The Telluride MountainFilm festival is coming to town Jan. 20 and 21 and the Savannah Bicycle Campaign is celebrating with a group ride and a chance to learn more about how bicycles are changing lives all over the world.
The Tellu-Ride leaves from the south end of Forsyth Park at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 21 and touches every square in Savannah on its route. Refreshments will be provided at the end of the ride, courtesy of the Sentient Bean and Brighter Day Natural Foods.
One of the most exciting films to be screened at the festival (at least in our opinion) is With My Own Two Wheels and the filmmakers will be joining the ride and participating in a question and answer session afterward. What’s With My Own Two Wheels All About?
“For Fred, a health worker in Zambia, the bicycle is a means of reaching twice as many patients. For Bharati, a teenager in India, it provides access to education. For Mirriam, a disabled Ghanaian woman, working on bicycles is an escape from the stigma attached to disabled people in her community. For Carlos, a farmer in Guatemala, pedal power is a way to help neighbors reduce their impact on the environment. For Sharkey, a young man in California, the bicycle is an escape from the gangs that consume so many of his peers. With My Own Two Wheels weaves together the experiences of these five individuals into a single story about how the bicycle can change the world—one pedal stroke at a time.”
The ride is free and open to the public. Helmets are strongly encouraged. The total distance is about 7 miles and that number is significant: 5-7 miles is average bicycle commute for a student in rural Zambia. A map of the route is available here. Want to spread the word? Download and print out the event poster here.