Riding the bikes we built around Zambia

After building the bikes yesterday, we planned to test them out today.  We were bussed out to a starting point about 13km(about 8miles) from the town of Chongwe. We had a nice caravan to protectus for the ride.  Two motorcycle police, two trusty mechanics in WBR pickup trucks, once WBR SUV for the media, and one bus for any riders that would be dropping out.

The peloton heading out on our journey along East Road.

Pedestrians on East Road. The amount of people that you see walking out in the middle of nowhere is a good indication of how much bicycles can help them with transportation.

There are 4 nicely paved main roads in Zambia, and we were riding on one of them, it is named East Road.  So you can probably guess what the other 3 are named.  About halfway to Chongwe we met up with three Charcoal riders.  Two of them had WBR bicycles that were purchased through the micro-loan program that is run in the area.  These riders buy charcoal way out in villages where it is made , they payabout $4 per 20kg(about 40- 50lbs) and they ride with them (sometimes up to 5 bags) to the town of Chongwe or all the way to Lusaka to sell.  The distance for them to ride to Lusaka is at least 40km(25miles), depending on where they come from.  Once in the capital city they can sell their charcoal bags for up to $8.

Loaded up with 20kg charcoal sacks.

Look at the bike in the back, 5 bags!

Once we reached Chongwe we met with 12 World Vision/RAPIDS caregivers(There are 32 total that work out of this ADP office and they are all volunteers).  They told us about what they do and how the WBR bicycles have helped them do their work better.  We then presented the Caregivers with the bags of supplies that we had put together the day before.

Caregivers talking to us about what they do for sick people and how the WBR bikes have helped.

The Caregivers took us on a ride from Chongwe out to a village in the Bimbe district, where they planned to visit with 2 of the families that they are patients of theirs.  This was another 8 miles of riding, but this ride was on dirt roads.  This is where we got a taste of why the WBR bikes need to be so sturdy and well built.  The road was pretty rough in a lot of places.  And these roads were considered to be less harsh than some other regions of Zambia.  Bikes distributed here were usually the bikes with a 28” skinnier tire.  Bikes distributed in regions with rougher roads are ‘bubble tire’ bikes.  They use a fatter 26” wheel and tire in these regions.

Dick Burns riding through the town of Chongwe on the bike he built the day before.

Dirt roads, yes they had a little bit of traffic.

Megan found a passenger for her bike.

Lots of people were coming out to see what the heck we were doing.

Thirsty?

Once out in the Bimbe village we quickly met a woman, who is cared for by one of the caregivers, who is HIV positive.  The caregiver told us about how bad of shape this woman was in back in 2004 when she first visited her.  The caregiver helped the woman get diagnosed and get the proper drugs to improve her quality of life.  We also met a family with 3 children, where both the mother and father are HIV positive.  They had the same story of not having any treatment before the caregiver came along to help them get the proper treatment and supplies to improve their quality of life.

A caregiver getting ready to speak to us with one of the families that she cares for.

This is the home of the family from the previous photo. Mom, dad and 3 kids live here.

This kids stopped to chat with us on their way home from school.

Reid showing them what they look like on camera.

After meeting the families we headed back out on the bikes.  Our peloton for the ride out was down to 6 riders.  Alex, Reid, and Neil started pushing the pace to see what the bikes could do, but the heat was intense, and they had to keep waiting for me and my sensitive stomach.

Once back to the town of Chongwe, we took the bikes to the HARMOS micro-loan office.  Here we learned about the micro-loan program that they sell WBR bikes through.  WBR bikes are purchased using 3-6 month loans by people who want to use the bikes for a business or just for transportation to their job.  The bikes that we built and had ridden, were being sold at a discounted price(since we thrashed them so bad, haha).  There were 4 customers already there to take advantage of the discount.  And one of those customers, “Bicycle Joe”, was buying his 4^th bike.  One of the things he does with his bikes, is buy transport and sell goats.

The smaller peloton encountering some traffic on the hot ride back.

Our bikes that we build and rode will be sold at a discounted price through micro-loans. Here is a group shot with the first 4 customers to take advantage of the deal.

Neil and one of the customers.

Building Bikes in Zambia

To start out our work week in Zambia, we planned to visit the bike building facility and see how it all worked.  Then build our own bikes across town at the WBR office.  On our way to visit the WBR bike building warehouse, we stopped by the World Vision/RAPIDS distribution center in Lusaka.

