Every Day Adventurers

In September of 2008,  just over 120 cyclists set out to ride their bikes for five days and 300 miles to increase awareness for ideas and solutions for renewable energy and global warming.

Thus began the first annual Climate Ride.

Each day they traveled between 45 and 80 miles and each evening heard from a multiple of different speakers, on topics ranging from the  impacts of global warming to the possibilities of renewable energy. “Climate Ride endeavored to show that the bicycle is the ultimate carbon-free machine and a viable form of transportation,” founders, Geraldine Carter and Caeli Quinn spoke of.

The ride raised funds for Clean Air–Cool Planet and Focus the Nation both non profit organizations educating Americans on the importance of renewable energy as well as ways to address climate change.

The event was filmed and photographed by an Xtracycle “carbon free machine“.

Climate Ride - filmed by bike

Riders started in New York city on the first day and pedaled their way towards Washington DC where they ended their ride on the 5th day and converged on the steps at the Capital Building to lobby and encourage our own US reps to start writing some meaningful climate change legislation.

Climate Ride - filmed by bike

The 2009 ride is in the planning stages. If you’re interested in finding out more information or to register for the 2009 Brita Climate Ride, September 26th to 30th, visit www.climateride.org.

Our good friend and Cellist  Ben Sollee is on his way to the Bonnaroo music festival in Tennessee this week while riding his Xtracycle RADISH and pulling his Cello along side him through the streets of Kentucky to Bonnarro!

Teaming up with OxFam, Topo Ranch and other like minded sponsors, Ben is riding his Radish Xtracycle cargo bicycle on the 10-day music tour to promote OxFam’s efforts to reduce global poverty.

His bike music tour begins on June 4th – and as he makes his way towards Tennessee he’s stopping at eight different locations to play – starting in Kentucky and ending in Tennessee on June 11th.

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Ben was named one of National Public Radio’s Top 10 Unknown artists in 2007 and has made a name for himself over the last few years drawing on his Kentucky roots. NPR described his first album, Learning to Bend, as “an inspired collection of acoustic, folk and jazz-flavored songs, filled with hope and the earnest belief that the world is good”.

We feel pretty proud here at the old XC headquarters – that he’s out there riding one of our own. Check him out…

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