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.
All riders are encouraged to fundraise at least one life-changing bicycle to help women and girls.
(Image credit: World Bicycle Relief)
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.”
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Hannah is Cycling Weekly’s longest-serving tech writer, having started with the magazine back in 2011. She has covered all things technical for both print and digital over multiple seasons representing CW at spring Classics, and Grand Tours and all races in between.
Hannah was a successful road and track racer herself, competing in UCI races all over Europe as well as in China, Pakistan and New Zealand.
For fun, she's ridden LEJOG unaided, a lap of Majorca in a day, won a 24-hour mountain bike race and tackled famous mountain passes in the French Alps, Pyrenees, Dolomites and Himalayas.
She lives just outside the Peak District National Park near Manchester UK with her partner, daughter and a small but beautifully formed bike collection.
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