Event demonstrates power of bicycles used as machinery

An old bicycle tucked away in the garage could help power a village.

A Guatemala-based organization hopes to demonstrate that potential this weekend during an event in Whitefish.

Maya Pedal, a non-governmental organization located in San Andreas Itzapa, Guatemala, transforms old bicycles into pedal-powered machinery for local villages without power, making machines such as corn cobbers, coffee mills and water pumps to help boost family income, keep kids in school, fight poverty and alleviate illegal immigration problems.

Some water pump machines, called “bicimaquinas,” can draw water from as deep as 50 feet underground into tanks above ground.

Glacier Cyclery will present on the group during the “Power the Pedal-Upcycle Event” on Saturday from 3 to 5 p.m. at its store on East Second Street. Participants are encouraged to bring used bikes and parts as well as old but gently used tools to donate to the organization.

Dave Renfrow, bike tourist and local organizer for Maya Pedal, said he was sold on the organization after finding them during cycling trips in Central America.

“I’ve stopped there three different years now, spent time with the people and just been totally convinced that they’re doing things the right way with the appropriate technology. I like that they’re a very frugal organization and that they live within their means and take no government funding. Twenty years as a nonprofit in Latin America is a long time.”

President Mario Juarez and others founded the group following the Guatemalan Civil War about 20 years ago, and Maya Pedal has been working with Rotary Clubs International and Massachusetts Institute of Technology for designs.

Renfrow said it’s often the most complex problems that can be solved with simple solutions.

“Anything that we can do to keep those children in school, to avoid having them take a perilous journey across Mexico looking for farm work — we live in a very complex world, our immigration, trade, tax policies are complex, but the simple thing is sometimes the best, and the simple thing is just to get a bicycle to a family,” he said.

Glacier Cyclery will accept donated bikes, tools and equipment also this week prior to Saturday’s event.

“Any serviceable bike, if it’s missing a wheel or seat-post or handlebar, that’s OK. As long as it hasn’t been sitting out, rusted and frozen up,” Renfrow said. “They’re a chop shop, you can almost not even recognize that some machines are bikes, so they’re able to use something that in our state would end up in a landfill. Anything that’s a duplicate in your shop, they can use in the shop at Maya Pedal.”

So far, Maya Pedal has received donations from Missoula, Polson, Libby and Columbia Falls, as well as Portland, Oregon.

The event at Glacier Cyclery will feature demonstrations of bicycle machines, smoothies made from a bicycle blender, video showings and, Renfrow said, a possible video message from President Juarez himself thanking Whitefish for the support.

“It should be a fun event for grown ups and kids alike,” Renfrow said.

For more information, visit Maya Pedal USA on Facebook or mayapedal.org.