UPDATED August 27, 2024BY Michael CooINTour d'Afrique no comments The Jewel(s) Of AfricaThe Tour dAfrique Cycling Expeditions second section, from Kigali to Nairobi, is called Jewel of Africa but perhaps we left out an s in that title. The ride takes cyclists through 3 of the continents most scenic and historic countries Rwanda, Uganda & Kenya. Each one should be considered a jewel on its own, allowing visitors to experience their unique sights, traditional cultures and national cuisines.Here are a couple highlights from each of East Africas 3 jewels:RwandaThe Mountain GorillasThe Tour dAfrique makes a stop in Musanze, Rwanda for a couple rest days, giving the cyclists an opportunity to see Mountain Gorillas up close and personal. It is a unique experience there are only around 1000 of them left in the wild and the country of Rwanda strictly limits the number of daily permits. While these are not inexpensive, it is important to remember that the proceeds go back into gorilla conservation programmes, hopefully increasing the number of Mountain Gorillas in the future while protecting their habitat from human activities. In 2024, one of our field staff who was lucky enough to book a spot, wrote, We heard voices, voices and grunting. We stood still. The tops of the trees moved, rather, they were moved and rounding a corner suddenly, a silverback gorilla stared at us.The Kigali Genocide MemorialEveryone should consider taking a visit to the hillside Genocide Memorial in Kigali, Rwanda. Opened in 2004, it includes a Visitor Centre which explains the tragic circumstances and historical context surrounding the horrific events of 1994. The Memorial area also provided a place for families to bury the remains of the genocides victims which were scattered across the country. A sobering and important educational experience.UgandaThe Lakes Of UgandaThe route of the Tour dAfrique includes stops at 3 of Ugandas magical lakes. A rest day takes place on the shores of Lake Bunyonyi (place of many little birds) which, as you may have guessed, is famous for the large number of migratory and water birds that can be seen here. A few days later the tour stops at Lake Nabugabo. Once part of the nearby Lake Victoria, the lake was slowly separated from the large body of water by sand dunes created by high winds. Finally, the cyclists will stay on the scenic Ssese Islands in Lake Victoria, one of the African Great Lakes and the largest tropical lake in the world.FerriesA short river crossing in UgandaIn order to avoid the traffic into Kampala, Ugandas capital city, the riders on the Tour dAfrique are transported out to, and back from, the Ssese Islands on a scheduled ferry. The archipelago consists of 84 islands and some local tribes still refer to it as the Islands of the Gods. Getting there and back can be an interesting experience. 2024 Cyclist Judith Gold commented, Our first crossing was in a long (about 4 hours) ferry ride on Lake Victoriathe majority of riders were packed like sardines in the belly of the ferry. It was actually fun, as we got to intimately know our fellow Ugandan passengers including details of their daily lives while exchanging stories and showing photos of our loved ones.KenyaMt KenyaOften overlooked in favour of its more popular twin, Mt Kilimanjaro, Mt. Kenya is a highlight for the riders of this section of the Tour dAfrique. Slightly shorter than Kili (5199m vs 5895m), the majestic mountain is revered by 4 of Kenyas tribes the Maasai, Kikuyu, Ameru, & Embu and is surrounded by Mt. Kenya National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, known for its incredible biodiversity.Crossing The EquatorPeople, including cyclists, love to make lists, including bucket lists. Some of the most common items on those are travel related, including such things as crossing the equator. The original route of the Tour dAfrique, when Sudan and Ethiopia were open, included a stop in the Kenyan town of Nanyuki, where the riders would take the obligatory Crossing the Equator photo. With the current route through Rwanda and Uganda, the cyclists end up crossing the equator more than once! In fact, it appears that number may actually be at least 6 although it could be more! Better join the ride and find out for yourself.RELATEDTOURTour d'AfriqueThe trans-African crossing from Cairo to Cape Town has long been one of the worlds epic journeys and an iconic goal for global adventurers. Over... Related Posts:Leave a Comment for "The Jewel(s) Of Africa" Cancel reply

The Paris Paralympics start this weekend and paracycling begins straightaway with its first event on August 29.

Want to swerve costly repair and maintenance fees by taking care of some (or perhaps even all) of your bike maintenance at home? Get started with these essentials to assemble your ultimate cycling arsenal!

The breakaway took the spoils on stage 10 of the 2024 Vuelta a Espana. In the end, it came down to Quentin Pacher and Wout van Aert in a mano a mano battle. Despite Pacher's best efforts, he could not defeat Van Aert in the sprint for the line.It was a really fast start with that second category c...

