25th Anniversary Ride Report
Over at Grahame Keast’s blog is a ride report for the recent 25th Anniversary of Bike for Bibles ride. The ride was from the 6-13th of December from Sydney to Melbourne.
BIKE FOR BIBLES 25th ANNIVERSARY
From 6 – 13 December I was a roadie for the 25th Anniversary ride of BIKE FOR BIBLES. Fancy that! 25 years ago Bob Forest, (see photo) his son and a friend rode from Sydney to Melbourne. They raised about $2,000 for the purchase of Bibles through the Bible Society. This ride expects to raise up to $60,000 to support Wontulp-Bi-Buyu indigenous college at Cairns in Northern Queensland. The rides over the past 25 years have raised in excess of ten million dollars for literacy development throughout the world. While there are rides in other countries (eg Canada and India) most rides have taken place in Australia.
“It was great to have Bob Forest (one of the original riders) have a cameo role by riding on day 1 and day 7. Bob is over 70. There was a tribute given to Bob and his wife Betty at the end of the ride.”
2009 NSW Rides
The Snowy Mountains Bicycle Ride
January 18 to January 23, 2009
This ride will be based at Berridale, half way between Cooma and Jindabyne. Bicycle riding around Berridale is just GREAT!
Good roads, very little traffic and great scenery, what more could you want. Accommodation and Meals for this ride will be a “do it yourself” arrangement. There is a large variety of accommodation available in Berridale.
Not only will you have a holiday and enjoy your riding in the Beautiful Snowy Mountains, you will also have the opportunity to be involved in supporting one of Bible Society’s Mission Projects with a fundraising program. All of Bible Society’s Mission Projects give many people from here in Australia and around the World to learn and experience the Love and Grace of our Wonderful God and to learn of the Gospel Message of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
For more information see The Snowy Mountains Bicycle Ride
The Lithgow to Bathurst Cycle Challenge
March 14 to March 15, 2009
With 4 distance options on the Saturday ranging from 83k to 124k, and on Sunday we ride 83k from Bathurst to lunch at Lithgow, which will allow you to get home without getting tied up in the Sunday afternoon crazy traffic.
The routes for both days are mainly off the busy highway. There is no fundraising involved for this weekend ride, and whilst the cost of $120.00 per person for the weekend covers food and accommodation, there is a small amount built in to go towards a number of Bible Society Mission Projects here in Australia. This ride is great for the regular weekend cyclist and all of your cycling mates, start organising your own group now for this Weekend of Excellent Cycling.
For more information see The Lithgow to Bathurst Cycle Challenge
The Central Coast Hunter Valley Ride
April 19 to April 24, 2009
This Bike For Bibles ride will be one of Great Adventure, New Experiences, New challenges and Mountains of Great Fun!
It will also be one where you can enjoy your cycling without being exhausted every day. The daily distances are within the capability of most cyclists. You will have an Absolutely Great Time!
Bike For Bibles rides are just a great way of enjoying yourself with a whole heap of happy bike riders. You will ride through some magnificent Australian countryside – – all part of God’s amazingly brilliant creation.
But this Bike For Bibles ride is not only just about us having a good time in the great Australian outdoors, it’s all about us riding for a purpose in life.
On this ride we will be riding to raise money through donations to support a number of Bible Society Mission Projects here in Australia to provide Bibles, education, literacy programs, and health and hygeine initiatives. It is through these programs that many Australian children and adults will have the opportunity to experience the Love and Grace that God has for all His people and to also learn of the Salvation Message of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
For more information see The Central Coast Hunter Valley Ride
Ride Across Australia – Perth to Sydney
August 17 to September 19, 2009
Are You Ready for the ride of your life?
Are you ready to accept the challenge of cycling 4100Km?
Are you ready to accept the Purpose of this Epic Journey?
It was in December 1984 that Bob Forrest with his son Dave and Dave’s friend Wayne McCamley set out to ride their bicycles 900 kilometres from Sydney to Melbourne. Bike For Bibles was born!
