Tag: Perth

Anna’s Love For Riding

It all really started around 7 years ago. I watched my brother enjoy riding a bike and getting right into it. I was quite envious on how keen he developed the love of riding and how he lost weight. He was a bad sleepy-in person and you could never get him up, but with riding he changed his attitude.

I did own, and ride a bicycle when I was 35 but had no confidence and no idea of gears or brakes. My feet were my brakes. We used to go to Rottnest Island with a whole heap of friends and our young children. The most I would ride was from our lodgings to the town centre. If I had a couple of beers I felt a little more confident. That is until one night I fell off the bike which had a basket with food. That was the end of my riding days and my bike was used by everyone else as a carrier instead of me.

I decided I was going to start riding and saw the advertisement in the Stirling Times for the City of Stirling bike riding classes. I booked myself in for the lessons which were starting the following year in January 2010 and I asked my Kris Kringle for a Kmart bike for Christmas.

The night before my first lesson I tried to get on the bike but it wasn’t happening. I didn’t sleep all night as I felt like a failure. The first lesson I wasn’t particularly good. The second lesson I got better and the third I got the hang of it.

We started our 12 week Social Ride course and our first ride was to Gwelup, a proud 7 km round-trip. The following Sunday we went from Hillarys to Mullaloo, double the distance 14 km. The class taught us how to catch trains with a bicycle and how to go into the city with our bikes.

This was my new way of spending Sunday mornings and always finding a nice coffee with my new found friends. At that time my husband would be at the soccer club and the children were busy too. I was very happy with my new way of life.

I also joined the Friday and Wednesday group, but as I wasn’t committed, due to going away, I lost a little confidence on the Wednesday, so I started the Wednesday Easyriders group, which was mainly riding in the City of Stirling between 20 and 25 km. I was keen to be back home by 11 am and the other ladies enjoyed the rides and social time.

Nowadays I try and ride twice a week: Wednesday and Friday. Life has changed at home and Sundays are now reserved for grandchildren and soccer. My passion for riding has grown in the past 6 years. I love being out there in the sunshine and I love the encouragement from the others as I get better and continue to build my confidence.

With riding it has been beneficial to my health. I had suffered from clinical depression, now I’m off medication and enjoy the fruit of life. Feeling pretty good and loving it. I’m having my 60th Birthday soon so I think a new bike is on my wish list.

I’m very involved with the MS society as my youngest son has MS. They have a lot of events to do with bike riding and I did the bridges ride which was over 40 km. It took me 2,5 hours in the dark, but I was happy that I completed it. We had a most spectacular ride with wonderful city views by night. That morning I had ridden 32 km with the Friday Ladies, so I totalled 75 km for the day.

I love riding and I am ever so grateful to the City of Stirling for creating such an opportunity for us. The friendship with these ladies grows every week. We all look out for each other and hope to ride safely for a very long time.

Hello from Comrad Chris

My name is Chris Castalanelli and I am just the other side of 60 years. I am a retired horticulturist having owned my own garden centre in Bayswater for 10 years, then I worked as a pest and disease information officer for The Department of Agriculture. My hobby is slideshow presentations enhanced by the photo editing software Photoshop… my best friend!

Having grown up in a small rural town in East Gippsland, Victoria it was essential one had a bike. On my 8th Birthday my wish came true with a recently painted second-hand blue 24” bike. Oh, where we rode! Leaving home at breakfast we would not to return until tea time. Water, sunscreen, hat, no way! No such thing as helmet in those days.

As life moves on, I left school, moved to Melbourne then on to Perth leaving my bike and interest behind. Then one Christmas under the tree, was a brand new sparkling mountain bike, tyres with tread thicker than a tractor and the weight to match. So my journey started again. Just by myself I started doing short rides getting the kilometres under my belt. However something was missing and that was companionship.

One day as I was leaving the Hammersley Recreation Centre, I noticed a pink brochure from the City Of Stirling titled “Women on Wheels” which not only outlined various riding and maintenance courses, but a ladies group called “Wheelie Wonderful Women”. From that moment on I became a “Wheelie Woman”. I have been involved with the group for 3 years and have gone from riding 25 kilometres once a week, to regular rides on the Wednesday, Friday and Sunday clocking up a minimum of 140 kilometres per week especially during the cooler months.

Joining the “Wheelie Wonderful Women” has been a life changing experience and given me friendship, comradery and so much fun.

