by Larry Lagarde
From time to time, readers send me photos of their bikes. These photos can be quite interesting so I've decided to begin posting them under the heading "Cool Folding Bike Photos".
To begin the series, I've selected a photo from French cyclist Regis Fender. Regis was looking for a challenge and decided that he would ride a bike across Africa's Sahara Desert from Marrakech in Morocco to Saint Louis in Senegal.A trek across the Sahara is not to be taken lightly so Regis did his homework and decided the best bike for the job would be a... Strida folding bike. Regis selected the Strida for it's simplicity, minimal maintenance requirements and portability.
Apparently, the Strida was a good choice because both he and the bike survived the 3000km/5 week adventure no worse for the wear (he did go through several tubes and tires though).
At first, I was somewhat skeptical that someone would ride a Strida alone for such a long distance and in such an inhospitable and remote place; however, Regis has sent me so many photos that the evidence is overwhelmingly in his favor. In fact, I will be posting more photos from him in the coming weeks.
Got a cool folding bike photo?
Email it to me as an attachment (jpg format please) along with a brief description and I'll post it.
1 comment:
[Editor's Note]
This morning, Regis Fender emailed the following to provide context for this photo:
At the time this picture was taken, I had been cycling on this path for a little more than an hour. I can't tell you the exact location in the photo because I had been pedaling along this dirt path for 3 days! I was in the middle of nowhere with just a few liters of water and a piece of bread so I was a bit concerned. The incline of the dirt path required me to push the velo but that was okay because my buttocks were sore from riding hundreds of kilometers.
The desert's stark beauty overwhelmed me. I found myself day dreaming about being on a sandy beach only to bounce back to reality, the searing heat and the horizon melting into the distance.
Several hours later after dusk, I was cycling by moonlight when I saw a pack of stray dogs ahead. First, they began growling but as I approached, the growls turned into wild barking. Anxious at the circumstances and with my heart pounding, I siezed a knife and walked calmly towards the dogs. Suddenly, one of the dogs leapt up and began running at me! A myraid of possibilities ran through my head all at once. How do I get out of this situation???
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