Following Annabelle’s African Bicycle Adventure – And Rethinking Belt Drives

Posted on Jul 19, 2026 by krfarmer

Over the past few months I have been following a cyclist on TikTok called Annabelle 🙂. She and her boyfriend, who are from the USA, have ridden their bicycles all the way from Europe down the eastern side of Africa. They have now reached South Africa and are closing in on Cape Town.

It has been fascinating to follow their journey. Like many long-distance cyclists in Africa, they have faced far more than just long days in the saddle. Visa bureaucracy has caused some significant delays along the way, and in several countries they had to arrange for spare parts and visas to be sent ahead. Even something as simple as collecting a package became an adventure in itself.

Now they are riding through South Africa during winter. Although many people think of Africa as always being warm, this time of year can be surprisingly cold. In the mountains they could even encounter snow. Fortunately, by staying closer to the west coast they seem to have avoided the worst of the winter weather so far.

One recent problem really caught my attention. Annabelle’s bicycle is fitted with a belt drive instead of the traditional chain, and unfortunately the belt has broken.

That immediately made me stop and think.

For years I have read how reliable belt drive systems are supposed to be. Many cyclists praise them as the ultimate low-maintenance solution. They don’t need lubrication, they aren’t affected by muddy conditions in the same way as a chain, and without oily lubricant they don’t attract dust and grit. I’ve even read reports from riders who have covered tens of thousands of miles without replacing a belt.

I have often thought about converting to a belt drive with an internal gear system. On paper it sounds ideal for African travel. No oily chain to clean, less wear from sand and dust, and far less routine maintenance.

But watching Annabelle’s experience has reminded me that every system has its weaknesses.

If a chain breaks almost anywhere in Africa, there is a reasonable chance that you can repair it or find a replacement. A broken belt is a very different story. In South Africa you can probably find one in the larger cities, but once you head into remote regions the chances become much slimmer. Reliability is wonderful—until the one time something does fail.

It also reminded me of my own first bicycle tour through Africa.

Before leaving I had my bicycle serviced, thinking everything would be perfect. Instead, the shop fitted a new chain onto a badly worn front chainring. The worn teeth caused the chain to catch constantly. In Harare in Zimbabwe, I had to find a bicycle shop to help sort it out.

Even then, it wasn’t an instant fix. For around 500 kilometers after leaving Harare the new chain and chainring had to gradually wear together before everything finally settled down. It was simply a matter of letting the chain and chainring “marry” each other.

Little mechanical problems like that can take the shine off an otherwise incredible journey.

Watching Annabelle’s travels has reminded me that bicycle touring is never just about the riding. It’s about adapting to the unexpected, solving problems, and continuing despite the setbacks. Those are often the stories we remember most.

I’m still attracted to the idea of a belt drive and internal gear system, but now I’m asking myself whether the reduced maintenance is worth the potential difficulty of finding replacement parts in remote areas.

I’d love to hear from readers who have experience with belt drive touring bikes.

Have you toured long distances with a belt drive?
Have you ever had one fail?
Would you choose a belt drive over a traditional chain for an extended African expedition?

Please leave a comment below and share your experiences.

I’ll also include a link to Annabelle’s TikTok account so you can follow the final stages of their remarkable journey to Cape Town.

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8tLV1Ma

Cycle 2 Charge

Posted on May 17, 2026 by krfarmer

This has been a game changer to add to my dynamo hub. Very simple no complicated connections. I have been using it now for about 6 years. Anything that uses a USB can be plugged in.

Take a look at my book- Run Away to Africa

Run away to Africa

Run Away to Africa – Book now Live and Available | A Journey of Freedom and Adventure

Posted on Apr 12, 2026 by krfarmer

You can now purchase Run Away to Africa directly through my shop page using the link in this post.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Run+Away+To+Africa+by+Kenneth+Fagan&crid=1ZJH3EI2RHUOT&sprefix=run+away+to+africa+by+kenneth+fagan%2Caps%2C186&ref=nb_sb_noss

Whether you’re interested in:

Travel memoirs.
African adventure stories.
Cycling and exploration journeys.
Books about freedom and lifestyle change.

This book brings those elements together into one powerful story. I’ve shared two videos to mark this milestone:

One showing the book now officially published on Amazon KDP.
Another announcing that Run Away to Africa is now available for sale.

