Epilogue

21 September 2010

Crocs made it to the end

I finished the trip 6 days earlier than I planned. I went into the ocean to dip my feet and symbolically end the tour. As I stood in the water with my crocs on, I had a feeling that I made it through the continent in a ridiculously swift and easy way.

As a matter of fact I am grateful that I had troubles with the tire. If that hadn't happen, the tour would look like a stroll in the park, without anything worth mentioning. And we know that bicycle tours shouldn't be like that. They should be hard ordeals, testing the limits of our body and mind, resulting in the end in glorious feeling of victory and self-sufficiency. That is how it should be! I suddenly realized that my light-weight concept is actually depriving me of such deep, satisfying feelings. You can't suffer enough with just a small pack in the back. And if you can't suffer - you can't enjoy.

So, I decided that I will never go ultra-light cycling again! This is the end! I am joining the fully-loaded, self-sufficient crowd!

Top of Menoaneng pass (3014m) in Lesotho. A covenient place to say farewell to ultralightweight cycling.

5 comments:

  1. No please do not join the fully-loaded crowd!

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  2. I just came across your blog - great trip! Enjoyed your writing and your photo's. I'm still going to join as a follower! (its never too late, right?) Make sure you let me know of your next adventure so I can follow it in a more timely fashion! :))

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  3. Thanks, PaddyAnne,

    Well, you'll probably have to wait at least until next summer. Check my other trips until then (in the profile).

    Igor (nursing injured knee at the moment).

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  4. Hi Igor. THoroughly enjoyed reading your account of this african ride.
    You did seed in me the desire to ride in Leshoto one day. Thx.
    I too have chose to ride with Crocs. And liked it. ;-)
    But can I wonder why you would embark on such a trip with narrow tires (and without a spare)? I did read you epilogue (and appreciated the humour), but do you REALLY think that a spared kilo or 2 (not even that of course) would outweight (no pun) a confortable ride on dirt/gravel roads? NOw in 2018, with light "gavel bikes", this surely would be a better choice of bike to do this trip. Although you might've had less to write about and too much time to kill off at the beach in Durban...

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    Replies
    1. Sorry,I haven't checked this blog for a while, I saw your comment today.
      I really should not say this, because it could ruin my bicycle nishe, but you might be right: weight reduction is not all that important in cycle touring. It's more a matter of style. And of course, good cycling stories always revolve about problems, not about perefectly completed tours.

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