How would you like to bicycle 390+ miles over 5 days and along some of the most scenic routes our nation has to offer? That’s just what our fearless Climate Ride participants are about to accomplish.

Starting last year, Food & Water Watch has participated as a beneficiary in Climate Ride—the nation’s largest environmental cycling event and a “green conference on wheels,” designed to raise money and awareness to fight climate change. On September 8th, Food & Water Watch’s very own Tim Olmstead is heading up to New England to participate in the 2016 Northeast ride from Bar Harbor to Boston. Read on to see what Climate Ride means to Tim and why he decided to ride:

Tim Olmstead, Northeast Regional Director of Development

Bar Harbor to Boston Ride, September 2016

Why did you sign up?

Climate Ride seemed like a good way to introduce my friends and family to Food & Water Watch. And I love riding my bike.

Tell us about your cycling experience.

I’ve done a couple long rides from NYC to different parts of Long Island but never anything like this. I think the longest I’ve ever biked in one day was 40 miles.

How are you training for the ride?

I ride my bike to and from work every day… I use Citibike in NYC and those bikes are like tanks – they weigh 40+ pounds. Beyond that I try to take a longer ride on the weekends around Central Park – usually 20 miles or so. I’m probably not training enough but it’s humid!

How’s your fundraising going? Any tips?

So far so good… I’m almost at $3,000. Don’t be afraid to ask! Friends and family will want to support you, especially if they know it’s something for which you feel passionately.  

What are you most excited about?

Enjoying the scenery… just being on the bike. It’s a great way to kind of get lost in your own head for a while. I did a long backpacking trip across Spain a few years ago (500 miles) and it was a deeply meditative experience. I’m hoping for some of the same during this ride (though going a lot faster).

We are so excited to see what Tim will accomplish and we will be cheering him on every step of the way. Check out Tim’s page to see his progress or donate to his ride [2].

Want to participate in the next ride? Learn more about Climate Ride and how you can ride for Food & Water Watch. [3]