That first year they raised $2000.00 and through Bob’s Energy, Enthusiasm, Excitement and his sense of Adventure and Challenge, and his love of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, Bike For Bibles rides around the World have raised many Millions of Dollars to proclaim the Word of God in many, many countries throughout the World !
To celebrate Bike For Bibles 25th Birthday we invite you to Experience one of the World’s Great Cycle Journeys, to ride across the Australian Continent, 4,100 kilometres, from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, from Cottesloe Beach to Cronulla Beach !
And to celebrate the birth of Bike For Bibles in Australia, we have been challenged to channel all our fundraising efforts for 2009 to support a number of Bible Society Australian Mission Projects.
We have been challenged to raise in excess of $250,000.00 for this Ride Across Australia Epic Journey.
For more information see Ride Across Australia – Perth to Sydney
The Annual Hunter Valley Classic One Day Tour
May 23. Enjoy the ride. Enjoy the vineyards, enjoy the scenery!
Mulga Bill Bicycle Festival Weekend
July 25-26. Enjoy a good fun weekend? This is it!
Blue Lizard Cycling Annual Ride
Oct 10 – 17. Always an excellent Ride!
2009 Cairns to Melbourne
The Cairns to Melbourne Inland Ride
April 5 to May 2, 2009
Are You Ready for the Challenge, the Adventure, the Experience and the thrill of riding 3200 kilometres from Cairns to Melbourne along the Inland Outback route. This will be the Ride Of a Lifetime ! We will have Fun, Fellowship and a heaps great time ! But this is also a ride with a Purpose.
We are riding to raise funds to support a number of Bible Society Mission Projects.
- Bible distribution in Australian schools
- Bible distribution for Chaplains in hospitals, prisons and mission to seafarers.
- To provide Bibles, Literacy Education, Health & Hygiene etc in a number of Indigenous Communities in Northern Australia
- To provide support in the training of Aboriginal Pastors at the Wontulp-Bi-Buya Aboriginal Theological Training College in Cairns, Queensland.
- Distribution of The Prize sports Bible and DVD
- Grants to assist Scripture and Religious Education in schools.
We will be attempting to raise $100,000.00 on this ride. Most riders will be attempting to raise in excess of $5,000.00 each, so they need all the support you are able to assist them with in this incredible Epic Journey down the middle of the East Coast of Australia.
This is a BIG ride with a Big Purpose – can you help ?
For more information see The Cairns to Melbourne Inland Ride
John Ansell suffers heart attack
From the St. George & Sutherland Shire Leader:
Blind faith aids recovery of cyclist
BY MONICA HEARY, 11/12/2008 2:11:00 PM
A BLIND pushbike rider who was taking part in his last fund-raising bikeathon is recovering in hospital after suffering a heart attack.
John Ansell, 66, of Jannali set off last Saturday in the rear position of a tandem bike for the Sydney to Melbourne ride. He was taking part in the annual Bike for Bibles fund-raiser run by Gymea Baptist Church.
Mr Ansell joined 41 sighted riders on the 900-kilometre effort to raise money to translate the Bible into the languages of indigenous Australians, and provide financial support for other indigenous projects.
Retired motor repair shop owner Bob Forrest came up with the idea of riders being sponsored on the journey.
”It started off with just three riders and we raised $3000 the first year,” Mr Forrest said. ”Now the idea has spread to 27 countries around the world with the Bible Society being the parent organisation.”
Mr Ansell is the only person to have taken part in all 25 rides and this year’s was to be his last.
In the lead-up to the event, he completed practice runs of 50-60 kilometres around his home and Heathcote with the help of fellow churchgoers, who took turns riding at the front of his tandem bike.
English-born Mr Ansell was 12 when he came to Australia with his family. He lost his sight in a car accident.
”I got the idea of riding a bike after reading about someone in England who was blind and rode tandem,” he said. ”When you are blind or visually impaired there’s a lot of things you can’t do, but this way you’re able to be involved in an active sport.”
A Gymea Baptist Church spokeswoman said Mr Ansell suffered a heart attack at Wagga Wagga during Tuesday afternoon’s 40C temperature.
He is recovering in Wagga Wagga Base Hospital.
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