Bike it to Boom this year and reduce your carbon footprint!
Planes, trains and automobiles increase the impact of our carbon footprint. Take some footage along the way and we will share it with Boomers around the world by publishing it to the site!

Eco-warrior, environmental activist and founder of the Global Wheeling Foundation (GWF), Kayden Klehinhans has spent the last seven years biking across the world. Working on community-driven projects with local NGOs, Kayden will be cycling 2010 km across South Africa to raise funds and plant 2010 trees at schools in townships across the Western Cape.

Kayden encourages Boomers to create a community ethos of sustainability and environmental awareness by biking it to the Boom while supporting the GWF. He brings the GWF to Boom this year where Boomers that bike it will converge and exchange their stories. We speak to Kayden, about his experiences and about why it’s a good idea to bike it to Boom. Here’s what he had to say…

How did it all begin and what inspired you to get on your bike?
Like loads of people that are forced to work purely to bring in a salary, I was also sucked into the “system”. I grew up in Africa, left for Europe and found myself in London doing dead-end jobs that starved me of any creative or positive human interaction. So, I pulled the plug and got back to basics, traded in my security uniform for a bike and buzzed around London as a bike courier. This halved my wages but multiplied my outlook on life. I took off for Australia where I bought a bike instead of a car… And well, the rest is history… 16,000 km and three continents later, my love for travelling by bike continues to grow with every new trip.

Give one reason why someone should bike it to Boom…
BECAUSE WE CAN. Not to mention the myriad of environmental, health and social benefits. There are thousands of disadvantaged people in Africa that would kill for the opportunity to own a bike – let alone have the opportunity to ride to a festival that promotes this positive ethos with like-minded, creative, beautiful souls. Personally, I can’t think of too many things that would surpass the experience.

As an inspiration for other Boomers, how do you fund your travels?
Well, I started off working along the way by fruit picking, pruning vines on wine farms, teaching English in Asia, driving tractors etc. You name it, I’ve done it… It’s now progressed to a level where the Environmental NGO that I represent assists in acquiring corporate sponsors to cover the cost of the rides I do, so the funds raised go directly to the ” Bums on Bikes project”.

You’ll be cycling 2010 km across South Africa this year to raise funds to plant 2010 trees across schools in the Western Cape. How did this project come about and how are you preparing for it in the mean time?
We’ve incorporated the tree project into the Round the World Bike Ride, so in this way, raising more funding to plant even more than 2010 trees, which is a beautiful result. The idea is actually the brainchild of Shine Murphy who is a fellow green-fingered do-gooder based in Cape Town. The round The World Bike Ride that I will be doing will serve as a tool to acquire contacts and donors for trees.

Your story is very inspiring and adventurous. What do Boomers need to consider if they were to bike it to Boom?
I’d say plan your route well, give yourself enough time, and have a few days off here and there to soak up the beauty of this gorgeous planet and what it has to offer. Go for a weekend trip before your Boom mission to get a feel of what’s required and carry as little as possible. Less is more when touring on a bike and above all don’t forget to take in the scenery and laugh as much as you can!

How have your experiences shaped your perspectives of the world?
Good question. I would have to say that by being forced to rely on complete strangers in times of need and to be so fantastically accommodated by people I’ve never met has been a major positive for me. When the needy and less fortunate have a loaf of bread to share with you, and they open their homes and hearts, it is and has truly been a humbling journey and has certainly instilled my faith in humanity. I have become quite minimalist through the realisation that true wealth is not something you can carry or buy but rather an accumulation of memories that were born from real organic experiences with everyday people.

What will be the role of the Global Wheeling Foundation at Boom this year?
The GWF creates a platform where the efforts of Boomers that bike it to Boom will empower people that are less fortunate. At the same time, this will not only help reduce our carbon footprint, but also give a sense of freedom, adventure and unity between Boomers. It’s a unique bond and an organic experience that will create memories that will last a lifetime. It’s a team ethos that’s achieved when people work together for a common, positive goal. We hope all Boomers that bike to Boom will converge at the Global Wheeling Foundation stand at the festival and share stories about what they learnt, loved and loathed along the way with fellow cyclists.

Can you tell us about one of your own personal adventures? A funny story? An enigmatic moment?
Cycling through Sumatra, Indonesia, I realised I’d been pick-pocketed and all my bankcards etc had gone. Julius, a gentleman that had overheard me waffling about my plight wonders over and in his broken English says, “If honest, I help”. Then out of the blue, he takes my hand and beckons me toward the ATM where he proceeds to draw all his savings. There’s a 3-day wait for a money transfer so Julius invites me back to his home to sit it out. We arrive and I’m introduced to the “family” – six men and four women.

We all share the one-room dwelling for the next 3 days and nights. We laughed, cried, slept and ate together. Moments passed that I still think of regularly today. It was a true and pure example of the beauty of people and human nature. Padang was recently crushed by an earthquake, thousands have died, and I’ve lost contact with my “family”. I start to wonder if Mother Earth is getting just a little bit pissed off.

This incessant quest for bigger houses, more money and faster cars; our destruction of forests and raping of the oceans is taking us further and further from the pure and natural beauties that once surrounded us in our most simple and most humble form.

What drives you most to do what you do?
I would have to say a seriously warped sense of adventure covered in a layer of extremism, dunked in a pot of environmental activism.

What advice would you give Boomers that are inspired to bike it to Boom this year?
Ride Forest… Ride..! (big grin)

Can you explain how Boomers can create their own eco-charity bike ride to Boom?
Here are a few steps to help you get started:

• Gather a group of like-minded people to accompany you on the ride.
• Organise your gear, bicycle, spares etc…
• Check the best routes
• Organise sponsors, fundraisers and media coverage.
• Get your friends to take your excess baggage in a car
• Cycle to Boom and party along the way with fellow cyclists
• Document your ride with a video camera
• Submit your footage to media@boomfestival.org
• Live, love life, and give a little bit back.

All funds raised can be donated via the  www.globalwheeling.org website

Safe journey eco-warriors!