Need a bike? Downtown Dayton nonprofit resumes donating bikes after pandemic pause

Credit: CONTRIBUTED

Credit: CONTRIBUTED

Bicycles For All is back in action after pausing operations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Established in 2012, the nonprofit organization located at 201 E. Sixth St. is volunteer-based and gives away 300 bikes each year to kids in Dayton. The organization also gets repaired bikes into the hands of hundreds of adults in exchange for a donation.

In the beginning, the organization’s goal was to provide affordable bikes, according to Bicycles For All president, Matt Tepper. A few short months after the inception, the organization’s founders realized they could also provide kids free bikes and “it sort of took off from there,” Tepper said.

Any kind of bike, in almost any condition, is accepted for repair. The donated bikes get evaluated for safety, are fixed up, and then donated back to the community or given away in exchange for a donation.

“It’s driven on a need or a want to fix bikes,” Tepper said. “It’s a skill people want to learn and hone in on. Some are rusty, (some) used to be bike mechanics and they just want to brush off the rust a little bit. So, in doing a good service, that’s what it (was about since) the beginning.”

In March last year, the nonprofit shut its doors to keep their volunteers and clients safe. It was thanks to the generosity of the Dayton community, and one especially generous donation that came from a donor through the Dayton Foundation, that their small nonprofit was able to resume operations, Tepper said.

While still closed around Christmastime last year, the organization still gave away 100 bikes to kids in need through Shoes 4 the Shoeless, Dayton Children’s Hospital, and Kiser Prek-8 School.

However, in order to keep the nonprofit running, Tepper said they are asking anyone who is able to donate financially, to visit the Bicycles For All’s Facebook page and click the donate button.

Due to the closure during the pandemic, Tepper said their supply is relatively full, but bike donations are always encouraged. However, donors are asked to only donate during Bicycles For All’s business hours — 6 to 9 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays.

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