Join Bikes Not Bombs in Cambridge on July 25!

Get Into Gear with Bikes Not Bombs (BNB) at Flat Top Johnny’s at 1 Kendall Square in Cambridge on Thursday, July 25th from 6-7:30pm. This is a great opportunity to learn more about BNB and meet other like-minded people, while enjoying complimentary appetizers and free pool. Cash bar. Bring your friends and introduce your networks to our inspiring mission to use the bicycle as a vehicle for social change through empowering youth development programs and international partnerships. Open to the public; all ages are welcome.

For more information, contact Angela Phinney, [email protected].

Facebook Event: https://www.facebook. com/events/454275831823593/

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BnB Bike-A-Thon Update

32nd ANNUAL BIKE-A-THON registration begins today March 1st through March 31st: 1/2 price for only $15!

Join the Bikes Not Bombs Community on its 32nd Annual Bike Ride for Social Change!

Our annual Bike-A-Thon is our largest community gathering and fundraiser of the year, with over 700 riders and volunteers! Bike-A-Thon participants like you are ambassadors of BNB’s mission to promote environmental sustainability and social justice. Whether you’re an experienced cyclist or a new rider, no matter what your age, everyone can ride and raise funds to help empower underserved communities locally and internationally. All fundraising goes directly to making Bikes Not Bombs’ local youth and international partnership programs possible!

Let’s get more people than ever before to ride together with us for social change on June 9th!

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REGISTER NOW!

Become an Event Sponsor!

Contact Jennifer Licht, Director of Marketing and Communications, for sponsorship opportunities at [email protected]

Check out our Bike-A-Thon FAQ or [email protected] if you have more questions!

Highlights from last year’s 31st Annual Bike-A-Thon

Photos clockwise from top left taken by Donrick Pond, Diane Simpson, Donrick Pond, Donrick Pond, William Daniels

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Bikes Not Bombs Announces Adult Earn A Bike

This is great news for adults looking to get into cycling but having a hard time affording a bicycle.

From the email:
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Dear Friends,

Not a day goes by without a customer walking into our Bike Shop who depends on their bike but does not have the resources for repairs or a new bike.

It’s not just lack of financial resources that prevent folks from using bicycles for everyday transportation, it’s much more than that. We live in a society where systematic injustices create unequal access to opportunities.

That is why we are excited to announce the launch of Adult Earn-A-Bike.

Run by the Bike Shop, our newest program is for anyone who identifies as low income, formerly incarcerated, a recent immigrant, and/or living in an area underserved by public transportation.

We’ve already had 6 students graduate from the program with bikes, helmets, locks, lights and basic maintenance skills but there is so much to be done to make sure Adult Earn-A-Bike continues to be successful.

We’ve proven we can build effective programs that make biking more accessible for those who depend on bikes for transportation. Now we ask for your help in building Adult Earn-A-Bike to transform the lives of lower-income adults in Boston.

For Bikes Not Bombs,
Jodi

P.S. Want to expand the impact of your donation this year? Consider giving monthly – you’ll provide Bikes Not Bombs with the stable and dependable funding needed to support all of our programs.

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Bikes Not Bombs Winter Update

Lots going on over at BNB, check it out below!

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Youth Programs Accepting Applications The next session of Earn-A-Bike will be March 23rd – April 30th, Mondays through Thursdays from 4:00m-7:00pm. The program is open to youth ages 12-18 who are interested in learning bike mechanics and safe riding skills. Applications are available online or at our Hub. We are also accepting applications for Adult Instructor Training. In this program, adults are taught basic mechanic and mentorship skills by Youth Instructors and in exchange, participants MUST volunteer at least one day per week in Spring Earn-A-Bike. Questions? Contact Ashley Leary, 617-522-0222 x101, [email protected]

Half-Priced Bike-A-Thon Registration OpensMarch 1st! Our 28th annual Bike-A-Thon will be held on Sunday, June 7th, with a raindate of Sunday, June 21st. We’ll have four routes – 80, 50, 30, and 10-miles. Please mark the date in your calendar and start thinking about recruiting friends to ride with you! Registration opens March 1st and is half price until March 31st. Get exciiitteedd!! Check out photos and the amazing results from the2014 Bike-A-Thon and email[email protected] with any questions.

New Sales at the BNB Shop Until February 28th our Winter Overhaul (a complete overhaul of the bike + any parts installations) is $120 plus parts, $80 less than the in-season labor rate. Stop by the shop for a free estimate. Complete Surly Bikes are now discounted $150 untilApril 1st! The bike we’re most excited about is our18″ Big Dummy Disc Cargo Bike which will sell for $1,560, 25% off the current retail price. Linus Bikes are also reduced for 2015. We’ve got 3 and 8 speed models available for test rides, and can always special order other colors or models from Linus! The next Tool Time will be on Monday March 2nd from 7-9pm, sign up by 6pm February 28th!Femmechanics will be at the shop on Monday March 9th from 7-9pm.

