Zambia: Sunset Mountain Bike Rides on Copper Trails

Sunset Mountain Bike Rides on Copper Trails, Zambia

At Kansanshi Mine near Solwezi, coworkers who opt in ride mountain bikes together after work, with no penalty to non‑participants, and equivalent alternatives such as a paid‑time walking group, stretching or yoga sessions, and volunteer shifts are scheduled in parallel for those who do not cycle. People from many jobs gear up, take turns leading on hills, regroup for a photo, and ride back together. The club offers loaner bikes, safety leads, and pace groups, and it also provides beginner and women‑led sessions, safe‑lighting and escort protocols for evening rides, transport stipends for lower‑paid staff, childcare support at selected events, and adaptive or low‑impact options for participants with disabilities. The intended chain of results is explicit: rotating‑lead group rides build belonging and coordination, which support smoother cross‑team handoffs and psychological safety, with target leading metrics such as at least 70% voluntary participation and a 0.3‑point increase in belonging, and a pilot goal to reduce handoff defects per sprint by roughly 15%, while riders also take pride as some compete at national level.

Context: Pedaling Beyond Copper

In Zambia’s mining townships, companies have long understood that a workforce plays harder together when it toils together. During the Copperbelt boom of the 20th century, mining companies built football pitches and recreation halls, nurturing sports teams that produced many of the nation’s star athletes *. Football remains the most popular sport, and streets often quieten during big Chipolopolo matches, but one modern mining giant gambled on a different wheel. In the rural North-Western Province, blessed with red-dirt trails and open savannah, mountain biking has improbably emerged as a new ritual binding employees and community. The surprise? It’s working brilliantly.

Meet First Quantum Minerals (FQM)

FQM, a Canadian firm, opened Kansanshi Mine in 2005 on the outskirts of Solwezi. Now one of Africa’s largest copper mines, Kansanshi has helped transform a once‑sleepy town into a bustling boomtown. As expats and local hires poured in, leadership knew that sustaining morale in this remote locale meant investing in more than salaries. Following Zambia’s mining-camp tradition of company sports, FQM built a modern clubhouse, complete with a golf course, pool, and squash courts. Yet it was an experiment in 2012 – launching a humble “Kansanshi Cycling Club” – that struck cultural gold. Skeptics smirked: cycling, in Zambia? Back then, in Solwezi’s mining camps, bikes were commonly used for everyday transport even as cycling clubs and urban races were growing in Lusaka and the Copperbelt. But by 2014 the mine had formally set up the Kansanshi Sports Foundation and put professional cyclist and coach Ryan Ellis at the helm. His mission: get people on bikes.

Early days were uphill. A handful of employees and local teens showed up for weekend rides, wobbling on basic mountain bikes along dusty trails. Still, the seed was planted. “Fast-forward to 2021,” as one account notes, “and the cycling team is appearing on podiums in Zambia and beyond” *. Indeed, the Kansanshi riders, once an oddity, became national champions and even sent juniors to compete (and win) in South Africa * *. What began as a workplace wellness idea morphed into a source of regional pride. And crucially, the habit took hold back on site: on many evenings in the dry season, you’ll find FQM geologists, engineers, accountants, and truck drivers donning helmets and riding designated trails together. As the company proudly notes, “Mountain biking is something of a tradition at both sites, with active clubs and plenty of interesting routes” * (Kansanshi’s sister mine, Sentinel, followed suit). The ritual even earned a nickname in camp: the “dirt haircut” – because a good ride leaves everyone equally coated in Solwezi’s famous orange dust, a lighthearted badge of unity.

Trailblazer Ride — Step-by-Step

Minute	Scene	Purpose
0–5	Gear up at the depot – riders gather, check tires & lights	Transition from work mode; ensure safety
5–30	Warm-up stretch – easy spin through acacia groves, casual chatting	Release work stress; include all fitness levels
30–50	Into the bush – single-file push up a rocky hill, leaders rotate	Shared challenge; trust and teamwork in action
50–60	Summit break – water bottles out, group selfie at a lookout point	Celebrate together; cross-hierarchy bonding
60–90	Fast ride home – split into pace groups, some friendly racing	Healthy competition; adrenaline and endorphins
90–100	Cooldown – return to base, high-fives, stretch, bikes into rack	Recovery together; mark closure and camaraderie

Weekend “challenge rides” may go longer, while the after‑work loop is a brisk 15 km circuit during the May–Oct dry season, with Nov–Apr rainy‑season route adaptations, weather stop‑rules, and wildlife risk mitigations in place.

