Grant #8: Mad About Bikes

Free Bikes 4 Kidz Madison's Baltazar De Anda Santana worked with dozens of nonprofits to bring children and families to the Mad About Bikes giveaway.

Mad About Bikes celebrates Madison’s vibrant biking culture and supports projects that increase bicycling access and opportunities for everyone.

The $99,200 grant included a 1,100-bicycle giveaway, as well as new public fix-it stations, multiple bike repair internships for community youth, starter bicycles for beginning riders, and safety education and repair training for riders of all ages. Mad About Bikes provides access for all riders, regardless of economic status, and helps them take advantage of Madison’s Platinum-level status as a Bicycle Friendly Community. 

The Mad About Bikes giveaway, organized by the nonprofit Free Bikes 4 Kidz Madison, began with a public collection day on Saturday, January 13, 2018. Area residents donated gently used bikes at select SSM Health Dean Medical Group locations. Volunteer cleaners, preppers and mechanics refurbished the bikes to make them safe and reliable, and then gave them away through a network of area community organizations on March 24 and 25, 2018. 

“Madison is blessed to have world class cycling infrastructure and advocacy and our goal is to make sure that extends to everyone in our community,” said Andy Quandt, executive director of Free Bikes 4 Kidz Madison. “We’re so grateful to Madison Community Foundation for supporting FB4K Madison’s efforts to establish a sustainable supply of bicycles so that any child who wants a bike gets a bike.”

In addition to the giveaway, the grant supports a community-wide effort, coordinated by the JUST Bikes coalition, to increase access to bikes, bike safety education and repair training for families. Highlights include mobile bike repair stations, ongoing bike maintenance, paid bike repair internships, establishment of a Mobile Bike Hub—an electric-assist bicycle outfitted as a repair vehicle, bicycle storage solutions, and encouragement opportunities.

The fix-it stations were installed during the summer 2018 and are located at Badger Rock Neighborhood Center, Bayiew Community Center, Centro Hispano, and Lussier Community Education Center.

Read The Capital Times story: Self-Fix Bicycle Station Debuts in Downtown Madison

Read the Channel3000.com story: Fix-It Bicycle Stations to help Madisonians with bike repair.

Collaborating partners include JUST Bikes, Wisconsin Bike Fed, Free Bikes 4 Kidz Madison, Healthy Kids Collaborative at American Family Children’s Hospital, Madison’s Community Schools Leopold Elementary and Mendota Elementary, Boys and Girls Club of Dane County, Wheels for Winners, Dream Bikes, Tri 4 Schools, the Madison Area Transportation Planning Board, and the city of Madison.