Instead of me boring you with lots and lots of typing to tell you all about how World Vision/RAPIDS and WBR work together in Zambia, I will just give you the choice to read about it if you like, link here: WBR/World Vision/RAPIDS.

The distribution center we visited receives products like shoes, clothing, medical supplies, vitamins, toys and mosquito nets to distribute.  A lot of the product is received from companies that donate a specific product to be used like Hasbro donating toys or Crocs donating crocs.  When we were there, they had 25,000 pairs of crocs on the shelves ready to be distributed out.  Some of the other product that is donated is counterfeit merchandise that has been seized by U.S. customs and cannot be sold to anyone.

Examples of the product World Vision distributes around Zambia.

The World Vision/RAPIDS distribution center was large.25,000 crocs, ready to roll out to kids that need them.

We then visited the warehouse that World Bicycle Relief is using/sharing to manufacture the bicycles.  They share the warehouse with a company called Tata.  This is currently a disadvantage for WBR because their work conditions are not ideal.  They don’t have a lot of tools there, its dirty and there are tons of other brands of bikes piled up and laying around in the way.  The company they are sharing with has promised to improve conditions but has failed to follow through for about a year now.  WBR plans to move into their own warehouse where they will be able to control the conditions and provide a nice environment for their assembly teams.

WBR employs 2 teams of 10 assemblers.  They receive all the parts at the Tata warehouse and assemble the WBR bikes, pretty much from scratch.  Even building the wheels, which they told me is the most time consuming step in the process.  Between the two teams they build 500 bikes a week.

Alex and I learning about the assembly process.

The instructions and the do's and don't's are all nicely illustrated on the walls.WBR bike assembly is currently sharing warehouse space, as you can see but the Tata truck filled with Tata bikes and surrounded by WBR frames and wheel kits.

Lots of frames and wheel kits.Hubs, saddles, bike racks, and spokes are all in this photo.

Crates holding 500 hubs each showing their clearance stickers.

The temporary bike assembly area.

Building wheels.

On this day only one of the assembly teams was at the warehouse while the other team was waiting for us at the WBR offices across town.  There they would coach us through building some bikes on our own.

The Kelly cycling team at WBR headquaters in Lusaka.

Once at the WBR office, we first assembled 50 replenishment kits to be distributed to World Vision/RAPIDS caregivers.  The bags contained supplies that are used by caregivers to treat sick people when their visit their homes in villages.  Some of the things in the kits were bars of soap, clean washcloths, a flashlight, Vaseline, antibiotic cream, and cotton balls.

50 supply replenishment bags that would distributed to World Vision caregivers.

We would deliver these kits later in the week.

Then we got to build some bikes.  WBR made it pretty easy on us.  The wheels were already built, and not only did I have the pictorial manual for assembling the bike but I also had Benjamin(one of the assemblers), who coached me through building 2 bikes.

John Kelly getting ready to tackle bike assembly.

My bike building coach, Benjamin.

Working on these 55lb. monsters was a little bit different than carefully assembling a $5000 carbon race bike.  As a team(12 total people) we completed 12 bikes, which we would ride the following day.  Reid, Alex, Neil and I finished the day by testing our product and riding back to our hotel.  It was rush hour, actually it always seemed like rush hour in Lusaka, so it was an exhilarating 30min. ride back to the hotel.

Testing our new rides.

Gotta ride on the left side here in Zambia.

Zambia report, part 1. Mercy

I want to give detailed reports of some of the experiences we had and things we learned in Zambia. So this is the first one. In the next entry I will write about some WBR bike building and riding.

We traveled to the Lusaka suburbs to visit Mercy Ministries.  We arrived to over 100 students welcoming us with singing and chanting.  Mercy Ministries is a community created organization that is a school for orphans and underprivileged students, and they provide support for single mothers and senior citizen mothers.  The singing and thankfulness shown by all of the students was pretty overwhelming, none of us were expecting it.  One interesting thing also was that many of the students were wearing Arizona Cardinal super bowl champion tshirts.  As some of you may know, the NFL prints tshirts for both teams in a super bowl, and the tshirts with the losing team on them get donated, so this is one of the places they end up.

The kids sang in their own language and then Dorthy(who co-founded the school in 1985 along with her husband) would translate the words they were singing so that we understood.  We also had individual students read their poems to us and sing more songs.  After they finished their songs, Megan Heis (she is a representative of world vision who is traveling with us)  sang an Italian opera song to them.  It was the first time that they had heard anything like that, so at first they all started laughing.  But then by the time she had finished, they were all trying to sing in the same way.

