Bike and Build
Mon, June 7, 2010 
I’m sure most of my readers here will be familiar with Habitat for Humanity, a charity organization that builds affordable housing with the aid of volunteers.
Did you also know that there is another organization called “Bike and Build” that organizes coast to coast bike rides across America? A map of all the 2010 routes is shown below.
The purpose of Bike and Build is twofold. To raise money for organizations like Habitat for Humanity, and also during the ride across country, the cyclists take a break from riding from time to time; to actually lend a hand, in the form of offering their labor to help build homes.
I learned about Bike and Build from local cyclist Stephen Risse, who works for the City of Charleston Civic Design Center. They were co-sponsors of a Bicycle Lecture Series held earlier this year.
It was Stephen who initially contacted me last February, and as a result I spoke to a group of about eighty local people, mostly cyclists.
Stephen Risse is participating in one of this year’s Bike and Build rides from Boston, MA to Santa Barbara, CA.
Thirty-two riders will leave Boston at the end of next week on June 20th, traveling through Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois.
The group then crosses the Mississippi River in St Louis, MO (Stephen’s home town.)
Through Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas, then New Mexico, Arizona, and California. The group will arrive in Santa Barbara on August 24th having covered 3,703 miles. There will be a total of 10 days when the riders stop on route to spend each entire day helping to build homes.
Stephen will be riding a carbon fiber bike with a frame that he designed and built; pictures here.
He also has a blog at TheMountainsMayKIllMe.com, and Stephen will be updating this during his ride.
This sounds like a wonderful adventure for young people to participate, and at the same time is raising money for a worthwhile cause.
You can go here to make a small donation to Bike and Build in Stephen’s name. I have already done this, and I hope you can do the same. It is great to hear of young cyclists doing something positive, they deserve our encouragement
Reader Comments (3)
Today bike is necessary for each. In the same time, the proposal bike and build is great. This is amazing.It will provide the employment to many people. Young people like this very much.
Great — good for them.
I wish I could go along!
As a cyclist and Habitat volunteer, this is something that needs to be added to my bucket list!