The Black 'Mzungu'
But why exactly do I love this sport that many Kenyans like to associate with 'Wazungus' (white people)? Just the other day when I told my friend that I was cycling close to where he would be and that we should meet up for a chat he told me ''wewe siku hizi unaishi kama mzungu" (These days you live like a white person). Very funny. Still on that, about 6 weeks ago when I was doing a bit of offroad cycling in the villages of Kikuyu, I came across quite a number of kids who screamed 'Mzungu' 'Mzungu' as I whizzed by, I'm very black by the way. But that is a topic for another day.
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| The Safari Simbaz in action |
Why I love cycling
So why do I love cycling? Pretty simple actually, to me cycling is freedom. I can go wherever I want, whenever I want and the best part is that I don't have to spend a shilling. It gets even better when you cycle in a group. The synergy enables you to cover way more kilometers than you would alone.
If you feel that your life has grown dull over the years, my suggestion is that you take up cycling, trust me it will definitely add a spark in you existence. Imagine whizzing down a -8% gradient, wind in your face at over 50 km/h powered by nothing else other than gravity and muscle, there's really nothing quite like it. Now I know what you are thinking, Nairobi and Kenya in general isn't exactly cyclist-friendly. That's exactly what I thought before purchasing my bike, actually that (mis)conception alone almost made me change my mind about cycling but I went ahead and took it up anyway and I do not regret it.
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| David Kinjah: Chris Froome's mentor |
Just Be Careful
Here's the reality, yes there are quite a number of asshole drivers on Kenyan roads (excuse my French) but what you need to understand is that nobody wakes up in the morning with the sole intention of running down a cyclist regardless of how angry or depressed they are. As long as you are cautious and use the necessary hand signs you will be very okay.Actually on several occasions, I have been pleasantly surprised by the courteousness of some Nairobi drivers . I have literally seen some give me way at intersections even without my asking!
Something else that has made me love cycling even more is Strava; for those of you who cycle, I'm pretty sure you know what this is. For those who don't, it's an app designed for cyclists, runners and triathletes. It enables you record your mileage (using GPS), speed (average and maximum), wattage etc as well as compete with athletes for top honours on different sections of the road. King of the Mountain (KOM) is the title you get when you achieve the fastest time on a particular road segment. There are also challenges that you can take up for example in the month of January Strava is challenging athletes to cycle 130KM in a single ride within a period of 24 hours. If you think that's crazy you should see the distances some of the cyclists from around the world have covered. Currently the leader is a guy from Thailand who has cycled over 500KM in one ride! If you love competition then I suggest you download Strava It's available for both Android and IOS.
Me, I plan to continue cycling to the day I exit this planet, why don't you all join me; let's take over the roads of this country; a cycling revolution so to speak. It has already happened in countries like Denmark and Netherlands, why not in Kenya as well?
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| Kenyan Riders,they are hoping to represent Kenya at the Tour de France in the near future |
