Geeks on wheels – 40 Tech City entrepreneurs tackle Paris-to-London cycle ride to raise £10,000 for Room to Read
London, 17 September 2012—Tech thinks big. Even, on bikes. London’s burgeoning tech scene has meshed with the increasingly popular cycling community to form TechBikers, a charity ride from Paris to London.
From Sept. 21-23, 40 tech professionals, including start-ups, venture capitalists, and executives, are cycling 200 miles to raise money for Room to Read, a non-profit organisation founded on the belief that world change begins with education from the youngest level. In the past decade, Room to Read has provided 6 million children with better access to education, established 1,592 schools and 13,170 libraries, published over 700 children’s books in 27 languages, and sponsored 13,160 girls throughout their secondary education.
Eze Vidra, the Head of Campus, Google’s new start-up space in East London, is one of the driving forces behind TechBikers. Inspired by Leaving Microsoft to Change the World, a book written by Room to Read’s founder and former
Microsoft executive, John Wood,
Vidra sees the ride as an avenue for networking, but more importantly a way that London’s tech scene can differentiate itself from other clusters and unite for a great cause.
“It’s [TechBikers] an opportunity to take a weekend off that will potentially impact thousands of kids in the developing world,” said Vidra.
“After TechBikers was conceptualised, Vidra enlisted Gerry Newton, a Campus resident and founder of Cyclr, a social marketplace for cyclists, and Benjamin Southworth, Deputy CEO at Tech City Investment Organisation (TCIO), and Pru Ashby, Tech City Specialist at London & Partners to help rally the community behind the project.
Together the team has kickstarted a fundraising drive, and has brought on other members of the local community to support the TechBikers. Campus is hosting cycle-fit classes, and Southworth even pledged to chop off his 3-year old beard if he raises £2,000.
“We have 40 riders, giving their time, their legs, my beard, in order to help out the emerging majority world through education,” said Southworth. “There isn’t any reason not to support us—Geeks doing good things whilst having fun on bikes.”
Newton sits at the median of the cycling and tech worlds and, to him, the two are not much different.
“The cycling community and the tech community collide here [in East London]. They’re both pretty new and they’re close-knit – everybody is always open to offer support and advice in both worlds,” Newton said.
Cycling 200 miles will not be easy, and it is expected that even the most hardened cyclers on the team will have to train regularly in preparation. The TechBikers team – and their burgeoning support network – has committed to group rides every Saturday in the build-up to the challenge. On the first group ride, they rode for over 50 miles.
When asked if he felt prepared Vidra answered, “Ten years ago I did 300 km (200 miles) on a bicycle from San Martín to Bariloche in Argentina, but that was 10 years ago and I was 10 years younger. So, I don’t know if I can do this, but I hope I can.”
CycleWild, a recreational cycling organisation, is supervising the logistics of the Paris to London ride. They have been leading excursions across breathtaking cultural and geographical scenery for over a decade. In the past few weeks, CycleWild has mapped out the safest route for the TechBikers.
Techbikers has pledged £10,000 for Room to Read and the event’s primary sponsors are Campus London, TCIO, Cyclr, Yammer, Fitzgerald and Law, London & Partners and Alliotts. Event supporters include the British Embassy in Paris, Foffa Bikes, Vitacoco, BeFit4, and French Digital London. If you wish to be a sponsor or make a donation visit: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/techbikers
http://www.facebook.com/TechBikers
http://www.twitter.com/TechBikers
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The TechBikers will arrive in Shoreditch at appx. 4:00pm on Sunday, September 23. From there we are inviting family, friends, and supporters to cycle the last leg of the journey with us. Journalists are invited to join us, take photographs, and film. There will also be interview opportunities at appx. 6:00pm when the TechBikers arrive at their final destination, Google’s Campus London (4-5 Bonhill Street London EC2A 4BX).
If you’d like further information, or would like to attend, please contact Kobi Ansong, [email protected] or call 07403420949