
I already have solid experience in bicycle touring in Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. Currently, I maintain excellent physical condition by cycling an average of 250 km over 3 days per week (4 hours a day at 20 km/h).
The trip & the pace:
Daily pace: Between 50 and 80 km per day, to make steady progress while taking time to explore.
Accommodation: Flexible and authentic. We’ll alternate between wild camping, campsites, Warmshowers, small guesthouses, and budget hotels depending on opportunities and the weather.
Looking forward to reading your message and planning this amazing journey together!
I’m planning to leave Nice for Toulouse around 10/15 and I’m looking for tips / great deals regarding:
- The route: I was thinking of taking Nice - Grasse - Draguignan - Salernes - Cadarache - Cavaillon - Arles, then the Camargue, Sète, and the Canal du Midi to Toulouse. The idea is to avoid high-traffic roads and too many steep climbs. Are there any spots to avoid or must-see stops? Since it’s been a while since I’ve been on the road, I was thinking that sleeping indoors might be preferable. If you have any budget-friendly accommodation suggestions along part of the route, don’t hesitate!
Thanks in advance, and if you’re in the area around that time, we could ride together... Ciao.
Another long-time dream of Claudio’s: the Petit Mont Cenis pass and the dam at the eponymous lake.
A place where many Italians, including my father, worked in the 1950s–60s.
Faverges → St-Michel-de-Maurienne → Lanslebourg → Petit Mont Cenis → return. 315 km, 3 days. Bivouac at St-Michel-de-M.
Brouter link
Leg One: Faverges → St-Michel-de-Maurienne
Leg Two: St-Michel → Lanslebourg → Mont Cenis Lake → St-Michel
Leg Three: St-Michel → Faverges
And it finally happened in August 2026: in the Maurienne Valley about the famous cycle route known as the V67
🇷🇼 Cycling in Rwanda: 4 episodes, an off-the-beaten-path adventure
After 3 weeks and nearly 1,200 km by bike across Rwanda, I made 4 videos to share this adventure in a different way: the landscapes, the encounters, the villages… but above all, all those incredible scenes of everyday life.
The 4 episodes are available here:
👉 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnfbxjccWAg
The 4th episode focuses on rural Rwandan life: simple, authentic, and sometimes surprising scenes that you only truly discover when you take the time to travel by bike.
If you have a few minutes, let yourself be transported to Rwanda…
Hi, I'm looking for info on cycling to Nordkapp via the EuroVelo 7. Has anyone done it already, and where’s the best place to start the EuroVelo 7?
Thanks
Hi,
We bought the MSR bike tent model (2-person + large awning that can fit 2 bikes) back in 2005. It’s served us really well, especially during a year-long trip in Africa. Now, one of the poles is broken, and we’d love to replace it since that’s the only issue with the tent—we still love it! The poles are 9.35 mm in diameter, with 8 sections of 49 cm and 2 sections of 28 cm. Total length when assembled: 416 cm. Actually, two large sections are broken: one straight and one curved. It’s a pain to find replacements since this model is no longer sold anywhere.
Would anyone have this model lying around unused and be willing to sell me a pole?
Hi everyone,
In early April, I’m redoing the Vélo Francette (La Rochelle to Ouistreham), and then I’d like to cycle along the Cotentin Peninsula (which I don’t know at all), follow the coast up to Cherbourg, and then head back down to at least Saint-Malo. I’d love to know if it’s pleasant for cycling—are the roads nice? Not too windy? What are the must-see spots? Any great campsites? All your tips and advice are more than welcome, and I thank you in advance.
Hi there,
I’m planning to bike to meet some friends in Côte d’Ivoire in early November.
I’ll be starting in Abidjan and heading to Abengourou, which is close to the Ghana border.
I’d like to take the trails. Does anyone have recent info on eastern Côte d’Ivoire?
Any tips, safety advice, or must-see stops? I’m open to all suggestions.
Thanks in advance for your help!
Fx
After testing it for three years across various modes of transport, I’m sharing this video of a bike packing case. It’s made from recycled cardboard and shrink-wrapped, with adjustable thickness and added bubble wrap depending on the level of protection you want.
