Your Bike Adventure Gear Hacks & What Cycling Through Africa is Like | Giacomo Turco

This week I'm  sharing some awesome bike adventure gear hacks from those of you in the community. 

I also have an update from Giacomo Turco, who is currently on a huge ride from Cape Town to Italy. Giacomo is updating us from Benin and sharing how the journey has been so far on his bikepacking adventure. He talks about the intensity of the trip, how each day comes with new experiences, and also challenges. 

He describes the challenges of getting visas for countries, a crazy experience of being invited as a guest to a wedding, and also the scary moment of being assaulted while in Cameroon, and how it nearly made him stop the journey.

Giacomo also candidly discusses how despite the finish of his trip being almost a year away, he is already finding himself concerned with thoughts of dealing with post adventure blues. 

You can follow Giacomo's journey via his instagram page - @cycling.beyond and also find out more about his work on the Water Cycle. 

Head over to Old Man Mountain and checkout the Manzanita Cradle 

Transcript

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SPEAKER_00 0:24

Hello everyone, Bella Malloy here, host of the show. Welcome back to another midweek episode where I am fueling your fire for taking amazing bike adventures. This week I am actually sharing an adventure update from a previous guest, Italian Giacomo Turco, who is currently riding south to north in Africa. This has been a huge adventure for Giacomo so far. And he actually mentions during the audio when you pair what he's doing currently now in Africa with the 14-month adventure he had in South America, it actually shows he's actually sort of been on the road for two years. And so I'm excited to share his insights from his African experience so far. Before we get into Giacomo's insights though, I want to share some community news from our Instagram community where I asked you a question which was all about letting me know your cheap and practical adventure gear hacks. This came up actually from the podcast interview I did with amazing adventurer Claire Wyatt, and we were discussing how bikepacking adventure gear can get quite expensive, and she was saying some of the best stuff she's had has actually been quite cheap. We were both bonding over the fact that we have loved the idea of using gardening gloves as our winter gloves. So anyway, I put the call out on Instagram for what tips do you have for us? What gear hacks have you got out there? And then I'll shout some of these out now. So King Kong Coning, he said, I purchased warm leggings the day before cycling from London to Scotland in late October 2005, and I still use them now. Oh wow, that's like over 20 years of use. That's that's a real good hack. And actually, shout out to women out there. It's reminded me of a hack of my own. When I used to cycle commute to work, and I lived in Canberra in Australia, which gets really, really cold in winter time, and my commute was generally in my work clothes, but I found really good thick pair of like winter stockings. Oh my gosh, they worked better than any cycling leg warmers I have owned, and uh a lot cheaper too. Okay. Next I have biking the blue marble, and you said a pair of fisherman's gloves bought at a hunting store in South Dakota to wear when rain riding. Shout to you, biking the blue marble. You have done a huge, huge adventures all around the world as your name suggests. Uh next up I have Eric Zad, and you have said a Nature Hike Cloud Up 2. That's a really popular tent, much cheaper than a lot of the alternatives, and uh has been used by many guests, I have to say, as well. Next, I have Pete Gostolo, previous podcast guest, a couple of episodes I've featured your story on, and the insights from a man who's been peddling around the world for the best part of two decades. So you said a car sunscreen cover. Place it between the tent and the ground sheet. It provides extra insulation and also protection for my air mat, and it's only about a hundred grams. The sunscreen cover also is a useful seat for sitting and cooking on outside the tent. Oh, I love that. That is such a good practical tip. And I remember Pete when you purchased that car sunscreen cover because it was to protect your air mattress from all the prickles you're encountering in Africa. Next, I have Rotovello underscore Nord. And you have said a $30 Big W tent used in both my Across Australia tours, they don't make them like that anymore. Oh no, they certainly don't. And for those of you who are not familiar with Big W, it's a store we have in Australia that sort of sells cheaper, well, everything homeware, sporting goods, books, clothes, all that type of stuff. A $30 tent, you and Claire could compare notes because Claire had a cheap tent from a similar store to ride all the way around Australia. Next I have Neil Copeland. Neil, you are a legend in the ultracycling community and you also coach for people who