My collection of bikes has grown from 1 Giant Cross city hybrid bike, to a road racer with drop handlebars and cleats, and a recentnew addition of a brand new ladies mountain bike. You can never have enough bikes! I have convinced a few of my riding buddies to invest in mountain bikes as they are so much fun, and during the winter months we have started “The Tuesday Adventurers Group”, riding every fortnight sections of the Munda Biddi Trail, Kep Track and the Railway Heritage Trail. I have ridden The Kep Track twice from Northam to Mundaring, which is 72 kilometres. It’s a gravel path and sections can be challenging, but it’s always rewarding when you hit Mundaring. As with the number of bikes, it is also refreshing to join other groups.

I joined the Cycle Touring Association a year ago, hooked up panniers for first time and rode a four day tour on back roads from Midland to Bindoon (oh those hills in the Chittering Valley!), via New Norcia to Toodyay, and finally back to Midland. A total of 360 kilometres and most impressively a personnel best of 94 kilometres in one day.

Since joining the Wheelie Wonderful Women the group has gone from strength to strength. On a rainy winter’s day in September 2014 and looking for something to do, I had the idea to start a Facebook page highlighting our activities. We have 48 members and apart from a lot of laughs and witty comments, it has enabled us to keep in touch with one of our members Nicky who has moved back to the U.K.

In June 2014 we decided a “raunchy” calendar would be interesting, all in good taste of course – lots of laughs on that day. We published 50 and many ended up as Xmas pressies to unsuspecting offspring – much to their horror! “Mum/Nana dressed in burlesque – no way!”, they said.

Apart from away weekends 3-4 times a year, we have now embarked on yearly “Getaway Weeks” which includes trips within Australia and overseas including New Zealand and an upcoming journey to Germany where we’ll ride the Danube from Passau to Budapest via Vienna.

What does the future hold for me? Well, in June this year I will be joining a group of like-minded cyclist and riding from Kununurra to Broome along the Gibb River road, which is approximately a 700 kilometre journey. Experiencing the magnificent gorges, camping under the stars and enjoying the amazing Kimberley’s – what could be better?

Sally and Vera in 2015.

Sally’s Saturday morning rides

I’m 62, and I work as a family mediator, a job I’ve done for the last 35 or so years. I work part-time, in the interests of keeping my sanity. My hobbies include cycling (obviously!), reading and playing games on the computer (mostly fantasy role-playing games).

Before enrolling in the cycling course in 2009, I wasn’t exercising much. I used to swim regularly when I was pregnant, and I used to walk regularly, but I wasn’t doing either of those as much as I felt I ought to – possibly because of too many games on the computer. So I saw the Back on Your Bike course run by City of Stirling and signed up. I was VERY nervous when I first got back on a bike after after, oh, probably 20 or so years. I was very wobbly and no confidence at all. But Joanne, the coach and City of Stirling Officer, was extremely patient with me and the rest of the other course participants and it wasn’t all that long before I learned to use gears and steer the bike without worrying TOO much about falling off.

The thing that made a huge difference to me, though, was that after the intensive skills development part of the course finished there were several weeks of lower-key skills development combined with social rides. If that hadn’t happened, I don’t think I’d still be riding today.

Back in 2009, my mother who lived in Dunsborough was quite unwell, and her condition deteriorated during 2010. She died in mid-2011. I went from occasional trips down to Dunsborough to monthly trips then to fortnightly ones, which made it difficult to keep up with regular riding. When I was not going down to Dunsborough quite so often, I rode with the group run by Jen Faint, I think it was Sundays?  Maybe Saturdays. However, she stopped organising those rides. By the time everything was sorted out with Mum’s estate and I was feeling up to riding again, there wasn’t a regular Saturday group and the Friday and Sunday groups were riding too far and too fast for me. So I thought, “Well, if I RUN a Saturday group, I’ll HAVE to get up and ride on Saturday mornings.” So I started organising a Saturday group.

There was one week where nobody turned up, but after that there was usually at least one other person. I started getting ladies from the Learning to Ride and Back on Your Bike courses because the Saturday rides were shorter and more gently paced than the Sunday or Friday rides.

I’m currently trying to get myself into cycling regularly more than once a week, but it’s sometimes hard to get motivated when it’s early in the morning and I’d rather sleep in.  As well, I’ve had bad doses of flu during each of the last three winters, which means a slow return to cycling even on Saturdays.

