World Bicycle Relief?
#1
ignominious poltroon
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2022
Posts: 4,215
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2319 Post(s)
Liked 3,548 Times
in
1,870 Posts
World Bicycle Relief?
I saw on Trek's website a link to World Bicycle Relief, which says for $165 you can purchase a Buffalo bicycle for someone in need who resides in Africa, and that Trek will match the donation.
Is this legit? Anyone have any experience with this, good, bad or otherwise?
I assume Trek vetted it if they are matching donations, but since I haven't heard of this before, and have a tendency toward suspicion bordering on the clinically paranoid, I wanted to ask...
Is this legit? Anyone have any experience with this, good, bad or otherwise?
I assume Trek vetted it if they are matching donations, but since I haven't heard of this before, and have a tendency toward suspicion bordering on the clinically paranoid, I wanted to ask...
#2
Clark W. Griswold
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: ,location, location
Posts: 14,026
Bikes: Foundry Chilkoot Ti W/Ultegra Di2, Salsa Timberjack Ti, Cinelli Mash Work RandoCross Fun Time Machine, 1x9 XT Parts Hybrid, Co-Motion Cascadia, Specialized Langster, Phil Wood Apple VeloXS Frame (w/DA 7400), R+M Supercharger2 Rohloff, Habanero Ti 26
Mentioned: 56 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4526 Post(s)
Liked 4,230 Times
in
2,830 Posts
From everything I have seen and heard WBR is legit. I cannot speak to Trek matching donations but I can say WBR seems to be on the up and up. I believe Cane Creek did a limited edition headset a number of years ago to help benefit them. It looked cool wish I had picked one up but then I probably would have installed it on something.,,
If you trust Charity Navigator, they get a good rating from them:
https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/205080679
I think it is a neat concept because not only is it providing bikes but also training mechanics to work on them and parts and supplies so they are sustainable in the environment they are in for long term usage.
However like any massive charity there are probably issues. It is hard to be that huge and not get to a slightly more corporate level and most large corporations aren't really great for various reasons. So there is a little bad with the good but I think from what I have seen they are more good than bad and I haven't heard any complaints about them.
If you trust Charity Navigator, they get a good rating from them:
https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/205080679
I think it is a neat concept because not only is it providing bikes but also training mechanics to work on them and parts and supplies so they are sustainable in the environment they are in for long term usage.
However like any massive charity there are probably issues. It is hard to be that huge and not get to a slightly more corporate level and most large corporations aren't really great for various reasons. So there is a little bad with the good but I think from what I have seen they are more good than bad and I haven't heard any complaints about them.
Likes For veganbikes:
#3
señor miembro
Join Date: Dec 2018
Location: Pac NW
Posts: 6,713
Bikes: '70s - '80s Campagnolo
Mentioned: 93 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3954 Post(s)
Liked 6,642 Times
in
3,287 Posts
Likes For SurferRosa:
#4
Full Member
FK Day along with his wife started WBR many years ago. It is legit and worth supporting. I have worked on bicycling advocacy in Arica and have witness the need for transport that the Buffalo bike can provide. In addition to the bikes, WBR recognized that bikes need repairs. They put in a training program for that as well. Trek and SRAM have worked on other philanthropic efforts including Dream Bikes which I think was discontinued but not 100% sure.supporting them is a good use of your donation money.
Likes For debade:
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Posts: 7,007
Bikes: Trek Domane SLR 7 AXS, Trek CheckPoint SL7 AXS, Trek Emonda ALR AXS, Trek FX 5 Sport
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 810 Post(s)
Liked 1,887 Times
in
1,073 Posts
WBR has been around for a long time and I want to say, EF Education, or one or multiple of their predecessor team(s), supported them as part of their racing organization and gave them prominent jersey space. Also if my one man memory serves, Trek has been a long term sponsor of WBR, however I am old, so I could be thinking of another company.
Likes For jaxgtr:
#6
Senior Member
I have donated several times. The impact a Buffalo Bike has is huge.
Likes For texbiker:
#7
Forum Moderator
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Kalamazoo MI
Posts: 20,813
Bikes: Fuji SL2.1 Carbon Di2 Cannondale Synapse Alloy 4 Trek Checkpoint ALR-5 Viscount Aerospace Pro Raleigh C50 Cromoly Hybrid Legnano Tipo Roma Pista Vitus 979
Mentioned: 59 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3143 Post(s)
Liked 6,860 Times
in
3,922 Posts
Likes For cb400bill:
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 6,913
Mentioned: 10 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1167 Post(s)
Liked 1,278 Times
in
813 Posts
Litespeed requires a donation to WBR for their serial number lookup service. I've used it a couple of times, and glad to do it.
Litespeed Serial Number Lookup – Litespeed Bicycles
Litespeed Serial Number Lookup – Litespeed Bicycles
#10
Senior Member
The issue is not lack of bikes, but lack of money to buy bikes. The lack of money to buy bikes is caused by a lack of job opportunities. The lack of job opportunities is caused by a lack of business opportunities. The lack of business opportunities is caused by lack of good social infrastructure (roads, power grid, public education). The lack of good social infrastructure is caused entirely by political corruption.
#11
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Chicago, IL, USA
Posts: 2,897
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1467 Post(s)
Liked 1,495 Times
in
876 Posts
World Bicycle Relief is an awesome organization. It was started by one of the co-founders of SRAM and is headquartered in Chicago. They are in the same building as SRAM.
I have a friend who recently traveled to Africa with WBR to help distribute bikes and see first hand the impact that the organization has on young girls.
I have a friend who recently traveled to Africa with WBR to help distribute bikes and see first hand the impact that the organization has on young girls.
#12
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 2,542
Mentioned: 14 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1649 Post(s)
Liked 1,875 Times
in
1,041 Posts
Instead of giving them bicycles, isn't it better to lend money to these people so they can designed and build their own bicycles? Surely they know their needs better than somebody sitting thousands of miles away.