Wiebke Lühmann cycles to the Cape of Good Hope: "I am drawn by an abstract longing"

It started right at the front door. On 3 October 2023, exactly two months ago today. Since then, Wiebke Lühmann has been on her way to the Cape of Good Hope, on her way to South Africa. On the first few kilometres, on 3 October, she was not alone. She was accompanied by friends, acquaintances and Instagram followers. After a few kilometres, however, the hustle and bustle was over. From now until the end of the year, she will be travelling with a friend, Hannah Rapp, first to the Atlantic coast and then further and further south. In December, the two want to have reached the south of Portugal. And then they go their separate ways. Hannah is heading back home, Wiebke is travelling to Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea... well, always southwards along the west coast of Africa - as far as the Cape of Good Hope. Wiebke Lühmann plans to spend 14 months travelling, because she wants to spend Christmas 2024 with her family again.

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

One or two comparisons are quickly drawn with Jonas Deichmann. Not least because there are 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 with unimaginable records in his head - and returns home with these records in his luggage. Records are not what motivates Wiebke. 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 up from her, how active she is, how spontaneous and at the same time well organised.

2022 North Cape - 2024 Cape of Good Hope

Wiebke has taken 30 days off in 2022. 30 days to reach a goal. 30 days to cycle from Hamburg to the North Cape. Together with Fabienne Engel, she created an impressive film. On her own inspires countless people to embark on their own adventures, no matter how big or small. If you had conducted a survey this year among people travelling by bike to the North Cape with the question "Why to the North Cape?", you would often have received the following answer: "Wiebke Lühmann inspired me with her film On her own and her Instagram account and gave me courage. And now I'm travelling myself."

"I am drawn by an abstract longing"

BIKE: Wiebke, why did you choose the Cape of Good Hope as the destination for your current trip?

"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?

Gathering things together and stuffing them into bike bags for a good year of cycling is certainly not something we would all dare or have the confidence to do. Wiebke does. Whereby just is probably not the right way to put it, because it takes a lot of preparation and a good deal of courage to set off in the first place.

Travel preparation on three levels

What preparations did Wiebke make in the run-up to her trip? Roughly speaking, the preparation can be divided into three levels.

1. organisational preparation

In terms of organisation, Wiebke Lühmann has taken care of vaccinations in particular and the purchase of a more comprehensive first-aid kit, which includes malaria prophylaxis, for example. She also applied for a second passport, re-registered her place of residence and found out about travel insurance.

2. planning the trip

Planning such a long journey in advance down to the smallest detail is difficult if not impossible. And not Wiebke's style either. There are countless things that can ruin any plans - weather, illness, changes in the political situation and more. That's why Wiebke Lühmann has created a macro-plan from Freiburg to Cape Town, which contains a rough plan that can always be adapted to the situation at hand. The daily stages are planned en route.

I have a rough idea of the rapidly changing political situation, but decide at short notice how and where to proceed. - Wiebke Lühmann

When preparing for such a travel endeavour, it is essential to take care of visas. You should know where which visa is required and how to obtain it. Wiebke only takes care of the necessary visas once she knows exactly when and where she will be travelling to. 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

Many people ask themselves, how do you prepare physically and mentally for such a long cycle tour? Wiebke's answer to the second point:

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

So saying goodbye is harder than being on the road. More later on how Wiebke managed to say goodbye and when she actually started travelling. She didn't prepare herself physically - in short, she didn't follow a training plan. But of course all tours, whether short or long, count as physical preparation. Wiebke regularly sat on one of her bikes:

• Sunset tours around Freiburg
• a solo tour on the Iron Curtain Cycle Route, also known as the Green Belt
• a bikepacking tour by mountain bike in Georgia
• and last but not least: a bikepacking tour with me from Munich to Lake Como.

Wiebke Lühmann is convinced that she doesn't need more precise preparation - from her own experience.

