Good Dirt Ride

“Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” — Lao Tzu, Chinese Philosopher

Team Africa Rising’s mission has always focused on this ancient proverb. After almost two decades on the African continent, we have seen well-meaning people and organizations give millions of dollars of aid. We give life-changing employment and income to the young boy or girl in Benin who gets a bike to stay in school, through the development of world-class cyclists, to the infrastructure built around the sport of cycling with coaches, mechanics, massage therapists, and admin support—all employed, all providing for their families.

Recently, a local Benin business magazine touted the economic impact of the Tour du Benin in its third year as a UCI 2.2 Road Cycling event. It brought jobs, tourists, and tax revenue and had a significant impact on the local economies throughout the country.

The ability of a young girl to stay in school because she can get to and from her home safely and quickly gives her the opportunity to finish school and enter the labor force instead of getting married and having children before she’s ready and stable.

Successful professional riders not only provide for their families, extended families, and local communities but also inspire the next generation of cyclists.

In 2025, the UCI World Road Cycling Championships will be held on the African continent, a historical first. This event alone will have a multi-million dollar impact on Rwanda and allow riders from throughout the continent to participate in the World Championships—another first!

Your participation in the Good Dirt Ride allows Team Africa Rising to continue “teaching men to fish” and positively impact the lives of people you will never meet. With our friends at OCMTBA who help us make this ride a reality, a local event has a global life-changing impact for generations.

Last year, the Good Dirt Ride decided to use some of the proceeds to benefit the local trails, i.e., your local MTB community. We did that with a donation to the Orange County Mountain Bike Association. OCMTBA’s mission is to protect and expand trail access by advocating for the expansion of the local trail networks, maintaining existing trails, and supporting community-building events like The Good Dirt Ride.