Bikes for Cuba

[Veloo]

Anyone ever deal with Bikes for Cuba?
I was only made aware of them a couple weeks ago from a friend.

From what I see on the site, it sounds like a great cause.

Organizer is not too far from me in Jackson’s Point, Ontario

http://www.bikesforcuba.com/

[GonaSovereign]

The organizer is a friend of my father-in-law, and i’ve sent plenty of gear and other stuff down. Super cause. They have great connections in Cuba and the bikes get to the right people.

Story worth sharing: we sent my wife’s childhood road bike down through Bikes for Cuba. A couple of years later, my FiL was riding with friends down there when a group of teenage girls rode past...one of whom was on the bike. They chatted and confirmed it was the very same one. That story (and bike) made a few of us very happy.

PM me if you want any more specifics.

[Veloo]

That is a great story. Thanks for sharing.

I've emailed Jeff about a couple of shoes I have available. That's why I'm looking for the Carnac adapters - to complete a pair of shoes to send over to him. Jeff is going to check if he actually has a set somewhere in his stash.

The organizer is a friend of my father-in-law, and i’ve sent plenty of gear and other stuff down. Super cause. They have great connections in Cuba and the bikes get to the right people.

Story worth sharing: we sent my wife’s childhood road bike down through Bikes for Cuba. A couple of years later, my FiL was riding with friends down there when a group of teenage girls rode past...one of whom was on the bike. They chatted and confirmed it was the very same one. That story (and bike) made a few of us very happy.

PM me if you want any more specifics.

[Veloo]

So after holding this stuff for a couple of years, I ended up being the one to take it over to Cuba for the hand off.
Those are my old Lake CX330s, a black saddle bag, couple of Defeet socks and jersey that were doing nothing in storage.

The Carnac Quartz, Pearl Izumi MTB shoes with cleats, looked practically new. Giro Apeckx still had enough life left to keep out of landfill. Two non drive side Time pedals barely used cuz the drive sides broke. All found for free on FB Marketplace.
Purple saddle bag thrown in when I only ordered a handlebar bag, so also free.

I could have gotten more free stuff but they were a bit far out of town for the pick up and I'll admit, I was beginning to wonder if any of this stuff I already had was ever going to make it over to Cuba.

So my first time in Cuba. I don't speak Spanish and these guys didn't speak English. Took us about 10 minutes to find each other at the airport. They flashed me the email I had sent to Jeff and through universal made-up sign language, it was a successful transaction. They were very grateful and showed me some of their riding pics on their phones. I should have asked to follow them online but it didn't occur to me to tun on my roaming and use Google translate to suggest it at the time. Guess I was also concerned security would come ask me what the hell I was doing walking around, waving a single cycling shoe in the air.

Glad someone who needed the stuff could use it vs sitting in my basement.

[GonaSovereign]

Great news!

[buddybikes]

Forget about us Americans

https://www.bis.doc.gov/index.php/policy-guidance/country-guidance/sanctioned-destinations/cuba

https://www.state.gov/cuba-sanctions/

[Veloo]

We met an American couple on the beach there.
Since they couldn't purchase the flight on their US credit cards, they had to go a roundabout way via some European credit card service and pay in Euros.
The couple also opted to stay with a local family instead of booking with a resort. Just a way to help the local folks directly.