Five Days of Rain

That's the forecast. I managed thirty miles on Saturday, while running errands and shopping, but my training plan called for a seventy-plus-mile ride. We probably won't have a sunny day - or a rainless day, at least - until later this week. So I'm falling far behind in trying to build up to the distances I'll need to be ready for a century ride at the end of June.

The weather has been perfect for envelope-stuffing, though, so I got some fund-raising letters out over the weekend. (My appeal is posted on the RED-BELL 100 page tab at right.) The purpose of this ride is to support World Bicycle Relief, an organization that provides bicycles to people in struggling communities in Africa.

I was a little suspicious about this project when I read that the ride is limited to 600 participants, yet the fund-raising minimum is only $150 (plus registration and event fees). It just didn't seem like this would raise enough money to cover event costs, never mind benefiting poor African communities. Then I read about some of last year's participants who raised $6000 or more, and realized that the problem is more with free-riders like me, not the event. A little further checking, and I found that although World Bicycle Relief gets some low marks for accountability and transparency, 77% of the money raised goes to the cause and not to administration or event costs.