bike advocacy, bicycle tour, bicycle safety

 

Specialty Tours: Cultural Bike Programs &
Cycle Touring / Multi-day Fundraising Rides /
Charity Rides / Bike-a-thons /
Pedaling for Peace and Social Justice

 

 

 


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These tours heighten awareness and understanding of cultural, environment, and humanitarian conditions. And, fundraise to help cure diseases, have healthier body parts, do public education and serve the afflicted.  Many of the events are annual, so if you missed it this year you might still have an opportunity to participate in the future. We also prioritize listing that support and network with other parts of the bicycle community.  The listing of an event does not constitute an endorsement by the International Bicycle Fund.  Bike festivals and one-day fund-raising bike rides / tours are listed on the events calendar page.

* To prevent email harvesting the email addresses in this directory are un-hyperlinked and have an extra space in them.  To contact an organization you will need to cut-and-paste the address and delete the space before the @ symbol.  For those of you with honorable intentions we are sorry for the inconvenience in communicating with these fine organizations.

Beware of Eco-Hypocrisy Tours
Several major international environment organizations and "eco-tour" operators with worldwide trekking, canoeing and biking programs offers astonishing "non-eco", resource consuming, carbon-intensive van tours (particularly in Africa.) You don't have to leave your environmental ethics at home or tear-up someone else environment to visit it. We would love to show you information on responsible travel (PDF), responsible tourism and environmental tips (PDF) for travelers.

"Service programs" can have their own short-comings:  There is a common proverb "If you GIVE someone a fish and they eat for a day.  If you TEACH them to fish they eat for a lifetime."  When you look at service programs and ask yourself, "Why aren't the local people building the latrine (clinic, well, market, fill-in-the-blank)?"  It is rarely because everyone locally is already fully employed.  What is the context and the dynamic of these programs?  Who is really benefiting? [Hint: follow the money.] 

Bicycle Africa
Bicycle Africa provides an opportunity for Westerners to learn more about Africa at a person-to-person level not usually available to tourists. All programs are small groups, self-contained bicycle explorations. Each program is unique and highlights the diversity of the culture, social institutions and environment, and the complexity of the history, economy and society. For information contact: Bicycle Africa, 4887 Columbia Dr. S., Seattle WA 98108 USA. Tel: 1-206-767-0848. Email: ibike @ibike.org *.

Bicycle Trek for Life & Breath 
A two-day, 200-kilometre ride through the scenic Fraser Valley, September, to raise money to fight lung disease.. For more information: check the website, or in Vancouver call 604-731-5864. Outside the Lower Mainland call: 1-800-665-5864 toll-free. E-mail: trek @bc.lung.ca * (Nov 2008)

Cuba People-to-People Program
An opportunity for Northerners to learn more about Mesoamerica at a person-to-person level not usually available to tourists. All programs are small groups, self-contained bicycle programs. Each is unique and highlights the diversity of the culture, social institutions and environment, and the complexity of the history, economy and society. For information contact: Atenas de Cuba, c/o International Bicycle Fund, 4887 Columbia Dr. S., Seattle WA 98108 USA. Tel/Fax: 1-206-767-0848. Email: ibike @ibike.org *.

Cycle 4 Recycle: Cycle Americas
A global initiative which aims to improve life on the planet. As of June 2015, they will start a cycling expedition from Alaska to Argentina, approximately 60'000 km.  Their goal is to gather information and analyze the thinking and psychology of different groups vis-à-vis fuel production and consumption as well as the natural preservation, protection and Nature’s place in human lives and living. The title of the research is “Recycling of thinking”. The focus will also be on the ways people from both continents manage and treat disposable packaging, on the way they understand and feel about the global warming, and, the concept of future for the planet and for ourselves. (Feb 2015)

Hunger Cycling Safari
Charity Cycling Stage Race in Kenya and Tanzania by Community Aid International (CAI), a non-governmental organization (NGO) in Kenya, in partnership with World Food Programme (WFP), a UN agency with a mandate on food aid, together with other NGOs in Kenya, are organizing an annual cycling event, February 18th to 27th 2007, to raise funds for a programme on elimination of Child Hunger in the region and Africa.  For more information contact, cai @africaonline.co.ke *. (July 2006)

Heart to Heart Charity Ride
The Thailand Cycling Club (TCC) is organizing the 2nd Heart to Heart Charity Ride during April 13-20, a ride from Narathiwat, in the South of Thailand, to Bangkok, with a total distance of over 1,200 km. During this Charity Ride funds will be raised for the “Thai Elephant Fund”, a project of the Thailand Environment Institute.  For more information about the Heart to Heart Charity Ride, as well as the “Thai Elephant Fund” click on the link or contact Thailand Cycling Club. Email: tpanswad @hotmail.com * or bobusher @ksc.th.com *. (2003)

