It’s official, our 31st Annual Bike-A-Thon will be on Sunday, June 10th, 2018! There are 4 routes to choose from again this year: 10, 30, 50, and 100 miles. Keep checking our website for updates about Rider Registration, Sponsorship Opportunities, and more. We can’t wait to ride with you for social change!

Our youth instructors have been hard at work honing their mechanical skills in our Advanced Mechanics program with the careful guidance of Pathways Coordinator Evan and Youth Programs Manager Will. The new curriculum emphasizes hands on learning with a focus on enabling the youth instructors to build up bikes that will eventually be sold at our Bike Shop and Training Center. The program provides youth staff with the opportunity to become more proficient Earn-A-Bike instructors and to learn how to refurbish and repair bikes at our Bike Shop.

Check out our website in early February for Adult Instructor Training and Earn-A-Bike applications for our Spring programming set to take off in March. Girls in Action will be starting in May.

Youth Staff Member of the Month is Andry Nuñez!
We want to recognize Andry for his dedication to his work and his drive to learn. Andry has been a leader among his peers in the Advanced Mechanics program. He frequently takes the initiative to solve any technical problems he encounters and is always ready to provide mechanical assistance for a peer in need. Great job, Andry!

Help us load a container to send to Cycloville on Sunday, February 25th anytime between 9am and 6pmat the BNB Warehouse by registering here! Cyclovilleis a network of cyclists and bicycle shops in Nairobi, Kenya that is working to grow the bicycle industry of Kenya, to create employment for young people, to engage more women in cycling, and to build a critical mass of cyclists to organize for policy and infrastructure change.

We’re seeking a full-time Bike Shop Program Manager who will be responsible for all shop functions, including integrating sales, service, vocational training and community engagement into a clear and cohesive vision. The Bike Shop Program Manager complete job description and application links can be found here.

We’re seeking a part-time Grants and Events Coordinator who is an experienced grant writer to help implement our foundation funding strategy for International and Youth Development Programs by assisting with foundation research, developing a grants calendar, writing grants and letters of inquiry, and helping with events and other Development projects as needed. The Grants and Events Coordinator complete job description and application links can be found here.

The BNB Board of Directors met on January 25th, 2018, for the Annual Board Member Meeting where our 2018 Budget was approved.

Allie Hunter McDade, who served for 6 years, the last 4 as Chair; Xenia Pantos, who served for a year as Clerk; and Allistair Mallillin, who served for 2 years, have left due to other commitments. We wish them well in their future endeavors and appreciate their individual and collective contributions as Board Members, including restructuring Board Member commitment, strategic planning, fundraising, risk management, and managing the Executive Director transition.

During the Annual Meeting, Board Members voted for new officers effective immediately: Patrick Cutrona is the Board Chair; Ronald (R.J.) Cross is the Vice Chair; Joseph Lieber is the Clerk. Lee Archung continues to hold the Treasurer position.

We are still considering applications to join our dynamic Board of Directors. We are particularly seeking candidates with experience in nonprofit financial management, fundraising, and human resources. People with a strong connection to our programs, mission, and the communities we serve are encouraged to apply. The Board Member application form with instructions on how to apply is available here.

Check out our Bike Shop for some amazing winter deals! All 2017 new bikes are 20% off and the Complete Overhaul Tune-Up package is $150 (that’s a savings of $50) through February! Our Bike Shop staff is busy refurbishing hundreds of bikes while we get ready for spring, with new spring hours coming soon!

We are seeking Bike Shop volunteers with in depth mechanical experience, and/or experience supervising youth in a bicycle workshop setting. BNB volunteers earn credit by the hour, which can be cashed in for used parts, frames, or even whole bikes. Please email us at [email protected] if you’re interested.

J.P. was doored 2 weeks before biking in his first BNB Bike-A-Thon last year, and went to our Bike Shop to make sure his helmet was okay. Since then, J.P. has been a consistent and amazing volunteer who participates in flattening bikes at Thursday Volunteer Nights, helping at Container Loadings, and assisting Director of Operations Eric with Bike Collections! J.P. grew up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and got used to urban cycling while living in Chicago for 9 years, where he donated bikes to nonprofit West Town Bikes. What he enjoys most about volunteering with BNB is working collectively with a diverse group of people with whom he can enjoy a good time. He also likes the concrete nature of working on a bike that goes overseas and learning more about BNB. Thank you so much for all of your hard work, J.P.!

Suzanne has been an unwavering monthly donor since attending our Building Momentum Breakfast in 2014. She has been building and riding bikes as a source of joy and transportation for a long time, and supports BNB to encourage others to experience the bicycle’s many powers. The Director of Academic Engagement and Community Action at Emerson College, Suzanne says, “BNB’s focus on the capacity of individuals and communities historically underrepresented or marginalized aligns with my own personal and professional commitments to social justice. My heart soars whenever a group of BNB youth riders passes me on the Southwest Corridor, or when I read updates from partners abroad about how they’re using bicycles to transform their communities. Being connected to BNB through our shared passion continually teaches me about justice, freedom, and mobility and my own potential as an agent of change in organized solidarity with others.”
We truly appreciate donors like Suzanne, whose passionate commitment makes our work possible.