The Freedom Ride celebrates the power of the bicycle to connect our communities and our cities – while honouring the life and legacy of Nelson Mandela. The ride is a fun, social (non-competitive) event and is open to everyone – from those learning to ride to pro cyclists, both young and old.

Our purpose:

The Freedom Ride raises funds to set up Bicycle Empowerment Centres (BEC’s) and bicycle distribution programmes in lower income areas. These centres are run by trained mechanics – trained through your donations in both bicycle mechanics and business management – who are passionate about cycling. The centres are setup as retail stores selling second hand (refurbished) bicycles and selling spares and accessories. Your donations allow us to buy second hand bicycles from the Bicycle Empowerment Network (BEN) in Cape Town to supply the BECs. The BECs are also bicycle maintenance centres and training centres used to service and train the community at large, as well as the beneficiaries of the CoJ Qhubeka bicycle distribution projects. We focus on introducing children to bicycles and run training programmes on road safety for them.

“The purpose of freedom is to create it for others.”- Nelson Mandela, Robben Island, 1979

We believe in growing cycling in our cities to create a healthier environment for all through the reduction in greenhouse gases. We work with municipalities to support and grow cycling initiatives and cycling lanes in our cities.

Upcoming Rides          

To be updated

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HELP US SHOW OUR COLLECTIVE IMPACT: sound off on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook: #freedomride AND IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO REGISTER TO JOIN A RIDE.