Bikes to Africa

Spent the morning down near Boeing Field helping break down and load bikes that will be shipped to Ghana as part of the Village Bicycle Project. I've collected used bicycles at EdCC several times over the past year, but Meg Watson finally convinced me to participate in the container loading party. A lot of folks from Bike Works were there, and I got to meet David Peckham, who started the project.

A few of the bikes!

And, a few more!

We detached pedals, turned the handlebars sideways, lowered the seats, and generally just got the bikes flat so they could be stacked in the container. While there were many rusted and well-used units, there were a few noteworthy donations, including a couple of classic Schwinn Varsity and Continental models, and a couple of other steelies. The folks at the project assured us that they would be well-received in West Africa.

This is a great project that keeps all this metal out of the landfills and into the hands (and feet!) of many who need them!