Installing spacers at the fork and chainstays makes the packaging compact. With the fifteen-odd euros for shrink-wrapping at the airport, this case travels really well.
https://youtu.be/_GDJi-GqmkM
- Low bulk (1.10m x 0.70m x 0.25m for a large frame), it fits vertically in train luggage compartments and the total dimensions (x+y+z) don’t exceed 2.40m.
- Two carrying solutions for public transport and easy handling by airport staff (no more tears in the cardboard from openings).
- Discreet packaging when dealing with bus drivers and train conductors, as it looks like an ordinary parcel.
- No need to return to the starting point to retrieve the case from your outbound trip, which you’d otherwise have to store somewhere, or deal with a bulky cover to pack in your panniers.
- You can still check tire pressure through the plastic film without damaging the packaging too much.
Drawbacks: Around 3 hours for this lengthy and meticulous process—removing the wheels, pedals, handlebars, and derailleur without misaligning them, then securing all components to the frame.
If you get a chance to test it, send me your feedback for future improvements.
I just took a trip in Tunisia from Tozeur to Douz, skirting Chott el Jerid to the south. I’m back with the urge to keep going further south via the 4x4 tracks to connect Douz to Ksar Ghilane. Has anyone driven this route recently or explored southern Tunisia?
Thanks for your tips!
fix
😎Fellow traveling cyclists or not, all of you who love travel, the pleasure of physical effort, nature, beautiful machines, people with true passions they seek to fulfill, and who also enjoy reading great literature about all this—the *200* magazine is for you just as it is for me. I should mention I have no financial or other interest in this (in an era where we accuse our politicians of all sorts of vile interests, I prefer to take precautions). I’ve been subscribed since the beginning, and every three months, I get my 130 pages of dreams (the magazine just went from 110 to 130 pages).
It covers everything from the trans-America route to the TCR (Trans Continental Race) from Belgium to a small town in Turkey, with mind-blowing averages—4,000 km and 80,000 m of elevation gain in 8 days and 15 hours for the winner. Let that sink in, and all of it without assistance—accepting a patch could penalize you. There’s also a story about crossing Iran, encountering one of the world’s most welcoming populations, following in the footsteps of Nicolas Bouvier, as well as retirees leisurely traversing France. The common thread in all these stories? Beautiful writing. Take, for example, a stunning article: *"Passengers of the Cold: From Edinburgh to Thurso, at the very north of Scotland, 550 km of moors, coasts, and icy wind. In Thurso, the road ends at a quay, facing the Orkney Islands. We wanted a November trip, off-season. We wanted to surprise winter. Just before the snow."* A sublime piece on the experience of facing adversity and the chance encounters along the road and in the elements.
Before I embarked on my own bike trips, I dreamed a lot about them—from the Atacama to the Gobi, along the Mekong, and not forgetting France. And now, these 130 pages every quarter keep those dreamy vibes alive through stories written in the most beautiful prose.
I’ll stop here because it might sound like I’m advertising, but if you don’t know *200*, I invite you to discover it. It’ll give you wings for the most incredible challenges or simply reinforce your desire for slow rides with your eyes open to others and nature.
A little news to wrap up: Axel Carion and a friend just broke the record for crossing South America from Colombia to Ushuaia in 59 days. On its own, that doesn’t mean much, but I can’t help it—it makes me dream. You should see how he talks about it, the flashes of that wild nature he’s stored away: a snowstorm at Paso Jama and the surreal sight of the suddenly snow-covered Licancabur!
Luc
PS: The magazine is called *200* because a day’s ride starts at 200 km—well, I’ve never done a ride like that since my longest was 167 km (with 18 kg of luggage, mind you), but why not one day? The magazine will explain how to tackle your first 200, and then the question in conclusion: when will you do your first 300?😏
I’ve got my flight ticket sorted—departing in mid-November and returning in mid-March. I’ll arrive in Santiago and leave from Buenos Aires.
I’ve already been to southern Argentina, specifically Torres del Paine National Park, and I’d love to go back to do the full W trek (I only did the shorter version last time).
I also want to do some hiking and maybe even tackle a summit. I climb and occasionally do some mountaineering, so I’ll definitely be going with a guide.
I plan to start around Temuco in Chile, with the idea of heading toward the lakes, then taking the Carretera Austral.
I’m not sure if I’ll go all the way to Ushuaia—it’s supposed to not be *that* worth it, except for the bragging rights of saying you’ve been to the end of the world.
I saw there are lakes in Argentina too.
