Riding a bicycle is one of the most ecological transportation methods which would not require any energy sources such as fossil fuels. There are so many biking advocacy groups and organizations around the world. Some would provide bicycles to people in order for them to get access resources and opportunities by securing method of transportations.  While other companies have been redistributing donated bicycles to underserved communities as a tool of empowerment.  However the practice of each organization may differ, their extraordinary efforts have contributed for reducing waste, cutting down the fossil fuel consumptions, and diminishing wastes.  There are a large number of organizations and groups which have been striving to share the power of bicycles.  We will start with Chicago's very own, Working Bikes. But please also check out other projects in below.  

​

​

Working Bikes, Chicago (featured in the video)

Working Bikes is a Chicago-based non-profit organization, 501(c)(3) organization.. gives donated bicycles new life by redistributing them as tools of empowerment in local and global communities. Since its inception in 1999, the amazing community of Working Bikes volunteers, staff, partners, and supporters have enabled new life for 100,000 bicycles across the globe and tens of thousands here in Chicago. Over one hundred thousand people have been empowered to access resources and opportunities that otherwise could have been out of reach - reducing waste, lessening pollution, and improving health in the process.

Web address: www.workingbikes.org

Address: 2434 S. Western Avenue, Chicago, IL 60608

Phone: 773-847-5440

Business Hours:

Wednesday    11 – 7pmThursday        11 – 7pmFriday             11 – 7pmSaturday         10 – 6pm

​

​

Other cycling charities  

​

PeopleForBikes

PeopleForBikes is one of the biggest cycling advocacy groups in the world. The organization’s mission is to improve the bicycling experience for everyone. The company has invested more than $30 million since its foundation in 1999 to make bicycling better. PeopleForBikes contributes to other national cycling charities to make the world a safer place to ride.

One of the programs that PeopleForBikes offers is the Better Bike Share Partnership, which is a collaboration with The JPB Foundation that helps establish streamlined bike share programs.

It’s not just an organization; it’s a movement. PeopleForBikes has connected the bicycle industry with individual riders to create one powerful voice. It represents all kinds of riders, including professional athletes and children who simply enjoy riding a bike. The organization has created political influence that has quadrupled federal investment in cycling.

You can take action by letting political leaders know that bicycling is important to you, sharing your story or donating to the organization.

Trips For Kids

Trips For Kids helps introduce at-risk youth to cycling. It’s the largest youth development cycling association in the U.S. The organization’s mission is to provide transformational cycling experiences to young people in every community.

The idea is that kids should be able to explore their environment and know the freedom of riding a bike. Bicycling in nature can help them expand their horizons, practice teamwork, empower themselves and establish independence.

The first chapter was established in 1988. Social activist Marilyn Price delivered bicycle trail riding lessons to help kids learn about responsibility, achievement and environmental responsibility. The organization still runs a Trail Rides Program, which offers group trail riding in local parks, forests and other natural areas. It encourages children to develop relationships with peers, improve their self-confidence, connect with nature and learn the value of physical activity.

Local Trips for Kids chapters create relationships with community organizations that work with children, like Boys and Girls Clubs and the YMCA, and invite them on excursions led by CPR/First Aid certified ride leaders. Leaders incorporate lessons about history, ecology and geology in their trail rides.

Trips For Kids also offers Earn-a-Bike Workshops. These after-school programs teach children about bike maintenance and safety. While participating in projects, the children get credits that they can use to get their own bicycle.

Mobile Bike Clinics provide access to bicycles and safety equipment for kids in need. This program brings the bikes to the children to teach them bicycling skills and safety.

World Bicycle Relief

After the devastation of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, F.K. and Leah Day created World Bicycle Relief to bring bicycles to people in need. They collaborated with aid organizations in Sri Lanka to supply bicycles to people who were displaced to help them regain access to careers, education and healthcare. The organization has distributed more than 24,000 bikes and reconnected entire communities through that project alone.

After that, they partnered with RAPIDS, a health initiative in Zambia that trained and outfitted healthcare workers to help fight the AIDS epidemic. More than 23,000 bicycles have been distributed with this program.

