Real Transportation, Not Just a Bike
I spent my Saturday night in a cold parking lot with a teenager I’d never met before.
He’d just graduated from high school. One of his teachers told him about Bikes for Neighbors, so we met up at Gift and Thrift to see if we could find him a better way to get to work.
Up to that point, he’d been riding a department-store bike every day. It worked, but it wasn’t built for what he needed.
We rolled out four different bikes from the shed and took a few laps around the parking lot and the neighborhood, swapping bikes so he could feel the difference. He kept laughing and saying:
“These are so fast!”
After trying all of them, he knew exactly which one he wanted—a solid commuter with gears that actually worked, built-in lights, and a rack and fenders so he can ride in all kinds of weather. In other words, real transportation.
We snapped a few photos, shook hands, and he headed home on his new bike with a huge smile on his face.
That little moment—pulling out a few bikes, letting someone choose what feels right, and watching them ride away more confident than they arrived—is one of the things that makes this program special. It gives people real agency, not just a hand-me-down.
Bikes for Neighbors exists so more of our neighbors can experience that same feeling: a bike that truly fits their life, and a reliable way to get to work, school, and everything in between.
About Bikes for Neighbors
Bikes for Neighbors is a program of the Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition that turns donated bicycles into reliable everyday transportation for people facing economic or social barriers. Community support keeps the shed stocked with quality bikes, ready for the next person who needs a better way to get where they’re going.
By: Ben Wyse, Bikes for Neighbors Coordinator