These videos capture the moment this travel memoir became real.

Book Launch Videos:

Announcement book is published.

Announcement book is for sale.

Enjoy the book. Was a long time in editing and feel it is ready. This opens up the way for me to start books on my other adventures. I have an idea that I could venture into the motivational book market.

Cycling in Africa: A Night Ride and Village Welcome in Mozambique

Posted on Mar 29, 2026 by krfarmer

I was riding my bicycle through the African savannah as the sun hit the horizon when a thought hit me that made the road ahead feel a lot longer — my small headlamp wasn’t strong enough to spot elephants in time if they were standing on the road. Earlier that day I had already passed two elephant skulls and several piles of dung. Now the night was closing in fast.

Long-distance cycling in Africa always comes with a sense of adventure and the unexpected. While riding my bicycle from Mague to Estima in Mozambique, I experienced one of those nights that perfectly captures what bicycle touring across Africa can be like.

The road stretched out in front of me — a good tar road cutting through the wide African savannah. But I was starting to worry about where I would camp for the night.

This region had once been part of the Mozambican civil war, and I knew landmines had been planted in areas not far from the road. Camping randomly along the roadside didn’t feel like a good idea.

Cycling into the African Night

The sun slowly dipped below the horizon and soon disappeared completely. One by one the stars came out, leaving me riding through the savannah with only a small head headlamp lighting the way.

From past experience cycling in Africa, I knew that light wouldn’t give me enough time to identify elephants on the road ahead. At night, elephants often blend into the darkness. With a spotlight they simply look like part of the night itself.

That meant there was a real possibility of riding straight into a herd before realizing what was happening — something no cyclist wants to experience.

Finding a Village in Mozambique

Around 8 p.m., I finally came across a small tribal village and decided to stop and ask if I could camp there for the night.

As I stopped, I promptly fell off my bicycle when my cleat refused to disengage — not the most impressive entrance into the village.

An older man saw the whole thing. We tried to communicate, but neither of us understood the other. He called over a younger man who, fortunately for me, had spent time working in Zimbabwe and spoke some English.

I explained that I was cycling across Mozambique and asked if I could camp in the village.

The answer was respectful but not simple.

They told me they didn’t have permission to allow it. I would need to speak to the night watch — the man responsible for keeping elephants out of the farmland at night.

Asking the Village Elder

We found the night watch, and after listening to my story he explained that he also didn’t have the authority to allow it. Only the village elder could make that decision.

So we walked to the elder’s house.

He wasn’t there at the time and was visiting somewhere else in the village, so we waited outside. About fifteen minutes later he returned.

When he arrived, my translator bowed down, making sure his head stayed lower than the elder’s chin — a sign of respect still practiced in the village. Seeing that in today’s modern world was fascinating, and I wasn’t quite sure if I should be doing the same.

The elder listened carefully to my story about cycling across Africa and looking for a safe place to camp.

Then he smiled and immediately offered a place right beside his house.

Camping in an African Village

I thanked him and set up my tent near his home. The elder then asked through the translator if I needed food. I told him I had brought some with me, so I cooked a simple meal of instant noodles.

Later that evening I sat under the trees near his house where several elders of the village were gathered talking quietly in the dark. I didn’t understand their language, but it was still a special moment to sit there and share the night air with them.

Eventually I excused myself and crawled into my tent. Not knowing how safe my bicycle would be, I pulled it inside the tent with me — which made for a tight fit in a two-man tent.

Sunrise in the Village

Just before sunrise the roosters began crowing and the village slowly came alive with the sounds of morning.

I packed my gear back onto the bicycle and waited for my translator, who had said he would come by in the morning.

Soon the elder stepped out of his house. I asked the translator to thank him again for his hospitality. Once again, the young man bowed respectfully as he spoke.

Then I climbed onto my bicycle and rode out of the village as the sun rose like a glowing ball on the horizon.

In the daylight I could finally see the village clearly — round mud houses with thatched roofs, dusty ground with chickens wandering everywhere, and the African savannah stretching beyond it.

And just like that, my Mozambique cycling adventure continued down the road toward Estima.

