Dear P4P,

I just wanted to take a moment and share with you our experience and say thanks for Pedals 4 Progress. For much of 2007 and nearly all of 2008 my wife and I served as volunteer missionaries (in other words we paid all of our own expenses) in the vicinity of Rivas, Nicaragua. We were on a tight budget and very quickly we found ourselves in need of some bicycles. As you are probably aware, the only options in Nicaragua are either super expensive mediocre brands sold in Managua, or horrible quality Chinese manufactured bikes that are sold for anywhere between $50 to $100. It wasn’t long before EcoBicicletas became our new best friend. Both ourselves, our fellow volunteer missionaries, and our local Nicaraguan friends in the congregation relied heavily on bicycles for transportation. Pedaling a cheap problematic bike in the hot Nicaraguan sun is no fun. EcoBicicletas allowed us to find a number of quality bikes for around $50. The cool part was also how it helped the local Nicaraguans. Most of them really weren’t familiar with bike brands and basic bike repair so I began buying one or two a month, transporting them to our small town, fixing them up (typically minor repairs) and either selling them for cost or donating them to our Nicaraguan friends. In the process I was able to educate them a little bit about which ones to look for (Trek, Giant, Fuji, etc.) and also share some basic repair knowledge. In 2008 my wife and got pregnant and we have since returned to the states, but I always appreciated the positive impact that I personally felt from Pedals 4 Progress and EcoBicicletas.

Thanks again!

Justin and Beth