You are reading a single comment by @Ndeipi and its replies. Click here to read the full conversation.
  • After a weekend of fail I consoled myself with a 35km route home, an eccentric half-orbit of Nairobi. This took me through every socio-economic strata of the city, from the poorest slums to the wankiest suburbs. I held my breath as I passed the putrid mountain of rubbish in Kawangware slum, then as I gasped for air I got a curious whiff of Parmesan cheese. There is no Parmesan cheese for probably 1000km, but somehow this rotting heap produced an aromatic cocktail of haute cuisine proportions. And feet. It also stank of feet.

    Then zooming past tonnes of vocal, smartly dressed school kids in the slum Dagoretti I felt like a professional racer named Mzungu. One lucky kid was getting a lift home on a motorbike, I raced him for about 1.5km. We were grinning at each other so I gave a "nyanje?" (wassup?) and both kid and driver replied an enthusiastic "poa poa" (cool cool). I lost them around the start of a long hill, which was a bit tough after the motorbike racing.

    The rest was bumpy decline. When cruising at 40kph+ for 5-10 minute stretches it's an art to stay comfortable over lumpy tarmac and still maintain speed. Finding the path of least resistance is like a video game, avoiding holes, spotting narrow tracks of smooth surface to follow, bunny hopping over debris, gripping the saddle with your thighs to give your bum/arms a rest. Home, manly quiche, wipe red dust layer from sweaty face, brag to the expat housemates, lounge about flat in lycra to disturb the females.

    35.3km and 277m climbing (max alt. 2040m), 75 minutes, so average 28.4kph (17.6mph).

About

Avatar for Ndeipi @Ndeipi started