Why It Works — From Dust to Trust

Sweating through a tough trail with colleagues turns out to be a powerful social glue. Peer‑reviewed studies associate group exercise with improved cohesion and reduced stress compared with exercising alone, without relying on hormone explanations. Rather than invoking specific hormones, it is sufficient to note that shared physical challenges can strengthen bonds and team identification when done safely and inclusively. In plain terms, rotating leads, shared challenge, synchronized effort, and a brief debrief at the end build relatedness and competence, strengthen team identity, and support smoother handoffs and psychological safety at work. Riders across roles—including women operators, contract staff, and junior technicians—often mention that tackling a steep ascent or fixing a flat tire mid‑trail requires the same communication and trust they need in the pit or the plant. The usual workplace hierarchy also thins out on the trail, reflecting role inversion and communitas in a temporary liminal space that many riders call the “dirt haircut” zone. A junior haul-truck driver might lead the pack while a senior manager huffs in the rear – and everyone laughs about it later. This role reversal humanises relationships, replacing office titles with shared grit and goofy helmet-hair.

Then there’s the backdrop: nature. Solwezi’s surrounding bush offers more than exercise; it offers mental refuge. Many participants simply describe it as time in nature that helps them decompress, without needing imported labels. Short periods outdoors are associated with improved mood and motivation in controlled studies, and these riders typically spend about an hour outside together. Many swear the sunsets out there make them forget they’re at a mine site at all. As a veteran Zambian metallurgist said with consent and anonymization, “When we crest that ridge at dusk, it’s like the copper price and production targets disappear for a while.” In place of those stresses: the whir of bike wheels, the chirp of cicadas, and a camaraderie as unforced as the laughter echoing down the trail. Importantly, at some mining sites this bike ritual offers an alternative to pub‑based socializing and can be family‑friendly, while recognizing that social preferences vary across regions and workplaces. “It pulls them away from drinking and other bad habits that people would pick up if they are bored,” explains Ellis, noting how active pastimes have curbed the once-rampant pub culture for many *. In short, the ritual creates natural highs and genuine connections – no liquid courage required.

Outcomes & Impact

What started as a quirky pastime is now a cornerstone of FQM’s workplace culture. Internal pulse checks at Kansanshi collect only essential, anonymized participation and well‑being metrics, retain data for 90 days, name a data owner and approver, and are reviewed by Legal and HR; results are descriptive and do not imply causation. The mine’s onsite clinic reports fewer lifestyle‑related complaints among some participants, but these observational trends are not evidence of causation and should be interpreted cautiously. On the retention front, the cycling program is frequently cited as a lifestyle perk rather than a guaranteed retention lever. Exit interviews sometimes mention Solwezi’s remoteness, and some departing employees say they will “miss the riding crew” on those red‑dirt routes. The company’s investment in employee well-being hasn’t gone unnoticed externally either. In industry circles, Kansanshi is often cited for its workplace culture and has received national industry awards, including recognition in recent years. FQM’s recruitment team notes access to designated after‑work trails subject to permits and safety protocols, and the company partners with community organizers to ensure benefits and access are shared.

Perhaps most telling is how the ritual has spilled over to the broader community. What began with a few expats and employees grew into the Kansanshi Cycling Team, co‑sponsored by local businesses, producing national champions and inspiring youth while complementing urban cycling scenes that have been developing in Lusaka and the Copperbelt. The mine now hosts annual public races like the grueling 140 km “Mine-to-Mine” challenge between its two operations, drawing riders from across Zambia. On those race days, employees volunteer en masse: manning water stations, officiating, or cheering on competitors with the same zeal they once reserved for football. In Solwezi, cycling isn’t “the strange pastime of the mine folks” anymore – it’s cool. And employees wear that influence with pride, knowing their workplace ritual helped spark a mini social revolution on two wheels.

Lessons for Global Team Leaders

Principle	Why It Matters	How to Translate
Leverage Local Terrain	Tap into your unique environment for bonding (people embrace what feels natural)	Identify your “backyard advantage” only where routes are safe and accessible, obtain land and community permissions, partner with local clubs, and choose non‑cycling variants when trails, traffic, weather, or security make biking unsuitable.
Wellness as Bonding	Healthy teams are more engaged teams (exercise yields endorphins and unity)	Build a group fitness element into culture: start a walking club, yoga Friday, or friendly step-count challenge.
Shared Challenge	Overcoming a hurdle together forges trust (cross-functional friendships bloom in adversity)	Pick an activity with a mild challenge (hike, volunteer project) where teammates rely on each other’s help.
Egalitarian Play	Status lines blur in play zones (a new setting spotlights hidden talents)	Encourage activities where different skills shine. Let junior staff lead a game or teach a sport to others.
Community Integration	Extending rituals outward amplifies impact (purpose fuels pride)	Credit the ritual’s origin (e.g., Kansanshi/Solwezi), partner with local clubs and community leaders, share benefits such as access, equipment, and training, and open up your team tradition to families or the community annually. Sponsor a charity race, tournament, or showcase tied to your ritual.

