Dear Prospective Participant,
Thank you for your interest in participating in a Bike & Build program! We are very excited for you to join us in 2022, and want to share some important details before you progress through this application.
1. This application is for both Rider applicants and Trip Leader applicants. Once you complete this online application you will be enrolled on a trip within 72 hours. Rider spots are open on a first come, first served basis until trips are full. Leader applications are due by October 1st and interviews will begin in early October. For more information on the Leadership position, click here.
2. Our cross-country and regional trips are open to young adults between the ages of 18-29 at the time of their program start date. For an 'all ages' option, please see our Community Rides.
3. There is a $75 Application Fee due at the end of this online application. The fee secures your spot on a trip and covers the cost of your trip jersey, a sleeping pad, your Build Day T shirt, bike lights, and other items.
4. In order to participate in a Bike & Build program, you must carry personal medical insurance for the duration of your selected program.
5. For the safety of our trip participants and the residents of the communities we travel through, Bike & Build requires that all participants be vaccinated against COVID-19 prior to their orientation date.
You can expect this online application to take 30 minutes. If you have any questions about the application or our programs in general, please email us at [email protected]
Best Regards,
Erik Wright, Program Director (he/him)Casey Eisenreich, Director of Operations and Development (she/her)Lauren Hamilton, Director of Outreach and Communication (she/her)
Cycling across the country is a genuinely dangerous thing to do. Our website, brochures, Facebook page, Instagram account, and other promotional materials are written in a light-hearted fashion but do not underestimate the risks involved in taking part in this adventure. Individuals who have taken part in the past have been seriously injured and four riders have lost their life. Cycling is an inherently dangerous activity that can result in serious injury or death. Riding a bicycle from coast to coast over varying terrain, cityscapes, driver awareness levels, and types of road is by its very nature, audacious and venturesome. You should know, understand, and own responsibility for the risks inherent in what you are about to do.
Bike & Build does not discriminate on the basis of gender identity or expression and wants to consider the needs of all our participants. Please consider this question optional and reach out to us if you'd like.
You may also apply as a rider, in the case that you're not selected as a leader. Remember, you can only be a rider if you're 26 or younger at the beginning of your assigned route. If you are not hired we won't tell your trip leaders or riders that you applied.
Bike & Build is a team expedition and every rider plays an important role in helping the group successfully complete the trip. Over the course of your trip, every rider will be required to spend 5+ days in the van serving as the “Safety Navigator” or as a Van Driver. The Navigator and Van Driver will tag team supporting their leaders and fellow teammates in the following ways:
We recognize you want to be on your bike as much as you can (and so do we), but B&B trips function based on the support and contribution of each group member. Similar to other B&B rules and practices (like chore group participation, etc) the Safety Navigator and Van Driver roles facilitate the execution of your trip and they are essential components of your journey.
Please answer the following questions to give us an idea of why you're interested in participating in a Bike & Build program. If you'd like to copy these questions and answer them in a separate document to give yourself more time, you can click "Save and Continue" to log back into this application at a later time.
Please answer each question within a 300-word limit.
I understand that Bike & Build relies primarily on donated meals and does its best to accommodate vegetarian diets. Any other special dietary needs (gluten-free, vegan, severe allergies) are totally on your own - we can keep your food separate, but you will need to purchase it yourself. It is certainly doable to have strict dietary needs on Bike & Build, but years of experience indicates it is far from an ideal situation.
Bike & Build provides all cross-country riders with a bike as a part of their fundraising. Drift West riders are required to fundraise an additional $600 to receive a bike. Cross-country riders can choose to bring their own bike and receive a fundraising credit; Drift West riders can bring their own bike to keep the fundraising minimum at $2,400. Any rider choosing to bring their own bike must have it approved by Bike & Build's Program Director.
Great! Once you finish your application, send Erik ([email protected]) an email with a photo of your bike along with the year/make/model and he'll let you know whether or not it'll fit the bill for your B&B adventure.
Bike & Build strives to make our programs accessible to all, but recognize that the financial requirements may present barriers to participating. Therefore, we offer financial assistance, between $500-$1500, to those who qualify. In addition, we will work closely with recipients of these aid packages to meet their fundraising goals.Find out more about financial assistance.
We are committed to raising the stories and voices of those most impacted by housing inequalities and also those most under-represented within cycling. In 2022, Bike & Build is offering full program funding for 4 individuals who self identify as people of color, people of transgender and non-binary gender identity, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, individuals with long-lasting or chronic illnesses, and others who feel they are under-represented. Find out more about our grant program.
You applied during our Early Application Period and don't have to pay the $75 application fee! Woohoo! Tell a friend to apply before August 2nd, 2021 and they'll get the same deal.
Your application fee is refundable in certain situations. If you are placed on a wait list for a trip that is not your first choice and later removed from the wait list, we will refund your application fee. Application fees are refundable up until July 1st, 2022.
Gotta wait till pay day? That's fine! You can come back later anytime, by clicking the Save & Continue link below.
1901 S 9th St #410 Philadelphia, PA 19148
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