by Larry Lagarde

If the exploits of extreme long distance cyclists interest you, here's a story you'll want to follow: Rune Monstad is now cycling across Africa.

Rune is no ordinary guy. Two years ago, he cycled solo across South and North America, biking West to East over Canada in the dead of winter!

According to his blog at the www.vikingbiker.com, Rune is determined to bike around the world but he's concentrating on conquering Africa at the moment. He's not doing it just for the thrill of adventure either; Rune wants to raise awareness of the world's poor children.

In these tough financial times, it's hard not to admire extreme long distance cyclists like Rune that spend months if not years cycling to complete their bike tours. The perils are great and real. Already in Africa, Rune's contracted malaria, intestinal parasites (worms) and diarrhea while enduring torrential rains, intense heat and a budget so small that he repaired rather than replaced his worn out bike saddle.

Periodically, I'll be posting more news about Rune. Meanwhile, check out his blog posts, photos and videos at... www.vikingbiker.com.

By the way, special thanks for this story go to Jeanette Watkins, Rune's tireless, unpaid, volunteer PR gal.

Labels: Rune Monstad