Tag Archives: Youth

Bikes Are The BEST

An essay from Earn-A-Bike participant, Elliot, Age 9

Bikes Are The BEST

Bikes are the best!!! You might think cars are faster, you’re right! But that doesn’t mean they’re better. (In my opinion).

So first of all, a reason is that riding on streets doesn’t matter. There’s NO waiting. No such thing as traffic. So that’s one way Bikes Are The Best!

Secondly,

There’s nothing to pay for. It’s FREE! No stopping to buy gas, and you won’t have to get towed.This is another way that Bikes Are The Best!

Don’t be lazy. Wanna drive a car? Fine. But you know, you won’t get any stronger. Everyone needs to be physically Fit.

So here’s my opinion on Bikes. First of all, Bikes are the Best because, There’s NO stopping and waiting for anything.

Secondly, there’s nothing to pay for.

OH And Lastly, everyone needs to be physical in some way, And bikes pretty much do that best.

Bikes are the Best!!!

Elliot Pilder – Age 9

Meeting Community Need

Since we had to cancel our spring classes and riding clubs in response to COVID-19, our Programs Team have been working behind the scenes to get services to our community back online.

Free Bike Repair

Our BikeMobile is now out and about, offering free bike repair services at select sites around the city. We have social distancing & sanitation procedures in place – feel free to track us down for air, chain lube, other minor adjustments, or even to say hi (from a safe distance!)

Check the BikeMobile calendar for the regular Tuesday – Saturday schedule, and follow the #BikeMobile hashtag on instagram to track its movements around the city.

If you receive bike repair from the BikeMobile and would like to support our ability to keep providing this free essential service to the community, consider making a charitable donation online.

The BikeMobile stationed at East Portal Viewpoint offering free repair services to anybody in need!

make a gift to bike works

Free Bikes

We’re also hustling to get free bikes into the hands of those who need them most – whether you’re an essential worker in need of free, reliable transportation, need a bike for a youth to enjoy some solo fresh air time, or representing an organization that serves families in need of bikes, we’re hooking up as many youth & families with free bikes as possible.

Email Tina for youth bike giveaways

Fill out the Bikes-for-all! application for adult bike giveaways

Free Bike Education

Finally, we’ve got new educational tools available on our Virtual Community Resources web page!

VIRTUAL community resources

Check out the videos up on our YouTube channel, filmed & edited by Bike Works Senior Program Coordinator, Ricky, and Youth Advisory Committee President, Sam! Learn how to fix-a-flat, and sew your own face masks from home. More videos to come, stay tuned!

Check out the rest of our bike education videos on YouTube!

Bike Works Closure in Response to COVID-19

Community is the most important thing to us here at Bike Works. We feel that we have a responsibility to take care of each other, and we try to embody that in our work.

In light of recent public health concerns surrounding COVID-19, and with developing recommendations from Seattle King County Public Health about minimizing your contact with groups of people and working from home if you can for the time being, we have decided to cancel our programming, volunteering, warehouse, and bike shop hours here at Bike Works through the end of March.

Currently, our bike shop plans to reopen on Sunday, March 29th pending public health recommendations. We do ask that you refrain from bringing bike donations by the shop during this closure. Check out this page on our website for a complete list of bike donation sites around the county – or feel free to bring your donation by on the 29th!

We’re currently selling parts on ebay! Check out our page to shop remotely, and stay tuned for more online sales coming soon.

Our offices and warehouse currently plan to reopen on Monday, March 30th, with bi-weekly Volunteer Repair Parties scheduled to resume on Thursday, April 2nd at 6:30 PM.

All youth programming has been canceled for the month of March. Our April Earn-A-Bike class is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, April 21st as planned, RIDES Training Club starts April 25th, and April Street Burner activities (open to any youth who have completed a Bike Works class) including bike repair community service drop-in sessions are a go!

Our adult Bike Repair 201 class begins on Thursday, April 23rd, and our new Bring Your Own Bike class begins on Tuesday, May 12th.

Bikecitement!, our annual fundraising dinner & auction, has been postponed to Sunday, October 11th. Get in touch with our Development team for questions about tickets, sponsorship opportunities, in-kind donations, and volunteering.

We are working remotely and are available by email to answer questions – please get in touch with one of our staff members with any questions or concerns! Not sure who to talk to? Email our general account to get redirected to the right person or department.

Thank you for being a part of the Bike Works community. Want to support us during this uncertain time? We always accept online donations through our website.

We hope you’re enjoying the fresh air, independence, and freedom that riding your bike still provides during this uncertain time.

Love,

The Bike Works Team

ParentMap Superheroes!

This month, Deb Salls, the Executive Director of Bike Works was honored in the Superhero issue of ParentMap Magazine. Read the full article here.

Deb moved to Seattle just for Bike Works in 2011 and she truly embodies Bike Works’ mission- building sustainable communities by educating youth and promoting bicycling. Her whole career has been dedicated to youth empowerment & building community. Not only does Deb serve as the Executive Director of Bike Works, she volunteers her time and expertise on the boards of numerous Seattle organizations like the Rain City Rock Camp for Girls, which is dedicated to building positive self-esteem in girls and encouraging creative expression through music. She is a connector who strengthens our entire community.

In true Bike Works fashion, when Deb was invited to come in for a head shot for the Superheroes issue she immediately reached out to Youth Programs for inspiration. The Girls’ RIDES Club (Ride, Investigate, Discover, Environment, Society) came to the rescue with the same flair of creativity and leadership encouraged in all of our classes. The result landed these young women, decked out as bicycle superheroes, the cover of the magazine.

RIDES Club is a program designed to encourage youth from diverse backgrounds to get on their bikes and keep pedaling. This is an eight week program for youth who want to increase their road riding skills and get out and explore their communities. Youth explore the urban environment by bicycle and create their own maps of the city.

Bike Works youth programs foster leadership development and critical thinking by providing a safe environment for youth to plan and reflect upon their decisions. Girls’ RIDES Club created their own agenda, which included a hot-cocoa ride to independent coffee shops and a nature scavenger hunt around Seward Park. As a group they learn to ride safely, support one another, explore their surroundings, and have fun!

Bike Works is about building the skills and community so that youth (and adults!) can go out and feel empowered to ride on their own. In the instance of Girls’ RIDES club, two youth who observe Sabbath on Saturdays, Bike Works’ busy day for clubs and group rides, have started their own Girls Bike Club. For almost a year, they have been meeting and riding as a group of 6 on Sundays. These young leaders took initiative, tapped into the core of their community, and are using the bicycle as a vehicle for change. Bike Works is even looking into the feasibility of Sunday programming for 2017. It’s about youth doing it for themselves. It’s about building community & promoting cycling because we are our own superheroes, just like Deb.

To learn more about RIDES Club or to enroll in the next camp, check out the Youth Programs Page.