Growing the LongDaySafaris Community on TikTok

Posted on Mar 15, 2026 by krfarmer

Over the past few months I’ve been thinking about how to grow the longdaysafaris.com community and share more of the things I’m passionate about. So I’ve made a few changes that I’d like to share with you.

First, I’ve launched a TikTok account as well as a TikTok Seller account on TikTok. The goal is to create short videos related to the things many of us enjoy—travel, cycling, farming life, and the occasional story from the road.

Alongside the videos, I’ve also started putting items up for sale through the platform. At the moment, I’m beginning with print-on-demand T-shirts, some of which are inspired by farming life and cycling culture. These are two passions of mine, and it seemed like a natural place to start. Here are two links to my first print on demanad T-shirts. At this stage they are only available on tikTok in the USA:

Cycle tourist https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP9Re7MN8rkpq-oMMyB/

Freedom cycling https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP9Re7wUaXj4F-uzRFe/

Over time I plan to expand into other items and ideas related to:

Farming and livestock life
Bicycle touring and long-distance cycling
Travel and safari experiences
Practical gear and products connected to these lifestyles

Another interesting development has been the impact on this blog. Since setting up the TikTok accounts, the traffic to LongDaySafaris has more than doubled. That tells me there is real interest out there, and it has motivated me to begin posting more regularly again.

But I’d like this site to grow with the help of the people who read it.

I’d love your feedback

What topics would you like me to write about?

Some ideas might include:

Bicycle touring routes and tips
Stories and experiences from African travel
Farming life and livestock production
Preparing for international travel
Advice for first-time visitors to Africa

If there’s something you’d like to know more about, feel free to leave a comment or send me a message. Your feedback will help guide future posts.

A New Perspective

Another change in my life is that I now live in the United States. That has given me a different perspective on travel and logistics, especially for people planning trips abroad. Because of this, I hope I can be even more helpful to international travelers planning trips to Africa—whether it’s understanding the realities of travel, preparing properly, or simply knowing what to expect.

LongDaySafaris started as a place to share experiences from the road. Going forward, I hope it becomes even more of a community for people interested in adventure, cycling, farming life, and travel.

Thanks for reading and for being part of the journey. Here are a few photos to wet your thirst.

Winter training

Posted on Aug 31, 2016 by krfarmer

Normally winter is the time of year when the cold and dark get the best of me. Now with the Trans-Afrika on the horizon and remembering what happened last time. I had to put on the layers of clothes and get on the bicycle. Must say the cold in the morning at 3 am to push for a long day almost beat me.

IMG_20160206_184159

There was the trip past Potgitusrus and Vaalwater. The one to Belmoral and lots of short trips.

The regular training included testing out gear and getting their set up right. Then there has been the lighting problem. Have had rechargeable batteries pack up and battery pack go flat. The other night the rechargable battery died, back up two battery pack ran flat and third backup was my led head light which had to take me home.

Have had more flat wheels than have had in my life. Must add that is what happens when you go from tubless Maxxis cross mark tyres to road tyres with tubs. Also using old Maxxis that are getting smooth with tubs. Have decided to wear out all the old tyres that are hanging around. This has given me lots of practice at patching tubs. 20140531_133336

Then water systems have been adapted and tested. Nothing like running out of water on a hot day. Plans to get cool water are under way at the moment. Will test that out when days start to get warmer. Nutrition and rides have also changed. Have been testing out few different ideas. Last time my mouth tasted terrible. Cannot live on rehydrate,energy drinks and carbs for so long. The body can only handle so much carbs. Well off to do some riding.

Riding Trans-Afrika part 2

Posted on Nov 27, 2015 by krfarmer

20151010_104422 Just for those that do not know Lesotho. It is not called the mountain kingdom for nothing. Check point 2 is at top of Moteng pass (2820 m). I was very lucky to have a tail wind to help me up. However near the top it turned into Gail force.

This meant the decent was into the wind. First 100 m I had to push to get past the gap in the mountain as it was making the wind blow faster as the wind was funnelled between the nick in the mountain. The wind was so strong that I had to pedal downhill. Everybody was saying you will need a new set of brake pads after decent. Well that is not my case.

