Being rather keen on riding motorbikes, this was something I was really looking forward to whilst in the country. I knew the placement had a bike attached but, apart from it being a fairly small dirt-bike, I didn’t know exactly what I’d be getting. I have to admit my face dropped when I turned up for the first day’s training and saw the beast: a Yamaha AG100! I’d never come across this bike before (I’m not well up on small trailies) but it didn’t look promising. It was small, had a fully enclosed chain (like a Honda C70!) and was old and battered. Plus it had a tatty red frill around the headlamp for some reason! My first impressions when riding it weren’t that encouraging either. The frame was far too small for me (I couldn’t ride standing up as the handlebars were so far down I was bent double). My electric toothbrush generated more power and the handling was hopeless on the road (knobbly tyres) and not good off it! Maximum speed (on a very long straight) was 50mph. Plus the instructor insisted on treating everyone as complete novices so the overall experience was rather disappointing.

Fortunately, this disappointment didn’t last long. After a few days riding the bike (and after the instructor realised I didn’t need stabilisers) things started to be much more enjoyable. The bike would undoubtedly be hopeless in England, but out here it’s a really useful and practical form of transport.

Although the bike isn’t particularly good at anything, it’s not too bad at most things – and in The Gambia that includes smooth tarmac, mud, deep sand, potholes and rocks. None of the roads, even the tarmac ones, are really safe for fast riding. The standard of driving is low and there are many accidents, plus the potholes always appear just as you’re swerving to avoid the goat that’s just run out in front of you. With conditions like that, a low top speed becomes less of an issue. When riding the dirt tracks, the bike performs reasonably well. It’s not an Africa Twin, or even an XT 400, but it chugs along over most surfaces and, in bottom gear, has the strength to pull you out of anything. You even start to appreciate the chain case when you see riders of other bikes constantly having to wash the sand out of their chains or replace worn sprockets.

Riding a motor bike in Africa is great fun. The weather can be so hot that even sitting in the shade makes you sweat, but as soon as you get moving on the bike, it becomes a wonderful kind of heat that keeps you dry as the blast hits you like a giant hairdryer. Admittedly, we all have to take short cuts with the protective clothing, which is always a worry, but it’s the only way to stay cool.

Riding in the towns is an experience not to be missed. The other drivers do their best to make your day interesting, and they really keep you on your toes. So much so, in fact, that in the short time I’ve been here, two of my friends have been knocked off in town. Fortunately neither was too badly injured: one had a dislocated shoulder and the other a minor fracture in the foot. I’ve escaped so far, but I’m not going to say too much as these things can happen to anyone on these roads.

Getting down to Kombo for the weekend is also much easier with a bike. Those poor souls without such a thing have to queue for bush taxis, get jostled around whilst wedged between large and sweaty strangers in the back of a rather dodgy old minibus, and then wait on foot at the ferry.

We bikers simply ride to the terminal, get on the ferry first and then we have the bike to sit on for the crossing too! All in all, having a motorbike is one of the best things about being here at the moment. I’d like to apologise to my little AG for ever doubting it’s potential for fun.