About

About the author

If my life were tabloid headlines it might read “Hippie Parachutists give Birth to World Traveler!” Yes, my parents were 60s free spirits, freefalling thousands of meters and performing mid-air acrobatics – they even made the Canadian team! And when they were done their adventures they decided to move north and, in the hippie spirit, “return to the land” building their own house and starting a family.

I think my love of travel, adventure, cycling, and exploration is definitely something passed down to me from my parents.

Whether it’s cycling past castles in Georgia (central Asia not southern US), sipping coffee in a mud hut in the highlands of Ethiopia, or sharing a meal with Uyghurs and Han Chinese in Xinjiang Province, I have been fortunate enough to have a unique glimpse into the way things work outside the western world.

At 17 years old I did a six week cycling trip with a friend from my hometown of Kirkland Lake around Lake Erie and back. When I returned, I decided cycle touring was my thing. After submitting applications I quickly learned I was too young and I went instead to college, eventually landed in a retail bike shop in Toronto.

I became a sales manager at the bike shop but was more and more drawn to explore the world and became intrigued with different historic events that were happening in Africa at that time in the 90s. This inspired me to travel to Africa with little money or experience to see what was happening beyond the headlines. Those two months were eye opening and life shaping. It was just a few years later that I got my dream job with Tour d’Afrique and found myself back in Africa!

With Tour d’Afrique Ltd., I have led over 400 cyclists through 25 countries as the Tour Leader on our company’s epic transcontinental tours. I have also travelled independently to another 15 countries around the world. I continue to love the work I do and the places I get to see. This blog allows me to share some of my experiences with you.

If you would like to contact me, I would love to hear from you. shanny@notacyclingblog.com.

About the blog

A travel and news chronicle from the places my bicycle takes me.

It’s not a cycling blog per se. It’s a record of things I encounter along the way – in my travels with Tour d’Afrique Ltd., and through my own experiences at home and abroad.

Here’s some areas I cover in my blog:

Travel – From secluded beaches on the Caribbean coast of Columbia, to the idyllic countryside of Romania, I have seen many unexpectedly fantastic places in my travels. Did you know that Kyrgyzstan is one of the most spectacular, safe, and inviting travel destinations I have ever been to? Wherever I am travelling – whether its Chicago, Urumqi or elsewhere, I try to share some interesting insight with everyone.

News –In each place I go there is news. Not all of it is in the headlines today, but each place has events and crises that have shaped it and are still shaping it. I try to expand on some of these topics as I intersect their path on my travels. These are often topics which leave the headlines before we really understand the issues, but most media no longer see it as relevant. As I slowly learn the craft of journalism, I try to bring these stories to light.

Cycling – Topics in this category are generally interviews with interesting cycling people, reviews of bike shops, current cycling issues in my city, and elsewhere.

Other stuff – From time to time my mind wanders and takes the topics elsewhere. You can expect to find posts on marketing theories, local and international politics, profiles of other bloggers, blogging advice, art, poetry, book reviews, interviews, rants and other interesting tidbits not related to anything else on this blog.

I try to publish a new post once or twice a week, and post larger reports monthly. I hope you take a moment to subscribe to my blog either by email, RSS, or follow me through Twitter so you can be kept up to date with Not a Cycling Blog.

Disclaimer

This is a personal blog and has no official affiliation with Tour d’Afrique Ltd. The views and opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of Tour d’Afrique Ltd.