Top Shops

This month Bikes for the World would like to recognize our many shop partners who help give our donors a convenient location to drop off a bicycle year round...even when our community led collections are dormant.

In 2013 13% of our bike donations (about 2,000 bikes) came in through our local drop off points at our bike shop partners. We also worked with some of the same partners during our regular collection schedule to bring in another 500 bikes.

Race Pace Bicycles

Bikes for the World partners with 14 local shops in MD, VA, and DC all of whom collect bikes year round, issue receipts on our behalf, and store bikes until we can schedule a pick up. Some shops, like Race Pace Bicycles in Maryland and Spokes Etc. in Virginia collect at ALL of their locations and even transport the donated bikes to one shop so we can make one stop and collect about 60 bikes at a time. This makes scheduling our pick ups more efficient and helps us collect more bikes weekly.

Jan and Helen at Bikenetic

Many bike shops, especially in the DC area, are very cramped for space. Those who have warehouse space often have it off site from their actual bike shop, meaning any donations they take for us would need to be transported to another location and stored.

Some shops also save tires and parts for us, which can build up quickly, and as you can imagine mountain bike tires can really take up space. Our shop partners typically store these items for us for several months at a time. Donations to Bikes for the World require a significant commitment to space sharing by our shop partners, for which we are very grateful.

Many of the bikes coming to BfW through bike shops would otherwise end up in the local landfill or recycling bin. Once bike owners find out how much it would cost to repair an old bicycle some turn their attention to the sales floor. When they learn that their old bike could be helping someone live a better life it's often easier to part with their beloved bicycle.

The Mahleys donated two NEW bikes

In other cases, donors are drawn to the shops because they already know they want to donate a bike to Bikes for the World. It's not unusual to find a generous donor, especially around Christmastime, who will buy a brand new bike only to turn around and immediately donate it to BfW.

Last year the Mahleys brought two new Treks from Spokes Etc. that will be shipped out later this year. A mechanic from Race Pace bought and donated 10 new Kona bikes that were shipped to Kenya last year.

Dillard collection at Spokes Ashburn

Although our shop partners like to keep track of how many bikes they donate to us...Race Pace and City Bikes both donated over 500 bikes in the last three years and Spokes donated over 1,000...they are more than supportive of our community driven collections as well.

Some of our partners, like Pedal Pushers in Severna Park, host dedicated bike collections at their shops. All of our partners will help advertise another collection and sometimes give up their supply of bikes to help seed a local collection, like the Eagle project coming up at REI in Fairfax.

For a full list of our partnering shops and this month's BfW All-Stars visit our website.

The Fourth 'R': Riding

How exciting. Today we are talking about two new areas where Bikes for the World bikes are ending up in Africa. Cameroon and Mozambique. And to be even more specific we can say some of those bikes came from Severna Park and Arnold Maryland.

Two new education projects are receiving bikes through Bikes for the World. Many of the bikes included in the two shipments came from Pedal Pushers and Bike Doctor Arnold, both long time Bikes for the World shop supporters.

Courtesy ChildFund Mozambique

From Director Keith Oberg:

Keeping kids in school is one of the most productive investments that a society can make. Recognizing this premise, Bikes for the World provides students at risk of dropping out the means - in the form of a bicycle - to arrive at school on time, refreshed, and with time savings, thus enabling them to study more, do chores at home, and stay in school.

Providing bikes for education has happened to one degree or another in all of our supported projects going back to our start in 2005. Beginning 2011, however, we supported a 100% education project, Bikes for the Philippines.

Courtesy Wheels of Africa

Now, following on this project's initial success, we are looking for new opportunities to support education, and are particularly interested in Africa, where millions of children drop out of school, especially at the critical transition from village-based primary school to regional secondary schools. The loss of human potential is immense.

Two countries where we are exploring the role of bicycles in education are Cameroon and Mozambique. In Mozambique we will be working with ChildFund International to help distribute bikes to school children and teachers in central Mozambique. The first container is scheduled to be loaded at our Arlington warehouse September 14-15.

Courtesy BIG

Recently a small shipment of bikes, about 30, were sent to Cameroon, piggybacking on a shipment of books by a local Rotary club. The shipment of books and bikes was sponsored by the Cameroon Education Foundation in Kumbo, an English-speaking area in northwestern Cameroon close to the Nigerian border.

Almost all the bikes shipped this past spring have already been reconditioned and given to students in Kumbo. One such student is Alhaji Suleman, a student of GBHS who lives in Rogasah Kumbo.