Seeking Corporate Sponsors for Bike-A-Thon Bikes Not Bombs’ 28th annual Bike-A-Thon is onJune 7th and we’re looking for local businesses to support the event by signing on as sponsors. Sponsorship is a golden opportunity to align your organization with well over 700 riders and volunteers on ride day, and with thousands more after the event. Sponsorship is easy, and available for every budget with various visibility options available. Check out the levels available and contact Eric Mearns at [email protected] or 617-522-0222×113 with any questions.

Volunteer of the Month – Frank Ashenuga This month’s Volunteer of the Month award goes to Frank Ashenuga – Congratulations Frank! An avid, every day and all-weather bike commuter, Frank (pictured far right) joined BNB by taking Adult Instructor Training in the fall of 2014. Since then he has consistently supported youth programs and grown his involvement with BNB. After helping out with fall Earn-A-Bike, Frank started coming on Thursdays for Bike-In to keep up his mechanics skills and help the next generation of bike commuters. In his spare time, he helped out with 2014’s Phone-A-Thon, attended the 30th Anniversary Party, and helped start the Advanced Mechanics course for Adult Instructor Training graduates. Thanks for everything Frank!

Volunteers Needed for the 2015 Bike-A-Thon! BNB is seeking volunteers with trucks or vans to help set up Bike-A-Thon rest stops on June 7th! All volunteers get a t-shirt, free food all day, and they get to meet and support all of our amazing Bike-A-Thon cyclists! If you’d like to provide support to riders on Bike-A-Thon day, contact Eric Mearns at[email protected], or 617-522-0222×113.

Steve’s Great Divide Ride Steve Reynolds, a BNB volunteer, will be riding 2750 miles this summer from Canada to Mexico while raising funds for BNB, and he’s looking for other cyclists to join him! The route was planned by Adventure Cycling and travels substantial distance off-road. Feel free to tag along for one night or the whole 3 month trip. Reach out to Steve directly with any questions atstevesgreatdivideride@gmail.com

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Bikes Not Bombs Mega Roundup

Lots and lots of BNB events, check em out!

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Help Load Bikes for Ghana!!!
Bikes Not Bombs will ship our next container to Ability Bikes Cooperative in Ghana! Please join us on Sunday March 18th for the loading at our warehouse in Dorchester – we will start at 10am and will finish around 5pm. Breakfast, coffee and lunch will be provided. (Equal Exchange coffee is generously donated by City Feed and Supply.) This date is tentative! Please check our website to confirm the date in the coming weeks!

Join us at:
Bikes Not Bombs warehouse
c/o Boston ReStore, Inc.
10 Harvard Street
Dorchester, MA 02124

More info and directions to the warehouse

Ability Bikes Cooperative is a micro-enterprise bike shop based in Koforidua, Ghana, that is cooperatively owned and operated by physically challenged people – people who are mobility-challenged that provide increased mobility to able-bodied people through bicycles. In 2008, Bikes Not Bombs helped establish Ability Bikes, and for the last three years Ability Bikes has operated with full independence, receiving bicycle shipments from Bikes Not Bombs, Re-Cycle and Working Bikes Cooperative. Ability Bikes is continually developing improved systems of administration and accounting, refining their business strategy to increase their net profit and building their skills as mechanics and administrators. In 2012, Ability Bikes is expanding the bike shop into the most commercial market in Koforidua, while simultaneously developing new strategies to advocate for other physically challenged people in Ghana.

Movies online!See two short films (8 min and 10 min) on the new BNB website about this project.

BNB is seeking a PC laptop donation with Windows operating system!

The laptop will be used for our new project in Northern Uganda that uses bikes to provide rural health care delivery for post-conflict recovery. The laptop will be used directly by the project for drafting documents, record-keeping, managing accounts on spreadsheets and basic internet access. The laptop can be slightly outdated, no problem, but needs to be functional. Contact David Branigan, International Programs Director at [email protected]if you are interested to donate a laptop!

Please join us for an Open House event at the Bikes Not Bombs Hub on Saturday, March 31. At the event you’ll have an opportunity to meet youth program graduates, watch videos about our work, find out about upcoming events, and learn about ways to help out and get involved. You’ll be able to talk with our staff, members of our Board of Directors, and current Bikes Not Bombs volunteers. Bring your bike for a free safety check and stick around for youth-led Earn-A-Bike style group rides to the sugar bowl at Jamaica Pond, leaving the Hub at 2 and 3pm.

Feel free to drop in anytime between 1 and 4pm at the Bikes Not Bombs Hub at 284 Amory Street, Jamaica Plain, MA. Light refreshments will be served.

