"The purpose of freedom is to create it for others."
(Nelson Mandela, Robben Island, 1979)
The City of Johannesburg, in partnership with the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport, the Nelson Mandela Foundation, Joburg Urban Cyclists Association, Cycology, Bicycling Empowerment Network and Linkd Environmental Services, will stage its second 35km Freedom Ride social cycle event on 20 July 2014.
The Freedom Ride is a social cycle ride to celebrate the spirit and legacy of Nelson Mandela. Designed to link the communities of Johannesburg and Soweto, it will start and end at the Nelson Mandela Bridge in the inner city and pass sites of historical significance, including Newclare Cemetery, where Walter and Albertina Sisulu are buried, the Bill Jardine and Orlando stadiums, and the Mandela home on Vilakazi Street in Orlando West.
At the Hector Pieterson Memorial in Soweto, the ride will pause to give riders the opportunity to take in and appreciate the significance of this historic area and leave commemorative ribbons with a personal message honouring Mr Mandela. Participants also have the option to load their bicycles on to Metrorail or Rea Vaya buses in Orlando, which will transport them back to Braamfontein.
The ride also aims to raise awareness about cycle safety, and bicycles as a form of transport and recreation.
The ride will follow some of the designated cycle routes that the City of Johannesburg is developing to enable the safe use of bicycles as public transport. Road closures will be in effect throughout the route.
All cyclists, from beginners to serious race-goers, families, social groups and cycling clubs are encouraged to participate. It is a social ride, not a race, and at points along the route the front riders will stop and wait for everyone to catch up.
Also participating in the ride will be the Executive Mayor of the City of Johannesburg, Cllr Mpho Parks Tau, and the MEC for Health in Gauteng, Qedani Mahlangu.
Participants will gather at 08h00 on 20 July. After a short opening ceremony, the ride will start at 08h30. Participants are urged to park in Braamfontein and make their way over the Queen Elizabeth Bridge to join the start of the race on the Nelson Mandela Bridge.
The city is asking participants in the Freedom Ride to assist the Bicycle Empowerment Network (BEN) in raising funds to set up a Bicycle Empowerment Centre (BEC) in Soweto. BEN distributes bicycles to people in low-income areas, helps set up BECs to maintain and service bicycles in these areas, trains recipients of the bikes in safety and maintenance, and encourages cities to implement bicycle planning and infrastructure.
With the funds raised through the last Freedom Ride, we were able to set up the first BEC in Orlando and we are hoping through this ride to raise enough funds to set up a second centre in Johannesburg.
Read more about how these centres work at www.benbikes.org.za.
Participants can register for the ride (for free) at http://freedomride.org.za/registration/.
Our Facebook page is FreedomRideJozi, and you can follow us on Twitter @FreedomRideJozi.
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