The Ride
1,700 kilometres.
Self-supported.
Gravel and off-road.
Riders
Two
Country
Kenya
Format
Self-supported
Surface
Gravel + off-road
The challenge
A line drawn across a country.
The route climbs from Nairobi toward the Mt. Kenya region, traverses the highlands and the Rift Valley, and descends to the Indian Ocean at Mombasa. Across 1,700 kilometres the terrain shifts constantly — red dirt, gravel, washboard, forest track and open plain.
Two riders carry everything they need. There is no support vehicle, no team car, no one waiting at the top of the climb. Repairs, navigation and overnight stops are handled on the road — by us, with help from the people we meet along the way.
Distance
Max altitude
Days riding
Rose Backroad Unsupported · the actual bike
Equipment & setup
The kit, in detail.
Here's what we're taking, and why we've chosen it.
We chose the Rose Backroad Unsupported because it is built for exactly this kind of riding — long days on rough surfaces with everything carried on the bike. The dynamo hub charges devices while we ride, the lighting system handles early starts and late finishes, and the tyre clearance gives us grip and comfort on Kenya's gravel and red dirt. The full specification is below.
- —SON hub dynamo — powerful, slim and efficient
- —Supernova lighting system — with rear light, high beam and up to 1000 lumens
- —USB-C spacer — power directly on the handlebar, from the integrated K-Werk buffer battery
- —Power switch on the handlebar — choose between light, charging the power bank and off position
- —Customised Fidlock bag system — frame bag and top tube bag included
- —Integrated frame compartment — with tool bag for your tools
- —18 attachment points — plenty of space for bottles, bags and cages
- —Tyre clearance up to 53 mm — comfort and grip on rough terrain
- —Shimano mechanical 1x12 GRX RX820 gravel top groupset
- —Schwalbe G-One Overland tyres, 50 mm wide
- —Rose G30 aluminium wheels, 27 mm rim width
- —Chainguide to protect against chain drops
- —Weight: approx. 11.8 kg
Why Kenya
A country with a cycling soul.
Kenya is where our friendship with Kinjah began, and where the Simbaz's work continues. Riding across the country puts the expedition where the story actually lives.
The landscape, the people and the organisation are inseparable from the purpose of the ride.
Why 1,700 km
Enough distance to mean something.
1,700 kilometres is long enough to demand commitment and short enough to be ridden, not raced. We hope the journey will introduce more people to the Simbaz and help fund the next stage of their work.