Bike East Bay’s Climate Ride team raised $30,000 for bike advocacy and other organizations fighting climate change. With eight riders participating in the five-day, 325-mile California Central Coast ride in June, we put our passion to the pedal and rode from San Francisco to San Luis Obispo.
Next year’s California ride is May 20-24 and winds down the North Coast from Humboldt through the redwoods, along the coast, and through wine country to San Francisco. Interested? Curious? Drooling already? Join our interest list. We’ll keep you posted on fall and spring rides with previous team members, an informational meeting in fall with one of the founders of Climate Ride, and registration deadlines.
Our Climate Ride team is a group of community members who love riding their bikes and see bicycles as tools for social and environmental change. Each person takes on a challenge, whether that’s fundraising for the first time, riding farther than they have before, raising more money than before for organizations they believe in, or a more personal goal.
Returning riders Rick Rickard, Mimi Torres, Robert Prinz, and Erica Nakamura reflected on the fun, team building, friendships, and beauty of the ride.
Erica loves rides like this because “it’s summer camp!”
Mimi marveled: “How does all this beautiful nature exist and I’m just riding and looking at it? I’m just so grateful.”
Robert (center) treasures the growth of the team spirit through the training season, and the warmth and cohesion of the team on the ride.
Rick savors seeing good friends from past rides, as well as connecting with first-time Climate Riders. He digs into what moves them to do this ride and loves learning about the organizations they’ve chosen as beneficiaries.
New riders Rachel Jacobson, Adam Jadhav, Hilary Near, and Peter Marleau noted how much they learned, grew, and bonded.
Adam shares: “training rides drastically shifted my understanding of what I can do as a cyclist.”
Rachel can’t believe how strong she felt after the ride, and was awed that she surpassed her fundraising goal because of the support of her friends and family.
Pete:”I am so happy that I participated and have made many new friends that I hope will remain close for the years ahead. And though I finished completely exhausted and sore, I found myself immediately looking forward to next year.”
Hilary summed it all up: “I’m so grateful to have had the chance to join a movement of people, all connected to their communities and the greater goal of changing the way we relate to our climate and Earth. It was particularly powerful to ride with our small but “BEaSTly” team across hundreds of miles. I returned with a renewed affection for our little corner of the world and commitment to doing my part here!”