Pedal to Empower: take part in the World Bicycle Relief global fundraising ride

International not-for-profit organisation World Bicycle Relief (WBR) has launched a 'Do-it-Yourself' challenge  for cyclists of all ages and abilities to raise money to help girls and women gain better access to education and healthcare by bike.

The organisation prioritises school aged girls, with 70 per cent of the machines going to young women, whose school drop out rate is particularly high comparative to boys. Providing them with a bike makes their journey safer and drastically reduces the time taken to get to school.

The Pedal to Empower event will take place around the globe on the 12th September, with free registration ($25 for US residents), with each participant aiming to raise a minimum level of sponsorship.

Each £120 raised will be enough to buy a 'Buffalo Bike', a bicycle designed by bike industry leaders specifically for WBR which is robust and sustainabale enough to cope with the demanding needs of rural regions in developing counties.

WBR has partnered with route planning brand Komoot for the event, allowing you to take part wherever you choose. Registration for the event is now open at www.pedaltoempower.com, with registrants receiving access to a Pedal to Empower App and a virtual Adventure Kit, which WBR say is packed with tools and props to inspire riders along the way.

To encourage riders to take part and fundraise, each rider can earn incentives for the different amounts of money they raise. The UK incentives are;

• £25 raised will earn riders a WBR pin badge

• £120 raised will earn riders a Stolen Goat Nik mascot in WBR kit

• £240 raised will earn riders a Stolen Goat x WBR socks and bandido

• £600 raised will earn riders a Stolen Goat x WBR zebra striped t-shirt

• £1,200 raised will earn riders a for a Stolen Goat x WBR jersey

Founded in 2005 by one of the founders of SRAM, F.K.Day and documentary photographer Leah Missbach Day, WBR has been well supported by the bike industry and was behind 2020's World Bicycle Day's #CyclingActsofKindness. To date the organisation, that has UK charitable status, has delivered 525 thousand bikes, and has over 2450 trained field mechanics around to world to help keep the bikes going.

The aim behind the Pedal to Empower event is to specifically draw attention to the work WBR do around tackling gender inequality, and helping get more girls on women on bikes in order to access education, well-paid employment, healthcare and improved standing in households.

WBR CEO, Dave Neiswander, said: “We’re truly excited to be able to announce Pedal to Empower today, having been inspired not only by the mass uptake in cycling in the previous few months, but by seeing how we can collectively make a difference in the world even in challenging times. We’re looking forward to seeing people all around the world participate on September 12.”