That being said, things are progressing along with both Africycle and Ride for Africycle.  Rider registration for Ride 3.0 is officially closed!  Our final rider tally is somewhere between 8 and 136, but is mostly likely around 24. Check the Rider Page to see who has committed themselves to the trip.

We had our first rider meeting this past Sunday and it was a good chance to ask and answer questions and get to know one another.  When things like meetings and such start to happen, the excitement level slowly builds.  More and more details begin to fall into place and it becomes clear to all involved that in 8 weeks time, each of us will be riding away from Peterborough, not to see it again for at least 1000km.  It is a beautiful thought.  Of course, we do this because we believe in the work being done in Malawi by Africycle, and we stand behind that work by raising money and awareness for Africycle, but there is something else.  Riding bicycles is a wonderful thing.  I am not talking about cycling or touring or anything connected to fashion, gear, or performance.  I am talking about bicycle riding.  The act of moving your pedals around and around whilst looking at stuff you wouldn’t see if traveling by car.  Simple.

Riders.  Look forward to it.

As for Africycle . . . they are working on some really big things.  Truly.  More details on that when they are ready for public consumption

The Ride For Africycle 3.0 rider count continues to grow.  If you are hoping to participate, let us know sooner rather than later as space is becoming very limited. Click your way over to the Rider Packages page and find out more about how to register.  Also, take some to watch the short edit we made of footage from Ride 2.0.  You can link to that from the features column on your left.  If you could, please embed that video on your blogfacebookinternet page, we would really appreciate you helping spread the Ride For Africycle word.

Read the Africycle Article by clicking here.

Ride For Africycle 3.0 Teaser from Ride For Africycle on Vimeo.

Space is becoming increasingly more limited on Ride 3.0, so if you are thinking about riding, it will benefit you to make that decision sooner rather than later.  We are making no guarantees.  The cut off date to register is May 1st, provided we do not fill up before then.

Go to Rider Packages by Clicking Here

Speaking of Riders, our 3.0 rider count is currently up to 15, we have officially doubled in size since last year.  Our cutoff date for rider registration is May 1st, so if you are interested in being a part of Ride 3.0, contact Michael at rideforafricycle AT gmail DOT com

Our relationship with local Ontario Rotary Clubs continues to grow.  Last year, Rotary Club members were instrumental is helping us raise over $12,500 as several club members joined us on select days during our ride.  This year, we are welcoming more Rotary Club riders and looking forward to working together toward a common goal of helping Africycle.

If you happen to be attending the Evolving Church Conference next month, stop by the Africycle booth and say hello.

By JULIA FOY
TIMES INTERN
THURSDAY, JULY 17, 2008

Six Canadians will hop on their bikes Friday to begin a fundraising effort for a charity that ships recycled bicycles to Malawi.

They will make a 1,000-kilometer (621.37-mile), eight-day bicycle trip around Lake Ontarioin an effort to raise $15,000 for the Uxbridge, Ontario-based organization Africycle.

David Blondel, a graphic designer, Dave Breukelaar, a mechanical engineer, Michael Vyn, a student and social worker, Carlo Raponi, a youth worker, Jordan Vander Klok, a student and landscaper, and Michael P. VanDerHerberg, a geographic information systems specialist and café owner, will depart from Port Hope, Ontario, Friday and end up in Bloomfield, Ontario.

On day two, they will ride to Kingston, Ontario.

On day three, Sunday, the cyclists plan to ride from Kingston to Selkirk Shores State Park, town of Richland, Oswego County.

They will cross the border via the Wolfe Island ferry from Kingston and will land in Cape Vincent. From there, they plan to take Route 12E to Limerick, then Route 180 through Dexter to Baggs Corner and continue on Route 3 to Selkirk Shores. The total length of this leg of the journey is 109 kilometers, or 68 miles.

The $15,000 fundraising goal proposed by the Ride for Africa trip around Lake Ontario would allow Africycle to send a shipment of bicycles to the Malawi shop, said Ted R. Webb, founder of Africycle and program coordinator for Recycle-a-Bike.

Africycle oversees two bicycle shops: one in Uxbridge and the other in Malawi.

