5 Things you can do to support the sport of cycling in Kenya

 “All it takes for evil to prevail is for good men and women to sit back (talking) and do nothing”.

If you asked me about the Kenya Cycling Federation a few years ago I would have cursed the entire lot. I would then have gone on and on about how they are not doing anything for this beautiful sport and maybe even make a claim that they are actively engaged in sabotaging it by embezzling monies allocated to the same. I would then probably go ahead to give you the names of both promising talents and people of goodwill who in my opinion were frustrated by the greedy and incompetent officials of that very body. All this of course would have been based on stories that I have heard (not experienced) either directly or indirectly of said evils. 

We live, we learn. If you ask me about the Kenya Cycling Federation today, depending on the context, chances are that I would have very few words; undoubtedly negative, mostly dismissive but very few indeed. To put it simply, I think I have exhausted most if not all my opinions on that topic.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that things have changed for the better at that level. No. I just came to the conclusion that words are absolutely powerless if not followed by concrete action.

 “Talk is cheap”

 I absolutely respect every person’s right to air their opinion but I believe at the end of the day, the most important question to ask yourself is this; ‘what are you doing for cycling in Kenya?” If you are a cyclist and actually take pleasure in this sport whether as an active competitor or fan then there’s definitely something that you can do to positively impact on its growth.

Sossi and BikeAid at H2H 4 Credit: Moses Kamwere

1.Register for a race

If you see a race advertised, register and show up when the day arrives. The only way we are going to grow the competitive end of cycling in Kenya is by showing up for races in massive numbers. This is how we get the attention of bystanders and corporates. So why do we need bystanders? Very simple, the only way to grow a sport or any brand for that matter is by having fans/ardent followers -the more the better. We obviously need corporates for their money, there’s no way to sugarcoat that fact. But no company is going to finance our intentions if we can’t show the value we bring to the table. Numbers = advertising opportunity. That’s our bargaining chip. If you don’t believe me look at the likes of football. The fan base is almost cultic and that’s very attractive to corporates. So register, show up then make noise about it on social 

media.

David Ndatha at the VeloNos SBITT 3. Credit Kiragu Mwangi

2.Turn out and support

You don’t have to be a racing enthusiast to show up at a racing event. Just being at the start-line, finish- line or somewhere along the route screaming at the racers or handing them bananas and water goes a long way in growing bike racing in Kenya. Organizing a race requires a good deal of manpower therefore every helping hand always goes a long way.

3.Support a racer

There are many talented young riders out there who are extremely passionate about bike racing but are financially challenged. If you know anything about racing bikes, then you are aware of the fact that the costs can add up real quick. Think actual bikes, spares, accessories, nutrition, race registration and logistics. To some people all this might sound like peanuts but to others it’s actually a make or break factor. If you have the ability to help one passionate cyclist out there and cause their star to shine then you just might end up changing a life for the better. That’s definitely good Karma. 

4.Buy team merchandise

More and more cyclists are organizing themselves into structured racing outfits; with this comes team kits and a host of other branded merchandise. Some of the best examples locally include Kenyan riders in Iten, Safari Simbaz and VeloNos (which this writer is part of) in Thogoto, Kikuyu and Team Arabika from Mombasa. All these teams have branded bike racing kits that are available to the local cycling population. When you buy from these guys you automatically provide working capital for the team. This is very vital to their survival.

5.Organize a race

This might sound like a difficult job but it is actually quite doable for any average folk with the will and passion for the sport. By adding an extra event to the calendar you will automatically have done your part in making bike racing in Kenya more robust. It’s very simple, find a route, do a recce, find sponsors if you can, pick an open date preferably on a Sunday, advertise on the Kenya Cycling Facebook page, make noise about it. The rest are details.

The writer at the VeloNos Mwisho wa Lami 2. Credit: Moses Kamwere

In summary, focusing on what’s wrong with the sport of cycling in Kenya will do little to nothing moving forward. It is important to actually do something about what you feel is lacking, however small. Yes the Federation has a major responsibility and has failed catastrophically, but how is constantly whining about it going to help?