Implementation Playbook

Survey the landscape. Pilot 2–4 target teams for eight weeks with two to three rides per team per week, keep rotating lead, regroup points, and a sweeper as fidelity elements, cap sessions at 45–60 minutes on beginner routes, avoid customer‑critical windows and define shift‑based eligibility, use a simple team A/B or stepped‑wedge design with brief surveys and behavioral metrics, and use a brief pre‑ride safety brief in local languages with stop rules if opt‑in falls below 40% or the safety pulse trends negative. In a city, it might be a run club; in a rural area, maybe biking or gardening. The key: it should feel accessible and exciting to your people.
Equip and empower. Remove barriers to entry. FQM stocked a fleet of loaner bikes and safety gear for those without, estimated per‑participant gear and facilitation costs, named an accountable leader, facilitator, communications lead, and data owner, and offered an MVP 45–60 minute walk‑or‑hike club variant at roughly 30–50% lower cost. Budget for basic equipment or partner with local clubs. Recruit an enthusiast employee to champion the group and mentor newcomers, ensure contractors and temporary staff have equitable access to sessions and loaner gear where safe and permitted, and publish clear participation criteria and subsidies.
Schedule it and celebrate it. Set voluntary times across shifts (e.g., Wednesday 5 p.m. and a night‑shift slot), make clear whether participation is on paid or unpaid time per policy, state that managers will not track attendance or tie it to performance, and provide a socially safe opt‑out. Publish a one‑page communication covering the program’s strategic link, explicit voluntary opt‑out, time/place/gear norms, anonymous feedback and a 90‑day data retention policy, cultural credit to Kansanshi and local partners, and make any recognition fully opt‑in.
Safety first. Because physical rituals carry risks, publish a formal health and safety protocol that covers pre‑ride risk assessment, medical self‑clearance or waivers, incident reporting and insurance coverage, return‑to‑work guidance, mandatory helmets and lights, heat index limits, and accessible low‑impact options with staggered time slots for all shifts. FQM requires helmets, lights and high‑visibility gear after dusk, radio check‑ins on long routes, a trained first‑aider as lead and a sweeper at the back of each group, and clear wildlife and traffic risk mitigations. Whatever your ritual, cap group size at twelve per pace group, assign trained lead and sweeper roles with radios, prohibit racing on group rides, require hydration stops and sun/heat checks, and document emergency contacts and incident protocols.
Mix fun with purpose. To sustain momentum, occasionally spice it up. FQM introduced themed rides (e.g., a wildlife‑spotting ride), and any night riding proceeds only with full lighting, high‑visibility gear, vehicle support, and explicit route permissions, and the team tied one to a charity fundraiser. Novelty and meaning keep seasoned participants engaged and lure new ones.

Common Pitfalls

Exclusivity creep: If the activity skews elite (expensive gear or advanced skills), it can alienate folks. FQM avoided this by subsidising equipment and running beginner clinics. Ensure your ritual welcomes all levels: consider tiered groups or roles for non-participants (water helpers, scorekeepers, etc.).
Over-competition: A bit of rivalry is healthy, but if a core clique gets too intense, others may opt out. Keep the tone supportive by setting a no‑racing rule on group rides, emphasizing collective well‑being over competition, and reserving competitive racing for formal events.

Reflection & Call to Action

On the surface, a mountain-bike club in the Zambian bush sounds like pure fun, and it is. But it’s also strategy in disguise: a way to build resilient, unified teams ready to tackle tough terrain at work. A well‑worn saying captures the spirit here without attribution debates: going alone can be quick, but going together helps teams sustain the distance. Nowhere is that more literal than on a long trail ride with colleagues. So, consider this your gentle nudge to find your organization’s version of the dirt haircut. What “trail” can you blaze together outside the office? Whether it’s a weekly jog, a lunchtime dance circle, or a volunteer day in the community, commit to it and lead from the front (or in FQM’s case, sometimes the back!). In the journey of team building, the finish line is a moving target, but one thing is certain: you’ll go farther when you pedal in unison.