A group shot of mountain bikers in front of a mountain in Annapurna

The World Ride story

Changing women’s lives through mountain biking

What is World Ride all about?

World Ride is a 501(c)3 non-profit that raises money through donations, partnerships, and events, and our epic, high-quality mountain biking tours. We use the funds raised to provide access to mountain biking equipment and skills training for women in the countries where we offer our tours. Currently, World Wide has established programs in six countries, with three more in the works.

World Ride believes in the transformative power that the sport of mountain biking can have on women’s lives. The courage and determination learned through developing skills on a mountain bike translates into other areas in the lives of women that we work with.

How does World Ride empower women?

World Ride’s mission is to empower women around the world through mountain biking, with programs established in Nepal, Guatemala, Peru, Botswana, Tanzania and Lesotho.

Through donations, partnerships, and our mountain biking tours, we are able to:

Three mountain bikers riding past flags in Nepal

Provide access to mountain bikes

Mountain bikes and equipment are expensive, which is a barrier that keeps women from accessing the sport. A portion of the money raised through our various fundraising efforts go towards purchasing mountain bikes for bike and gear libraries for women to use in each of our locations.

A mountain biker riding in the jungle of El Zur

Support training and skills development

World Ride hosts skills clinics and trains guides to help women develop the skills they need to keep shredding trails around the world. Through mountain biking, women develop assets like leadership, determination, and courage, which are transferable to other areas of life.

Two members of World Ride wearing World Ride T-Shirts

Create career opportunities

World Ride employs local guides for all of our mountain biking tours, helping women break into the industry, contribute to the local economy, work through guide certifications, leadership training, and first aid training.

A large group of women sitting on stone steps with arms raised

Build community

We help to support women in creating community through mountain biking and promoting visibility of women achieving in the mountain biking world. We bring women together in their own city and country and also work to create a network of female mountain bikers around the globe.

The story of World Ride

Julie, Nishma, and Usha in Nepal wearing World Ride T-Shirts

In March of 2017, World Ride founder Julie Cornelius traveled with a team of women mountain bikers to Nepal for the AndShesDopeToo film Moksha, a project that evolved from Endure Nepal, which Julie originally spearheaded in 2015. Moksha, released in January 2018, tells the story of women mountain bikers in Nepal.

World Ride began as an extension of the Endure Nepal and Moksha projects, and remains committed to the long term vision of helping create opportunity for both Nepali and women across the world to access mountain biking.

World Ride currently works in Nepal, Guatemala, Peru, Lesotho and Botswana, with local partners that are committed to the World Ride mission. These partners help to recruit more women into the mountain biking community, assist in training guides, and employ certified guides. Our guides have the opportunity to work year round with our partners, and also guide all World Ride trips in their countries.

World Ride’s mountain bike adventure trips are an important part of our mission because they allow YOU to experience amazing countries and cultures and see first hand how mountain biking is making a difference in the lives of the women we work with.

Notable projects

""

18 bikes purchased or donated for bike libraries

""

10 women completed guide training

""

10 women completed instructor training

""

60 women joined the first ever women’s only community ride in Guatemala

""

6 countries with World Ride programs

""

3 countries we are working on adding programs

2018

  • In Nepal, we helped support the training of two guides, established a bike library, and hosted mountain biking tours.

2019

  • Purchased a full suspension bike for Nepal’s bike library.
  • Hosted mountain biking tours in Nepal.
  • Established our program in Guatemala, which included helping to host the first ever women's only Travesia community ride event which had over 60 Guatemalan women.
  • Hosted our first Guatemalan mountain biking tour.

2020

  • Purchased four bikes for our bike library in Guatemala.
  • Hosted online movie nights throughout the pandemic as fundraisers.
  • Helped to train a female guide in Guatemala.

2021

  • Established our program and hosted mountain biking tours in Peru.
  • Hosted more tours in Guatemala and Nepal.
  • Fundraised through online movie nights throughout the year.
  • Established our Ambassador Program with over 20 ambassadors from around the globe.

2022

  • Hosted two skills clinic days in Guatemala.
  • Brought PMBIA Level 1 Instructor courses to Nepal to train 16 locals.
  • Hosted a skills clinic day in Peru on International Women's Mountain Bike Day.
  • Hosted in person movie nights in Brevard, NC and Crested Butte, CO to raise funds.
  • Began training our first guide in Peru.
  • Expanded our ambassador program by adding more ambassadors in more places.
  • Partnered with Pivot Cycles, Wild Rye, DT Swiss and 10 Barrel Brewing for the Sunset Shred series across the US.

Donate to World Ride

Your donation to World Ride helps us empower women globally by providing access to mountain bikes and training. The skills developed through mountain biking can change lives—skills like leadership, determination, and confidence.

Mountain bikers looking out over the plains of Botswana

Our mountain biking tours

Experience all the highs (mountains) and lows (river valleys) of a mountain biking tour while supporting the World Ride mission of empowering women around the world!

Go on safari, visit a mountain tea house, or climb a volcano—all on your mountain bike! Sign up for your trip today. And hey, why not bring a friend?

How is World Ride different from other mountain biking tours?

Meeting new people, experiencing cultures, pushing your limits, learning new skills, sightseeing from a mountain bike… these are all things people look for in a mountain biking tour.

What sets our mountain biking tours apart from other companies is you get all that, plus you make a difference in the lives of women around the world. While you are biking past elephants and giraffes, taking in Machu Picchu, or shredding down a volcano, you are also directly supporting local women and the local economy of the countries we offer tours in. Your tour supports the World Ride mission and work, all while experiencing the trip of a lifetime.

Nishma sits on her bike wearing a World Ride tshirt

Meet the World Ride team

World Ride is powered by a team of rad women. Get to know our founder, board of directors, and guides.

Warning: you’ll probably be inspired to sign-up for a mountain biking tour, or at least for a little rip around the block!

Our partners

We couldn’t do what we do without you! Our generous donors help us get more women on bikes in different countries around the world, building essential skills and contributing to the local economy.

Ready for the trip of a lifetime?

Ride up and down mountains, experience local culture, and empower women across the world through mountain biking! Explore our mountain biking tours and pick the one that’s right for you.