My video recording skills here need some major work, but the sound is good, so watch it for the sound…

Mercy creates income-generating activities for the widows and grandmothers that they support at the school.  The U.S. embassy just gave them a grant to create a recycled glass jewelry making program.  We met an expert glass bead maker from Ghana who was there training the widows how to make beads using old bottles.  They break them, crush them, put them into molds, bake the molds in a kiln, then shape and polish them into beads used to make bracelets and necklaces to sell.

In addition to the beads, they make and sell bags, shirts and blankets.

This is where the students were waiting to greet us.

This 17yr. old student recieved his WBR bike 2 yrs ago. He has used it to commute to school up to 20km per day.

Bead making demonstration

The kiln for the glass beads. Made out of clay from an ant hill, saliva in the soil from the ants gives it a higher heat resistance.

Future beads.

These kids enjoy posing for the camera.

Waving bye to the bus.

The suburban streets of Lusaka.

africa update!

well, as it turns out, internet has been a bit of a challenge for scott over in Zambia.  they have been staying in Lusaka, the capitol, and had to pay for a very slow connection.  so scott, in his infinite patience, pretty much abandoned the updates…

i have talked to him several times, and while it is a sketchy connection, it seems that he is having an amazing time and is pretty overwhelmed by what he is seeing.  in a nutshell, and please excuse any faults in my memory/specifics:

the guys have been to the factory where the bikes are made, and actually each built up a bike, which they then rode out into the country.  they met up with aide workers, riding their WBR bikes, and together visited two separate families that the aide workers care for.  one family had 3 children between 2 and 9, with both parents HIV positive.

they visited a center  that helps single women and widows by providing small, income-generating jobs like making jewelry.  scott said that the women they talked to had basically been to hell and back before being offered the safety and support at the center.

they delivered bikes to a school and were overwhelmed with a traditional ceremony.  hundreds of kids, their parents, staff, and even the head of the entire school district came to meet them.  the kids sang, chanted, read poems, and performed a skit for the boys and the WBR staff.

overall, scott is really struck by how appreciative the people are.  they are constantly thanking him for coming to see the “real” Africa, and for listening to their stories.  he seems to be truly affected by his trip, and i’m sure the processing will last a long time.

now the guys have moved out of the capitol and into the country for some sightseeing.  they go on safari tomorrow!!!  and i think a trip to victoria falls…scott says it is amazing, but a bit haunting to be in such luxury after what he has just experienced.

scott will of course be able to tell us all more, but i wanted to let you all know what i can.  he and i thank all of the people who helped make this trip possible with your generous donations!

again, apologies for any mistakes in my memory and the overall lack of details.  scott returns monday and will be recounting his adventures here.

Success!

This past Saturday we held our World Bicycle Relief  fundraiser.  We had a great group of positive and enthusiastic riders meet at Above Category Bike Shop in Mill Valley.  We headed out on a 3 hour ride in spectacular weather, with Emily and company providing a well-stocked “feedzone” at the halfway point.  After the ride we regrouped at the shop, where a delicious spread awaited us.  The raffle commenced and prizes were doled out to the lucky participants.  All in all, our wonderful friends and supporters generously helped me raise $1847 toward my trip to Zambia and WBR!

A special thanks to Chad, Kalara and Woody at Above Category for their continual support and providing a great venue for the day.  To Jen, who donated time and enthusiasm, and whose Pumpkin Spice bread was the hit of the feed zone! To Belinda for all the great photos.  To Alice for setting up the bagel feast.  To Emily, for organizing, feeding, raffling, and making it all happen.  And of course, especially to all the riders who made the day a success.  Everyone came with a great attitude, excited to participate and learn more about this wonderful program.  I hope you all had as much fun as I did!

If you still would like to donate, here is the link to the donation site: Kelly Donation Page

And here are photos:

Strategic planning meeting.

AC was well represented for the ride.

Good Times.

Rolling into the feed zone.

MMM Spiced pumpkin bread!

Refueling.

Bragging.

Tyler was a big winner in the raffle!

Ride with Zwizanski this Saturday and help World Bicycle Relief

Yes, I just referred to myself as ‘Zwizanski’. Come on out and ride, all are welcome.
See all the details below:
I am in this picture, trust me.  I was going so fast that I am off the screen to the right!