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

Wiebke Lühmann's bike for a tour halfway around the world

Wiebke has mainly travelled on gravel bikes so far, and in the first half of the year she took on a mountain bike for the first time - an adventure in Georgia. For her current cycle tour to the Cape of Good Hope, she has combined the best of both categories in one bike - a mountain bike. the body with flatbar is reminiscent of 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 has had a flat bar fitted, which offers more space for packing the handlebar bag than a drop bar. Racing handlebars, on the other hand, limit the packing volume. Lights, bike computers etc. are also easier to fit as there is more space for them on a flat bar. Especially with small bikes or bikes ridden by smaller people, the space on a drop bar is very limited and the handlebars are already full when the lights and sat nav are fitted. The chosen handlebar gives you a more upright riding position on the bike and the wide handlebars offer different handling. Wiebke also favours this option.

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 enough space for a comfortable tent, a larger kitchen and, above all, for the home office, consisting of a laptop and photographic equipment. Bikepacking bags reach their limits when it comes to laptops in particular. Fork packs complement the bag configuration and ensure good weight distribution. For numbers fans: the luggage on Wiebke Lühmann's bike weighs between 28 and 30 kilos - her home for 14 months.

No time for a test drive

Neglected above, but also very important in the preparation was the configuration of the touring bike. It had been clear for a long time which bike it would be. The fact that the bike would only be ready late in the evening on the day before the planned departure was not planned. The bikes for Wiebke and Hannah only arrived in Freiburg shortly beforehand. And a few things still had to be installed, such as a lighting system with a charging system for the sat nav or smartphone. "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. And because the bikes were only ready the evening before departure and it was time for a farewell party, there was no time for a test ride. The emotions were overwhelming - because of the farewell, not so much because of the lack of a test ride. No wonder that the first day on the bike was characterised by headaches and inner turmoil. At the same time, it was also a very nice feeling to set off, Wiebke describes the emotional conflict.

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

If you've never been away from home for so long, it's hard to imagine what it's like to turn your back on your adopted home, friends and family. The feeling of leaving is certainly very surreal, you are still so close - and yet so far away.

Arriving at the Atlantic, home was finally far enough away

Just setting off was not enough. It took her a few days and kilometres to get into the journey. "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 24/7. Does that work well?

Can you imagine travelling with one person 24 hours a day for three months? I'm not sure. In any case, communication is the key to making it work. Wiebke Lühmann and Hannah Rapp have found their rhythm.

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. - Wiebke Lühmann

Alongside her travelling partner for the first three months of the trip, Hannah is one of Wiebke's closest connections to her adopted home of Freiburg. Travelling together further strengthens the bond with the city. And Wiebke describes this as enormously important, to be able to be away for so long and so far. Knowing that a beloved home is there to return to after such a long journey. Wiebke describes the journey together as something that cannot be taken for granted and with great gratitude. At the same time, she is very much looking forward to what is to come, to the time alone, to the unpredictable and new experiences that await her after Europe. The anticipation grows every day, she says.

3 questions for bikepacker Wiebke Lühmann

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 going too crazy 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're over both now and we're happily rolling southwards.

What is certain is that much is uncertain

If one thing is certain on a long journey, it is that much is uncertain. Many things, situations and events cannot be planned. Hannah returned home after 3000 kilometres together, 1000 kilometres earlier than planned. The reasons for this were of a personal nature. With so many experiences and memories and a friendship that has grown, she is now cycling in the snow around Freiburg again and no longer under the Portuguese sun.

And with Hannah, the sun has also said goodbye to Wiebke, at least for now. Pouring rain beats down on her, on the roads and cycle paths. But nothing motivates her more than being on the road. And so she continues her journey in high spirits. Her sister will visit her in three weeks' time.

Have a good journey

We wish Wiebke Lühmann a great journey. We at BIKE will provide regular updates of her journey with exciting insights, beautiful encounters, highs and lows.