ride for africycle 5.0

as a feature of my life, i like to help raise money for worthy causes.

three causes draw my attention - pediatric cancer, huntingtons, and malawi.

each gets my attention in a different way,but the one i wish to draw your attention to here

is the piece with malawi.

it's a little country, very far away.

of course it's very poor.

but. there are people there.

people with spirit and ambition that doesn't easily compare to that of their western counterparts because the model on which their scope and expectations are based is much different.

my work to support their work is very simple and in my own view very lovely.

because it involves bikes.

visitors to this blog may not know that i have never owned a car driver's licence.

a strange and yet irrefutable fact that becomes more incredible when you learn that my family used to own and race vintage jaguars and has always had a taste for nice cars.

i own two bicycles.

one is a road bike.

a really good road bike that propels me around the countryside at great speed and in comfort.

that's the one i'm using to get me around lake ontario in august of this year.

the plan is to complete the 1120 km journey in nine days.

eight days of riding and one day of rest.

oh boy!

the ride for africycle is in its fifth year.

i blogged last year's ride

if you'd like to read and see that ride then you can start right here.

the ride for africycle supports africycle who in turn support the zomba shop, and grace orphan care.

my goal is to raise money, so i am posting this as a shameless request for you to consider supporting my ride and the work of africycle by heading over to my fundraising page which is right here.

if that one plays hard to get then try here.

because i choose to place no expectations on your financial support,

given that i know nothing of your circumstances,

i would ask in all humility that if you cannot or choose not to support the ride,

if you would rather provide blessings and prayers

that you feel comfortable in doing so

knowing that they will be received with equal gratitude!!!

steven

the bike lane dilemma

let's get political.

i'm on record as not being political. but perhaps there's a place for some of the features of being a cyclist in a world that is (in my neck of the woods) super slow or close to unwilling to accept

that the bike is for me and many others, my primary mode of transportation.

it's fun, i love it, and it is how i get around.

period.

end of story.

i'd really like my city to move a little faster in terms of getting the idea that just as with cars there are special provisions to ensure their safe movement around, so do there need to be accomodations and infrastructure put in place that protects a cyclists needs and rights.

above all, i'd like to avoid what this poor guy has to deal with!!!