Local Motion and Old Spokes Home came together this week to celebrate the donation of 38 great and useful bikes that will be made available at minimal cost to members of the greater Burlington Community.
When Local Motion looked to retire a fleet of rental bikes from our Trailside Center at Burlington’s waterfront, we thought of Old Spokes Home. The bikes will be easy and cost-effective to refurbish, and meet the standards of many of Old Spokes Home's Everybody Bikes customers, especially those who depend on bicycles as a primary mode of transportation.
Old Spokes Home has already started refurbishing these bikes and offering them to prospective riders. They are easy to ride, comfortable, reliable, durable, and easy to maintain. Their suitability for racks, baskets, and accessories supports their diverse utility. As enabled by this generous donation, they will be made available to folks eligible for the EB program for a price of $75 after applicable discounts. Parts and accessories are also available at 35% off of retail prices. Service will be discounted 50% for EB customers.
Local Motion has been focused on transportation and mobility since our inception. Founded in 1999 with a singular goal to get people on bikes across the mouth of the Winooski River at the end of the Burlington Bike Path, Local Motion has transformed into a statewide organization, sharing resources, organizing, and advocating for safer, better, and more accessible transportation for pedestrians, cyclists, and Vermonters with disabilities.
Old Spokes Home's mission is to increase accessibility of bicycles and the opportunities that they provide. Transportation and mobility are key aspects of Old Spokes Home's approach; people are more prosperous when it is easier for them to get where they need to go, whether that is to work, school, the grocery store, or their doctor. Everybody Bikes, the flagship program at Old Spokes Home, specifically targets barriers to bicycle access in Burlington. Eligible customers are able to receive discounts on bicycles, parts, accessories, and labor, as well as a selection of bikes made exclusively available to Everybody Bikes customers due to their minimal cost.
"We are hugely appreciative that Local Motion is contributing these high-quality bikes for our Everybody Bikes Program," noted Executive Director Jon Copans. "Each one of these bikes represents the potential for efficient, economical, healthy, and joyful transportation and recreation for a member of the greater Burlington community. It is great when two local nonprofits can come together in this way."
"We felt there was a more promising future for our retired bike rental fleet, more closely aligned to our mission, to donate to people who actually depend on bikes for daily transportation. We thank OSH for helping us to put these bikes back to work for those who need them," said Tom Clark, Director of Services and Marketing at Local Motion.
The bikes donated by Local Motion are available at Old Spokes Home to eligible Everybody Bikes customers. People interested in learning more about Everybody Bikes can read on here. Those interested in applying can do so through this form.