I don’t have a precise itinerary, but what I’d love is, once I reach the southernmost point of my trip, to take a mini-cruise to see some wildlife. Any tips for that?
What kind of sleeping bag did you take? Is a 0°C (32°F) one enough?
And one last question: white gas stove or can I get by with my gas stove?
I'm developing a free and open-source web app for planning walking and cycling trips (and even car trips). You can create a route by clicking directly on the map to add waypoints, and it can consist of multiple stages. The app provides tools to edit the stages and the overall route, and to display useful information (distances, altitudes, and elevation changes). A relief profile can be shown as a graph for a specific stage or the entire route.
Once the route is ready, it can be exported as a GPX file, which can then be used with a GPS or a mobile navigation app.
The app is built in JavaScript and runs entirely in the web browser. It uses the Leaflet library and several OpenStreetMap-based services. Initially developed for my personal needs (I enjoy hiking and cycle touring), I’d be happy to share it with anyone who might find it useful. It’s free to use, doesn’t require an account, and the source code is available.
hello fellow cycling enthusiasts
here’s a travel journal of the cycling tour through the Rhône-Alpes Auvergne region by Claudio
zouli
it was the plan
http://cbandiera.free.fr/parcours/auvergne-Ralpes/
the trip was completed
story being posted online soon
1100 km in 11 days
beautiful and varied regions
Hello,
We’d like to go on a 3- to 4-month bike trip starting in December, crossing from Assam (northeast India) to New Delhi via Nepal.
Are there routes with light traffic along the Brahmaputra and through Nepal?
We’re also looking for any info on accommodations, wild camping, local interactions, etc.
Thanks,
Michel
I’m planning to cycle from Morlaix to Brest (via Roscoff and the V45 coastal route). We’ll start riding on August 16th for 13 days (with stops for island visits, surfing, etc.). Is there a lot of traffic at this time of year? I’ve got two kids, 11 and 13, and we don’t like riding in the middle of cars (we’ve already done the Vélomaritime—Caen to Cherbourg—the Loire route from Orléans to Saumur, the Vélodyssée from Nantes to Royans, and the canals like the Nivernais and Bourgogne, where there were plenty of bike-only lanes, which isn’t the case on this route).
Thanks for your help if you’ve already done this route in late August!
Virginie
Hi there,
I’ve been road cycling for several years, and I’m about to switch to gravel in the next few days—I’m waiting for my bike, which should arrive this week.
I’m planning a bikepacking trip in a few weeks along the Véloroute V81, also known as the Vélosud, from Biarritz to Le Barcarès.
Has anyone here already done this route? Any info is welcome, whether it’s about the route itself, gear, or accommodation. I’ll prioritize staying with locals as much as possible. On that note, I just signed up for the brand-new site *Guidon et Couette* ((www.guidon-et-couette.fr)), which offers free accommodation between cyclists across the country, but there’s almost no one listed along my route!
Thanks in advance.
Laurent.
Hi there, I’m planning a cross-Canada bike trip, and I’ve got a question that might seem silly, but could someone tell me how to pack a bike (in a box, with a fragile sticker... I don’t know) for a flight? Thanks in advance!
This summer, we’re planning to cycle along the EV 19 that follows the Meuse River from Langres all the way to Rotterdam.
My question is about getting back to Nantes.
Do any of you know what the best return option might be? I’d love to hear about your experiences.
I saw that FlixBus doesn’t take bikes.
By train, I think it’s possible but would involve multiple local trains.
We were also wondering if there’s a boat from Rotterdam to Saint-Nazaire that could take passengers with bikes.
Any tips or experiences you can share would be really helpful—thanks in advance!
Have a great evening
I’ve gotten used to crossing Europe by bus to return by bike.
It was really convenient to take the bike without having to disassemble it.
But FlixBus no longer accepts bikes...
What alternatives do you know about?
Thanks.
Hi there,
I’m planning to ride the Dutch section of the EuroVelo 19, from Maastricht to Rotterdam.
Since it’s too complicated to bring my bike on the train, I’m looking to rent one locally.
I’d love any tips or bike rental shop recommendations—I’m struggling to find options even in Rotterdam.
The plan is to rent in Rotterdam, take the train to Maastricht with the bike, then cycle back to Rotterdam.
Thanks in advance for any advice or suggestions!
Nath
