December 2018

Remember your first bike? The only thing better than that is kid who EARNED their own bike and learned how to ride it safely and responsibly. This is Earn-a-Bike!

For the past three years, QC Bike has provided 130-150 bike packages to Earn-a-Bike programs at Beech Street and Gossler Park Elementary Schools as part of the Manchester Community Schools Project. The bike package includes a fully refurbished bike, new helmet, lock and lights and it is earned through leadership programming at school. The bikes are distributed to the successful students at their big Block Party in May and it is really fun. A huge amount of work goes into making this project a success.

• Student Leadership Projects at school; including academics and community service
• Bike safety education assembly for students at school
• Over 200-250 bikes collected to create 130-150, safe, clean bikes. Each one takes hours!
• Fitting every kid for their bike and helmet and setting their custom lock combinations
• Every bike is registered with the Manchester Police Department before it goes home

The Manchester Health Department, which facilitates the Earn-A-Bike Program, assists us in securing funds for the basic project, including the Granite United Way that contributed funds to support its inception, and we recently received a check from Speedway Children’s Charities that will help.  But, to make these bikes a true reward for the students, we need your help. The bikes come in from local landfills and backyards. The seats, grips, tubes and tires usually need to be replaced. The cost of these parts is about $25/bike. Please go to How You Can Help and scroll to “DONATE FUNDS” or contact me directly to make your gift to QC Bike Collective. We will use it well.

Sharing your enthusiasm for QC Bike Collective with others is one more way you can help us. Please invite friends and colleagues to join this collective, community effort.

There are many benefits to a non-profit, community bike shop and we are going to try to articulate some of them in the weeks to come. It is important to start with OPEN SHOP. Open Shop is the basic premise on which this Bike Collective was formed and remains the central focus of our efforts. This is time set aside from other demands, to open our doors, and welcome any and all community members to bring their bike in and get help to get/keep it running.

We are lucky to have a new video to share. Elijah shares what his bike and working with QC Bike Collective means to him – Elijah on QC Bike Collective

If you haven’t come in during a spring/summer/fall Open Shop, we hope you do. Winter is more quiet, with less traffic, but a good time to talk and share. Open Shop is a difficult concept to attract funding. Your financial support is very welcome. Thank you.