About

The inspiration behind this tour is simple: it's a bit preposterous to burn petroleum on tour with social and environmental justice music. With the combined obstacles of global climate change, peak oil (the point when oil demand outstrips supply, only decades away by most conservative estimates), and resource wars (including the Western foray into the Middle East), it's time to break our addiction to fossil fuels... especially petroleum!

August 2009 brought the first annual Petrol-Free Gypsy Carnival Tour, a bike ride across Virginia that kicked off in Harrisonburg, hit Staunton, Charlottesville, Richmond, and Williamsburg, and culminated in Virginia Beach. Along the way we shared inspiring art, justice-themed music, and poetry with a message.

The 2010 tour began and ended in May. We made a loop, riding our bikes all the way back around to Harrisonburg instead of coming to a halt in Virginia Beach. The tour was slightly longer and had 8 solid bikers the whole route, as opposed to 2 in 2009.

Calling all musicians, street performers, soap-boxers of peace, and anyone with a hankering for a nice bike ride... plans for 2011 are in the works! Let us know if you're interested in joining the planning collective.

 

If you need any kind of convincing to join us, here are our responses to common fears:

I don't have a long-distance bike!

Harrisonburg and Charlottesville have good community bike shops where you can pick up a pretty good ride for cheap or free. Free helmets at the Harrisonburg fire station. Contact us if this interests you.

I don't think I can ride that far!

In 2009 Rachel Sarah sat in an office for 3 months without exercising or training before jumping on the tour from Richmond to VA Beach. You can do it too!

I can't afford anything!

We actually made money on the past two tours! We worked together to pay for food and all housing was free.

I don't have a bike trailer!

We can help you make your own trailers out of old aluminum ladders (and potentially bamboo, super DIY!) and kids bike wheels. This is mostly for performers who need to cart an instrument or two.

I don't have saddle bags!

We in Harrisonburg have a bunch of extra plastic kitty-litter boxes to make water-proof saddle bags to keep your undies and stuff dry! All you need is a couple dollars for hardware.