About 80 old unused bikes now have their wheels set in motion again — thanks to a bike donation drive that kick-started in May 2023.
Gordon Hobbis of New West’s Cap’s Bicycle Shop, Fulton Tom from the local cycling advocacy group HUB Cycling New West, and Shelly Schnee, program coordinator at the City of New Westminster's Century House were instrumental in launching the drive that will match refurbished bicycles with community members who need them the most.
Though similar bike drives have been organized before to collect bicycles for other countries, including South Africa, the Philippines, Cuba and Jamaica, Hobbis said this particular drive is unique as it's the first one at a local level.
As part of this bike-month (June) project, the team collected used bicycles on one hand, and names of applicants who are in need of a functioning cycle, on the other.
They received 104 applications online, and saw 80 bicycles brought down to Cap's Bicycle Shop's Sapperton branch.
“We've had some donations from managers of apartments and condos, where there are a lot of abandoned bikes in the bike rooms. Sometimes, it might be through a school or a facility where people have left bikes locked up in the bike rack and not come back to it. As well as from people whose kids have grown out of the bikes, and the bikes are taking up space ... and they want to see them put to good use,” said Hobbis, whose family founded the Cap’s Bicycle Shop in 1932.
All the collected bikes were then given an overhaul by Hobbis, and volunteers from HUB Cycling New West and the City of New Westminster during day-long “work parties.” They spent more than 100 hours replacing tires, adjusting gears and brakes, and cleaning up the two-wheelers.
The drive, Hobbis said, was made possible through a grant from the federal initiative called ParticipACTION, which supports organizations in the “sport, physical activity and recreation sectors.”
The donated bikes are now rideable and ready to find new homes within the community.
On Saturday, June 24, at 11 a.m., these spruced-up bikes will be displayed at Moody Park for the registered applicants to pick the ones they like for free.
“We have done a random draw, and have selected people (from the applicants’ list) to come in 15-minute intervals,” said Hobbis.
It was important for Hobbis and the donation drive team that members choose their own bike.
"It's more likely to be a successful partnership then,” he added.
