Another World
is Possible

Imagine 5,000 bicyclists riding into Detroit, the Motor City, to help bring about a different world. We see thousands of cyclists coming from every direction converging on the United States Social Forum next June, voting with their legs for a greener, cooler, fairer society. We’re taking that ride, and we invite you to join us.

The first U.S. Social Forum took place in Atlanta from June 27 to July 1, 2007. Like the annual World Social Forums, the Atlanta event brought together activists, organizers, people of color, working people, poor people, and indigenous people from across the United States. They built unity around the common goals of environmental and social justice, formed alliances to broaden the social justice movement, and had a blast while doing it. Now the second U.S. Social Forum is organizing. It will open in Detroit on June 22 and run until June 26, 2010. We are now looking for organizers to recruit squads of cyclists and biofuel-powered support wagons to ride from wherever they are to the Opening March.

We invite you to join us on the ride and at the Second United States Social Forum! { READ MORE..}

Bike America!

Posted by admin on March 2, 2010 – 4:06 pm

bike america photo for blogBike America is organizing riders from across the country to bike to Washington D.C during the summer of 2010.  This grassroots organization seeks to investigate and share stories about our country’s modern struggles toward sustainability on a cross-country bicycle tour that empowers riders and showcases the bicycle as a viable, low-carbon, healthy, and fun method of transportation. Anyone interested in riding, recruiting, or learning more can find us online at bike-america.org.

Regards,

Kevin Moore
Lead Organizer
(507) 581-3727

Community Service Projects & Opportunities to Learn Along the Way

Posted by admin on January 27, 2010 – 7:38 pm

One important aspect of the Finger Lakes ride is to engage with local Rochester Roots photo 2communities that we pass through, both to learn from them about their efforts to bring social and environmental justice to their communities and to lend projects a hand where needed. Our group will ride into Rochester on our second day to be greeted by folks from the Rochester Cycling Alliance (http://rochestercyclingalliance.blogspot.com/) and by Rochester Roots (http://www.rochesterroots.org/) who will cycle into the city with us. The next day we will have the opportunity to participate in a work day hosted by Rochester Roots, in their gardens. Rochester Roots is “creating a locally sustainable food system that ensures community food security. It develops self-reliance by providing the education and tools that help low-income people obtain nutritious, locally grown food, and through the development and marketing of urban produce and products.” In the evening we will have a mini-Rochester Social Forum, engaging with local community members from the urban agriculture, bike advocacy and other social/environmental movements that are active in Rochester.

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Detroit and Bicycles!

Posted by admin on January 27, 2010 – 7:29 pm

“Look at a map and you’ll see that Detroit is designed in the shape of a wheel, with streets emanating like spokes from the downtown hub. It looks like a premonition, a city uniquely designed to alter transportation forever.”

–        Bike Among the Ruins by Tony Barlow; http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/05/opinion/05barlow.html

Dear BikeIt Rider,

In June 2010, the second US Social Forum (USSF) will take place in Detroit MI. The purpose of this forum is to have an open space where folks who believe another world is possible can come together for political dialogue and relationship building – and to see the transformation of that alternative world in action.

Another world is happening in Detroit – new forms of collaborative organizing are occurring, and the people of Detroit are working on the development of practices for a community-centered society, not an auto-centered society. We want to promote bicycle awareness and easy, affordable transportation in a city where bus transportation is unreliable and only 25% of Detroit residents own cars.

We are asking for donations of bicycles, tools, and bike parts. Our goal is to collect 5,000 bicycles for distribution around the city during and after the Social Forum June 22-26, 2010. Visitors and residents will use the bicycles to tour the city and transport themselves to workshops. We want to create an exciting bicycle presence in our city to show that another world is possible.

What will we do with the bikes after the Social Forum is over? Your donated parts, tools, and bicycles will be used to help transform our city. We are in the process of targeting churches, community groups, youth groups, and potential businesses that have the capacity and desire to use bicycles for their programs. The bicycles and parts you donate to the Social Forum will be used by these groups after June 2010.

If you are in Michigan, we will be collecting bicycles in Michigan on February 17th, 2010. If you are not in Michigan you can ship bikes/tools/parts or bring them with you when you come to Detroit. Please email ussfbikes@gmail.com for details.

In Solidarity,

The Sustainability Committee

Detroit Local Organizing Committee

US Social Forum Detroit 2010

www.ussf2010.org

Read More »

BikeIt on WORT FM Radio

Posted by admin on January 4, 2010 – 9:00 am

Check out this great radio program, put on by the Elements Collective, who are organizing the Grassroutes Caravan: mobile village of Resilience to Detroit in June 2010, featuring BikeIt! and the Hub of Detroit!

Listen here!