Arriving at the Cairo Airport, the group assembled their rugged bicycles engineered specifically for rural African terrain and load requirements. It was obvious that a great deal of thoughtful planning went into the trip as they designed their route south through East Africa trying to maximize access to paved roads and sections of Africa known for natural beauty. The first challenge was riding through the Sahara Desert with the weight of water and all their belongings draped on the cycles. He compared riding the waves of sand to riding the waves as a surfer. “Sometimes in the Sahara the road would just suddenly disappear.”  From Khartoum the riders descended and then climbed again and again in the hilly terrain of Ethiopia.

Quincy rewarded himself after climbing challenging hills with resting and eating an apple. He ate a lot of apples on this trip and put apple stickers on his bike to motivate him to keep going, particularly when ascending. It was fascinating to hear him talk about being on the equator in Kenya where the water on either side flowed in opposite directions. The equator marked the half-way point for the trip.

On through the rainy season in Zanzibar to the country he liked the most, Zambia. Here, he saw his first giraffe and took in the immense beauty of Victoria Falls between Zambia and Botswana. It was in Botswana that he was faced by a territorial elephant blocking his pathway. Slowly, he retreated and so did the elephant. The tropical wind heading South propelled the riders on the descent to Cape Town and the Atlantic Ocean where they celebrated the end of their 7,200-mile adventure.

The three riders had raised sufficient funds to buy 231 new bicycles (each one costing $147) from World Bicycle Relief, an organization that has provided over 420,000 specially designed, locally assembled, rugged bicycles to disaster victims, healthcare workers, students and entrepreneurs. Quincy saw some WBR bicycles already being used in Africa to deal with the long distances many had to travel on a daily basis.

Compared to walking, bicycles represent an enormous leap in productivity and access to healthcare, education and economic opportunities. The simple, sustainable nature of bicycles empowers individuals, their families and their communities. Quincy reported he only had 5 flat tires on this trip, but one of his compatriots had 25 flat tires. In responding to questions from Rotarians, he clarified how they kept track of directions and the amount of peanut butter they consumed. And then, Quincy hopped on his bike and headed home. Super program featuring a very capable and genuine young man who is, indeed, way more than a powerful long-distance bicycling peddler.