I’ve done some short bike rides around home – these days, I’d probably hop on my bike to get to the ATM or the post box rather than drive down. I did try riding to the local markets once, but I buy too much there!  Because I live on the top of a hill, and everywhere means going downhill but then returning uphill (and I’m not good on hills!) I don’t ride as much locally as I could. I’ve been considering buying an electric bike, though, and I think that’s likely to happen eventually. At that point I’ll probably do more local riding, and maybe cycle to and from the train station when I commute to work rather than driving there.

Through organising the Saturday rides I’ve made friendships  and joined a book club. I’m considerably fitter than I used to be. I organised a ride and high tea for my 60th birthday, which was lovely. I know a lot of wonderful paths around Perth, and I know there are a lot more I haven’t yet discovered. I know a lot of nice cafes to have coffee or breakfast at too, and I take my son out for brunch every couple of months. EVENTUALLY, I’ll go back to Dunsborough just to ride the cycle path between Busselton and Dunsborough. I’m considering – though not yet planning – a Bike to Barge cruise in Europe for 2018 or so.

Oh beautiful suburbia

Owning a five bedroom home with double garage and garden situated in a quiet urban neighbourhood is synonymous with living the accomplished, settled life. In fact, home ownership remains one of the hallmarks of living the Australian dream.

There is nothing wrong with this dream per se. Only that isn’t actually a dream anymore, but a reality for many. The detached, single house has not only become a tangible for more Australians, the demand for it has let to an enormous urban sprawl which fundamentally shaped the faces of our cities, the way we travel within them and our expectation of its infrastructure. What does that mean? Let’s say you are living in the pictured neighbourhood: Do you expect to find a supermarket nearby? Will there be a school within reach? What about your local library, hairdresser or restaurants? How far will your workplace be away? And how will you get to all of these places?

While many would say ‘yes’ to all of the above, the common expectation is that our desired destinations outside of home only require a short drive by car and a hopeful quick opportunity to park nearby. Look at universities, hospitals, shopping centres – in fact, picture any popular destination and you’ll also be able to imagine it’s car park. The suburbia we have come to love has become a place where we cook, eat, sleep and spend those hours in between said activities. The rest of our lives has become a careful construction of journeys to and from.

For many people this kind of life works. It is desirable for – predominantly mothers – to taxi children around town and contribute to their education and physical exercises that way. Our car offers a safe commute, a place for private conversations, contemplations. It is safe, fast, flexible, always available.

There are obvious moments when our expectations aren’t met: we’re stuck in traffic, can’t find parking or having to pay to park. Usually these moments remain without consequences and only become a topics of shared complaints around the kitchen table, with work colleagues or anyone else who cares to join in the shared disappointment. There aren’t any consequences because our demands are “more parking” and “better infrastructure” by which we mean more roads for cars.

Suburbia has a direct impact on our quality of life and level of health. When science warns us about the prevalence and danger of sedentary lifestyles, the time we spend at work sitting is only half the picture. For many the other half is usually spend tucked behind the steering wheel, sitting. The life in suburbia demands a price beyond its mortgage. It asks for the commitment to maintaining things they way they are: the job, the travel, the car.

Is there a viable alternative to living comfortably yet more actively? When we dream of ‘livable neighbourhoods’ and ‘connected communities’ do we just imagine a group of detached single houses next to a train line, or an extra shared path we can ride on? Maybe we just mean a bit more time so we can build a bit more exercise into our day?

As long as the majority of us want a slice of the Australian Dream there will be more single houses and we all live more of the same. Long live suburbia!

November courses open for enrolment

November is unarguably the best time in Perth to learn how to ride a bike, get back into it and join a riding group to keep practicing. The wind is losing its cool nip, temperatures are climbing into the comfortable 20 degrees Celsius – not too warm, not too cold – and then there are the vast blue Perth skies. True, there’s always a blue sky spanning across this city, but there is no better place than marveling at it from the seat of a saddle.

Because November is simply perfect we’ve just scheduled another set of adult riding courses that will enable you to learn, practice and perfect your riding skills. There is no better way to actually ride a bike than knowing exactly how to avoid the most common hiccups and safely navigate through curly situations. Many people use shared paths across town to enjoy Spring, which makes paths a busy place to be, which can be challenging for those who have never ridden, or those who need a refresher of how to handle the bike.

