Team Profile

A QUICK PROFILE ON THE TEAM

  

CRAIG (a.k.a Greg)

Team medic, blog writer, statistician and also responsible for gear advice (bit of a gear junkie). Craig likes to ensure his blood sugar levels are at optimum levels while cycling to avoid crashing. Looking forward to a wide range of bread and rice and other various entertaining foods being the teams only vegetarian. Excited by prospects of wide open spaces in the desert, some wildlife viewing and extensive nights of camping in the wilderness.

Craig's stead: 2010 REI Navara Safari affectionally named "the battleship". The big grey bomber has carried Craig's arse around Central America, SE Asia and London's bumpy streets. With a new saddle, tires and assorted parts, he is ready for the dusty highways of Eastern Africa

BEN (a.k.a Quiche / Pastry Chef)

Ben likes long walks in the desert and spending alone time in his family size tent ("it's important to be comfortable"). The pastry chef will be highly involved in on the fly route planning, making camp coffee and researching off bike adventures. He is also the teams' linguistic specialist and we all hope his fluent Swahili will help us out of sticky situations. He will likely spend many hours adjusting his rear derailleur, while assuring us all that "it's 50/50 at BEST that man ever landed on the moon".

Ben's stead: "The Sheriff" - 2012 Raleigh - Brand new this year and ready for action. The Sheriff is dark and mysterious yet glimmers green when the light is righ....a lot like his pilot

GARETH (a.k.a Belly / Gart / Bellchambre')

Spending the last 2+ years of his life meandering about Europe whilst slaving to the man in the Mother Country, this little Aussie battler from the coastal edge of Victoria’s Western District is preparing to break free of the shackles of pressed shirts, grey concrete, grey skies and London’s Underground and take his business to Africa, arguably the Mother Country of Human Kind.

Belly has accepted the role of team TATA professional "hunter and trapper" of wild animals, acting administrator of Health, Safety, Mediation and Wellbeing as well as guest chef for each and every Sunday. There’s no surprises Belly, like any well-worn battleship, carries a collection of aliments; a swollen knee and questionable varicose veins – however this country lad with a bush pedigree in survival and a heart as big as a house promises to lead the group into all sorts of precarious and dubious situations.

Gareth's stead "Julia the Red dragon pt 2". 58cm 2012 Dawes Vantage, pimped up Schwalbe Marathon Plus 700X38C Wired Wheels. She’s competently held together after a few short trips, every time I mount her we share a growing sense of excitement so fingers crossed she maintains her reliability...

TIM (a.k.a Tim Bit)

Tim is currently somewhere between London and Nairobi pedalling his bum off and no doubt eating every type of bread and processed meat imaginable.The most experienced cyclist and tourer of the group, Tim will assume responsibility of trip logistics, some route planning, bike maintenance and campfire guitar lessons. He will have 6,000 odd kms in the tank by the time we meet so he will also have to leave 1 hour after us each morning to give us a fair go. Tim is en route from London to Melbourne via bike and his full trip details can be found here: http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/timmeier82 

Tim's stead: 2012 Thorn Nomad - aka the big banana - top of the line world touring rig hand made in the UK. If this thing breaks in Africa, then you can be sure the other 3 will be long gone!