South African cyclists – road riders and mountain bikers alike – are some of the luckiest in the world, being blessed with a cornucopia of different routes and terrains. And now, they have the chance to do good, and benefit from it too.
In the build-up to the annual Ride2Nowhere Race, Pedal Power Association (PPA) and Bicycling Empowerment Network (BEN) have partnered with tech giant WeChat and cycling app Engena to bring you, the cyclist, a chance to ride for free, and also contribute to a local community’s upliftment.
“The process is simple; download the WeChat app for iOS or Android in the app store. Register with Engena’s (http://www.engena.co.za/) WeChat OA, then purchase a day permit to ride the Jonkershoek, Helderberg Farm, Greyton-Genadendal, Marloth or True Grid trail,” says Erik Kleinhans (AKA Lion King), international pro cyclist and Engena ambassador. “The cost for each of these trails roughly comes to R50 and the transaction is efficient, seamless and cashless.”
Here’s where the cool part comes in; for every trail permit you buy, Engena donates R50 to a trust fund, and gives you R50 cash back (yes, really).
The trust fund is allocated to McGregor Young Warriors – an incentive started by WeChat and Ride2Nowhere in September 2016 – to purchase new bicycles. McGregor Young Warriors aims to uplift youth in poverty-stricken communities by teaching grade 8-12 learners the joy of cycling, and even entering them into races.
“Both PPA and BEN will match each bike purchased by McGregor Young Warriors via the trust fund by donating a bike to Young Warriors,” Kleinhans says.
It gets even better, though. For each permit you purchase, you stand a chance of winning a free entry to the three-day Ride2Nowehere race in McGregor, from Friday, 8 to Sunday, 10 September! Entries to the race have already closed, so think of this as your very last chance at securing a spot.
“We trust riders will jump at the opportunity, as the concept of donating to a good cause while getting reimbursed simultaneously is an opportunity that is just too good to pass up on,” says Erik. “As any true rider knows, the real fun in cycling only happens when the joy is shared among many.”
To find out more about Ride2Nowhere 2017, visit their webpage at
http://ride2nowhere.co.za/.