Have you ever thought about how much farther you can go, using the same amount of time and energy, when you have a bike, rather than simply walking?

A group of Chicago teens did. It turns out you can travel four times the distance on a bike. Which might make a small difference to you, if you're riding your bike from home to school. Yet for kids in Africa, where traveling to school can take longer than in the U.S. (up to 15 miles on foot), it prevents some from making it to school at all.

This is where World Bicycle Relief comes in. Started in 2006 following the Indian Ocean tsunami, World Bicycle Relief showed how valuable bikes can be in helping disaster victims and relief workers. This year, a group of teens from Chicago who attend the Wheaton Academy, raised $15,000 through a charity benefit and a partnership with a coffee company to support the project in Zambia.

Photo: A girl and her new bike.