Some milestones feel big because of the number attached to them. Others feel big because of the lives behind that number. This one is both.
This year, World Bicycle Relief is reaching an incredible milestone: one million Buffalo Bicycles delivered to people who need reliable transportation to reach school, health care, markets and opportunity. And for Backroads, it also marks ten years of supporting this work alongside our guests and staff who have helped turn two wheels into real-world change.
When I think about what a million bikes really mean, I don’t picture a warehouse or a finish line. I picture motion. I picture students riding to class with time to spare. Health care workers reaching families who would otherwise be hours away. Farmers carrying fresh produce to the community market. Entire communities gaining access to possibilities that once felt out of reach.
Because this milestone has never been about a single bicycle. It’s about the momentum created when one rider joins another, a million times over.
Why Bicycles Matter
At Backroads, we’ve always believed in the transformative power of a bicycle. For our guests and staff, bikes are a way to explore the world actively and thoughtfully. It’s the way that I’ve built a strong community of friends and explored hidden corners of the Bay Area. But for millions of people in rural communities, bicycles are a lifeline.
Research from World Bicycle Relief shows that access to a Buffalo Bicycle can:
- Help students reach school faster and stay enrolled longer
- Enable health care workers to serve significantly more households
- Increase income for farmers and small-business owners
- Improve safety and independence for women and girls
Each bicycle benefits the entire household. Multiply that by a million, and the scale of impact becomes extraordinary.
A Decade of Shared Momentum
Over the past ten years, our guests and staff have supported this work through fundraising, awareness and direct contributions. What strikes me most is how naturally this cause resonates with our community.
Maybe it’s because cycling is already such a core part of the Backroads experience. Maybe it’s because the idea is so tangible: a bicycle isn’t abstract. You can see it, ride it and understand immediately how it changes a day, a routine, a future.
Over the years, we’ve watched and participated as this effort expanded across countries and communities, organizing annual group rides during the Pedal to Empower campaign, focused on empowering women and girls. Last year, our offices across the US, Canada, Netherlands, France, Italy and Czechia all got involved!
And recently, we took on a bigger role as anchor funder for WBR’s program expansion into Tanzania, where Buffalo Bicycles are helping students, health care workers and families move more freely and confidently through their daily lives.
Looking Ahead to the Next Million
To celebrate this milestone and help power what comes next, Backroads is helping amplify the campaign to support future riders. It’s a chance for our broader community (guests, staff and friends) to keep that momentum rolling forward.
Because bikes aren’t just fun—they can unlock time, access, confidence and opportunity. And that ripple effect reaches families, classrooms, clinics and entire communities.
Ten years into collaborating with World Bicycle Relief, I feel incredibly grateful for everyone in the Backroads community who has helped push those pedals forward.
Julia Cope is the senior impact specialist at Backroads and a key relationship holder with World Bicycle Relief. Her expertise in community impact and sustainability has spanned over six years of dedicated work in corporate social responsibility for brands ranging from The North Face, Clif Bar, Planet Fitness, Athleta and more. She is also an avid cyclist who personally understands the power of the bicycle.
