A new kind of bicycle facility is coming to Orange County – one that incorporates bicycle education, bicycle recycling, and do-it-yourself repair. We will offer programs and services for youth and adults at affordable prices. Bringing together the excitement and accessibility of cycling, the fulfillment of conservation, and the rewards of education, The Bicycle Tree will be a unique, empowering resource for people who ride bicycles.
Bicycle Repair Education
We will offer complete bicycle repair courses for youth and adults. Classes will be hands-on and interactive. Youth classes will take the form of an Earn-A-Bike program, whereby participants are able to select, revive, and take home a donated bike after course completion. We intend our classes to not only improve participants' mechanical proficiency, but to boost confidence and discuss concepts of conservation and waste.
Bicycle Recycling Facility
We will collect donations of used bicycles and parts and put to use. Some bicycles will be refurbished and sold in our shop, or donated to people that need them. Some bikes will be sold "as is", while the least hopeful will have their parts harvested before being recycled as scrap. Used parts will be organized to be used some more, while limited new parts will be available as a last resort. The philosophy of the Bicycle Tree will be to give bikes the full life they were meant to have.
Do-It-Yourself Bicycle Repair
The Bicycle Tree will provide the opportunity for visitors to fix their bicycle themselves using the facility's tools and the assistance of knowledgeable staff for a small suggested hourly donation. A person that gets to know their bike is more likely to trust, ride, and take care of their bike.
Precedents
Our concept is based upon our experience with some of the dozens of bicycle recycling and youth repair education programs that exist elsewhere. Strong examples can be found in the Bicycle Kitchen in Los Angeles, Bikes not Bombs near Boston, Recycle-a-Bicycle in NYC, and Maya Pedal in Guatemala. These programs have diverted tons of bicycles from landfills, educated thousands of participants, and have helped to deliver the many benefits of cycling to the communities they serve.
Experience
Our founding members are active cyclists and professional bicycle mechanics. We have visited some of the established bicycle facilities mentioned above, and have seen how traditional bicycle shops work as well. Also, from April 2006 to January 2008, Bicycle Tree volunteers devoted at least one afternoon a week to bicycle recycling and repair at a house in Anaheim, cumulatively processing several hundred bicycles. Our operations out of the home have given us invaluable test-run experience. We have amassed thousands of dollars' worth of tools and equipment, collected a large quantity of parts and supplies, and have obtained a wholesale account with a bicycle parts supplier.
How You May Participate
We have several ideas for the months before we can open the shop. Among these are bicycle rides, hikes, a pancake breakfast, and participation in farmers' markets and other events. Click on our link HERE to learn more.
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