What's the idea of TechBikers?
TechBikers was born in 2012 from Google Campus in London as a means for the tech community to put down their laptops and pick up a bike to support charity, network, share ideas and spread the start-up vibe. The first ride took place from Paris to London. Techbikers Germany have already been to Prague, Copenhagen, Poznan, Hamburg and Berlin
What started 2012 in UK was brought to Germany in 2013.
Behind TechBikers Germany is Jan Bechler, founder of the online marketing group Finc3 and partner at Online Marketing Rockstars together with former world-class triathlon athlete Folkert Behrends from Move-ment.
To date TechBikers have ridden more than 5.000 km and donated far more than 700.000€ to various charities. At its core TechBikers is a 3 day bike ride that takes us every year from one startup city to another one. Their aim: having fun, being active and raising funds for a good cause.
How does the fundraising work?
To ensure that the maximum amount of money reaches the charity, we coverthe costs of the ride with corporate sponsorship and a small participation fee of 399€ for all participants. This includes all costs for organization, hotel, transportation, food, professional bike guides, etc.
By signing up every participant commits to raise funds for the selected charity. The individual goal per participant is at least 750€ , which you can raise however you want to, may it be by organizing a fundraising party, selling cookies to your neighbours, asking your grandma or your boss for support...we do not care how you do it, we just want to be sure that every participants does his or her very best to raise as much money as possible for the good cause.
All details about the financials of Techbikers and your fundraising efforts can be found here.
What's happening this year?
In 2012 TechBikers UK decided to ride from Paris to London. Techbikers Germany rode from Prague to Berlin in 2013 and over the last years we also started from Hamburg, Poland or Copenhagen.
In this year we will be riding from Bielefeld to Berlin.
WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT?
Firstly, a 430km ride for mixed ability riders on a challenging but safe experience. TechBikers is not a race – we are not aiming at the fastest speed but at the maximum amount of fun and community experience on wheels.
But TechBikers is so much more - it is 4 months of casual training rides, get-togethers, personal fundraising and support that is shared across social media and in the press, before, during and after the ride.
We apply startup methodologies of agility, programmatic intelligence, hard work and great fun to create a unique, effective and transparent organisation.