Cycling to the Cape of Good Hope: Wiebke Lühmann: "Then home was far enough away"

Wiebke Lühmann set off directly from her front door in Freiburg im Breisgau. When she set off at the beginning of October, exactly two months ago today, she was not alone. For the first few kilometres, she was accompanied by friends, acquaintances and people she knew from social media. Soon the hustle and bustle was over and the journey began. Wiebke is travelling with a friend, Hannah Rapp, until the end of the year. After that, she will continue travelling alone, always heading south along the west coast of Africa. The journey is planned to last 14 months.

I plan to be travelling for 14 months. I want to be back with my family for Christmas 2024. - Wiebke Lühmann

2022 North Cape, 2023 and 2024 Cape of Good Hope

Wiebke travelled from Hamburg to the North Cape in 2022. In collaboration with Fabienne Engel, she created an impressive film that has inspired countless people to embark on their own smaller and larger adventures. If you had conducted a survey of cyclists travelling to the North Cape in 2023 and asked the question "Why to the North Cape?", you would often have received an answer like this: "Because of Wiebke Lühmann's tour and her film On Her Own I found the inspiration and courage to try it out."

One or two comparisons have already been made with Jonas Deichmann. Not least because the two have some overlaps in terms of sponsors. But Wiebke is not Jonas, Wiebke has her own ideas, her own visions, her own speed. Jonas Deichmann travels the world, usually with impressive records in his head and later in his luggage. Wiebke is not interested in records, she wants to travel, be on the road, meet people and show that it is possible. Even as a woman. Anyone who knows her knows how ideas bubble out of her, how active she is, how spontaneous and at the same time well-organised she is.

Why South Africa?

Because she can describe it best, we asked Wiebke. Here's her why:

"The journey is the destination. I want to cross Africa by bike. That's 19 countries. Countless places that I've never been to and that I want to see. I don't have enough imagination to visualise all these places, people, smells, the wind and the vastness, so I'm drawn there by an abstract longing. Having been to the North Cape last summer, the Cape of Good Hope is a beautiful destination that allows me to combine the northernmost point of Europe with the southernmost point of Africa."

Just do it?

Just gathering up your seven things and stuffing them into panniers to cycle to South Africa is certainly not something we would all dare or have the confidence to do. Wiebke does. Well, just is probably not the right way to put it, as it requires a lot of preparation, such as travel vaccinations and the odd equipment update. It also takes a fair amount of courage to set off in the first place.

Preparation of the journey

But what preparations need to be made in advance of such a trip? Roughly speaking, three categories can be created.

1. organisational preparation

In terms of organisation, this mainly involved a few vaccinations and the purchase of a somewhat more extensive first-aid kit, including malaria prophylaxis, for example. Wiebke Lühmann also applied for a second passport, registered her place of residence and found out about travel insurance.

2. travel planning

Planning such a long journey in advance down to the smallest detail is difficult or even impossible. So many things can ruin the planning. Planning in great detail would also not suit Wiebke's style. She has a macro plan from Freiburg to Cape Town, but the daily stages are planned en route. It's not just the weather or illness that can make rescheduling unavoidable; the political situation can also change quickly.

I keep a close eye on the rapidly changing political situation, but decide at short notice how and where to proceed. - Wiebke Lühmann

Wiebke also only organises the necessary visas when she knows exactly when and where she will be entering the country. With the app Safe travelling The Federal Foreign Office, for example, keeps you up to date on entry regulations, safety advice, etc. You should also regularly follow news from the relevant regions.

3. mental and physical preparation

Mentally, it was mainly about saying goodbye and leaving a beautiful home, which to my surprise was harder than I expected. - Wiebke Lühmann

More on how she managed this and when she really arrived on the journey later. There was no special physical preparation or training. Of course, Wiebke regularly went on tours, from sunset tours around Freiburg to a solo tour on the Iron Curtain Cycle Route, also known as the Green Belt to a bikepacking tour from Munich to Lake Como with me. Wiebke Lühmann is convinced that she doesn't need more precise preparation - from her own experience.

