Support Access to Opportunities Through Bicycle-Based Transportation!

This photo of our first cohort of Pedals & Pixels students are an example of how important bikes become in our lives as we get older. Independence, freedom, confidence, and the ability to navigate throughout their community are life skills. They use their bikes to get to school, to participate in afterschool activities, and to get access to healthy, fun and free activities with friends.

Bikes for Kids Wisconsin increases the use of bicycle-based transportation for underserved communities through access, low-cost repairs, and education.

We’re a community making bicycling sustainable, equitable, and affordable for everyday transportation; where human-powered transportation is prioritized and betters all residents’ lives physically, emotionally, and economically.

OUR PROGRAMS INCLUDE

• Annual Bike Giveaway & Bike to Work Programs – Providing bikes to those facing transportation barriers for Economic Mobility. Bikes provide access to opportunities! On average, 94% of our bike recipients are people of color and many are first generation bike owners. For older teens, adults, refugees and immigrants, bikes are a lifeline for employment.

• Bike Mechanics After School Program in partnership with MSCR – Workforce development training & STEM for middle school youth.

• Guided Rides Series – Year after year, many of our bike recipients are first generation bike owners. They do not have older siblings or adults that can teach them how to navigate the transportation networks, show them where dedicated paths are, or teach them the rules of the road. This is where we step in to nurture their knowledge and experience so they can gain the full mobility of their bikes.

• Pedals & Pixels – this STEAM summer workshop for middle school girls offers participants bikes, journals, and digital cameras. Participants enjoy group bikes rides, journalling and creative writing lessons, digital photography lessons all culminating in a gallery night event where they can show off their summer and where their bikes led them. (video below)

• Used Bike Sales and Service – We provide bikes that have been fully refurbished and tuned up for sale at a low cost to keep bicycle-based transportation accessible. When you buy a bike from us, you are supporting another individual or two who cannot afford to purchase a bike. When you hire us to service your bike, you are helping support and sustain our operations.

• Bike Fleet Services – Providing bike maintenance and repair services to schools and community centers with fleets of bikes at a low cost.

• Summer Youth Bike Repair Workshops – we host classes of up to 12 youth throughout the summer months to teach basic bike repair. Classes end with a group ride weather permitting.

• Corporate Team Building Volunteer Days – Groups of 6-12 people spend three hours in the bike center refurbishing bikes. Suggested donations of $150 to $300.

• 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. We request a $25 donation/bike to cover the labor required to dispose of your old bikes.

Bike donations can be dropped off year-round. While we receive bikes free of charge, they are not free for us to giveaway. Each bike must be fully refurbished and serviced by professional mechanics so they are safe to ride. It costs us on average, $150 to give away a bicycle to someone in need. This covers the cost of parts, tools, professional mechanics, and feeding our many volunteers who help us do this work.

Thank you for supporting our efforts! We always need volunteers too! Watch the video from the 2025 Pedals & Pixels Gallery Night to hear how important bikes are in the lives of those we serve.