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 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 gets a free education in bike mechanics, and the community gets another free bike to ride but not to own. Yellow bikes are for everyone, and aren't to be locked up (1997-2006).

Starting in 2007 we are releasing Yellow Bike at 4 scheduled times per year
May: Yellow Bike birthday sometime during Bike Month in May
September: Back to School release near campus on Labor Day weekend
September: ACL release on the 1st day of the music festival
December 31st: First Night - Austin's New Years celebration

Q: Is building and releasing Yellow Bikes the only thing that Yellow Bike does?
A: No! We have been around 10 years and ONLY the first few years were focused on building Yellow Bikes. Since then we have evolved into an organization that puts much more energy into education efforts (serving over 100 people per week by teaching them bike repair and maintenance in our community shops open 6 days per week) and programs aimed at getting bikes to kids (Bikes to Schools Program - After School Programs) or those in need (Katrina relief). Browse this page below and the rest of the site 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 bikes in poor condition that no one would pay for even if fixed up.
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 and individual as a private bike. Although this is opposite of our stated purpose of releasing community bikes 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

WE MADE EARNING YOUR OWN BIKE EVEN EASIER! - Earn you very own bike by volunteering only 12 hours to Yellow Bike (it used to be 24 hours). 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 completely for free. You also get to store your own bike at the 51st Street Shop for 6 weeks from the date that you start working on your own bike.

This is a great way to learn bike repair and maintenance from volunteer mechanics and build your own free 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 the bike of your dreams

Bikes to Schools Programs

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. (2005-2006, 2006-2007 School Years)

In conjunction with our Bikes to Schools program for the 2006-2007 year, Gilbert Martinez, ACA's safety guru, has offered to put on Bicycle Safety Rodeos on site at elementary schools that receive our 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

ADVOCACY STATEMENT

Recognizing that Yellow Bike's mission is only worthwhile if adequate bicycling facilities are available, we have devised an Advocacy Statement of support for the continued development of bicycle facilities in Austin. This statement will serve two purposes: 1) to inform City Council, staff, and other interested parties of YBP’s general positions on all issues that affect bicyclists, and 2) to guide YBP’s position on all specific issues affecting bicyclists that arise within the City. 

Stay tuned for news on upcoming issues and ways you can help improve cycling in Austin!  Thanks to Jen Duthie serving as Transportation Chair on our Representative Council for making this happen.  You can read our Advocacy Statement online.

Tools for Life - 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)

Bedichek Middle School After School Program

Our after school program in cooperation with Citizen Schools, is an apprenticeship for students to develop leadership skills through hands-on experience. We are working with 6th and 7th grade students at Bedichek Middle School to help them learn and teach basic bike mechanics. The students are keeping repair diaries that will be turned into a small bike repair manual that they can give to their peers when the semester ends in December. 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)

Bike Repair Class

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! 

Periodically we offer a 4 part bike repair class.  The class will cover 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, wthich 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 Class

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.

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 51st Street location.  This is 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, we have donated 5 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 Parts 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)