Bikes Not Bombs 2024 Impact Report
“At Bikes Not Bombs, bikes are not just tools for transportation, but catalysts for societal transformation."
- Elijah Evans, BNB CEO, and program alumni
At Bikes Not Bombs (BNB), we believe that everyone should have equal access to the opportunities and resources they need to reach their full potential. We believe this vision can be a reality, but only when we work together to upend centuries-old systems and boldly reimagine how we live, work, and move together.
With your help in 2024, BNB staff, Youth Apprentices, volunteers, and community partners embraced shared core values while using the bicycle as a vehicle for social change, blazing trails for Black and other marginalized people to achieve economic mobility.
Hands-on Learning
BNB is committed to empowering youth through the transformative power of bicycles. We value the unique perspectives and innovative ideas of young people, and we provide the resources needed to turn hope into reality.
In 2024, we engaged 85 people in 18 Bike School programs at our Jamaica Plain Hub, Children’s Services of Roxbury, and a Department of Youth Services residential facility. Participants built skills in bike mechanics, practiced safe city riding, and explored concepts of transportation equity. Participants did not only refurbish bikes to keep as their own; their passion for giving back meant also building bikes for others in need of sustainable, affordable transportation. Bike School programs achieved record engagement from BIPOC youth (86%).
Pathways to Economic Mobility
BNB offers expertise, care, and community for youth to not just survive, but to thrive — physically, socially, and economically.
Through our 2024 Youth Pathways program, youths engaged their minds and hands to achieve long-term economic success. With the support of skilled mentors, they not only accumulated technical knowledge; they also practiced showing up, collaborating, persevering, and stretching the boundaries of what they believed was possible.
“As a Youth Apprentice, I worked in the Bike Shop, with the e-commerce platform, in operations, as a Bike School Instructor, and leading BOCA events. Being in these different roles provided insight into how the organization – much like the bikes we make part of our mission – has so many moving parts.” - Joseph P., Alumnus and Staff Member
35 Youth Apprentices:
- Grew their bike mechanics skills through a 108-hour Advanced Mechanics training. Through this course, Apprentices honed their knowledge of bike and E-bike mechanics, bike recycling, sales, and customer service.
- Stepped up as Bike School co-instructors, guiding participants through the intricacies of flat fixing, overhauling hubs, and repairing crucial bike systems like headsets, brakes, and cables. Beyond the mechanics, they led safe group rides to local attractions, turning every outing into an adventure.
- Supported transportation equity initiatives.
- Interned with partner REI Co-op for a summer, growing hands-on experience with e-bikes and exploring new work settings.
- Built competencies in technical and life-skill areas — from bicycle rotational systems to self-awareness, perseverance, curiosity, leadership, and community-mindedness.
- Explored sustainable career pathways, practiced resume writing, grew their financial literacy, and engaged in practice interviews.
- Earned at least $15 per hour as they gained critical workplace experience within a supportive community.
“I feel like I found my own community now, a place where I belong”
-Youth Apprentice Alumnus, Tamirah
Transportation Equity
BNB’s founders recognized that something as simple as a bicycle could be a powerful tool to build a more sustainable and just world. Today, BNB empowers young people in historically marginalized communities with the same leadership and advocacy skills that our founders embodied.
BNB’s youth-led Bicyclists Organizing for Community Action (BOCA) team organized 25 Chain Reaction events, providing free mobile bike repair in neighborhoods lacking bike service infrastructure. These events were run in partnership with Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition, Dorchester Food Co-op, and other local organizations, demonstrating the impact that is possible when we work together. The BOCA team managed 21 Tool Time “bike kitchen” events, offering no-cost bike repairs at our Jamaica Plain and Roxbury locations. In 2024, our team partnered with the City of Boston to ensure that Bluebikes are an affordable, viable option for public transportation in Dorchester, Roxbury, Mattapan, and beyond.
BOCA also designed and led seven inclusive Unity in Community bike rides. Our Riding the Heritage Trail ride traced the paths of Black activists who fought tirelessly to build a racially just Boston, reminding us of the shoulders upon which we stand as we carry the work forward.
At the 2024 Youth Bike Summit in Allentown, PA, staff and Youth Apprentices engaged in workshops centered around bike advocacy in service of healthy people and healthy cities. BOCA Associate Joseph Pires helped kick off this national event, sharing his experience as a leader in the bike space.
Global Solidarity
We believe that the transformative power of solidarity transcends borders. By amplifying the contributions of Black and Brown individuals and communities worldwide, we create a vibrant network of mutual support that enriches us all.
In 2024, we launched a new Fieldworker Fellowship program, through which Youth Apprentices and staff will deepen our partnerships with Learn, Work Develop, Rwanda through a global exchange of knowledge and skills.
We found new partners in Vieques, Puerto Rico, an island that does not currently have viable bike infrastructure or reliable bike service, despite the needs of the local residents. Together we are working to grow the resources necessary for biking to become a realistic and reliable form of transportation for everyone.
Moreover, with the help of more than 100 volunteers, we packed five cargo containers with bikes and parts to fuel the work of life-giving, bicycle-based social enterprises. Thanks to you, we shipped:
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- 430 bikes to CESTA, El Salvador
- 500 bikes to Earn-A-Bike, Nevis
- 470 bikes to Learn, Work, Develop, Rwanda
- 500 bikes to Cycloville, Kenya
- 500 bikes to Bicycle Village Project, Ghana
Mission-Driven Enterprises
BNB’s Bike Shop and Training Center prioritizes community impact alongside financial sustainability, ensuring that our efforts generate revenue while uplifting and empowering those we serve.
Throughout 2024, our master mechanics mentored young adults in the intricacies of refurbishing used bikes, selling new bikes, and maintaining all bikes – from relics rescued from basements to state-of-the-art Ebikes. Moreover, our shop served as an innovative business model, operating as a powerful force for social good.
Environmental Sustainability
BNB is deeply committed to protecting and nurturing our environment, recognizing our duty as global citizens to contribute to a sustainable future.
In 2024, we diverted thousands of bikes from the waste stream — collecting, processing, inventorying, stripping, refurbishing, flattening, donating, and shipping bikes to people, both in Boston and abroad. For many recipients, a bike was a lifeline, serving as a connection to jobs, food, nature, friends, family, and hope.
Together, we:
- Collected 1,280 bikes.
- Ran three bike drives in Greater Boston towns.
- Allocated 60 bikes to our lean-and-earn Bike School programs.
- Refurbished 250 bikes for sale in our shop.
- Shipped 2,400 bikes to international partners in the Global South.
Racial Equity
Racial equity remained a central throughline in all of our endeavors. BNB continues to tackle the historical and systemic barriers disproportionately affecting racial and ethnic minority communities in Boston and beyond. We actively engage diverse perspectives, hold ourselves accountable for our progress, and strive for representation in our workforce and Board of Directors. Our commitment includes education, partnerships, and advocacy for policies that foster racial equity within the biking industry and beyond. Achieving racial equity is essential not only for marginalized communities but for building a just society for everyone.
Thank You!
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to you for your unwavering commitment to BNB. Your generosity and belief in our mission empowers BNB to promote racial equity, provide job training, and create accessible biking resources for our community.
Together, we are transforming our world into a place where everyone has the resources they need to pedal forward. Your voice and action are vital in this journey toward lasting change, whether through partnership, volunteering, or spreading the word. Thank you for riding with us on this journey; we couldn't do it without you!
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