PROJECTS

Yellow Bikes

A yellow bike is a recycled bike that was destined for the landfill. We redirect these bikes out of the refuse stream, recondition them, and release them to function as free community bikes. To date, the Yellow Bike Collective has released hundreds (thousands?) of free community bikes. Yellow Bike volunteers fix donated bikes up into simple, one-speed machines and then paint them yellow and release them to the streets.  The volunteer who repairs the bike gets a free education in bike mechanics, and the community gets another free bike to ride but not to own.

We release Yellow Bikes at various times of the year, as volunteer power allows.  We target special events where lots of folks will be around to use the bikes, such as:

March:  SXSW
May: Yellow Bike birthday sometime during Bike Month (May)
September: ACL release on the 1st day of the music festival
November:  East Austin Studio Tour (E.A.S.T.)
December 31st: First Night - Austin's New Years celebration

Q: Is building and releasing Yellow Bikes the only thing that Yellow Bike does?
A: Absolutely not. We have been around 11 years and over the years have evolved into an organization that puts much more energy into education efforts, serving up to 200 people per week by teaching them bike repair and maintenance in our community shops.  We also run programs aimed at getting bikes to kids (Bikes to Schools Program - After School Programs) or those in need (Katrina relief).  Continue reading for more information about our other programs. Nowadays we see the releasing Yellow Bikes more as a by product of what we do.  At The Yellow Bike Project this is how we see it:

A) We have an excess of donated department store bikes in poor condition.
B) There are lots of volunteers that are eager to learn to repair and maintain bikes.
C) There are many people either in need of transportation who will benefit from finding a Yellow Bike OR people who haven't ridden a bike in years who might find a Yellow Bike and have it spark their interest in riding again!
D) All of the above: Yellow Bikes! (correct answer!)

Q: Why do I never see Yellow Bikes on the street?
A: Truth-be-told many of the Yellow Bikes that we release end up being taken by individuals in need as their own. Although this is not in the true spirit of the community bike "free to ride but not to own," we realize that those willing to ride a bike hand painted yellow are very much in need. If you look closely around town many of the Yellow Bikes end up painted gray or some other color to mask the yellow paint job that we give. Our ultimate intent is to make bicycle transportation available to all and especially those in need, so seeing a gray bike in use still brings a smile to our faces.

Earn-A-Bike On hold until new headquarters (under construction) is complete

Earn you very own bike by volunteering 12 hours to Yellow Bike. After your volunteer hours are complete you can fix-up or build your own custom bike from our warehouse of donated bikes, frames, and parts for free.  This is a great way to learn bike repair and maintenance from volunteer mechanics and build your own bike in the process. During your time at the shop, experienced shop coordinators will guide you through bike repair projects. No bike repair experience is necessary. After 12 hours of volunteering, working on project bikes, you will be able to confidently start work on your own bike. Simply stop by during any of our open hours and talk to a Coordinator to get started building your very own bike.

Bikes To Schools Program

Local elementary school children in need of a bike are asked to write an essay on why they want a bike. From all of the entries a group of children are selected to receive bikes. We then meet with the kids and fit them to bikes that have repaired during our Volunteer Shops.  In conjunction with our Bikes to Schools program, we partner with the Austin Cycling Association (ACA) to put on Bicycle Safety Rodeos at schools that receive bike donations. These bike safety classes effectively teach children the basics of bike safety.

Donations for the 2006 - 2007 School Year
Austin Discovery School 30 Bikes (Newsletter: 2006-11)
Sims Elementary - Donation planned for early December 2006 (Newsletter: 2006-09)

Donations for the 2005 - 2006 School Year
Winn Elementary 12 Bikes
Andrews Elementary 42 Bikes
Blanton Elementary 10 Bikes
Harris Elementary 25 Bikes
Total was 89 Bikes

After School Programs

In cooperation with Citizen Schools, YBP co-coordinates an apprenticeship for students to develop leadership skills through hands-on experience. We are working with students at Kealing and Bedichek Middle Schools to help them learn basic bike mechanics and safe riding skills. The students keep repair diaries that will be turned into a small bike repair manual that they can give to their peers when the semester ends. There will also be a bike safety rodeo where students from the class can check and adjust their peer's bikes. (Fall 2006 | Newsletter: 2006-09, 2006-10, 2006-11, 2006-12)

