What about my travel?

Thank you for sharing your concerns—this is an important topic, and we truly appreciate the opportunity to address it.

We recognize that travel involves a carbon footprint, and we work hard to minimize our environmental impact while maximizing the positive outcomes of our rides. Here’s how we reconcile this:

1. Fundraising for Impact: Climate Ride events empower participants to raise significant funds for organizations dedicated to climate action, sustainability, and advocacy. The money raised supports projects that have a far greater, long-term positive impact on reducing carbon emissions than the travel footprint of the events.
2. Finding Safe Places to Ride: Not all communities have bike-friendly routes or infrastructure that make longer rides feasible or safe. Our event locations are carefully chosen to offer safe, enjoyable routes that highlight the benefits of sustainable transportation while inspiring participants to advocate for better bike infrastructure in their own communities.
3. Creating Welcoming Spaces: Climate Ride events are designed to be inclusive and welcoming, especially for people who may feel intimidated or sidelined by the high standards of “climate purism.” We believe that engaging a broader, diverse group of people is essential to building a powerful movement for change. Our events provide a supportive space for anyone passionate about making a difference—whether they’re seasoned advocates or taking their first steps into climate action.
4. Global Accessibility: We aim to host rides in diverse locations to make them accessible to participants from different parts of the world. This approach not only reduces the average travel distance for participants but also highlights the universal nature of the climate challenge, encouraging a global community to engage in solutions.
5. Travel Footprint Mitigation: We take steps to offset the carbon emissions associated with travel to our events by investing in high-quality carbon offset projects like our Tailwinds Fund which recently repaired solar panels on an affordable housing project. Additionally, we encourage sustainable travel options like carpooling, public transportation, or combining travel for multiple purposes to reduce emissions.
6. Community Building and Education: These events bring together passionate individuals to share ideas, foster collaboration, and create lasting change. The inspiration and connections made during our rides often lead to significant actions in participants’ own communities.
7. Advocating for Systemic Change: By showcasing safe and sustainable cycling routes, we raise awareness about the need for improved infrastructure and policies that support active transportation. Many of our participants return home motivated to push for local changes that reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

We always welcome viable suggestions for improvement. Climate action requires balancing complex trade-offs, and we’re committed to doing so thoughtfully. Thank you for being part of this conversation—it’s vital for helping us grow and make a greater impact.