Originally Posted by
FarHorizon
I've found a local bike co-op that has a grant & gets all the unclaimed bikes from the city. They're all stripped for parts. The neighborhood kids come to the co-op, and if they'll put in the effort to build their own bike, they get to keep it for free! The guy that runs it loans them tools & shows them how to work on the bike. At the same time, they get coached on responsibility and how to use what they've learned to help the other kids. I donate all my spare parts to them, and buy the parts I need there too. The kids also build bikes to sell to the public & the money gets recycled back into the co-op. Next time I need a bike, I'll shop there first.
Nashville, Tennessee, has a similar setup but it's a collaborative between a local bike shop (Halcyon Bikes; mostly used/refurbed bikes) and a local at-risk youth advocacy group (Oasis Center). They teach the kids how to work on bikes in a 6-week session. If the kids complete the whole 6-week class, they keep the bikes. I've donated bikes and parts to them but they've never had a bike for sale that fits me!