Community Bike Works

We teach life lessons through bicycles and books.

In Community Bike Works’ flagship Earn a Bike program, students team up with adult mentors for a 12-week course in bike mechanics and safety. Class topics include tires & tubes, hubs, brakes, headsets & more. During the rodeo class, students practice safe riding.

Students work from a manual, and each student keeps a journal of his or her progress. Students arrive for class on time and ready to work, work at a task until completed, see the satisfaction of turning a broken bike into a functional one. Once students complete their classes, they earn their refurbished bike and new helmet!

Earn a Bike classes are held onsite at our Allentown location, in local schools, and at the Lehigh County campus of KidsPeace.

Once students are engaged, they are encouraged to participate in our full range of programs, including Earn a Book (reading and homework tutoring) and Afternoon Drop-in (less structured time to work on bikes or participate in other enrichment opportunities).

Students also have the opportunity to sign on as youth volunteers, spending additional time with mentors and assisting other students. Community Bike Works' capstone experience is the Youth Apprentice program, in which students earn their first paycheck as Earn a Bike instructors.