want to take on ultracycling events. And you said a $20 fishing sun hoodie from Decathlon was a great top for Silk Road Mountain Race last year. Oh, great shout-out! And actually, sun hoodies are something I'm seeing more and more people actually looking to wear on their bike adventures. Definitely here in Australia where our sun comes with intense UV rays as well. Yeah, they're really, really popular. And again, calling out to Cathlon there, I often joke it's the uh patron saint store equivalent for all bikepackers, right? And then Volivola BC. You have said AliExpress panniers and frame bags under two months trips, everything lasts super well. And actually, I messaged with you about this and you came up with a really great point where you said they worked amazingly and I didn't expect it. Sometimes we end up buying gear that can be good for a one-year trip, but the reality is most of us are only ever going to go maybe some months in an entire lifetime. Nobody wants to find out that their gear isn't good when they really need it. So those who can afford it can obviously spend a bit more and go for a well-known brand, but those who can't or who are willing to take the risk, you can go with a cheaper option. Sometimes in the end, when you're out on the road, creativity is actually what really makes the difference. I really like that response there. And then the rest of my responses, listeners, are all about gloves. So they're gonna come at you thick and fast. First one, Rebecca Gross. Rebecca, you we've been sharing your updates on these midweek episodes for almost a year now. You have said gloves used for washing dishes for the rainy days, and I still have them ten months later. I love it, I love it. And uh, I think in the UK people call them, you know, marigold. I think that might be a brand. But yeah, just dishwashing gloves to keep your hands dry when it's absolutely pelting down with rain. That is a great hack. I then have Oscar J. Donovan. You're riding your cargo bike all around the world. Oscar, I need to catch up with you for a pod session, but that's by the bye. Anyway, winter boat worker or fishing gloves. They're also a good shout out for cheap, effective wet weather gloves. Oh, I love this. And and on a similar theme, I had Blaze Kitty Purr. You said nitral gloves, under riding gloves for the cold. And then I also had Conrad Cowera. Conrad, I can't pronounce your last name. But you sent me a photo with some cheap gloves that cost you two bucks. Uh so yeah, gloves are a huge shout out. And uh yeah, so whether it's dishwashing gloves, fishing gloves, or like Claire and I went, with gardening gloves, there are definitely some cheap options out there that will keep your hands nice and toasty. And I actually do have one final one to share with you, which was occasional bike packer. That's Jacob Ashton, another previous guest. I love when previous guests get into my comments here. And he said, a solar panel and a stove. Sure, they're not necessarily cheap, but in the long run, they are excellent money savers. And yeah, I can definitely attest to that. So there you go, listeners. Some fantastic cheap gear advice hacks from tents to gloves to panty racks, leggings, a car windscreen cover. Maybe you've got some more to throw my way. And if you do, let me know. Send me a DM in my Instagram. My handle there is at SeekTravelRide. I'd love to know your cheap gear hack as well. Alright, now before we get into Giacomo's little post, I also wanted to give a little shout out to one of the super fans in our community, and that is Go Bike NZ with Janet. Now, Janet had a really unfortunate incident. She was out for a hike near her home on the South Island in New Zealand, and a huge fence literally fell on top of her. I've actually seen a photo of the fence. It's nothing short of massive. She was really fortunate in that her husband was with her, and also she is a cycling coach, and just the fact that she's quite fit and strong, both of that combined to him being able to lift the fence and her being able to somehow gather enough strength to crawl out from underneath it. Unfortunately, she has sustained a fairly significant injury to her pelvis, uh, which is going to keep her off the bike and off her leg for quite a number of months. It's changed the trajectory of her 2026 plans, which is now obviously going to be fully focused on rehab and recovery. Janet, I know you're a super fan of the show. I know you tune in to get stoked for your own adventures. I know that you have personally played a hand in helping many people on their adventures, whether that's hosting them or even teaching them skills. And from me and everyone else here in the Seek Travel Ride community, we are just having you in our thoughts and wishing you a full and speedy recovery so that you can get back on your bike, turning pedals, and be stoked. Alright, listeners, and now with that all said and done, it's time to hear from Giacomo Turco and his update from his experience so far in Africa.