The organization has since developed multiple programs to enable access to bicycles in South America, Africa and Southeast Asia. It builds and allocates specially designed bikes that are rugged enough to handle the rural terrain in many developing countries. In 2015, it deployed almost 65,000 bicycles to people who needed them.

Qhubeka

Qhubeka allows people to earn bicycles to help them get to jobs, doctors and schools. The word “qhubeka” means “to progress” or “to move forward,” which is exactly what bicycles help people do in more ways than one. Bicycles can help individuals access the resources that they need in their communities, but they also allow entire societies to progress.

This non-profit company has delivered more than 75,000 bicycles to people in need. Schoolchildren can earn bicycles by making a commitment to school attendance. Adults can volunteer in many areas, from planting trees to performing bike maintenance, to earn their own bicycles. Health workers are given bicycles to help them access their patients more easily.

The organization also offers sports programs, which promote a healthy cycling culture and give people transportation to other sports activities. Finally, Qhubeka gives first responders bikes so that they can help as many people as possible during disaster recovery efforts.

You can help by donating, fundraising, volunteering or shopping at Qhubeka’s online store.

Wheels 4 Life

Wheels 4 Life was founded by Hans Rey, a former Mountain Bike World Champion. It aims to help people in developing countries have access to the bicycles that they need for transportation to work and school. This program has helped people find and retain jobs, receive an education and even access health care.

Working with local volunteers and leaders, Wheels 4 Life identifies the people who are most in need of this type of transportation. This may include people who live in remote areas who don’t have access to or can’t afford public transportation.

A bike allows people to travel four times faster, four times farther and with four times the load as traveling on foot. Something as simple as access to a bicycle can significantly benefit someone’s life.

The organization carefully selects candidates based on a comprehensive application process. A local Voluntary Project Leader helps to bestow the bicycles to the recipients and guarantees to provide safety and maintenance education.

For every $150 that is donated, the organization can purchase one regular bike. A donation of $300 funds an ambulance bike. However, a donation of any amount is appreciated. Holding a fundraiser or simply spreading the word about the organization’s mission can also help. Wheels 4 Life has provided more than 11,029 bicycles in over 30 countries, but it says that there is a need for millions more bicycles.

International Mountain Biking Association

IMBA’s mission is to give everyone a place to ride a mountain bike. This non-profit organization works to create and protect mountain biking trails and areas. Established in 1988, the organization provides education about low-impact riding, sustainable trail design and creative land management strategies. IMBA provides professional resources and services for landowners and groups that want to develop trails for the sport. Trail-training seminars help people learn about building trails and managing crews to help with the projects.

It has participated in more than 400 trail projects around the world. The organization has also helped develop the current guidelines for bike trail implementation that are used as a standard for developing mountain biking trails across the globe. The IMBA Trail Lab program teaches leaders and people who work in the park and tourism services about how to integrate trail access into the community.

Donating to the charity helps support IMBA’s programs and initiatives that make mountain biking possible.

​

Transportation Alternatives

In a busy city where driving and parking can be difficult, many people use bikes as their main form of transportation. Transportation Alternatives says that the sidewalks of New York City make up 80 percent of the public space there. People need space to be able to maneuver through the maze of traffic.

Since 1970, TransAlt has constructed more than 1,000 miles of cycling paths in the city and introduced protected bike lanes. The organization also established the first public bike share system in New York City.

The mission is to achieve Vision Zero, which means no serious injuries or deaths resulting from the city’s busy traffic. The group works to improve infrastructure and change traffic regulations to make the streets safer for pedestrians and cyclists.

TransAlt arranges bike tours that serve as fundraisers for their projects. You can also support its campaigns by creating a petition, signing a petition or gathering people to organize your own campaign. TransAlt provides workshops that teach the public how to use their voices for activism and plan and run awareness and fundraising events.

Article Source: 

Workingbikes.org

CategoriesBlogPost navigation

Everything You Need to Know About Bike Tours

Cycling for Seniors: Complete Guide to Cycling and Aging

Search for:

Exclusive offers & discounts in your inbox!