The 275km route takes in the Stone King Rally's finest trails, from the Alps to the MediterraneanStone King RallyThe Stone King Rally and mapping app Komoot have launched a 275km Stone King enduro mountain biking route. The GPS Continue reading

For those at MADE this past week, you might have noticed a very cool (very subdued) piece of kit over at the BAUM Bikes and Partington Wheels booth.Australian brand Partington (backed by Cadel Evans) exhibited a set of its new Partington R31 climbing wheels.(All Images: Partington)What makes these wheels newsworthy?For those who know Partington wheels, you know they are meticulously designed, lightweight, and expensive. For example, the Partington R-SERIES MKII R39/44 sells for a staggering $6,400.00.Partington R31 wheelsThe all-new Partington MKII R-Series 31/31 offers all the tech from the R-Series as mentioned above, with a 39/44 wheelset but with a 31mm rim depth. Sizing down the rim allows Partington to slim the weight to an impressive 1060g per pair.What kind of riding are the Partington MKII R-Series 31/31 for? Though 31mm is a reasonably versatile depth, the stiffness and weight make these super-suited for climbing.How about that tech?The 31/31 (like the 39/44) includes Partingtons unique hub within a composite carbon shell, its proprietary Dynamic Bearing Architecture, and its InTension spoke technology. Over 8 hours of labor go into each wheel produced, and they have an excellent 2-year crash replacement program.Partingtons InTension spoke technology uses 20 asymmetric bladed, full carbon rim-to-rim spokes that wrap the hub and enhance the wheels stiffness.Foam CoreAll Partington MKII R-Series wheels (31/31 and 39/44) utilize a low-density, high-performance aerospace-grade foam core optimized for stiffness and lightness. Partington MKII R-Series wheels (31/31 and 39/44) are disc brake only, featuring 21mm internal width hooked rims.Partington MKII R-Series R31 Wheels DetailsHubs: Hybrid composite hub shell, CeramicSpeed bearingsSpokes: Asymmetric bladed full carbon, rim-to-rim design 20-hole rimRim: (external): 26mmRim width: (internal): 21mmRim depth: 31mmWeight: 1060gPrice: $6,400We are delighted to add the 31 wheelsets to our range. All our wheels are designed as an integrated system, with all components designed to work together and optimize the wheels performance. The 31s lower profile further reduces what is already an exceptionally light wheel, so it really sings going uphill. Other wheels ask you to accept trade-offs: stiffness for comfort or weight for cornering performance. With the MKII R-Series, we have managed to unify all these aspects for a ride like no other.Jon Partington, Founder and CTO, Partington. ccIf you want to purchase a set of MKII R-Series 31/31 wheels, they are available from select dealers worldwide or at Partington. cc.The post Partingtons New $6,400 R31 Climbing Wheels Are Just 1060g Per Pair appeared first on Bikerumor.

The efforts at the back end of the race are just as worthy of celebration as the winners at the front

Wout van Aert has been back somewhere close to his very best at the 2024 Vuelta a Espana. After two sprint wins, the Team Visma | Lease a Bike superstar made it a hat-trick of sprint wins on stage 10 from the breakaway.Its not too often that I can win when my family visits me on a race so it make...