SPEAKER_01 9:55

Hey hey, fellow bike packers of Sig Power Ride. Here's Giacomo, currently cycling from Cape Town to Italy through West Africa. Now I find myself in Benin between Nigeria and Tobel. And it's eight months that I'm on the road, around 9,000, 10,000 kilometers. And yeah, currently I'm stuck because kind of lost the skin under my foot. So I kind of cycle for a week at least. And maybe it's the right moment to reflect a little bit about the journey so far. Because yeah, every day cycling through West Africa feels really, really intense. And yeah, this journey feels huge, not only because of the length, but because every day is really like being in a tornado of emotions. Yeah, like every day you have like so many impressions, so many things happening. You're like also like fighting against like the extreme heat, uh, the sun, uh, uh, you're running away from malaria, you know, careful about the food you're eating, to not get a food poisoning, what water you're drinking, and uh about the safety, about so it's always very intense, and also the interaction with the people and what you see is never, let's say, really easy going. But at the same time, if like me, you like extreme situations and emotions, I think this is really the ultimate backpacking journey. Also, my approach to the journey is really open because I think that if you just like go very fast to arrive, it's a very different kind of journey. But I really try to understand the places, to talk with the people, to really delve in the culture, to go around and not only see like the main touristic places or travel like the yeah, the most established routes, but also to really go off the beaten track, because for me, also the best experiences are always happening off the beaten track. Yeah, at the same time, in some moments I really feel like I'm like I'm exhausted because cycling like this through Africa it's really draining. But at the same time, I kind of feel this is like the true. I feel that when I will be back into a normal life and everything will be easy, everything will be safe, everything will be clean. I will kind of miss this because here everything is so intense and it kind of really stays with you in a way that I would really not want to kind of end this. Also, now it's with the previous South America trip of 14 months that I did, and with only like a two-month break between South America and Africa, now it's basically two years that I'm on the road. So there like I I never really had like time to sit down to just absorb and process this whole crazy youth journey, and now yeah, I kind of feel when I will be back home, I will really face the post-adventure blues. I really will have a strong impact with the reality back home because I think traveling by bicycle is very, very addictive because when you start, it's very easy to stop, and every day you meet so many people, you have so many stimuli, and uh then I don't know. I just feel like when I will be back home, I will feel kind of like a veteran coming back from the war, that everything is kind of safe, but at the same time, you kind of miss the intensity of what you are leaving. So, I mean, honestly, I'm scared about coming back home. I mean, it's something that maybe a lot of people really don't talk about because it's just yeah, you come back home and that's it. And maybe a lot of people are like, Yeah, the most difficult part is really to start the journey. But maybe for other people like me, the most difficult part is really to end the journey and to face the reality and also to feed back into the society. That is really not easy because I think when especially you travel alone, and when you live like so many incredible situations, it's very difficult also to be able to yeah, to communicate this and to explain it to the people that yeah, maybe I've lived like a normal life. So, yeah, I mean I have to admit that I'm scared to end this journey. I think it will be actually still very long because I plan to arrive in Italy at the end of 2026, so around October, November. But then yeah, there will be really a lot to process, also because I'm really seeing so many things, and also I have a lot of material that eventually I have to edit. But okay, apart from this, I wanted to share some of the biggest challenges so far in the journey. For sure, the visas are one of the biggest challenges of the journey, but not only because you really have to pay attention to where to apply where you can apply for each visa, because most of the time you cannot really get a e-visa, but you have to apply for the embassy, and uh often you you have some issues because you're not resident in the country, and they say, okay, so come back to your own country and just apply from there. So there are some challenges, but thanks to the community of backpacking people and the WhatsApp group and also the IOL lander, there are always like solutions to kind of make free. Probably the most difficult visa for me coming from south from Cape Town, going up, was the Nigerian visa that I got in Luanda, uh Angola. But it was very difficult because yeah, they only issue the visa if you're a resident in the country. So I had really to convince them, and I also needed the help of the Italian embassy that made me like yeah, yeah, supported me to convince them. And then I had to apply for nine days. But it was very difficult to get the visa, but I was very motivated to go all the way and not skip any part. But then basically what happened is that uh I mean in Cameroon I had a very difficult time. Um because I mean when I was in a small village, I got uh yeah, like uh assaulted and punched in the face, and there was a guy that