Riding the Ride

You can talk the talk, or you can walk the walk. One Bower director is taking it further and riding the ride. John's pulled one bike together from various bike parts, loaded it up and is off on a Scrap Heap Challenge fundraising ride to Kosciusko to raise funds for Downs Syndrome NSW.
Check out his story below and consider donating funds to a great cause.

- Maaike

Dear Family, Friends & Bower

Off today from Sydney on the scrapheap challenge to Kosciusko to raise funds for Downs Syndrome NSW.

Should be a good laugh combined with gravel & mud. Lets hope the $1,000 scrapbike makes it there and back. Yesterday a fresh set of on road/off road tyres, finished making and fitting panniers frames, packed the tent & gear (now over 250 kg),  the test run went well. 3 months ago all new non-engine bearings,  6 months ago new electronic spark system. 93,000 km and still going strong apart from no neutral and occasionally missing a gear, but it is made from 2 $500 bikes and 26 years old - a bit of reuse, repair, bloody knuckles, sweat, oil .............. and Sharon's patience. 

We will meet up with 50 or so scrapheapers at Oberon travelling down to the snowy mountains where we'll meet another couple of hundred scrapheapers raising funds for Downs Syndrome NSW - already $50,000 has been raised (nearly as much as they get from the government). The outward route will be something like http://maps.google.com.au/maps/ms?msid=208113176662555339071.0004bcd8f5df602d853d9&msa=0&ll=-34.533712,149.512939&spn=3.565577,8.657227.  Haven't mapped the return route, will go with the flow, back in Sydney on Monday 9th. A much shorter ride this year, the outback was tough in 2011.

If you like to, you could donate through http://john-samuel.scrapheapadventure.org.au to Downs Sydrome NSW, thank you to those who already have.

  

If your a mugposter see http://www.facebook.com/scrapheapadventureride

 

have a great easter - I hope I do!

cheers

John