What if you could help young students in rural Africa simply by riding your turbo trainer? This Saturday, you can.
Zwift, the online training platform, is hosting a ride Dec. 5 for World Bicycle Relief, a global charity that supplies sturdy bicycles and mechanic training to communities in developing countries to support education and health care. If riders collectively log 100,000 miles during 24 hours, then Trek will donate $40,000 (£26,534) to WBR. If riders reach 50,000 miles, Trek will donate $20,000 (£13,270).
A few pros and former pros are joining the ride, including Jens Voigt, Evelyn Stevens, Fumiyuki Beppu, Laurens ten Dam and Ted King.
All registered riders will have avatars that appear on screen in WBR cycling kits astride the sturdy Buffalo Bikes that WBR produces.
In lieu of a registration fee, each rider is encouraged to fundraise $147, the cost of providing one bicycle for a student.
Zwift costs $10 / £8 a month, but can be tried for free for 50km. Also, Strava Premium members get two free months of Zwift.
Read our 4.5-star Zwift review
"At its core, Zwift is a community of people who love cycling. When World Bicycle Relief reached out to us to help raise awareness for their amazing cause, I knew this was a perfect match," Mike McCarthy, Zwift's vice president of partnerships, said in a press release. "It brings me great joy to know that our community’s passion for bicycles can help make a difference for those who use them as a means for survival."
You can sign up now for Ride On for World Bicycle Relief on Saturday, Dec. 5.
BikeRadar is a supporter of World Bicycle Relief. Last year we raised $10,000 through used test gear auctioned off by The Pro's Closet, and we're on track for a similar donation this year.