If you like people watching this is good fun there is more out to see. Although not a native to WA, Jacarandas are now in full blossom and Applecross is a particularly great neighbourhood if you’re keen to have a look at the sea of purple flowers. Not sure how to get there? Join Jillian’s five week social ride and learn the best tricks and trips for planning your own journey around town.

New adult learn how to ride courses

People on Bicycles is pleased to offer a fresh set of adult rider classes. Learn how to ride caters for absolute novices, who are keen to acquire the skills of riding a bicycle. There are many reasons why some people never learned as a child – from parents being overprotective, a neighbourhood that wasn’t overly cycle friendly or bicycles that were just too expensive for families to buy.

At the end of the three-week course most participants will be able to balance on the bike, ride a short stretch and master wide turns, which is a great start and a good basis to continue to build on

Many participants are motivated to learn to ride as it is a fun activity and good way to get fit, but are afraid of getting hurt and sustaining injuries that will put a stop to any further exercise. The focus of the course is on safety and how to avoid any mishaps so that participants know exactly how to get on and off the bike, balance and use the brakes, which will keep them safe during the class and whenever they head out on their own.

Those who learned to ride a bike when they were little, but haven’t set their bum on a seat for a while will find the Back on Your Bike class extremely useful. The reason why many adults don’t ride a bicycle is because they worry about what might happen and getting into a situation they feel they can’t control. Learning how to ride safely is key to building people’s confidence and with a few tips and tricks it is easy to make a ride as safe as possible.

For those keen to practice their newly learned or re-freshed skill, but are too shy to go out on their own can join the Share the Ride: social ride which guides them on Perth’s shared paths network through the city, discover some of the hidden treasures of the town and really continue to build their skills and confidence. The rides are guided by experienced accredited cycle coach who provides useful recommendations for each rider to improve event further.

Check out the upcoming courses for more information and future dates.

Sian’s discovery of joy, health and happiness

How many new skills have you been acquiring lately? If you’ve grown out of your twenties, maybe even thirties, answering this question may be not so easy, particularly when it comes to skills that can be physically challenging. if not mastered as a child, Learning how to ride a bicycle as an adult is definitely a task left unaccomplished by many. Not so for Sian, who is telling her story of how she fell in love with a new hobby.

 

“I’m a middle-aged woman of questionable social standing, often talkative, who prefers dogs to cats, reads science-fiction, and thinks the TV program Justified was significantly under-rated.”

“Two years ago I decided to get “a bit” serious about losing some weight and getting fitter. Swimming isn’t always easy to organise. I’d grown bored with walking (so slow!), and the cost of attending a gym was getting a little prohibitive. I had friends who cycled, so I thought ‘why not?’ and stumbling upon a cycle course organised through the City of Stirling. Having never been on a bicycle before, the prospect of learning to ride was certainly daunting, however, I opted for taking the ‘nothing ventured, nothing gained’ perspective.”

“My first cycling lesson was in early 2013 on a Saturday morning in the Stirling Council car park. I was terrified. And very intrigued when virtually the first thing the instructor did was to take the pedals off all the bikes. This turned out to be one of the most practical and safe ways to assist complete novices with the process of learning how to balance on the bike. I also have a distinct memory of suffering the most excruciatingly sore bottom and hamstrings for two days afterwards. By the end of the three week course I had earned both pedals back, could hop on and off, ride in a straight-ish line and turn very, very, very wide corners. Oh, and stop. Stopping by choice is a critical skill.”

“If support had ceased there, I doubt I’d be riding today. Thankfully, the City of Stirling ran a 10 week social ride which basically helped the small group of recent ‘intense course’ graduates to continue practicing those raw, new skills in the safety of understanding company and under the ever patient guidance of an instructor. These 10 weeks were pivotal for so many reasons, but let me list four: ongoing contact with other women who were at a similar point on their learning-to-cycle journey, regular time to meet just for the purpose of practicing newly acquired skill, an enthusiast yet empathetic mentor to guide the group and keep us distracted from our fears, and repetition of the basics, including safety considerations, without pressure to improve or compete. I simply cannot thank each of the women who participated enough, just for being there. We began the course with some of us wondering if we would ever be able to cycle 10 kilometers. We finished the course knowing that 15 kilometers was totally within our grasp, though we might need a coffee at the end.”

