Knysna Rotary Club was approached in July 2007 to facilitate Development Cycling in the Knysna area as a spin-off from its Pick n Pay Weekend Argus Cycle Tour that is held annually as part of the Knysna Oyster Festival.

Contact was made with the Life Cycling Academy in Cape Town, the Knysna Sports School and other interested people in and around Knysna, and a meeting was held.

Rotarians are well acquainted with the Development Program that the Knysna Sports School has been running for many years, covering all the major sports.(But not Cycling) Rotary believes that this Program is of great benefit to the disadvantaged children of Knysna and surrounding areas. The Program also promotes cultural integration between all sections of the community.

P ‘n Pay Ascends Cycling Program Knysna, supported by Life Cycling Academy, was started at the Knysna Sports School a short while later, with a R 70 000 budget. This was used to hold a workshop to train the coaches and bicycle maintenance personnel, needed to make this project a success. A storage container was hired to store the 15 mountain bikes that were delivered from Cape Town, together with helmets, spares, and other cycling gear.

The aim of Development Cycling is to promote safe cycling as a recreational sport. To this end, workshops are held at all Primary Schools in, and around, Knysna, teaching the children the rules of the road and all aspects of safe cycling. As a result of this, the 15 bikes are put to use every afternoon after school, with the younger children having fun/training rides around Knysna, so putting into practice what they are being taught about safe cycling.

It was soon clear that an expanded program was needed for the older children, and more challenging rides were needed over week-ends. Because it is the first mountain bike development program in the Western Cape, it became essential to transport the cyclists and their bikes into the forests and mountains around Knysna.

Help came from Claremont Rotary Club with a donation of R 50 000 which was used to purchase a 15 bike trailer, a new container for storage (no need to hire anymore) and to build a wash bay, essential after a day spent riding the muddy paths in the forests. If there is still money available, more mountain bikes will be bought.

Knoxville USA Rotarian Townes Osborn, who saw the Children’s Cycle Race last year, has given R 6 000 for Knysna Rotary Club to buy bicycles for disadvantaged under-7 year olds, so that they can participate in the 2008 race on their own bicycles.

This Development Cycling Project has opened many doors for many young people. It has given them a focus for something constructive to do in their spare time, and it has kept them occupied and off the streets. They have all set their sights on riding The Argus one day, and some even dream of being the next Lance Armstrong.

Elwin Thompson
DGE District9350
PO Box 3471
KNYSNA
6570
E-mail: elina@mweb.co.za

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