Nonprofit that offers youth and adult bike mechanics class, youth ride programs, a DIY shop
Neighborhood Bike Works is a nonprofit educational organization in West Philadelphia that seeks to increase opportunities for youth through bicycling, and which promotes cycling as an environmentally-friendly means of transportation.
It started in 1996 as Youth Cycle & Recycle, a program of The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia. We organized as a separate non-profit in July 1999 and operated out of the basement of St. Mary's Church at UPenn for over a decade. In 2015, we moved into a larger, more accessible space on Lancaster Ave. Here, we offer youth and adult bike mechanics classes and youth ride programs. All after-school youth programs are free.
To support our youth programming and to offer affordable used bikes to the community, we also sell used bikes, and new and used parts and accessories. We're best known for our Bike Church adult open shop and our popular Earn-A-Bike youth classes.
Keywords: bicycle, bike, earn-a-bike, youth, children, teens, education, non-profit, Haddington, West Philadelphia, University City, West Philly, community, co-op, Bike Church, bike shop
Interview Q&A
How long have you been in business?
Neighborhood Bike Works (NBW) started in 1996 as Youth Cycle & Recycle, a program of The Bicycle Coalition of the Delaware Valley. The group organized as a separate 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization in July 1999. The group’s flagship location is in St. Mary’s Church on the University of Pennsylvania campus. The Haddington Neighborhood Shop at 60th and Vine Streets opened in 2002.
What is your primary product or service?
NBW is a youth development organization in West Philadelphia serving neighborhood youth from 8 to 18. NBW offers classes on bike repair & bike safety after school, on weekends, and in the summer. By completing the classes and fixing up used bikes donated by the community, students can earn a bike for themselves with a helmet and a lock. In addition to providing a positive activity for young people, NBW introduces them to the fun, the health benefits, and the freedom that come with cycling in the city. Graduates of the basic program continue to participate through drop-in repair sessions, by coming along on rides, by helping with other community events, and by taking advanced classes. Some become youth assistants and help with the basic classes. Many parents and teachers report that participation with Bike Works has had a positive influence on other aspects of student’s behavior. NBW provides services to the community as a whole in the form of bike safety checks at block parties and other events, valet bike parking at events including the annual US Pro bike race and Bicycle Coalition of Philadelphia meetings, and through adult programs, which include the “Bike Church” adult bike repair sessions and adult classes in bike repair and urban riding skills. Many of these community programs provide a positive way for youth to give back to the community.
How did you first become interested in your line of business? (if owner) - What is your background? (If owner or store manager)
NBW foresees a future in which youth are empowered by bikes. Bicycles can aid in empowering youth in many ways. Bicycles promote self-reliance and self-confidence by giving youth self-propelled independent transportation giving youth the freedom to travel locally – to school, play, and eventually work. Self confidence and self reliance are also promoted by giving youth the ability to maintain and repair their own bicycle in addition to the accomplishment of having earned a bike through their own work.
Bicycles can be used, by youths and adults alike, to cross boundaries – literally and figuratively. Cycling can enable exploration beyond one’s immediate neighborhood. Cycling also cuts across social classes, both recreational and utilitarian cycling enables people to meet others with like interests that otherwise would not be realized.
How many locations do you have and do you have plans to expand?
We currently have two locations, our 40th Street Headquarters and our Haddington shop, and a new branch of NBW is just starting up in Chester, Pennsylvania.
Provide detailed directions to your location
Our 40th Street HQ, located in the basement of St. Mary's Church, at 3916 Locust Walk, can be hard to find. See map here: http://www.neighborhoodbikeworks.org/images/locationMap.jpg. The very special brake lever doorbell is around the side of the front steps, to your right.
What type of payments do you accept?
We accept cash or check.
Which areas do you service?
The greater Philadelphia area and Chester, PA, in nearby Delaware County.
What are your hours of operation?
Our office is open M-F, 9am-6pm. Our youth programs run seven days a week. Our adult bike co-op, the Bike Church, is open Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:30-9:00pm. It is also open on some Saturday afternoons. Additionally, there is a special women-and-trans Bike Church night on Wednesday evenings.
Paul "Khalefat" Carnegie, CEP Operation Urban Shield on 5/10/2014 2:35:14 PM
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