dyton mupawaenda
Innocent Kurira
SOUTH Africa-based cyclist Meli Ndlovu is preparing to embark on yet another gruelling ride as he is set to cycle from South Africa to Bulawayo this time in a bid to campaign against the escalating cases of drug abuse in the country.
Ndlovu became famous when he made claims to have cycled from Midrand, South Africa to Bulawayo in less than two days in 2021.
The claims sparked debate about whether it is possible to cycle such a distance in those hours.
The feat became a subject of debate on social media platforms, with some disputing Ndlovu’s claim that he left Midrand on Saturday at around 3am and reached Bulawayo on Monday at around 1pm.
Ndlovu, at that time, he said he was cycling at an average speed of 40km to 45km per hour on the South African side and 21km to 25km/hour on the Zimbabwe side because of the poor roads which meant he had to constantly give way to trucks and avoid potholes.
Last year he embarked on a similar journey and took three days to reach Bulawayo.
This time around those interested in his journey will be able to follow Ndlovu on Strava application which calculates distance, time taken, route and heart rate.
Strava is an American internet service for tracking physical exercise which incorporates social network features.
It started out tracking mostly outdoor cycling and running activities using Global Positioning System data, but now incorporates several dozen other exercise types, including indoor activities.
This year, ndlovu will be joined by two other cyclists Presmore Musundi and Rollan Dube in a bid to travel the 865km distance in three days.
They are set to leave Midrand in South Africa on December 18 and expect to arrive in Bulawayo on December 20.
“We have prepared well. This time we are taking a stand against the abuse of drugs and substances. The whole idea is to educate everyone in our communities around the country on the deadly effects of drug and substance abuse. This is a pandemic that we can conquer only if we work together and are united toward cleaning our society. We hope that our efforts will contribute positively in this fight,” said Ndlovu.
In his last ride along the same route, he survived a robbery scare, summer rains and wildlife but still on two wheels he endured.
Online Reporter