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the girl with the tireless bike

ALEXIS_DH

Tirelessly Awesome
Jan 30, 2003
6,147
796
Lima, Peru, Peru
the other day, a few guys were riding their bikes in the andes.
As they rode the singletrack, they noticed somebody else was riding the trail. they got closer, and they noticed it was a girl, 12 or 13 years old.

she is a local girl, whose family lives from subsistance farming and herding in the andes. she says she rides her bike often, but living so far from the city (3-4hr walk) she does not have access, nor money for spares. still, she likes to ride her bike, and has kept riding the bike until, literally, the tires fell off.

its quite sobering, as we usually spend endless shuttle-hours arguing where saints are better than codes, or whether the ccdb upgrade is worth the money. this little girl keeps it real, going on joy rides on her bike.





obviously, one cannot remain untouched after seeing this pictures. we have made a small pool of money to buy her a new bike.
hopefully it will be delivered next week. the tricky part, is that she lives in the highlands, and it takes about 5-6 hours to get there from Lima. her village is not accessible by road, so there will be some porting involved.
We are working on the logistics, and how to take the bike with us next time he hit the highlands.
 

Ciaran

Fear my banana
Apr 5, 2004
9,839
15
So Cal
Best post on here in ages. :thumb:

Makes me feel like a bit of a heel for whining about needing new stuff for my bike.
 

-BB-

I broke all the rules, but somehow still became mo
Sep 6, 2001
4,254
28
Livin it up in the O.C.
First of all, that is awesome. Kudo's..

So this bike you are getting her, I hope you are getting her one that is more functional/durable than it is "nice" (ie, something that doesn't place a higher value on weight vs things that will LAST.) One that is simple to wrench on... Single speed, nice strong chain, thick hard tires that won't wear out etc.
 

ALEXIS_DH

Tirelessly Awesome
Jan 30, 2003
6,147
796
Lima, Peru, Peru
First of all, that is awesome. Kudo's..

So this bike you are getting her, I hope you are getting her one that is more functional/durable than it is "nice" (ie, something that doesn't place a higher value on weight vs things that will LAST.) One that is simple to wrench on... Single speed, nice strong chain, thick hard tires that won't wear out etc.
thats the idea.
we will put stans on the tubes, and give her a small pump. hopefully she wont puncture in a long time.

we will tell her, if she has any problems, to stop anybody with a bike for help. am pretty sure most bikers will gladly help her out if she has any problems in the future.
 

4130biker

PM me about Tantrum Cycles!
May 24, 2007
3,884
448
...and maybe some sandpaper to smooth those rims up if you want new tires on the old bike. So rad- thanks for posting!
 

DirtMcGirk

<b>WAY</b> Dumber than N8 (to the power of ten alm
Feb 21, 2008
6,379
1
Oz
This almost makes me want to go out and do something good for humanity.










you'll notice I only said almost...
 

mellephants

Chimp
Apr 20, 2012
1
0
Bravo! This post is so good, I joined your forum.

Also I need to start using my MTB for more than a kid trailer tow vehicle
 

CBJ

year old fart
Mar 19, 2002
12,863
4,162
Copenhagen, Denmark
You should write to Specialized or one of the other big companies and get them to send her the whole thing. They could use it for some great advertising.
 

bizutch

Delicate CUSTOM flower
Dec 11, 2001
15,928
24
Over your shoulder whispering
You should write to Specialized or one of the other big companies and get them to send her the whole thing. They could use it for some great advertising.
CBJ...the hotline to Sloan & Seplavy.

I think she'd be fine with a pump & patch kit with maybe two spare tubes. My daughters are riding 16" & 20" bikes that are over 5 years old w/ original tubes/tires.
 

binary visions

The voice of reason
Jun 13, 2002
22,092
1,132
NC
Bump for awesomeness.

If you get pictures of the new bike or the delivery to the girl, be sure to update the thread!
 

ALEXIS_DH

Tirelessly Awesome
Jan 30, 2003
6,147
796
Lima, Peru, Peru
I saw this today, and remembered about this thread.

No tires, no handlebar and keeping it real.

2 boys about 8 years old riding their bikes to go to school, some places in the andes are so remote there is no covid there yet.

117936801_10223940819975110_1836561563835037350_n.jpg


Ive seen a few tireless bikes over the years, and still try to help get a new bike when possible.
 
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