said, Yeah, I will kill you and for your body in the forest, and nobody did anything to protect me, so it was a very yeah scary episode. So I mean after this I was a bit traumatized, but maybe this is another story. But uh yeah, just simply to say that uh yeah, in Cameroon, that was basically the country for Nigeria. I was really uncertain, and I just wanted to keep it safe. And I kind of also had to build again the confidence in myself in the journey in the people. So this was really challenging because I mean Cameroon is a beautiful country full of beautiful people, but also I mean, yeah, there are people that have problems with uh yeah, white people, because all the white people are usually seen as French colonizers. So I mean, when I was there in Yaoundé, I had to take a really difficult decision because I already had the visa for Nigeria that was really hard to get, but at the same time was traumatized actually after I was assaulted, and um yeah, like also the Italian ambassador in uh Cameroon and the Italian ambassador of Nigeria had my number, and they called me at the phone and said, Don't come to Nigeria, don't do this crossing in Cameroon because it's very dangerous, and of course this affected me. But at the same time, I I mean maybe I'm a bit I don't know, maybe a bit cheeky, maybe a bit stupid, but I always really want to see things with my own eyes because I think that's how you really understand them. Yeah, get your own perspective because yeah, sometimes people say, Oh, I don't do this because it's like this and that, but then it's only in their mind sometimes. So in the end was a very hard decision, but I decided to cycle, and especially Nigeria was the country that I was very scared because all the governments, all the yeah, advice really not to travel in the country because it's not safe. But honestly, for me, the experience I had in Nigeria was yeah, the best time I had in all my my own African experience because the people were just so hospitable, so happy to have me there. And also, Nigeria is really especially I mean it's huge, and in many regions they're really not used to seeing tourists. So they were really so amazed. Everybody was asking me to take a picture with them. And uh yeah, like really when I was passing by through the villages, everybody was saying, Welcome, welcome. And I'm really also like a social person, and for me, like traveling by bicycle is really a lot about really interacting with the people and really connecting with the people and seeing like people that are so open, so uh happy to have me around, really made my journey so so amazing. And also it happened that I arrived in the small town and there was like a wedding. But uh, I mean, of course, on the bicycle I always have the same two clothes. It's like you have one outfit for cycling, one outfit not for cycling. But of course, it's not very elegant. I mean, I didn't I didn't have anything to wear for the wedding. So I just really needed to find some clothes, and I just thought, okay, why don't I wear the traditional Nigerian attire for the wedding? And so we found the the fabric and we went to the tailor to get the proper fit. And yeah, everybody was so happy to have me around and to dance with me. Honestly, yeah, everybody said yeah, don't go to Nigeria, but the experience I had in Nigeria was so yeah, maybe it was for me the best country of the whole journey. And I don't know when I left Nigeria, I mean I also overstayed my visa, and uh when I left Nigeria I felt really so sad, so depressed in a way, because I don't know, I just felt something really vibrating inside me. So now after Benin, I get really into the core of West Africa, and uh a lot of people ask me, okay, what is the countries, what is the part of the journey you're most excited about. But actually, I mean I'm really excited uh after basically every day of this journey because I think that if you pay attention, if you're curious about uh every place you go, you can really yeah, have a wonderful time everywhere. It's really not about the place, it's about your attitude. And I also know that like this journey will end eventually we arrived to Italy, and uh I'm really grateful for every day I have in this journey, every day I have to discover to meet the people, and uh yeah, I really yeah, love the process and the way that uh backpacking. Allows you to see the world in a beautiful place that is so free because every day when you're like okay, you just pack up your all your things and you just give the first petal stroke, you just feel wow. Also, today there is a new adventure unfolding. And for me, this is the best feeling you can really have in life. There is really no other peak emotion like this. When you're like, you pack everything, you turn, and you say bye-bye, and you just go. And yeah, that's beautiful. Yeah, I mean, coming next for sure, it will be some rainy season coming up, some wild session in Liberia and Sierra Leone in the jungle, and uh very hardcore Sarah crossing, probably in the opposite direction of the wind, and also in the summer. So it would be actually the most no-sense thing probably I've done in my life. But uh, yeah, I mean I just approach every day step by step, really trying to enjoy the process and like really not trying to arrive, but really to be happy in the moment and be satisfied about what I'm doing. So yeah, this is uh bikepacking is really living life 100% every day, and I'm so happy every day I'm bikepacking. I'm so grateful to be alive and to be on this planet. I feel so privileged to be able to see the world on two wheels. So thank you so much for having me, and yeah, see you at the next uh episode. Bye bye.