Out of the pass riding along the valley where there is a ploughed land along the road the wind got so bad that I got off because it felt like I was not making progress. I then decided that this wind could carry on for a long time as some of the front riders had complained about the wind. I started pedalling again finding that the sand was sand blasting me. Thank goodness for sunglasses or I would not have been able to see for all the sand that was flying. At one point the wind was so bad I had decided to get off. Just at that moment the wind blew me off my bicycle onto the road. Laying in the road I looked up and saw a roof coming in my direction looking like it was going to touch down where I was laying in the road. The sharp edges looked like it was going to be on my right. So I rolled left swinging my arm to try deflect the sharp side away from me. My bicycle was laying on the road between me and the roof with its handle bar straight up. The roof landed on the bicycle with the handle bar braking the force. Causing the bar end on the ground to brake. Only after I finished the race did I see that the carrier was also bent. When the roof landed it got dark and light again as the wind picked it up and blew it further. 20151010_154148 The wind slowed down just after that then I pushed my bicycle behind the house where the roof came off. FB_IMG_1446841627523 Here out of the wind I had to put my front wheel back on. Finding the wheel was not totally straight. However it was good enough to go on till I reached a place where I could work on it. The back disc break was also touching a little. Released the wheel and tightened it a little off centre so that the disc pad did not touch. This held out quite well. Got a scratch down the arm from the roof. FB_IMG_1446841622854

My aim was to exit Lesotho at the Fickesburg boarder post. So I pushed on into the head wind. Stopping to eat KFC at Butha-buthe. Hit the road in rush hour traffic as the sun was setting. There was a high level of traffic and there was no shoulder to the road. Stopping for a little just hopping the traffic would slow. It is interesting to note home traffic then the rush home for supper. After that most roads start to get more quite. Fatigue was starting to get the better of me so I was getting a little wobbly. There came a good Samaritan about 10 km from the boarder. He rode his car behind me with his hazards lights on and head lights on me. I was glade to exit Lesotho at about 11pm. I found a Hotel to sleep and shower. In the hotel I used spoke spanner to try make the wheel run true. Adjusted back wheel again as brakes were dragging again.

Headed out at sunrise to find breakfast and supplies for the road. From here the road is much friendlier. With less traffic and most roads having some kind of shoulder. Finding progress to be much faster. However fatigue started to set in and to keep the eyes open became the biggest challenge. Stopped at Wepener and slept at the Lord Fraser hotel. Rolling out into the dark at about 3am. Making good progress and then finding myself very drowsy having to stop a few times to sleep for a few minutes along the road. The temperature reached 2.6 degrees without wind chill at this time. From this time all the way to the end of the race I could not feel my left thumb. Making it difficult to know if I was changing gears. Had to keep looking down to check the thumb was in the right place. Had a healthy breakfast at Zastron. Filled all the back pockets up with food so that did not have to stop so much.

At Rouxville stopped at a workshop to get a washer to put on my back axel so that the brake would stop dragging. Tough working against brakes. Nice tail wind down to Aliwal North. This road had road works giving me a full lane. 20151012_104043 Stopping at Aliwal north for an early lunch at the wimpy. During lunch the wind turned to a hot head wind making it tough work down to Burgersdorp. Along the way my water got so hot it was making me thirstier. Mid-afternoon there was a nice windmill with a reservoir full of cold water. Nice to splash and full up with cool water. Arrived in Burgersdorp at sunset just in time to book into a hotel and do some shopping for next day supplies at the spar. Went to bed early so could start riding at about 3am. This was a very nice stretch of road to ride. About 10 am took a photo to brag at good progress by the sign for 60 km to Middleburg. 20151013_082528 From here the wind came up and it was a fight against the hot wind. Finally my water came to an end. Lucky to find a small reservoir to full up on water again. Arriving about 2 pm for lunch at Middleburg.

