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From Away.com
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Ten Myths about Touring Africa by Bike (cont.)

The Myth of Famine
Myth Number Seven: "Africa is full of famine and drought." These are two different things. When there was a drought in Zimbabwe, subsistence farmers suffered because the failure of the rains caused a failure of their staple crop. As a result, they had nothing to sell to buy food. However, there was still food in the cities and plenty of the kind of food that tourists eat. Moreover, the aquifer was still healthy so there was sufficient drinking water available. On the other hand, most of the worst famines have very little to do with drought. They can often be traced to political and economic policies (in tandem with other human rights abuses) and as such they are geographically distinct, often ending at national boundaries. Famine areas do not make good tourist destinations. The knowledgeable traveler will find other reasons not to go to these regions.

The Myth of Climate
Myth Number Eight: "It is too hot to cycle in Africa." Africa is huge and someplace on the continent one can always find comfortable cycling weather. There is a great deal of variation in the climate. An independent trip will require some research. Tours have encountered everything from snowstorms to blistering heat. But you can select the weather you want: In the middle of a hot and humid northern July, one can find idyllic, clean, dry 70-80 degree cycling conditions.

The Myth of Hygiene
Myth Number Nine: "How will I stay clean?" Unlike many western cultures who bathe once a day, many Africans are not comfortable without two baths a day. Water for bathing is a standard part of hospitality in Africa. In 20 years of experience in Africa, there have been very, very few days when a bath was not available and these were usually well off the beaten track and not the usual destination of a bicycle tour.

The Myths of Civilization
Myth Number Ten... and More: "Conditions are too primitive." "Roads are too bad." "Hotels are infested." "Why go where everyone is uneducated?" African production may be less energy- and resource-intensive, but often it is so innovative that it is far from primitive. If so inclined, one can take tours of tens of thousands of miles on paved roads, through dozens of countries. Hotels come in all shapes and sizes. Generally one gets what one pays for, but do not assume that even an inexpensive hotel is infested. Small towns have banks and bank managers; villages have schools and teachers; and elders who worked their professional lives in the cities often retire to the regions of their roots. All of these people are far from uneducated: they may speak three to five languages, and many love to tell a story and share a good conversation. There is more knowledge than any of us could possibly absorb throughout the continent.

The endless stream of negative images of Africa is amazing, but we can get over them. Bicycle touring can offer extraordinary scenery, interactions with diverse peoples, freedom of movement, and a special knowledge of the places you visit.
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