Bike Me Up Niagara repairs and reconditions donated bikes which are then offered for sale for a reasonable $40. These bikes are accessible to our participants and the community at large.
Our program is set up as a fully-equipped bicycle shop to receive donated bicycles from the public.
We have a core group of dedicated, skilled volunteers who repair and re-condition the bikes which are then offered for sale for a reasonable $40. (We sometimes increase the price on exceptional bikes that become available, but they remain affordable)
Many of our clientele need a reliable form of transportation but are experiencing poverty or homelessness. These bikes are accessible to our participants and the community at large.
Our business hours are Tuesday to Thursday 9 am until 2 pm.
Bikes can be donated at the shop at 203 Church Street. We also offer a pick-up service on Thursday mornings for people that can’t transport them themselves.
We accept all bicycles, no matter their condition, as we can usually find some value - either as a repair for resale, strip it for valuable parts for inventory, or as scrap (the frame) for a small return at the recyclers.
We also offer training, mentoring, co-op placements, bicycle safety rodeos, and basic repairs.
To learn more about Bike Me Up Niagara, contact Wayne Schmidt, Program Coordinator at wschmidt@startmeupniagara.ca or (289) 438-3939, ext. 209.
Bike Me Up Niagara originated with Tony Venditti. He had a passion for the idea of affordable, reliable transportation for those experiencing poverty in our community and mentioned it to Wayne Schmidt while who was working at Community Care. Wayne, current program coordinator, thought it was a great idea but admittedly wasn’t thinking he would get involved. The more they talked about the need, the more interested Wayne became. Tony made Wayne believe that if "[they] built it, they would come." The intent was to provide much needed transportation - as well as physical activity, good health, and ownership/care of their bikes.
Wayne and Tony travelled to Kitchener in April 2018 to review the setup of a similar shop and then visited Bikes for Farm Workers in Virgil and the Broken Spoke at Port Colborne High School to help determine operational requirements. We built out the garage at 203 Church Street and opened in May 2018.
We have enjoyed support from the Fowler foundation, United Way, Segue Clinic and Dr. Fraser Mackay and Karen personally.
We have received two Rotary donations. We were given $1500 at a luncheon in the fall of 2019 and then were allowed to apply to their international fund last year and are in the process of spending an approved donation of over $9000.
We raised over $10,000 last year in sales and repairs.
