Reason 7: An M4 for my fellow Commuter

I ride my Specialized Stumpjumper M4 2003 to work and back. (see http://geotrails.blogspot.com for a KML of the route and a write up). It’s a trick Stumpie with a Sid fork, SRAM XO group and Mavic SL wheels. Commuting is not yet a big thing in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. We’re a nation half in poverty, yet everyone just wants bigger cars and more worldly goods. There are a handful of people who cycle to work every day. For the marginally affluent like myself, I have the luxury of opting into my car on windy or wet days. Some of my fellow commuters ride come rain, high tide or winds. They ride the cheapest of cheap bikes(something akin to a Huffy), yet ride every day they do. If I get to ride the Stumpjumper S-Works for a year, I’m giving my Stumpjumper M4 to Mxolisi for a year. If I get to keep the S-Works, Mxolisi keeps the M4. On top of that, I will also teach him how to maintain his bike. That’s the real tragedy in South Africa. Mxolisi is a sheet metal worker and probably earns less than $500 per month. He rides a bike to work to save money, but rides it till it falls apart. With just a little maintenance his bikes can last so much longer. Just think how much employment can be created if everybody just rode their bikes and looked after them, instead of buying low end bikes to hang in garages!