This is when supporters from all angles started to motivate me to go on. So up and over the Lootsberg pass I went. Summiting the pass just as the last sliver of light disappeared. Well thank goodness to down hills that rolled me all the way into Graaff-reinet. Rolled me all the way on to Aberdeen. Only problem was the eyes that could not stay open for the last 50 km. This resulted in many sleeps along the road. Thank goodness there was very little traffic. This put extra time on to the journey. Only arriving at 2am for this reason. Let me tell you there is a B&B called Pagel house. Andy told me to phone a head. Well she woke up for me and put a microwave in my room to warm up supper for me. This is a must sleep spot. Nice beds and hospitality. Also good spring board to push all the way to Prince Albert. 20151014_080630 20151014_080712

Had good sleep and eat breakfast with the other guests. It was a meal fit for a king( Eggs, mushrooms, potatoes, yogurt, fruit, fruit juice). All comes in a three coarse breakfast. Eat so much that I had a stomach ache until 10am. She will even make you a pack breakfast and lunch if you request. Thought she was a bit pricey but when you look at the food provided and the effort that goes into it, she is under charging. You will get pampered into another world and find it hard to get back on your bicycle. From here the road is friendly until just before the climb up to Willowmore. The road is the straightest I have ever seen. The person painting the yellow line must have used a GPS. If you look into the distance and put a ruler up it will be straight. 20151014_095358 Make sure to stock supplies before facing this road as there are no food or water stops. As became the norm I was having trouble staying awake so this cut down the speed. This is when a companion would be nice to talk you awake on such a straight flat road.

At Willowmore I chose to take the dirt road of 100km towards Prince Albert. Nice road with good scenery and only a few places with stones or sand. In my mind this is much faster than taking the tar road around. A farmer along the road stopped me to have a chat. Finding out I was a farmer he really wanted to get talking. We farmers can talk about all sorts of things the town people would not think of. Things like grazing capacities and breeds of animals that survive in different environments. Night came quick and I had not reached the tar yet. This is a nice stretch of road fairly flat with gentle ups and down.

Tar road to Prince Albert is a real dream. The only problem is that it started to rain. I found out later that it snowed on the Swartberg in some places that night. It did not feel to cold. Then fighting off sleep became a big problem. Falling asleep on a downhill cold be very dangerous. On a few occasions almost fell off the bike. I had phoned Johann Rissik for help with my technical problems on my bicycle. He had gone to bed early so that when I arrived in Prince Albert he would help me out. There are amazing people in this world. He really went out of his way to help me. He met me at 2 am and made sure the Denehof B&B food was ready and waiting for me when I came in. He then went off with my bicycle and repaired it when I was sleeping. He replaced a snapped spoke, stripped hydraulic back brake cylinder that had jammed causing it to rub all the time causing drag. This is why I had put a washer on the axel to stop the drag. He worked on my jockey wheels that looked like they were going to wobble off at one stage. He put some reflectors on peddles to increase visibility. In the morning when I woke up there was a message on my phone to say the bicycle is outside weighting for me. He saw I was sleeping so well he did not want to disturb me. Denehof also had a wonderful breakfast set in a cape Dutch garden. With herbs which look so fresh they must have just been picked from some garden. The B&B has thick walls build by the Dutch over a 100 years back. 20151015_083248 20151015_074236

The push up the Swartberg pass is amazing. The rock formations are crazy. Starting at the bottom in the heat with the sun shining down.

As I progressed higher up the clouds started to cover the top of the mountain. Eventually entering the cloud near the summit of the pass. At the summit the wind was blowing very hard with the wind blowing rain sideways. Some of the rain drops drifted almost like sleet. 20151015_140330 Now was the mega downhill with rain and wind. Stopped for food and to warmed up at a fire in a restaurant at the bottom of the mountain. Then took the route with the most sand road.

This is some of the most beautiful area of the whole race. Really enjoyed this ride down hills and valleys with small dairy farms and irrigation ditches.

Sleeping in Calitzdorp and riding out well before sunrise. Route 62 is a nice road with lots of interesting tourist places. There were a lot of motor bikes out on breakfast runs or tours. Route 62 is not flat but has passes and farms along the route with small towns where you can stop to eat or purchase home industry goods.

At one point I thought to try make it all the way to the finish in one ride. However the sleep started to play with me. So stopped to sleep in Worcester and made ride up Bainskloof in the morning. This is child’s play compared to the other mountains. 20151017_091326

Just before Durbanville Marias met me and then Andy and his team. They escorted me all the way to Bloubergstrand, Eden on the bay.

Finishing in 13 days 9 hours and 17 minutes.

Steff the winner of the race who finished in 8 days handed me my troughy and lantin for been the last in.Writing this makes me tempted to ride next year. Hope to see some of you riding.