“At the conclusion of the 10 week course I purchased my first ever bike. Her name is Rosie, and she is a supremely sturdy beast of the hybrid variety, with wide tyres and straight handlebars. Rosie and I attached ourselves to a regular Saturday riding group, the Wheelie Wonderful Women, a truly great bunch of women, and occasionally would sneak in a mid-week ride on our own.”

“The amazing thing was how little I knew of Perth. This city has beautiful secrets one may never discover without a bicycle.”

“Time passed. My rides were getting longer and more frequent. I  joined another fabulous Sunday riding group. I was having fun. Then a small number of group members announced plans for a trip to New Zealand to ride the Alps 2 Ocean cycle trail, which is eight days of riding some of the most scenic places on the New Zealand South Island. We trooped over in early December of 2014 and had the most spectacular time. There were several instances where I judiciously chose to dismount and walk and there were many, many more instances where I needed to stop and catch my breath (they have real hills over there). Nonetheless, it was glorious. I was having even more fun. Who knew cycling could be all that?”

“Back in Perth, Rosie was no longer everything I wanted in a bicycle. I had reached the point where the optimal number of bikes to own is N+1 (where N is the number of bikes you have right now). Besides, the sales were on. So, in 2015, I purchased my second bicycle; her name is Maxine. She is a carbon composite, flat-bar road bike with disc brakes and together we have yet more fun.”

“I still ride Rosie as she is safe in the wet, can trundle off-road and haul luggage, but there is something very pleasing about a bike like Maxine whose sole purpose is to just go.”

“An average week for me right now would involve 2–5 separate rides. At least one of those will be a social ride with social group, at least one will be over 30 kilometers and the extras often arise from commuting between home and work, which is ‘only’ 11.6 kilometers one way. If I can’t make a social ride I just pick a route and trundle off alone – there is no better stress relief than a decent bicycle ride.”

“Joining the social riding group and learning to cycle has changed my life in so many good ways. I’m certainly fitter, healthier and a little lighter. I’ve met amazing, inspiring women who are a delight to spend time with. I’ve explored places that would otherwise have remained unknown or inaccessible to me. Friends who used to cycle have ventured back on their bikes, and they are most impressed to discover that there is always a good coffee at the end of a ride.”

“One of the more curious run-on effects of becoming a fun-oriented cyclist was chatting with a friend who has been a cycling commuter for more than a decade. She realised that she hadn’t cycled for fun in years, it was simply a means to get from place to place. Now she has re-discovered riding for pleasure by taking a trip once a week along the coast or river and wonders why she deprived herself all this time.”

“There’s always something new to try once you have a bike. And in my experience, people interested in cycling are, for the most part, incredibly supportive and helpful. Who wouldn’t want to be part of that?”

If Sian’s story has inspired you to learn how to ride, get back on your bike or join a social ride, check out our upcoming classes.

Launch of bicycle classes

Have you never learned how to ride a bicycle? Or has it been a very, very long time since you’ve been on a bike and it all seems a little too scary?

Learning how to handle a bicycle safely can be extremely daunting – particularly when you’re not a little child anymore and the thought of falling seems less than appealing. Finding adult classes that have no prerequisites and cater for the absolute novice can be equally frustrating.

From experience we know that people capable of riding a bicycle have forgotten how challenging learning these set of skills can be. And really, is hoping to remember how to ride a bike really the only thing you want to count on when it’s been a while?

For a few years we have been teaching – particularly women – how to master the skill of safely riding a bicycle. The classes have helped hundreds of participants to rediscover the joy of riding a bicycle.

We teach without judgement, just facts, useful tips and a whole heap of fun. No question is too little and the speed of how you learn is up to you – metaphorically and literally.

Sounds like the right thing for you? Check out our upcoming courses to find out where and when we’ll be running the next set of classes.

The Observer of Perth Cycle Culture

Back in 2011, after being exposed to renowned Copenhagen based, Dutch architect Gehl, a visionary of Urban pedestrian and cycle friendly design, Amanda launched her own project observing and documenting Perth’s changing pace and style of riding bicycles.

“The cycle culture, which Gehl’s work helped flourish in Europe fascinated me and I was, and still am, envious of this lifestyle. It seems so civilised and simple because it is”, said Amanda, the mastermind of belles, pedals & chains. Her blog, a photo diary of bicycles she comes across in Perth, or anywhere else she and her co-blogger Sascha travel to, features the beautiful, bespoke treadlies people are floundering in urban spaces. It is an ode to the loved, well-made and elegant way of riding a bicycle.

