Around Africa On My Bicycle by Riaan Manser

Around Africa on My Bicycle by South African adventurer Riaan Manser is an extraordinary account of one of the most ambitious cycling journeys ever undertaken in Africa. Published by Jonathan Ball Publishers in 2007, this first-edition paperback records Manser’s remarkable attempt to become the first person to circumnavigate the African continent entirely by bicycle. The journey began in Cape Town in September 2003 and eventually brought him back to the city in November 2005, after more than two years on the road.

Around Africa on My Bicycle follows a journey of approximately 36,500 kilometres through 34 countries. Manser averaged around 90 kilometres of cycling a day, frequently travelling across difficult gravel, sand and poorly maintained roads. His route took him through some of Africa’s most challenging environments, including the Sahara and Libyan deserts, while border crossings, bureaucracy, illness, mechanical problems and dangerous encounters regularly tested his determination.

The appeal of Around Africa on My Bicycle lies in the sheer variety of experiences Manser encounters along the way. He describes learning French, Portuguese and Arabic, travelling through remote communities, confronting hostile officials and surviving a frightening encounter with armed teenage rebels in Liberia. At other times, the journey reveals a much more welcoming side of Africa, with Manser encountering extraordinary generosity and hospitality from people he meets along the route.

Around Africa on My Bicycle is also more than an adventure story. Manser undertook the journey partly to draw attention to living conditions across Africa, while his personal motivation was a desire to escape conventional life and experience the continent at close quarters. The result is a vivid travel narrative combining endurance, humour, danger, cultural encounters and personal discovery.

For readers interested in African travel, adventure, cycling, exploration and South African personalities, Around Africa on My Bicycle is an especially compelling read. Manser’s account offers an unusual perspective on the continent, experienced not from a tour vehicle or aircraft but from the saddle of a bicycle. This 2007 Jonathan Ball paperback is an excellent addition to collections of African travel writing, adventure literature and cycling books.

Condition: Very Good – Light shelf wear and foxing present.