Charity Ride with Local Pro Rider Scott Zwizanski Champion Tour De Beauce . Champion Tour of Uruguay . 3rd U.S. National Time Trial Saturday September 26, 2009 at 8am – Starts at Above Category Raise money for bicycles for Zambia – $20 suggested minimum donation to ride.  Scott Zwizanski of the Kelly Benefit Strategies Professional Cycling Team will lead a casual group ride from Above Category in Mill Valley on Saturday, September 26, to benefit World Bicycle Relief.TheWorld Bicycle Relief mission is to provide access to independence and livelihood through The Power of Bicycles. Bicycles empower individuals, their families, and their communities, including increasing access to school for children in rural areas. In October, four Kelly riders, including Scott, will travel to Zambia as ambassadors for World Bicycle Relief. Each rider going to Zambia has a $5,000 fund raising goal. Help us raise money for Scott’s trip to Zambia. Scott has emerged this season as one of the top pros in North America. Scott will be available to chat and answer any questions, from training methods to racing with to the top Euro pros in the peloton today. Your donation will make you eligible to participate in a random prize drawing, including an Assos kit (FI Uno bibs and SS Uno Jersey, retail $370) courtesy of Above Category and other great items such as Scott’s signed yellow jersey from Tour de Beauce. Ride Details: Casual 2 to 3 hr ride. No one will be left behind, and we will regroup several times during the ride. Route: Out to the coast via Muir woods, N. on Hwy 1, into Mill Valley via Bolinas Ridge. Professional racer Emily Zell will be operating the feed zone at the base of Bo-Fax. Post ride snacks will be provided. Donations will be accepted at the ride, or you may go online and donate on the Kelly donation site. Also, a computer will be available after the ride, if you want to donate online using a credit card. Donate here now. World Bicycle Relief is a public charity operating under section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. All contributions are tax deductible to the full extent of the law. World Bicycle Relief is an Illinois Not-for-Profit Corporation, and is compliant with all regulations and recommendations of the Federal and State Government. Audited financial information is available upon request. www.abovecategorycycling.com RSVP: woody@abovecategorycycling.com

Open Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

As you probably know I ride for the Kelly Benefit Strategies Professional Cycling Team. You can read all about the team and our racing here: www.kbsprocycling.com.  This year our team has partnered with a program called World Bicycle Relief(WBR).

Quite simply, WBR provides bicycles to people in underdeveloped countries.  Compared to walking, bicycles give them an easier and more efficient mode of transportation. You can see more examples of the impact that bicycles have here: www.worldbicyclerelief.org/about_us/impact.php

I am writing this letter because I have a super exciting opportunity to travel to Zambia in October to experience how WBR works and to act as an ambassador of the program.   I need your help and support to make this happen!

WBR does extensive work in Zambia, where last month they began the Bicycles for Education Empowerment Program. The program will deliver 50,000 bicycles improve access to education for children who face exceptionally long commutes to school (8-12 miles per way on foot). You can read a brief article about it in the Chicago Tribune here: www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-zambia-bikes_thujun25,0,6318406.story

I am raising funds so that at the end of the race season I can travel to Zambia with some of my teammates to experience firsthand the difference that simple, sustainable mobility can have. Our trip will include a visit to the WBR bike factory and meeting with some of the local mechanics they have trained.  We also hope to actually deliver bikes to some of the villagers firsthand!

Please consider donating to help us make this trip. It is super easy to donate, and you can do it online, just follow the link at the end of this message.

If you want to find out any more info, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Thanks in advance for your support,
Scott

Follow This Link to visit my personal web page and help me in my efforts to support World Bicycle Relief

Here’s the link to our KBS fundraising page where you can learn more about our team’s initiative as well as the work done by World Bicycle Relief:

http://www.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=308309

Thank you for your time and continued support of my racing. You, too, can help spread The Power of Bicycles

Win Lap 2 in the KBS team car at Philly International!

Win a lap in the team car. And help our team help World Bicycle Relief.
ebay link

so proud! (and jealous!)

while i raced in tulsa, scott was tearing it up on the east coast.  it’s all been a blur to me with all the travel, but i don’t think one race has gone by without his team being on the podium, culminating in yesterday’s 3rd place for scott.  i can’t wait until i can get these kind of results!  i mean, even dan schmatz can’t stop thinking about him!!!

http://velonews.com/article/92687/recovery-ride-milne-wins-us-air-force-classic

BODE TT Stage Race

Good times, on and off the bike!  I made the 10 hour journey up to Boise for a 4-stage ALL tt race and had a blast!  stayed with the Barbers, who are now my favorite hosts!  they helped make my long weekend in Boise even better.  i think pictures do more than words, so here are a few.  and oh, yeah – i won!

stage 4

stage 5

learning a proper pour from the kegerator (sp?)