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A Day In The Life

Of A Bike & Builder

Wondering what a day in the life of a Bike & Build volunteer looks like? You should be prepared for lots of pedaling, of course, and lots of hammering, too. But it’s not all bike rides and build days—you’ll also take part in team dinners, chores, safety vehicle driving, and lots of exploration along the way.  Here’s an idea of what a typical day might look like.

Rise & Shine

Early!

We’re up early. Pack your bag and get it to the support vehicle. Eat a heaping breakfast. Leave the host site cleaner than you found it.

Route Meeting

Morning

Pump your tires, do a safety check on your bike. The day’s support vehicle driver leads our daily route meeting: places to see, people to meet, and the affordable housing landscape in our next host town.

Let’s Ride

We Ride

B&B is not a race. You’ll take your time each day, riding with different people in small groups (generally no more than 3-4). Enjoy farmland, prairie, and more than a few mountains.

See & Do All The Things

All Day . . .

On the road, you may stop for coffee and chat with local community members about the affordable housing cause. Grab a photo at the next state line sign. Take the obligatory B&B hay bale picture.

Grab Lunch

Mid-Day

The support vehicle finds a lunch spot about halfway along the route. Leftovers, cheap generic carbs, and the occasional donated sugar rush. On high mileage days, you even get 2 lunches.

See & Do All The Things (Part II)

Every Day

There are plenty more places to see, whether it’s rural America, the cradle of innovation, or incredible natural phenomena. Regardless of where we are, ice cream, impromptu swims, and taking in gorgeous scenery are inevitable.

Arrive At Host

4:00 PM

No later than 4pm, we arrive at our community host. Bike & Build wouldn’t be possible without the generosity of our hosts. To reduce costs, we stay with churches, community centers, schools… any organization that gives us a floor to sleep on. We’ll unpack the support vehicles and shower (it’s a special, albeit rare, privilege to wash via the hose).

Dinner & Presentation

Evening

That host generosity? It extends to dinner as well. You won’t go hungry on B&B. Hosts often provide dinner for Bike & Builders. Riders also give a presentation to the community on the affordable housing cause.

Explore The Town

Evening

Some hosts request a bike clinic for their “future B&Bers.” We’ll also do occasional meetings to discuss parts of the affordable housing curriculum that all riders complete. When that’s done, some riders hit the town. Every community has unique offerings for riders who want to experience all that America has to offer.

G’night!

11:00 PM

Curfew is 11 PM before ride days, 1 AM before builds. Get ready, a new day awaits.

Want to see for yourself what our riders are up to?