The Global Solidarity Ride: Bikes = Freedom on August 30th
On August 30th, Bikers, cyclists, commuters, and strider riders around the world will take to their wheels in support of Afghan women that dare to ride bicycles, and in remembrance of women that dared to ride before them in the Global Solidarity Ride. The upcoming event is scheduled to take place on August 30 and will take place all around the world. This ride is to show the women of Afghanistan and many other women fighting for their rights that they are not alone in their revolutionary actions.
In a country that has never allowed its women to ride bikes, a group of Afghan women have been quietly making history. The women have been steadily improving, and they have an invitation to race at the Asian Games in South Korea this September. This ride will directly support their efforts in its inaugural year to show the world what Afghan women are capable of.
The Global Solidarity Ride is based off of Mountain2Mountain’s original Panjshir Tour which they started in 2010 as a way to engage cycling communities in support of the organizations projects in Afghanistan that benefited women and girls. The founder of Mountain2Mountain and Shannon Galpin, was the first woman to mountain bike in Afghanistan, and those first rides took place in the Panjshir Valley. She asked men all over the country in rural and urban areas, “can women ride bikes? Would you allow your wife, daughter, sister to ride a bike”? The answer was always no. Mountain2Mountain created the Panjshir Tour as a way to use the bike as a vehicle to raise awareness and funding for their projects in Afghanistan. Now that we have seen Afghan women riding bikes, making history, and pedaling a revolution, the Solidarity Ride seemed like an incredible way to unite communities around the world on two wheels and show the Afghan women that they are not alone, the world sees what they are doing and supports them.
The Afghan women will be riding too, so that on August 30th no matter where you are the in world, men and women will be spinning their wheels on concrete and in dirt, united in the freedom of a bike! Here is how you can get involved:
Organize a Ride! and we will help you get the word out! Email us at [email protected]
- The ride can be anything you want road, dirt, cruiser any time of day
- Take pictures and post to social media
- Like -Mountain2Mountain on your social media accounts
- Tag – @Mountain2Mountain on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
- Hashtag – #solidarityride2014
- Donate – if you can, a dollar, a quarter, $100 and if you can’t that is ok! Just take a ride and remember how lucky you are to be able to take a spin!
- Let us know about your ride so we can add it to the list!
Here is the list of towns, cities and countries that are participating. You can check this growing list at: http://mountain2mountain.wordpress.com/2014/08/19/global-solidarity-ride/
| San Diego, CA |
| China |
| Victoria, BC |
| Annapolis, MD |
| Phoenix, AZ |
| Norway |
| Sao Paulo, Brazil |
| Austin, TX |
| Elgin, Scotland |
| Melbourne, Australia – Treadlie Magazine – ride is full |
Melbourne, Australia – Ladies Back on Your Bikes – [email protected]
Long Valley, NJ
Durango, CO
Cortez, CO – Osprey Packs
Austin, TX
Illinois
Wisconsin
Kerala, India
Tacoma, WA
Ojai, CA
Seattle, WA
Boulder, CO
Bend, OR – road bikes
Bend, OR – mountain bikes
Springfield, MO
London, England
Brooklyn, NY – Red Beard Bikes
Burbank, CA
Dubai, UAE
Denton, NJ – Cycle Craft
Plano, TX – Plano Cycling and Fitness
Burbank, CA – H&S Cycles
Sydney, Australia
Boulder, CO
Scottsdale, AZ – West Valley Cycle Club – dedicating their Sat. ride to Solidarity Ride
Denver, CO – PrimalWear – details coming soon
Taiwan – Liv Global Headquarters
Manhattan, KS – Big Poppi Bicycle Co
Reno, Nevada – High Sierra Cycling
Roseville, CA – Roseville Cyclery
Tampa, FL – details coming soon
East Aurora, NY – The Bike Shop
Tokyo, Japan – Giant Shop Futako Tamagawa, Tokyo
Thousand Oakes, CA – Liv Giant Headquarters
Telluride, CO
Denver, CO – Giant Cycling World
Brooklyn, NY – RedBeard Bikes
McKinney, Texas – Cadence Cyclery
Santana Grove, Philippines – United Folding Bikes
Afghanistan – Multiple locations.
Breckenridge, CO – Mtn Town Magazine
More Locations to be Announced! Keep checking this growing list at: http://mountain2mountain.wordpress.com/2014/08/19/global-solidarity-ride/
~Mtn Town Views
Photo Credits: Mountain2Mountain
