Adventures

Seeing Africa from the saddle

‘We felt the heat, we smelled the scents, we saw the colours,’ says Photographer and Filmmaker Jens Assur about his bikepacking trip from the east to west coast of Africa. With his field notes, you’ll ‘ride alongside’ his partner, Producer Jennie Assur, and see the route as they did: from the saddle of their bikes. 

Check them out here, or if you’re in Stockholm in May or June 2025, you can see the exhibition in person at the Fjällräven Brand Corner located at Kungsgatan 26.

Field note 1: Chimanimani

‘The sunsets in Southern Africa are something truly special: the light, the colours, the warmth. But it gets dark quickly, so it’s important to find a good camping spot before it becomes pitch black. Cycling in the dark is not recommended due to wild animals and dangerous traffic.’

Field note 2: Damaraland

‘Although the roads were bumpy, rocky, and difficult to navigate, we didn’t get a single flat tire during our six weeks in the saddle. We chose tubeless tires, which probably helped us. We had also spent a lot of time beforehand learning how to fix common issues, as there would be few opportunities to get spare parts or help with repairs.’

Field note 3: Zimbabwe

‘Cyclists are relatively rare in Southern Africa, which means that truck drivers gave very little, if any, consideration to us. Therefore, we often chose smaller roads and paths to avoid the dangerous traffic. In some cases, it was a detour, but we preferred to arrive a little later than not at all. Additionally, we got to experience more of nature and pass through amazing small villages and communities.’

Field note 4: De Riet

‘Stopping to have lunch in the shade is tricky in the desert. Lunch usually consisted of a can of baked beans and a few spoonfuls of peanut butter. We collected water from local wells, which we then poured into our water bottles with purification filters. It worked perfectly!’

Field note 5: Spitzkoppe

‘The extreme heat, the heavy bikes, and the sandy and bumpy roads were more challenging than we had anticipated, so we took it easy, stopped often, and laughed a lot. This was not a competitive trip, but a way to experience these parts of the world slowly and genuinely.’

Published April 2025

Posted In

Adventures

Tags

adventurestips

Share