The National Olympic Committee of Lesotho(LNOC) and the Federation of Cycling Lesotho have received a major boost following the delivery of 594 bicycles and accessories from Working Bikes, a Chicago-based non profit organization, under the ‘Bikes for Lesotho’ initiative. This latest consignment marks another significant chapter in a long-standing partnership aimed at expanding access to bicycles while simultaneously developing cycling sport in the country.
A vote of thanks has been extended to the Director of Bikes for Lesotho and Board President of Working Bikes, Mr David Patrick Gorman, for his continued commitment to a thoughtful bicycle access programme that targets orphans, children and Basotho communities at large. This delivery made it’s way from Chicago to Maseru from October 21st 2025 to January 16th 2026. This delivery also represents a huge milestone, bringing the total number of bicycles delivered to Lesotho to more than 7,000 over the years.
The primary focus of the current delivery is talent identification and to empower the sport itself, with bicycles being channelled towards young people to also support both everyday mobility and sporting development. Beyond their practical use, the bikes arrive “with love and sweat from the people of Chicago.”
For many here in Lesotho, bicycles are far more than means of transport, they symbolise freedom, joy and opportunity. This belief sits at the heart of the Bikes for Lesotho initiative, founded by David Gorman, the American responsible to donating 14 containers of bicycles, at total of over 7,000 bicycles to Lesotho in just over a decade.
Gorman’s connection to Lesotho dates back to 1989, when he first arrived in the country as a Peace Corps volunteer stationed in Seforong, Quthing. He spent only three years in the Mountain Kingdom, an experience that left a lasting impression. Two decades later, in 2012, he founded ‘Bikes for Lesotho’ with a focus on providing bicycles to children, particularly orphans, across the country. Since launching the project, Gorman has shipped 14 containers of used bicycles to the country.
For him, bicycles are not just tools of mobility but powerful instruments of empowerment. “The joy of riding a bike should be available to everyone, especially children,” Gorman said.
“From that joy comes confidence, health, savings, and even mechanical skills. But it all begins with that first feeling of freedom on two wheels.”
David Gorman hopes to move beyond charity towards sustainable cycling development in Lesotho. His vision is to help build a thriving ecosystem of bicycle shops, more bicycle clubs and maybe even bicycle races that can sustain themselves long after donations have stopped. “I want to help build a system that lasts where children can ride, learn and dream,” he said.
“To me, the meaning of life is to be of service to others. I’m grateful that I’ve found a way to do that in what I now call my second home — Lesotho.”