SPEAKER_00 25:11

Thanks so much, Giacomo. Wow, there is so much to dig into here, and uh you raised a few really good points throughout this update that I wanted to talk a bit longer with. The first one was wow, I can just hear the stoke in your voice when you're thinking about your adventures, and also from what you're saying, it's so clear that you are living in the moment in every single day, but there's also so much intensity there. And I wonder how you go with that intensity as well, because there has to be a point in time where maybe every now and then you just want to call like a little simple time out where you just need your own space, where you need time to reflect on what you've experienced as well, and yet every single day it feels like these experiences are coming at you thick and fast. I know when you sent me through this update, you had just come off a unintended pause of about a week because the skin on the underside of one of your foot at the ball of your feet, it actually peeled away, making it impossible to walk, and there was quite a fear of an infection. You know, that's a case in point where you have an unintended stop, and maybe that's where you can collect your thoughts and, you know, your energy, your mental energy too, because it must be quite something not to just be physically pushing through these things, but also visually you're seeing stuff, you're hearing stuff, you're smelling stuff, you're feeling stuff that you would never have felt before. It was amazing hearing you talk about, you know, even the experience of being invited to a Nigerian wedding. It's not something you could plan that this trip would allow for you for to do, but it's just the happenstance of these events coming at you, and then the energy and enjoyment from it. Being there, being welcomed as one of the wedding guests, and you know, having those experiences, their ultimate highs to take you back though to Cameroon and the ultimate low where you're actually assaulted by someone. That is a real scenario which occurred to you, which put you in quite a lot of fear. You felt like your life was in danger, and I remember messaging you at the time, you were really concerned about what the right decision to do was. You mentioned there about the visas and how troubling they are to get in Africa, and how you know you needed the assistance from the Italian embassy to get your visa to go into Nigeria, but then also this event, this assault happening in Cameroon makes you question whether you should go there. On top of that, the embassies are telling you definitely don't go there. I know that Nigeria is a place of concern for many bike travellers, and yeah, so to be able to wrestle with that idea of should I go myself, you mentioned there how one of the things is that you want to see the world for what it is in your own mind and to understand it rather than through a perception. It reminds me actually the current episodes I've released for Tomas McIntyre, an Irishman, and his motivations for seeing places is is exactly that. He wants to see stuff, the good, the bad and the ugly for his own two eyes as well. The other thing that you brought up there is just the awareness that you already have about what it's going to be like when the journey's done. It's one of the most difficult discussions I have with guests. I've I think I've nearly asked every guest in interviews I did through 2025 about how is it when the adventure's over? The post-adventure blues, pulling a trip to the close, something that was the ultimate high in your planning, you're living every moment of every day, and then all of a sudden it's like ugh that's over, and you feel a bit empty from it. The fact that you're already aware of what that's going to be like? I don't have an answer for you, Giacomo. Uh it's a hard one, and everyone deals with it differently. I know that people who seem to deal with it the best are those that have a good sense of family and community around them where they finish their trips and they make a point of enjoying the things that they really missed from being back in that community while they couldn't have it while they were on the road. There's also this tension, I guess, I don't know that tension is the right word, but there is this struggle amongst previous guests who do big