Through the rain, a group of 10 of us met down at Recycle Ithaca's Bicycles (better known as RIBS) and depedaled and turned down handlebars of another 150 unwanted bikes. We had quite a lot of people come by and drop off their old (sometimes ancient!) bikes. Some of them were dated back a few decades - but it was pretty amazing to see my bike guru friends oooo and ahh over a dusty and rusty looking bike and point how cool and antique some of the bike components were. Some people can really see something beautiful and useful in something that looks so dilapidated.
That made me think of the whole point of this project. We're sending otherwise unwanted/un-used bikes that people here view as "scrap metal" buried in the barn or garage. But once they travel the ocean and get fixed up by the Ghanaian bike mechanics, the bikes will be transformed into a coveted object - a symbol of status and a cherished means of transportation.
Hence the name of our project, "Scrap Metal to Ghana Pedal".
We're now up to 250 out of the targeted 500 bikes. (Just image my Collegetown apartment basement, jammed full with bikes!)
I'm organizing this project with a friend, Liz Bageant, and she's been to Ghana several times to work directly with the Village Bicycle Project. Just looking at the pictures, you can see how much a bike means to them and how something as simple as a bike can transform a rural Ghanaian's life.
A quick update on my Bike & Build trip : I bought a sweet pair of bike shorts and with this nice warm Ithaca weather, I'm ready to try them out on a training ride!
I'm looking for friends to sponsor my ride across America for affordable housing. Want to sponsor me? Click here to donate!
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