Tour de Dad 2014 video

Posted on Jan 24, 2015 by krfarmer

The long awaited home made video of my Dad’s cycling trip is now on youtub. Take a look.

Druiwefees fietswedren

Posted on Jan 11, 2015 by krfarmer

It was the Druiwefees festival in Modimolli this past week. To close the festival off there was a road cycle race and a mountain bike race. I did the longest road race which was 105 km. Am quite happy with myself as I raised my average speed to 24 km/h. This was done on my mountain bike with Maxxi cross mark tyres.

I also did the mountain bike race of the longest distance of 50 km. The results are not out on the internet yet. However I am very pleased as it was my second mountain bike race. This was quite a technical ride compared to my first race.

Mountain bike race was at Bosfontein caravan park. I was very pleased to find a well run little out of the way caravan park. Bosfontein is nestled next to a mountain that is covered in trees and has been stocked with game animals. They have also laid out a mountain bike route that you can ride when camping. Very nice getaway form the city. Has a central swimming pool where the children can also have a good time.

The course criss crossed rivers over small wooden bridges. Then there was endless twists between the trees. Not giving any time to fall asleep on your bike. Then there was ‘Martelbult’ which challenged your hill climbing legs. Only way out was on the granny gears. Then there was a rock decent which lead to some carefull riding. At one point I thought an antelope was charging me, as what happened to that one mountain bike rider on youtub. However it was just spooked by a rider coming across the opening.

All in all The road race was painful and the mountain bike race was very nice and enjoyable.

MOMENTUM 947 CYCLE CHALLENGE

Posted on Nov 19, 2014 by krfarmer

Last weekend I rode the Momentum 947 cycle challenge. I really enjoyed the spirit of the course. I must say there was more supporters along the road than I thought there would be. The large number of participants made it a big challenge to get to the starting point. The new venue will have to be improved to cope with the traffic .

Momentum947 cycle challenge start

The course has more hills than I thought. When I grew up in Durban Natal we all used to say it is flat in Johannesburg. Well try ride it on a bicycle. I think the hills make it more difficult than the Cape cycle tour. On the other hand it made it very interesting to ride. I found that the hills made it difficult to keep my heart rate constant. After halfway I turned the alarm off for my heart rate target zone. Just glanced at my monitor from time to time.

Sunninghill area

Coming from the Springbok flats I am not used to the down hills. Reaching speeds of over 65 km/h can be quite scary. I do not get much chance to pick up speed like that down hill were I live. Then there are other riders that do not hold their line and can crash into you. I saw a few people who had taken bad falls. There was one woman laying in the middle of the road on a steep down hill. Lucky the ambulance was not far away. Other riders behind me said they saw there was a big puddle of blood and the paramedics were stabilizing her with oxygen. Also laying her out straight so they could get her on to a stretcher. That just can take your nerve away.

Well a side from the dangers of road racing with bicycles or should I call it fun riding. If you want to see Johannesburg from a different perspective, try riding the streets on a bicycle. I think I rode through the old centre of Johannesburg faster than you could ever do with a car. Went through all the red and orange traffic lights. Roads were empty of cars, that was strange. I have never seen Johannesburg without cars in it. All the road closures for the race made it seem so different. Then there was riding down the M1 highway and M2 highway on a bicycle. If you did that normally the police would come and get you. Or you might be knocked over before they even get to you.

The road passed Johannesburg Zoo and going through Randburg and Santon was just a big street party. People playing music,clapping calling out. Then there was all the braais (barbeques) and camping chairs along the road. There was a man offering his beer to me but it smelled like he was burning his meat on the fire. Looked like he had to many distractions to watch how his meat was cooking.

Heading north out of the suburbs brought some nice long hills to test your stamina. By this time it had reached 32 degrees. Thank goodness they had placed some sprayers across the road to cool off the riders.Then passing the Lion park was a nice down hill. This tricked me into think it was down hill to the finnish. Well not so fast the organizers made sure there were two monster hills coming near the finnish. About 50 % of the people climbed off and pushed up these two hills.

There were riders that did two laps for the day, that makes about 200 km. Then there was Batman. People in Rhino suits and one rider had a Rhino around his bicycle. Others with short skirts on and super hero capes on. Other fund-raising groups helping three wheel bicycles along, dressed in cow outfits.

All in all I really enjoyed the ride.