trips and the next thing to get them through the post-adventure stuff is to plan the next big trip. And it's the struggle of can you have a life where it's all full of capital A adventures? Can you seek out smaller adventures? This is all stuff that I am aware you're thinking of now, and yet you do have almost a whole year ahead of you to enjoy. So I hope that with that time you've obviously got it as one of your thoughts, but also I hope that you do just continue to stay present in the moment there in Africa and enjoy the everything that comes your way. The amazing happy moments, the chaotic moments, everything in between as well. You've got the wet season to deal with there in West Africa, and then oh my goodness me, the Sahara Desert travelling south to north, definitely not the direction the prevailing winds are known for, but also in the heat. If it's anything I've learnt from you, Giacomo, it is you do enjoy the intensity of these type of moments, and uh you will be lapping all this up for sure. And listeners, I a hundred percent will be providing further updates on Giacomo's travels. Something else you should be aware of is Giacomo is part of the water cycle, an initiative from previous guest M Holbert, where they carry water filters in their panniers to deliver them to communities to help them provide access to clean and healthy drinking water. Giacomo is doing this in Africa as well, so it's an adventure with an extra sense of purpose. I've put a link into his water cycle and his account in the podcast show notes so you can check out more. Thank you, Giacomo, and I'm looking forward to the next update. Okay, listeners, now it's time for me to shout out you incredible super fans who've gone out of your way to support the podcast and have bought me some virtual coffees. This week I would like to thank Erwin. You have said Bella, thank you for providing hours of inspiration and entertainment. I love your interviewing style, the space you provide for your guests to share their experiences. I'm relatively new to bike touring and packing, I've done a couple of long weekends, four day tours from the south of England through northern France and back. King Alfred's Way, which was very damp for me, early April 2024, and Passau to Vienna with my wife this summer. I'm planning a longer trip, the south of England, Barcelona to Bilbao, back for next year with a group of friends. That's awesome. Oh my gosh. Well, thank you so much first and foremost, Irwin, for tuning in and supporting the show. I'm happy that you enjoy my interview style and hearing about the experiences that my guests have had. I also love your adventures, and I love that you've gone from small weekend tours on your own to then also sharing some tours there with your wife to now planning an awesome trip with friends as well. You're obviously surrounding yourself with bike adventure stoke, and I absolutely love it. Keep me posted on how your trip from the south of England, Barcelona to Bilbao goes. I really want to hear about it. And next off I have Brigitte. Begit, you are an absolute legend of a super fan who've done your own incredible travels too, and you've said love your podcast, Bella. It inspired me to go on my own adventure, and it's helping me now with my post-adventure depression. Oh Begit, I'm stoked that tuning into the pod helped you while you were out there doing your adventure. It was amazing when I met you actually last year, and I hope that you are finding ways of getting out of that post-adventure blues that I was talking about earlier on the episode as well. I don't know if it's helpful to know that a lot of people go through this. I understand the importance of acknowledging that that's a space that you're in at the moment, and I really hope that you are able to get yourself to a happier place in your mind for the rest of 2026. Thank you so much for supporting the show. And listeners, if you want to do as Erwin and Begit have done, and also support the podcast, simply head to buymeacoffee.com forward slash seek travel ride. Buy me a few virtual coffees, but also please let me know what is it that you love about tuning into these episodes each and every week and where will your own bike adventure be taking you? And until the next episode, I'm Bella Malloy. Thanks for listening.