Tools For Life An Affiliated Project

Tools For Life teaches youth about bike mechanics, giving them the chance to repair their own bikes or earn a bike of their own. The project not only shares its love of bicycles, the numerous health, fitness and environmental benefits of bicycling, but also encourages youth to participate in their communities via community mapping, rides, events and the creation of bicycle based puppetry, art and parades. (read more about Tools for Life)

BIKE REPAIR CLASS ON HOLD TILL NEW HEADQUARTERS (UNDER CONSTRUCTION) IS COMPLETE

Do you feel like our open shops are overwhelming? Crowded? Intimidating?  Looking for a calmer learning environment with a planned curriculum taught by our wonderful volunteer coordinators with attention to spare?  We think we have a solution!  YBP periodically offers a 4 part bike repair class.  The class covers almost everything: repair basics; overhaul and repair of brakes, hubs, bottom brackets, and derailleurs; truing wheels; and road safety.  The class will be capped at 10 participants, which should feel like a private session compared to our 40-50 person open shops.  The cost of the 4 part class is $40, which will go to support the work of Yellow Bike.  Participants with perfect attendance will be rewarded with an Earn-a-Bike (your choice of used bikes and parts from our shop to build the bike of your dreams).  By the end of the course fixing up your Earn-a-Bike will be easy and fun!  Currently all classes are full but if you're interested in taking the class, sign up for our newsletter to stay posted on the next offering.

KID'S CLASSES ON HOLD TILL NEW HEADQUARTERS (UNDER CONSTRUCTION) IS COMPLETE

We periodically offer a six week course for kids 12-16 years old. Participants get to pick out a bike from our warehouse, or bring one of their own. We lead them through a complete teardown and rebuild of the bikes they choose. We complete the shop by outfitting the kids with lights, a lock and a helmet, then we go on a safety ride. This workshop is by pre-registration only. Call 457-9880 during open hours or email us if you are interested.

UT ORANGE BIKES

YBP has an ongoing relationship with the UT students who are starting a bike library program called Orange Bikes.  YBP provides training, space to work, and bikes/parts to help get this exciting program off the ground.

PAST PROJECTS:

KIDS ARE IN THE HOOD

Kids in the Hood/Turn Your Back on Violence is a group working with youth in the area near our old 51st Street location.  This was a once a week kids class at our 51st street shop focusing on helping them learn the basics of bike maintenance and earn bikes of their own. (Fall 2006 | Newsletter: 2006-10)

SPECIAL OLYMPICS

Working with the Program Director for Special Olympics Texas, San Antonio, YBP donated bikes to enable the athletes to train for the Winter Games Competition.  The athletes do not own bikes and the program does not have sufficient funding to buy the bikes.  This is the first year that the San Antonio team has had the opportunity to compete in this event in their area. (Fall 2006 | Newsletter: 2006-09)

KATRINA RELIEF

In the month's following Hurricane Katrina, the Yellow Bike Collective repaired and gave away over 300 bikes. This was in conjunction with a larger effort cooperatively undertaken by The Bicycle Sport Shop, Austin Cycling Association, KatrinaRelief Austin, and the Yellow Bike Project. (Fall 2005)

AUSTIN BIKE CULTURE ARCHIVE

We started an Austin Bike Culture Archive that anyone in the community can edit. The idea is to create a space that anyone can add text and pictures about austin bike events, rides, organizations... or anything else that seems to fit the theme. The more you contribute the better the archive so check it out, enjoy, and feel free to add you bit of bike culture. (Fall 2006 - Current | Newsletter: 2006-09)

DENTON GREEN BIKES (QUERENCIA BIKES) DONATION

Yellow Bike has donated a bunch of bike parts and tools to some folks in Denton who are founding a community bike shop called Green Bikes. If you live in Denton and are interested in helping them out email Yellow Bike and we will put you in contact with them. (Summer 2006 | Newsletter: 2006-09)