Repairing bikes for neighbors in need
Local community members are helping find bikes for people impacted by the Eaton Fire
The Eaton Fire has been devastating for Altadena. But the community response has been enormous, with neighbors across the region helping in every imaginable way.
Colin Bogart, a staff member at the local nonprofit Day One, has found a special niche. He’s had a partnership with LA Metro for the past year through their Adopt-a-bike program, where Metro provides abandoned bikes to be repaired and given to people in need. Colin works with mechanics who donate their time to restore the bikes to a rideable condition, and then they are donated to people who need free, sustainable transportation.
After the fire, Colin realized there might be a lot more people in need of bikes. He put out a call, asking for people who were impacted by the fire who now are looking for a bike. To his surprise, he’s gotten over 300 requests (and his list keeps growing)!
Now Day One is working to scale up the program and provide bikes to as many people as possible. They are partnering with local businesses, collecting donations, and moving as many bikes to as many people as possible as fast as they can. Four bicycle co-ops — the Bicycle Kitchen, the Bike Oven, the Bikerowave, and the Long Beach Bicycle Co-op — are collecting donations and fixing the bikes to make them ride-ready. Local bike shops including Around the Cycle, Pasadena Cyclery, and Trek Pasadena have also assisted with donations and support. Day One is anticipating new bikes from at least two bike manufacturers and they’ve received roughly two dozen used bikes from USC recently. With the greater number of bikes coming in, Colin put out a call for volunteers to help with repairs to get them ride-ready.
The Pasadena bike community is helping answer this need. On Sunday, February 16, about eight volunteers showed up to repair bikes and salvage parts. They pumped up tires, cleaned chains, and fixed brakes.
Why bikes? Of course, there are so many ways people need help after suffering loss from a fire. But a bike is special, because it can mean so many different things. A bike can be a real transportation solution, providing independence and freedom of movement. It can also be deeply personal and meaningful: a way to experience joy, a way to connect with friends, and a way to just feel normal and safe again. “The stories we’re hearing from the people that we’re giving a bike to are often heartbreaking,” says Colin. “One woman told me her daughter had just ridden her bike without training wheels for the first time about a week before the fire, and then they lost everything. She told me the bike was going to make a huge difference for her daughter.” Thank you to Day One, Metro, Colin, and all the volunteers who showed up to help Altadena keep rolling forward.
How you can help: Day One is accepting bike donations at its Pasadena office, 175. N. Euclid Ave., T-W-TH 9:30am-5:30pm or by special arrangement by calling 626.657.8744 or colin@godayone.org.
