Africa Through The Eyes of a Cyclist
Agencies – Sudan Events
She was four when she got her first bicycle, a Fahrradmanufaktur TX-400 but never imagined that she would use one to tour other countries.
The 24-year-old left Europe in December last year ready for her once-in-a-lifetime experience, and in January 2023, she started cycling from Egypt.
What inspired her?
“I am a super curious person. I love learning other people live and like to try new things. My dad was the one who taught me how to ride a bike, but back then I would do it once in a while like summer. There is a French couple who came to my school narrating their trip they walked across Africa and it took them three years. I was amazed and amused,” she says.
She says as a cycling newbie, she is learning a lot from her Africa trip for instance fixing flat tires.
In her trip across Africa, she recalls Northern Sudan as the most memorable. While there, a region called Nubia, rich in history and culture, caught her attention.
“The people there were the most hospitable and kind I have ever met. Plus, landscapes in the Sahara were amazing, and camping under the stars was a dream. Now I am heading to South Africa and will be crossing the southern African countries.
Long-distance cycling has become a pastime for many, and Florence advises that cycling long distances is not for the fainthearted. In her case, she says cycling long distances is meditative in a way as it helps her have time to think.
In terms of endurance and exercise, she does not do anything other than cycling, some days she tries and stretches but sometimes she forgets.
“I am not a pro cyclist, far from that. Like I said, I owned a bike when I was four, and did not cycle much growing up. So anyone can do it. Your body gets used to it.”
