by Sprocket on November 7, 2010
I pulled myself away from watching football on Sunday and watched a riveting Documentary of the TourDivide on the Documentary Channel.
It made my blood churn and yearn to do a similar adventure. Perhaps I will ride and not race it. I live in the Northwest and will ride the Montana section to get a sense of it.
The Tour Divide is 2700 mile unsupported mountain bike race that courses from Banff, Alberta to Antelope Wells, NM on the Mexican boarder. Last years winner, Matthew Lee finished in 17 days and 16 hours. Unbelievable! There were 48 starters and 23 finishers. That race is indeed a heroic journey by good people who love to bike.
by Sprocket on November 1, 2010
We just returned from the African Congo and saw the Project Rwanda bike in the Kigali airport. Saw another Project Rwanda bike by a grocery store in Kigali. It was being sold for $200US (that is a bargain).
Rwanda is a much more developed country than the Congo. We saw scores of bikes in Kigali and only a handful in Bukavu, Congo. Africa has great need for bicycles. The rural areas of Africa does not have the infrastructure to support vehicles and trucks. People can afford them either.
A bicycle in Africa is a means to transport food, water, and easier access to medical care and education. You can Google “bicycles for Africa” and find many organizations that find ways to get bicycles to Africa.
Earlier this year I ordered coffee from Wooden Bike Coffee that is supported by Project Rwanda. Here is the review: The coffee was good but not awesome. It seems to have been dried rather than roasted. It reminded in color and flavor to Folgers. Others tried it and liked it. I would recommend it as coffee, but I wouldn’t consider it exotic. The important thing is that is supports the development of a much needed economic engine in rural Rwanda. Order some and spread the word.