PROGRAMS
FOR YOUTH
Bike Giveaway Program
Our Bike Giveaway took place in spring of 2017. This program has grown to serve people of all ages all over Wisconsin since then. From 2017-2026, we’ve distributed almost 16,000 refurbished bicycles to people facing transportation barriers, including 2,518 in 2024 alone.
For many recipients, it is their first bike, and with it comes a new kind of freedom: a way to get to school, to work, and through their own community. By refurbishing donated bicycles that might otherwise have gone to waste, we turn them into real opportunities for mobility and independence.
Bike Mechanics Youth Education Program
Bike Mechanics is an afterschool program that began in 2023. It offers hands-on workforce development for middle school youth attending schools in the Madison Metropolitan School District. Students learn to build and repair bicycles, building practical skills that could open a door into the bike industry.
Since the program began, 56 youth have graduated as trained bike mechanics, gaining a marketable trade skill and, for many, their first work experience. Beyond the technical training, the program gives young people a chance to build confidence and work with their hands. Each student receives a set of tools upon graduating. They become a resource to their friends, families, and neighbors when it comes to bike repair.
Pedals & Pixels
Pedals & Pixels is a summer workshop for middle school girls, offered in partnership with Black Girl Magic. The program blends creative writing, photography, and biking to explore the power of freedom and mobility. Participants use both bikes and cameras as tools for creative expression and self-discovery, connecting physical independence with the chance to develop their own voice.
The result is a program where movement and creativity come together to help young people see themselves and their world in new ways and to share their summer on bikes with the public. The program ends with a gallery night where their photographs are on display at an event for all to see and learn about their summer experiences on bikes.
Guided Rides
Guided Rides is a summer mentoring program for youth ages 11 to 16 in underserved Madison neighborhoods, serving approximately 40 to 60 young people each year. Many participants are first-generation bike owners without a family member or trusted adult who rides, so the program pairs them with consistent adult mentors on group rides throughout the summer.
Along the way, riders build the skills and confidence to navigate their community safely. Each ride includes a stop at a popular destination where participants are given a small amount of money to manage on their own, practicing everyday financial decision-making. Offered free of charge and paired with our spring Bike Giveaway, Guided Rides is designed to continue the mentoring relationship well beyond the moment they receive their bike.
FOR ADULTS
Bikes For Work Program
Our Bikes For Work Program serves teens and adults who are facing transportation barriers to employment. For many participants, a bike is what makes a job possible because it’s a low cost and efficient mode of transportation. They can even take it on the bus to help close a transportation gap in their daily commute.
Big Breakdown
A large part of our work includes recycling, reuse, and refurbishment. We use a circular economy to divert tons of materials from landfills. From 2017 through 2026, we have diverted over 480,000 lbs of materials earning us numerous awards like the State of Wisconsin DNR Recycling Excellence Award. Through our Big Breakdowns, we recruit up to 35 volunteers per session to help us breakdown the bikes that have outlived their useful lives as vehicles. We remove every usable part to refill our parts bins and reduce our operational costs. It’s a hard wrenching but fun community event that takes place in spring and fall of each year.
Corporate Team Building Experiences
Each year we host dozens of corporate teams looking for ways to give back to the community to enrich the lives of their staff through corporate social responsibility. Our team building experiences are very popular and in high demand in Madison, Wisconsin. We host most of our groups October through March during our peak volunteer season as we refurbish up to 1,600 bikes for spring distribution. However, we can host groups year-round with advance planning. If you are interested in booking a day, please email us asap as days book quickly. View the list of corporate teams that participated in our 2025-2026 cycle on our annual report, page 14. *Be sure to view our Group Experiences policies before booking.
FOR COMMUNITY
Meals on 2 Wheels
Meals on 2 Wheels connects homebound neighbors with healthy food from local food pantries, delivered by e-cargo bike from June through October. Each household receives a delivery twice a month, and we move hundreds of pounds of food each week. The program eliminates transportation as a barrier to food access for people who cannot easily get to a pantry themselves. Every delivery is made by a volunteer rider, and we are always glad to welcome more.
Bike Sales and Repairs for the Public
Shop the largest selection of used bikes available in Wisconsin! Our inventory includes shop-quality bikes that have been fully tuned and are priced low to keep bicycle-based transportation accessible. Buying a bike from our bike co-op supports people who cannot afford to purchase one, and hiring us to service your bike helps sustain our operations. We are open for bike sales year-round with our peak season being early May through September. Bike repair can be done year-round. Summer hours are Monday through Saturday. Check the Bike Shop page for details.
Our rates and turnaround times are hard to beat!
Bike Fleet Services
We provide fleets of bikes, along with maintenance and repair services, for corporations, large organizations, and community centers at low cost, with repairs done onsite or offsite. Give us a call at 608-405-0385 and we can talk through what you need.
Increase your employee retention efforts by hosting a Bike Repair Day! Have them bring their bikes to work and we’ll service them while they’re working so they’re ready to roll when the day is done.
Community Bike Disposal Services
Because of our commitment to sustainability, we accept bikes that cannot be saved as a way to prevent them from going into the landfill. We see that they are sustainably recycled. This program is funded through donations from individuals. We’ve prevented over 480,000 lbs of materials from going into landfills!
If you have bikes to dispose of, drop them off with a suggested $20 donation so we can process them and take them to the metal recycling center.
