History

Bike Aid was founded in 1986 by a group of students at Stanford University as a program of the Overseas Development Network (ODN).  ODN was a network of campus chapters across the U.S. that educated students on international development issues, and provided internships in developing countries.   ODN had at its peak over 50 campus chapters and hundreds of students involved.

The original Bike Aid was a multi-route cross country ride from Mid-June to Mid-August from the West Coast to the East Coast of the USA.  Five routes starting in Seattle, Portland OR, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Houston all met in Washington DC to lobby Congress for more support for development aid, especially focusing on hunger and the Ethiopian famine.   The bikers then rode to New York City, and met James Grant, head of UNICEF, and the United Nations.   The event garnered significant media coverage, including USA Today, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Los Angeles Times and National Public Radio.   The riders stopped in 225 towns and cities across the country, and were welcomed by local residents in each town, who provided accommodation, meals and support. 

Bike Aid was run successfully for 19 consecutive years, from 1986 to 2004.  It was managed by ODN for 12 years, JustAct for four years, and Global Exchange for three years.   The event was not held for another 17 years, until an ODN/Bike Aid reunion took place in Washington DC in July 2021.   At the reunion, it was decided to relaunch Bike Aid in the summer of 2022.    Bike Aid has now been incorporated as a nonprofit organization based in Virginia. 

Over its history, Bike Aid has completed 60 cross country routes involving 1140 cyclists and raised over $2 million for development projects in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Click here to find out more about the Bike Aid Reunion 2021