I'm travelling at my own pace and I know from experience that my body adapts to the strain. - Wiebke Lühmann

The equipment for a trip halfway around the world

Up to now, Wiebke has mostly been travelling on a gravel bike, but in the first half of the year she rode a mountain bike for the first time - an adventure in Georgia. For her cycle tour to South Africa, she is now combining the best of both categories in one bike - a bit like the Supergravel that Biketuner Dangerholm recently built. The bike of choice is the Adlar from Wilier Triestina. But not the kind you can buy. She had it built with a flat bar. Compared to a drop bar, there is much more space to pack a handlebar bag. Racing handlebars limit the packing volume. Lights, bike computers etc. are also easier to attach as there is more space for them on a flat bar. The space on the drop bar is very limited, especially for smaller people, and the handlebars are already full when the lights and sat nav are attached. The flat bar gives you a more upright position on the bike and the wide handlebars offer different handling. These are also two points in Wiebke's favour.

In addition to the handlebar bag from Ortlieb, this time the bikepacker is travelling with a pannier rack and side bags - Ortlieb Backroller Plus. These offer plenty of space for a comfortable tent, a larger kitchen and, above all, for the home office, which consists of a laptop and camera equipment. Bikepacking bags reach their limits when it comes to laptops in particular. Fork packs complete your bag setup and ensure good weight distribution. For number crunchers: the luggage on the bike weighs between 28 and 30 kilos. Home for 14 months.

No time for a test drive - here we go

If you've been following the stories on Instagram, you'll have seen that it starts tomorrow but somehow the bikes aren't even ready yet? Your own stress level rises immediately without being involved. "It wasn't easy to get going. There was a lot of stress despite the long preparation time," says Wiebke, describing the time before departure. In concrete terms, this meant that the bikes arrived in Freiburg shortly beforehand, the lighting system with charging system for the sat nav or smartphone had to be installed, ... The day before departure, the bikes weren't ready until late in the evening. Time for a test ride? Not a chance. Instead, there was a farewell party and lots of overwhelming emotions. It's hardly surprising that the first day on the bike was characterised by headaches and inner turmoil. At the same time, the feeling of setting off was also very nice, Wiebke describes an emotional dichotomy.

We were accompanied by friends and followers from the city. That was very special for me. And at the end of the day, setting off is always a great moment for me. - Wiebke Lühmann

Who can claim to be turning their back on their adopted country, friends and family for 14 months? The feeling of leaving is certainly surreal, as you are still so close - and yet so far away.

Then home was finally far enough away

Wiebke Lühmann also needed some time to arrive on her biggest journey to date. "When we arrived at the Atlantic, on the other side of France, a good two weeks and a few small challenges later, home was finally far enough away for me to realise that I was now on the road and wouldn't be coming back for a while. I knew it was time to roll and I was happy to be on the road. Now I've arrived on the journey."

Travelling as a couple

Wiebke Lühmann herself should have her say again here, my question to her was, what is it like to be travelling as a couple 24/7?

"Beautiful! I hardly dared to dream that Hannah and I could get along so well and be so considerate without it feeling like a restriction. We've found our rhythm, laugh a lot, meet new people and have an unforgettable time together as friends. Hannah is also one of my closest connections to Freiburg, my adopted home, which further strengthens my bond with the city and is also hugely important for me to be so far away for so long. I don't take any of this for granted and I am very grateful that we are able to make this journey together. At the same time, I'm also really looking forward to the time alone and the unpredictable new experiences that await me after Europe. The anticipation grows every day."

Some things cannot be planned

Especially on long journeys, many things cannot be planned and are even less predictable. But at least there is certainty about that. And so it was for personal reasons that Hannah had to end her journey after 3000 kilometres. She flew home with many experiences, her bike safely packed in a cardboard box and a friendship that had grown. And now Hannah is no longer cycling under the Portuguese sun, but in the snow around Freiburg.

At Wiebke's, the sun has taken its leave along with Hannah. Pouring rain pelts down on her. Cheerful and excited about what is to come, she continues her journey. She soon receives a visit from her sister.

3 questions, 3 answers

What do you have the greatest respect for on your journey?

Before things that I can't control, which are very likely to happen. Especially health problems, such as potential food poisoning and the risk of contracting malaria. Bureaucratic hurdles when entering the country or technical problems with the bike can also be unpleasant. Apart from that, I'm not too worried and have a lot of confidence.

Is there anything you're looking forward to the most?

I am looking forward to the diverse nature and endless expanses of over 15,000 kilometres that await me on the route across the African continent. And to the feeling of freedom on my bike and feeling connected in the unknown. I'm also looking forward to making new acquaintances, both short and long, and to getting to know lots of people who could become friends.

What has been the biggest problem so far?

Bedbugs. And constant rain. But we've survived both now and are happily rolling southwards.

Have a good journey

We wish Wiebke Lühmann a continued safe journey. There will be regular updates on TOUR with exciting insights, wonderful encounters, highs and lows.