In the short run, the organization hopes to improve access to bicycles in Malawi by shipping them there from the Canadian shop. Malawian locals refurbish the bicycles and sell them to members of the community, said Mr. Webb.

The shop in Ontario provides a volunteer opportunity for local youths, who refurbish and sell bikes in Uxbridge to raise funds for shipments.

In a more indirect effort, said Mr. Webb, Africycle hopes to provide a self-sustaining source of growth for Malawian communities by donating the profits from the bike shop to support local programs.

“The first project will be funding a school for orphans and disabled children,” said Mr. VanDerHerberg, coordinator for the Ride for Africycle fundraising effort.

Profits from the bike store “will be used to employ the teachers and provide the necessary supplies and curriculum for the school.”

The organization looks forward to setting up more bike shops in Malawi and other East African countries.

This is the second year that the group has held a Ride for Africycle event. Last year’s trip was from Peterborough to Bloomfield, both in Ontario. It took the two cyclists, Mr. Blondel and Mr. Vander Klok, about seven hours to complete the 100 miles. They raised almost $1,000 for Africycle.

Mr. VanDerHerberg said he got the idea for this year’s 1,000-kilometer trip after returning from a visit to Malawi.

“We saw the bike shop they have set up there and were really impressed by their progress” he said. “Upon returning home, we discussed possible fundraising initiatives for Africycle and decided to bicycle around Lake Ontario, raising awareness and support in cities around the lake.”

Link to Main Article

Plans for Ride For Africycle 3.0 are well under, you can read about those elsewhere on the site.  We would encourage you to do just that, and perhaps figure out a way that you can get involved.  If riding 1000+ kilometers isn’t your thing, maybe cooking food, donating money, spreading the word about Africycle, letting us know about great places to camp/sleep along the way, donating supplies, helping out with our 2009 bicycle collection . . .  the list goes on . . . It really does.

One good problem to have when you are fundraising for something good like Africycle is this; money keeps flowing in well after your event.  This is exactly what has been happening, and we couldn’t be more thrilled!  While not able to publish an actual dollar amount (we’ll have that for you soon) onto this thing we call the internet at this moment . . . know that it is a good, healthy amount.  If you look at some of our Ride 2.0 posts, we told you our fundraising effort was up $8000.  I can tell you, it is more than that (and less than $1,000,000.  True sleuths should have no problem figuring out where we are financially after that massive hint.

Joking aside.  We are very pleased with the response of last years ride.  So many wonderful things are happening with Africycle, it is an absolute treat to be able to help in some small measure.

Thanks for being a part of it.

Tell 100 friends about us.

Click the link to your immediate left and read up on the-ever-evolving plans regarding Ride For Africycle 3.0.

Needless to say, all of us at Camp Ride For Africyle 3.0 (Or as we say it, C.R.F.A.3.0 . . . say it with us, it’s shorter and snappier) are rather excited.  This year we have a bigger group coming together, a really, really fun support vehicle, live music (hopefully), more kilometers to cover, and a slightly different route.  Most importantly, another chance to raise both money and awarness for Africycle.  With last years ride now well behind us, drop us a line and see how you can get involed with Ride For Africycle 3.0

This year’s amount was made possible by various Rotarians who I would like to mention here who rode with us for one day of our nine day trip:

Rick Storey - Peterborough Rotary Club
Linda Hunter and Paul Appleman - Northumberland Sunrise Rotary Club
Mark Walas and friends - Brighton Rotary Club
Fred Farnham - Welland Rotary Club
Rhonda Vanderlinde and Allan Stolaryk - Oshawa

Thank you guys.  We had a really good time riding with each of you.  Rider of the trip goes to Fred Farnham; 81 years old and still leading our pack from Queenston to St. Catharines!

Various other clubs donated money directly to Africycle such as Tom Sears from the Campbellford Rotary Club and John Mayhew of the Napanee Rotary Club.  Those who could not send a rider but were very welcoming included the likes of Peggy deWitt with David and Sally from the Picton Rotary Club who took a group photo of us and donated money to our cause.  Interest was raised in other clubs around Lake Ontario saying that if we did it again, that they might be able to drum up some riders.

So again, if this peaks your interest, be in touch and we’ll try to include you in our efforts.  Two tires are better than one.  And group riding with Rotarians was great.