Earlier this summer, DJI introduced us to their first foray into ebikes with the light but powerful Avinox motor, set inside an all-new carbon Amflow PL eMTB. Weve known and flown DJI cameras and drones for years, but Amflow is a completely new and unknown upstart to the world of bike manufacturing. So we wanted to take a closer look at their first-generation Amflow PL Carbon to see what we can expect from the first platform for the new DJI ebike powertrainSo, who is Amflow, again? View this post on Instagram A post shared by Amflow Bikes (@amflowbikes)The first important thing to note about Amflow, is that the new bike brand is not actually a part of DJI. And its not necessarily going to be exclusively an eMTB-only brand. Amflow was incubated by DJI. The drone, camera, and now ebike drive system manufacturer needed an eMTB platform to launch their new motor. So to keep development under wraps until they were ready to launch, DJI started with in-house technology experts who rode mountain bikes, and brought together a group bike design and carbon manufacturing experts to create that eMTB platform.(Photos/Cory Benson)So yes, the bike products of Amflow began as a platform to test and showcase the DJI Avinox system within a customized and seamlessly matching design. But then, they quickly split off Amflow to develop bikes on their own. And going forward, Amflow is slated to grow increasingly independent in all business aspects, from product development to day-to-day operations.So now the ebikes are designed by Amflow separate from DJI, with material and manufacturing support from existing specialists in the bike industry think geometry & kinematics optimization and shock tuning. And Amflow make the PL Carbon frame in Asia, in cooperation with experienced carbon and bicycle manufacturers.Amflow PL Carbon all-new lightweight 150/160mm eMTBOK, so lets take that closer look at the Amflow PL Carbon ebike itself.This is meant to be a lightweight full-power all-mountain ebike. It is capable of taking on everything from classic trail riding to bigger mountain rides and more technical tracks that border on the edge of enduro. For that, you get a classic Horst link 4-bar suspension design with 150mm of rear wheel travel, paired with 160mm forks. Amflow lists the PL Carbon frame weight at a claimed 2270g.And a relatively progressive slack geometry, with a lower shock link flip-chip that lets riders pick their preferred 29 or 27.5 rear wheel size. Either full 29er for more stability or a mullet setup for a more playful agile ride.Geometry & Tech DetailsGenerally speaking from a geometry perspective, the Amflow PL Carbon seems pretty progressive for a modern trail / all-mountain ebike. Its 64.5 head angle is plenty slack, and the steep 77 effective seat angle should make climbing up hills a breeze. The 445mm chainstays are even quite short for a 29er ebike. And its 4 stock sizes seem like a good spread. But I get the feeling they were mislabeled in the table sent to me (M-XXL) probably overestimating their size. Amflow would better label the sizes as S-XL.Looking a bit into the ebikes details, we first see a UDH at the end of the Boost rear thru-axle that gives both conventional mechanical and SRAM direct mount T-Type Transmission compatibility. Beyond that, Amflow gives the PL Carbon 2.4 tire clearance out back, Post Mount 180 rear brake set up with 203mm rotors in the complete ebike builds, integrated chainstay, downtube & motor protection, opening up to an alloy heatsink on the motor body, and integrated mini upper chainguide bolts to the main pivot.The ebike features conventional internal cable routing entering the frame on the sides of the headtube, compatible with mechanical or electronic groupsets, and a main battery charging port on the lower non-driveside of the seattube. Theres a single water bottle cage mount inside the main triangle under the Trunnion mount shock. Plus, Amflow provide another tool carrier mount under the toptube, where a semi-rigid custom bag fills the space in front of the shock.(Studio photos/Amflow)Powered by DJI Avinox(Photo/DJI)The main selling point of the Amflow PL Carbons new DJI Avinox ebike drive system is its unique combination of lightweight and high power output. A claimed 105Nm of torque from a motor that weighs just 2.5kg, and 600Wh or 800Wh batteries that claim higher energy density (Wh per gram) than anything else on the market. But theres also some unique smart tech tucked into the Avinox system.DJI Avinox ebike drive systems smart tech featuresMost interesting it seems may be the smart Auto pedal-assist mode. You can stick with conventional Eco, Trail, or Turbo. But switching to Auto is said to leverage DJIs expertise in power management, by collecting inputs from position/accelerometer/torque/cadence/rider input sensors, to let the algorithm-tuned mode automatically determine motor output. DJI says Auto will provide extended range compared to standard Trail or Turbo but still with powerful pedal-assist when you need it.Dual wireless Bluetooth controllers next to each grip, let you easily cycle through support & display mode, while also putting Boost mode at your fingertips. Hit the Boost button, and the DJI Avinox motor cranks out a peak assist of 850W for a few seconds, before dropping back to whatever mode you were already using.Then, integrated into the PL toptube, Amflow places DJIs 2 full-color OLED touchscreen control display. It shows you all the ride metrics youd want from a conventional cycling computer, plus easy-to-navigate real-time activity data, mode info, and estimated range. And it logs it all with your GPS data to sync with the Avinox app and 3rd-party apps like Strava. Plus, the display has a USB-C port that you can use to charge your connected devices while riding like while navigating with maps is your smartphone.The Avinox smartphone app also give users the ability to fine-tune each pedal-assist mode more than pretty much any other ebike drive on the market. You can pick how much power it delivers relative to your pedal input, max torque level, how responsive motor output is from a start or while pedaling, and how long the motor continues to output power after you stop pedaling.Amflow PL Carbon eBike Options & Pricing Amflow PL CarbonThe first new ebikes from upstart Amflow include two models of this all-mountain Amflow PL, each sharing the same full carbon frame with 150mm of rear travel powered by the DJI Avinox ebike system. And either available in silver of black.The slightly more affordable end of the spectrum like we took a closer look at will stick with a mechanical SRAM GX drivetrain, Fox Performance suspension, alloy wheels, and an 800Wh internal battery. Amflow PL Carbon ProThen, the top Amflow PL Carbon Pro will upgrade to an X0 AXS transmission, Fox Factory suspension, house-brand carbon wheels, and the option for either the big range 800Wh battery or a lighter 600Wh variant.And Availability?When, where, and how much exactly it will cost you to get a new Amflow PL ebike with the latest DJI Avinox system remains vague. Amflow tells us official pricing is still TBD, but expected to have both bikes in the 7000-12,000 range. Yes, that sounds quite high for a company and motor that weve never tried, but its certainly on par with the top-tier light ebikes weve ridden from the likes of Scott, Specialized, Focus, even Merida.What we do know though, is that Amflow will first roll the new PL Carbon out in Germany, the UK, and Australia by the end of this year sold primarily through classic independent bike dealers. In fact, Amflow now says the first Amflow ebikes should be sold to German & Australian consumers as early as October, while the UK should get these first DJI-equipped ebikes in November. Then, Amflow ultimately plans to broaden availability throughout Europe and North America, although without a firm timeline yet. Amflow also mention availability through other alternate dealer paths, but havent elaborated more yet. Well keep our eyes out for what that will mean.And maybe most importantly in the meantime, we expect to have a new Amflow PL Carbon ebike with the DJI Avinox motor to test in less than one months time. Stay tuned, and well report back with our on-trail impressions very soon!AmflowBikes.comThe post Amflow PL First Look: All-New All-Mountain eMTB Powered by DJIs Avinox eBike-drive appeared first on Bikerumor.

E-bike battery fires have been making headlines but are the bikes inherently dangerous? We look at the various approaches being taken to improve safety and restore consumer confidence