Ride on, or off

I’m not what you’d call a natural athlete. I have the flexibility of a pencil, as demonstrated during gymnastics classes as a kid, and I have the coordination of a puppy, as proven by my early attempts to ride a bike. I grew up in a house that had a long driveway in front, meaning there was plenty of room to practice biking, which I did. But there was one problem: A highway at the end of the driveway. Sounds scary, right? It wasn’t. At least not for anyone else. My parents made sure there was never any real threat that my siblings and I would end up zooming into traffic— something both my brother and sister seemed to grasp. But not me. Not being terribly coordinated to begin with, and lacking the fundamental understanding of anything as highly mechanical as making a bike stop, my way of keeping safe was to throw myself sideways into the bushes halfway down the driveway, much to the shrieking delight of my brother and sister. One day, I finally decided that I’d picked enough branches out of my hair, and thus ended my cycling career.

It’s not without some irony that many years later, I realize that I’ve ended up with a man who loves cycling. Loves as in let’s-watch-every-second-of-the-three-week-Tour-de-France-every-year, which, while exciting at some points, is, let’s face it, a lot of time spent watching skinny men decked out in unattractive spandex, pedal, pedal, and pedal some more. For three entire weeks.

But along the way of our marathon bike watching, I have managed to pick up a thing or two:

One: People who choose to race up mountains on tiny little seats are crazy, yes, but unbelievably talented, too.

Two: No one should wear spandex. Really, ever.

Three: There are a lot of bikes out there. Not only in the race (even I picked up on that one), but in garages, basements, landfills…lots of bikes that people have outgrown or abandoned for real sports like scrapbooking. Oh, wait, that’s just me. Anyway, there are lots of bikes and lots of people who need bikes—not for sport, but rather, for something as basic as getting water for their families.

So maybe you’re like me with a really old bike sitting in a garage, or like my boyfriend who just upgraded his ride and now has an extra one, or perhaps your kids are growing at warp speed and leaving a trail of too-small bikes in their wake, but if you have an unused bike, consider donating it to organizations that bring them to countries in need. Check out Bicycles for Humanity, a nonprofit that works to empower poor, women, children, and HIV positive people in Africa by giving them the opportunity to bike—instead of walk—to get water, medical help, or go to school. Or consider Village Bicycle Project, a group that supplies bikes, spare parts, tools, and bike maintenance training classes for people in Africa, as well. We may not all be Tour de France-worthy cyclists, or even, ahem, be able to stay upright on two wheels, but we may be able to help provide those who need it most with basic transportation. And that’s a great victory.

-Amy, articles editor

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