Friend of Alhaji Suleman

"I will like to thank Bikes for the World for sending bikes to Cameroon for the first time. Like my friends I love bike because it will help me go to school easily.

"[The bike] will help my moment to school which you know is far from my home. Secondly the bike will reduced my transport cost. Thirdly the bike help me to travel in and out of Kumbo."

Alhaji Suleman, bike beneficiary, Kumbo Cameroon.

A True Community Service Project

Ann Jackson and Friends

Ann Jackson has been collecting bikes for a year or two or ten, we've almost lost count. Jackson, an avid cyclist, hosts a Bikes for the World bike collection every year or two at local Severna Park bike shop, and BfW shop partner, Pedal Pushers.

Ann Jackson

Over the years, the Ann Jackson and Friends bike collections have collected over 500 bikes for individuals in need across the globe.

“I just like what they do to help the people overseas. A lot of people have bicycles they don’t use and this keeps them out of a landfill. I think it’s a good thing to do," Ann Jackson

Peter Berty removes pedals at collection

Ann Jackson and Friends could almost just as easily be changed to and Family. Jackson enlists the help of her siblings and in-laws to make this collection spin. Unfortunately, married names throw off the accuracy of The Jackson Five as a collection sponsor name.

You may have seen this guy to the right as far away as Falls Church Virginia, which ironically hosted their recycling event the same day this year. Peter and Ellen Berty, brother-in-law and sister to Ann, are also long time Bikes for the World volunteers, helping at collections, events, and even behind the scenes.

 But what really makes this collection successful is the support of the community as a whole. Rod Reddish, owner of Pedal Pushers has been sharing space with Jackson to help promote this collection over the years. His location, right next to the B&A multi-use trail is a great place to spread the word about Bikes for the World. Pedal Pushers is a long time supporter of Bikes for the World.

When asked if the collection boosts sales at all, Reddish replied, "It's not about making money, it's about getting people a ride." Whether it's getting
someone an upgraded bike and out on the neighborhood trail or donating a bike to someone in need overseas, this is a great program.

The manager of The Big Bean, the coffee shop a few doors down, agrees. The Big Bean often supports the community by offering free cups of coffee for local events. They donated coupons to anyone who donated a bike at the Ann Jackson and Friends collection.

And it's not just family helping at the collection itself either. This community service project embraces the community. Whether it's a young person from an environmental group, an employee of the bike shop, or one time a bike donor who wanted to stay and help...there's a wrench for everyone!

Several donors this past weekend even saw the collection advertised on a neighborhood listserv...that Jackson knew nothing about. Some saw the banner in front of Pedal Pushers. Others picked up a card at The Big Bean.In the end Ann Jackson and Friends collected and processed 84 bikes to kick off our fall season. Many of these bikes will likely go out in the next shipment being loaded September 14 and 15 and arriving in Mozambique several months from now.

A Couple of Cool Kids!

Ann Jackson and Friends

What a day! Bikes for the World supported three collections today at Sherwood High School with Olney Rotary, Glenwood Middle School with Glenwood Lions Club, and Pedal Pushers with veteran Ann Jackson and Friends. 158 bikes came into King Farm by late afternoon with the help of drivers Keith, Nick, and Yvette.

All three of these organizations have been supporting BfW since the beginning. I can't put my finger on the exact number, but between the three of them they have collected over 1,000 bikes for Bikes for the World. And Pedal Pushers Bike Shop, where one of the collection points was, is also a regular drop off point for us bringing in a bunch more!

This blue bicycle was donated by the Writt family at the Glenwood Middle School collection. Brandon and Megan saved their allowance and bought this brand new bicycle just to donate to Bikes for the World.

Mom Robin says it took quite a while for them to save that much but feels it's important for them to save a third and donate a third to a cause. I didn't ask what happens to the last third, but they definitely earned the right to enjoy it!They chose a bike for this collection as their 'jumping off' point. And Mom even processed it so it is ready to be shipped!

And shipped it was! Here we are loading it that very afternoon onto the container heading to Ghana in a couple days. This shipment will be heading to the Village Bicycle Project (VBP).

VBP delivers bicycles to urban and rural users, but with a particular focus on rural development through providing targeted training and sales. Working in partnership with Peace Corps volunteers and other rural change agents, VBP trainers (former teachers and bike mechanics Samson Ayine and Geirge Aidoo) provide intensive instruction to local teachers, health workers, agricultural extension workers, and other village-level workers in bicycle maintenance. Individuals who complete the course gain access to a reconditioned bicycle at a discoutned price.

You can totally follow their progress on our Website or better yet, check them out on facebook!