Published in The Guelph Mercury November 17, 2015

If you are one of the million Canadians heading to Cuba this year, due to the short flight, cheap digs and warm weather, consider getting in touch with Jeff Reid before you go. Reid is the force behind Bikes for Cuba, a volunteer organization of one that organizes donations of bicycles and gear to Cubans.

Reid travels to Cuba two, three, sometimes even four times annually. He has been doing this for the better part of 10 years now and not because he loves relaxing at resorts. The reason for his first venture to the island was to cycle. On one of his early bicycle trips, Reid met a coach who ran the cycling program at a local school. Thirteen kids were sharing one bike. Reid was shocked.

“I raced for the Canadian National Team, I grew up around bikes. My family was in the bike business and I always had good equipment. I just couldn’t believe it. So I left them my bike,” said Reid. “Then I called up old friends and got donations and sent more bikes.”

The desire to help out blossomed into his organization Bikes for Cuba. Over the last six or seven years, 325 bikes and thousands of pieces of equipment including clothes, shoes and helmets have been donated. Here is the thing, this isn’t a non-profit organization relying on government funding to run the show – Reid collects the donations, makes minor repairs, and boxes the bikes getting them flight-ready all on his own.

Tourists flying to Cuba have taken 99 per cent of the donations for him, Reid says. People have learned about his organization through word-of-mouth or by visiting his booth at the Toronto International Bicycle Show which takes place in early March each year.

Reid has made it hassle-free for people to volunteer to take the bikes with them to Cuba.

This is how it works. To take a bike to Cuba, people contact Reid through e-mail or telephone and he arranges to meet them at the Toronto airport with the boxed bike. Reid gives them the bike and a letter to the airline letting them know this is donation from Bikes for Cuba. He has an arrangement with many of the airlines that service Cuba to ship the bikes for free. At the other end, his Cuban friend, Jorge Feria, meets the traveler at the airport to pick up the bike. Feria then distributes the bikes and gear to the schools and clubs for recreation, provincial and national training programs.  He and Reid are in touch constantly. A picture gallery of some of the donated bikes are posted on the Bikes for Cuba website.

Accompanying a bike is not the only way to donate to the program. For those going to Cuba to cycle they can leave their bike behind once the trip is done. Or if Reid has a donated bike that fits you, you can take it to Cuba, do your ride and leave it behind when you are ready to come home. Arrangements can be made with Feria to pick up the bike.

There has been a growing demand for mountain bikes recently. If you have a used mountain bike in good working order you are no longer using, consider donating it.

Reid says his commitment to the cause takes up about a quarter of his day on average, between arranging to pick up donations and driving to the airport, on top of working full-time. Reid hasn’t received many corporate donations but recently Sugoi, the bicycle apparel company, surprised him. They donated 50 boxes of clothing and gear to Bikes for Cuba. My question about where he stores the donations was met with a laugh, “All over the house and in my garage,” he said.  “It’s crazy.”

For more information visit bikesforcuba.com