Ibike Tours
For those who already love the Pacific Northwest and for those who have never been there, the International Bicycle Fund is offering "Rolling the Islands of the Salish Sea" (Puget Sound, the San Juan Islands and Canadian Gulf Islands), a fascinating two-week exploration of this multicultural region like no other. The programs highlight the rich cultural heritage and history, the geographical and environmental diversity, and the mosaic of economic, geological, cultural and historical complexity of Swatixwtuhd (Lushootseed for the "earth"). Program participants have opportunities to: meet Suquamish, Swinomish and other indigenous people; learn how the Hawaiian were early foreign traders here, the Chinese built the infrastructure, the Japanese fed the people and other ethnic groups transformed the land. We will visit local markets, wander in historic sites and to enjoy the extraordinary friendliness of the people and inspirational beauty of the Swatixwtuhd. The rich cultural history of the Northwest is a virtually undiscovered treasure. Specialists in cross-cultural programs guide the group. For information contact: Ibike Tours, 4887 Columbia Dr. S., Seattle WA 98108 USA. Tel/Fax: 1-206-767-0848. Email: ibike @ibike.org *.

Jewish Environmental Bike Ride
The purpose of the Ride is to raise environmental awareness in the Jewish community, to raise money for Jewish environmental projects, to bring people together across differences of age and background and also, simply, to have a good time.  Rides attracted riders aged 12 to 69, of every denomination and none. For more information visit the website, email info @hazon.org * or telephone 212-685-7908. (April 2009)

Leukemia Society Teams-in-Training
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team In Training (TNT) is the largest endurance sports training program in the world. (March 2009)

Liddy Shriver Sarcoma Initiative
Fundraising bike tour.  Sarcoma is a rare and dangerous cancer in adults (about 1% of adult cancers are sarcomas) but it is more prevalent in children (between 15-20% of all children’s cancers are sarcomas).  (Nov 2008)

MS 150
The MS 150® is a two-day non-competitive cycling adventure that challenges riders of all ages, levels and abilities. The purpose of the tour is to raise money to fight the devastating effects of multiple sclerosis (MS) and increase awareness of MS symptoms and the important new treatments now available. (Nov 2008)

Nujiang Preservation Project Cycle Eco-tour
The Nujiang Preservation Project is dedicated to preserve a great pristine place in Northwest Yunnan, People's Republic of China, where there is the last unspoiled River, the Nujiang River or Upper Salween. There is only one main road of nearly 400km that goes from the south to the north dead ending 30 k from Tibet in the Shangri-la of Bingzhongluo. It is an ideal road for Cycling and we are planning 10 day Cycling Eco-tours all  winter long from December 1 to April 1, 2005.  For more information please contact at whitepearl @gci-net.com *.

Tour de Quisqueya (Haiti).
A cycling adventure & social impact project.

Tour de Thailand
Charity Bicycle Ride from Chiang Mai, Thailand to Phuket, Thailand. Riders can participate for 1, 2, 3, or all 4 weeks of the Tour. For further information, please contact:  Mr. Christopher Byrd.  Email: chris @tourdethailand.com *. Phone:  +661 173 4469. (Jan 2009)

Wheels of Love
Five-day ride to support the only pediatric rehabilitation center for physically disabled children in Israel. (Sept 2012)

Eco-Friends Bicycle Tour
The Goa Association For Education and Development (GAED) is promoting bicycling, eco-tourism and environmental awareness with Eco-Friends Bicycle Tours. Tours are scheduled for once or twice a year in Goa State, India. Participation is open to 15 youth from India and 10 people from foreign countries. The route travels through more than 30 villages, covering 385 km, 240 miles, in 7 days. Goa is noted for its attractive beaches, silent rivers, green hills and plains, churches and temples, and famous architecture, feasts and festivals. For information write to: Sanjay Gawas, GAED, PO Box 1044, GPO Vasco da Gama, Goa - 403 803 India. (1995)

Comment On 'Overland' Tours
A bicycle traveler summed up his experience with truck 'Overlanders' in Africa this way:

"Trucks carrying about two dozen travelers from Europe or Australia. When an 'O' pulls up at a camp site the inmates emerge like commandos and erect a barracks of tents in seconds. Arc lights, stoves and utensils protrude from the lorry's side like cannon from a battleship. Our little fire looks feeble."

 

 
 

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The International Bicycle Fund is an independent, non-profit organization. Its primary purpose is to promote bicycle transportation. Most IBF projects and activities fall into one of  four categories: planning and engineering, safety education, economic development assistance and promoting international understanding. IBF's objective is to create a sustainable, people-friendly environment by creating opportunities of the highest practicable quality for bicycle transportation. IBF is funded by private donation. Contributions are always welcome and are U.S. tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

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