Having been exposed to the European way of all things bike, Amanda noticed the change of culture in Perth, a move from total Lycra dominance to a more diverse look of the cycling landscape.  “I suddenly noticed other bikes on the street: fixies, vintage style, people wearing normal clothes, some without helmets.  I was like, ‘hang on something is happening here! Could there really be a change in the culture of movement here in Perth where car has always been king?’  I wanted to document that change so that other people could see what was happening on the streets of Perth.  I’m a very visual person and Sascha would often comment that I have eyes like a hawk. Maybe that makes me perfect for this project.  I would argue that she has become the same as me though.”

The photos of belles, pedals & chains are spontaneous anecdotes of pedal-by bike lovers on their way around town. The posts’ headlines are a testimony to the bloggers eye for detail, highlightling and naming the pictures most defining feature and leaving space for readers appreciation of the art of saving candid moments of everyday life.

The need to capture Perth’s “Europefication” was fuelled by Amanda’s desire to bring a bit of cycle friendliness home. “I really, really, really want to live in a city where riding a bike is normal, like Copenhagen and Amsterdam. I have a Danish bike myself.”

“The blog started out being about Perth but as we travel a lot we introduced photos of other cities.  It was a natural progression.  I was lucky to have been relocated to Melbourne for nearly six months in 2012 so the blog became very Melbourne centric then.  Such an inspiring city.”

“As Perth is so isolated, it’s a great way for people to check in with what’s happening in other cities. That’s really important.  I sometimes think we need to be constantly reminded of other places. The blog has become about cities and civilisation in this point in time.”

“The culture has definitely changed and there’s real momentum out there.  It was all Lycra and now you see handmade bikes, vintage, fixies and most importantly, a lot more women riding bikes.”

“We need to be doing more work though to encourage the after hours, weekend and short trips by bikes.  In Victoria, there’s been lots of work on providing infrastructure in suburbs so that people can get the shift from cars to bikes 24/7.  I think we also need to normalise riding a bike so it becomes more mainstream and for all ages. There’s still so much work to do.”

Work which Amanda and her blog are supporting and her commitment doesn’t go unnoticed. “We’ve had lots of messages via our Facebook page or through Instagram that people love the blog and can’t believe it’s based in Perth.  I just hope it might help to inspire people to dust off their bike.  I also hope we can show that riding a bike can be normal and doesn’t require special clothes, as it’s no big deal and age nor gender should be a barrier. The City of Sydney often use our photos in there bike promotion so maybe we are making a small difference somewhere.”

 

Although Amanda has been running her blog for four years now those looking for the repeat selfie on her Dutch bike will be disappointed. “Our privacy is pretty important because we want the blog to be about documenting what we see, not what WE do”, said Amanda.  “A bit of mystery is also really important.  There’s not enough mystery in our lives these days.”

Fixies, Poverty, Your Chance to Help!

Companies promising to do something worthwhile with the hard earned dough you’ve handed to them should pique more people’s attention. Atma Cycles, who will be launching a their first drop-dead gorgeous fixie, are a companies with their finger on the pulse of current consumer demands, who’re not only asking for a good product, but a socio-economic benefit to the rest of the world.

For what you buy when procuring an Atma fixie is, firstly, your new treadlie and, secondly, another bicycle which is donated to a young teenage woman in Northern India for whom this donation is essential to ride to secondary school and complete her education. I know, goosebumps story, right?

Currently, there is a big IF attached to this premise. Alex Carpenter, the owner of Atma Cycles, is gnawling at the starting budget, which will enable the first shipment of fixies to Perth. His crowdfunding campaign launched a few weeks ago and is about to expire in a few days time.

Alex is seeking support from those who have fallen in love with his product and can’t wait to pre-order, those who share his vision of a “buy one, donate one” philosophy that does good, those who feel compelled to support women’s education and escape from poverty or those who just can’t help but donate to something good.

Let’s backtrack a minute. How do women escape poverty through your fixie? Alex is working with a well-established non-profit organisation based in Northern India, which provides microloans. Through their community work they realised that transportation is a major factor in enabling young girls’ secondary education. No low-cost transportation meant girls discontinued school as they were unable to reach their secondary school. Owning their own bicycle, however, meant the could travel to school.

If this is still clear as mud have a listen to Alex at his crowdfunding launch, but most importantly, head to his fundraising page and help out!