We encourage you to invite friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors to come along with you, so please spread the word. We hope you can join us! For more information, contact Allie Hunter, Director of Fundraising & Events at [email protected] or 617-522-0222 x106

Spring 2012 Earn-A-Bike: March 26 – May 3, 2012 (M-Th, 3:30 – 6:30p)
Spring 2012 Girls In Action: May 7 – June 14, 2012 (M-Th, 3:30 – 6:30p)

Bikes Not Bombs is currently enrolling applicants for the Spring 2012 sessions of the Earn-A-Bike and Girls in Action programs. Earn-A-Bike is a co-ed program and Girls In Action is for girls only.

Both sessions are Mondays through Thursdays from 3:30pm – 6:30pm. In the program you’ll choose a bike in the beginning and learn the skills to not only build it up, but maintain it as well. At the end of the program, once the bike is built, it is yours to take home! Additionally, we go on bike adventures to explore some of the fascinating places Boston has to offer, and look into various environmental awareness topics.

Applications are available online for Earn-A-Bike and Girls In Action.

If you have any questions please contact Elijah Evans, Youth Programs Director, at 617-522-0222 x101 or email [email protected]. Mail or deliver the application and fee to: Bikes Not Bombs, 284 Amory Street Jamaica Plain, MA 02130

Summer 2012 Earn-A-Bike: Application available online.

In Summer 2012 we will run two Earn-A-Bike sessions. The application will be available by March 1st. For now, you can download a flyer at to keep as a reminder or use to spread the word to potential students and parents.

Session 1: July 4 – July 20, 2012 – Mon – Fri 2-6pm each day
Session 2: July 25 – August 10, 2012 – Mon – Fri, 2-6pm each day

Here at the shop, we’re all dreaming of summer sun, mountain biking, and long road rides in short sleeves! We’ve seen an increase in people getting ready for spring by bringing in their bikes for a tune-up. No worries, though – there’s still plenty of room in our schedule for your bike! If you brought your bike in for a tune-up while we were running our winter special, then keep your ears & eyes out because we’ll be announcing our raffle winners in the coming weeks. We have some great prizes to give away, including some bright 2-watt Planet Bike headlights! There are a few helmets, plus an Ortlieb City-Biker bag on big clearance. We don’t think they’ll last long! (There’s a few more Nutcase helmets than pictured.)

Our new spring-summer hoursare now in effect:

We know some of you have been waiting for us to announce this — we’ll soon be offering one of our Basic Mechanics Courses. The class will run for five Tuesdays, March 20th through April 17th from 8-10pm, and covers most of what goes into one of our Basic Tuneups. Work on your own bike and learn in the process! The cost is $150, payment required up-front. You can call the shop and pay over the phone with a credit card, or stop by and sign-up in person. They fill up fast, so be sure to give us a call if you want in!

A bike drive is an event, often organized by a volunteer, to collect bicycles for Bikes Not Bombs. Large drives will sometime bring in over 200 bikes! These drives help us extend our network of bike collection beyond our two locations in Jamaica Plain. If you have a bike to donate, you can always bring it to Jamaica Plain, but if you live further away, then hopefully you’ll be able to find a bike drive that is closer. Some upcoming drives:

• Iskwelahang Pilipino School Bike Drive in Bedford, MA on March 25th
• Southbridge Bike Drive in Southbridge, MA on April 14th
• Newton Bike Drive in Newton, MA on April 15th

Check out a full list of all upcoming bike drives. Want to help bring Bikes Not Bombs’ bike collection to your town? We’d love to have your help to organize a bike drive!

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Wild And Scenic Film Festival with award to Bikes Not Bombs Locavore Tasting and Environmental Film Night
Location: 290 Congress Street, Atlantic Wharf
Date/Time: March 31, 6 PM – 10 PM

This evening fundraiser will feature two films from the national Wild and Scenic Film Festival:

• The Work of 1000
• With My Own Two Wheels (with features on Bikes Not Bombs’ partners in Ghana and Guatemala)

“e” inc. will present The Children’s Planet Protector Award to the two featured activists, Marion Stoddart, who led a struggle to regain clean rivers, and David Branigan of Bikes Not Bombs, who used the life-changing value of bicycles to create opportunities in Ghana. After the films, the activists and filmmakers will answer audience questions. “e” inc will also host a locavore tasting supper with delicious local food samples from Boston vendors such as Cabot Creamery, Green Gal Catering, and Channel Café. A silent auction and dessert will round out the evening.

Early bird admission discounts are available. Boston Globe subscribers can also receive a Globe-sponsored discounted admission. The event is a fundraiser for “e” inc. Read more online and see the Facebook event page.

EcoFest, March 31, 11 AM – 4 PM
This is an earlier part of the same program that you can attend. EcoFest is a family and youth-focused afternoon of films and environmental activities. More information about the program and Facebook link are the same as above.

Bikes Not Bombs has been nominated as Boston’s BEST LOCAL CAUSE in the Boston Phoenix’s annual readers’ poll!

Cast your vote for BNB and spread the word! You can vote for us once per day!

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