The Bike that took me from Cape Town to Cairo Africa (with no money) How did such a cheap MTB handle such a challenge?

In case you missed my other post, I’m just a guy from Zambia with a passion for cycling. I cycled from Cape Town to Cairo with no money and no sponsorship, just me, my bike, and supplies I gathered with the help of friends.

I’ve been getting a lot of questions about the bike I used. While most people have nice, expensive setups, my case was different. It’s not that I didn’t want a fancy, fitting bike, I just seriously couldn’t afford one! 😅 But I wanted to fulfill my dream despite the obstacles.

THE SETUP:
The bike you see in the pictures cost me only about K2,500 at the time (roughly $132). It was brand new and was the best I could find in that price range. I believed that despite its looks, it could take me far as long as I knew it like the back of my hand.

RACKS and BAGS:
The Racks: These weren’t specialized touring racks. I bought two MTB racks for about K90 each ($4) and fitted one on the back and one on the front.
The "Panniers": I didn’t have the money for even the cheapest panniers. Instead, I searched for used backpacks at thrift stands. Those are what you see in the photos, just a bunch of backpacks strapped together with ropes.

HOW DID IT HANDLE SUCH A HEAVY LOAD?
To prevent the tubes from bursting under the weight, I lined the inner rims with a thin rubber rope. I didn't measure the weight exactly, but it was "mad heavy." I was carrying:
Over 10kg of rice.

Several kilograms of spaghetti, cooking oil, and other survival essentials.
All of that plus my own body weight.

In Africa, I’ve seen men who sell charcoal pack ten 50kg bags of charcoal on a single bike without the tires bursting. I used that same technique to balance mine. People ask if the bike wobbled, hardly! The weight was evenly distributed, even if it looked a bit messy in the picture.

THE LESSON ON THE BIKE:
For anyone wondering if they have the "perfect" bike for a journey, I’d say this: the perfect bike depends on whether you can learn to handle it and make it fit your specific goal.

SO WHATS NEXT FOR ME?
I am currently preparing for a full world cycling tour. I’ve had people asking "when I’m leaving" and "if I have a Kickstarter" or something, Kickstarter is not available in my country. And To be honest, I don’t feel right asking people for money haha. But if you really want to support me you can do so via the links on my YouTube channel or you can request them and I'll gladly share.
Otherwise I’m just here to share my weird adventure and hopefully inspire somebody

Any questions are welcome in the comments,Toodles! 👍🏽.