PEDAL has several extant and under-development educational programs. The most obvious and accessible of these is Our Community Bikes, which always has space available for customers to work on their own bikes with instruction from one (or, usually, more) of our mechanics/instructors. There's also the monthly Introduction to Bicycle Maintenance Workshop, which happens on the first Thursday of every month. We have offered (though it is on hold currently) In partnership with Trips for Kids Vancouver, a youth program called Earn A Bike, a free 5 week long workshop that lets Vancouver youth build up - and keep! - their very own bicycle. And, finally, our staff can run workshops on demand for youth and community groups on bicycle mechanics, maintenance and safety.
For more information about educational opportunities at PEDAL, write to infoATpedalpower.org
Free Bike Program
The Free Bike Program aims to provide refurbished bicycles to people who wouldn't otherwise have an opportunity to own one. It combines used bicycles that may otherwise end up in the landfill, volunteers who learn to repair bicycles and marginalized people in the community in need of affordable/accessible transportation. Individuals interested in applying for a free bike, and those who think the program is awesome and want to support it, are encouraged to help us with the program by volunteering at the Depot, or making a small financial donation to the organization.
After putting the program on hold due to lack of funding/capacity, we have started up the free bike program again, just a little different than it was before. This time we have set limits on how many requests we will accept in a month (so as to not overburden ourselves and disappoint the applicants) and we are trying to encourage a more direct relationship between the community, ourselves and the bikes that we are building. This means that we want people to come in and talk to us (circumstances permitting) instead of just faxing/mailing in an application and waiting for a bike to appear. We do, however, require a letter of reference from a social service agency like a neighborhood house.
To apply for a free bike:
Step 1: Call 604.708.4992 to find out if there is still availability for the month and arrange a time to come in to the Depot (aka our warehouse).
Step 2: Come to the Depot with your letter of reference to talk with us and pick out a bike.
Step 3: Wait for a phone call from us telling you that the bike is finished and that you can come and pick it up.
The Depot is open Monday through Friday from 10 am to 6 pm and is located at 1830 Ontario (at 2nd ave).
For more information about the PEDAL Free Bike Program, call the Bike Depot (604.708.4992), or write to infoATpedalpower.org
For a list of community and social service organizations that have referred people to the PEDAL Free Bike Program click HERE,