Since 1984, Bikes Not Bombs has used the bicycle as a vehicle for social change. We started by sending five bikes to Nicaragua, quite literally sending bikes, not bombs, to a community experiencing war. While we continue to send bikes to our partners abroad, the scope our work has greatly expanded.
Bike Recycling Programs
Through our bike recycling program, we accept donated bikes to be refurbished and redistributed through local programs, such as Bike Match, and international social justice projects. Since 1984, we have shipped over 82,000 bicycles to partners in 14 countries in the Global South. Right here in Boston, we also “match” people in need to a free bicycle to help them attend school, get to work, or care for family members.
Recycle Bikes
We welcome many kinds of bikes, parts, tools, accessories, and clothing. Bike recycling is at the heart of our work: the thousands of donated bikes we process each year find a second home with BNB, whether it’s in our learn-and-earn Bike School programs, refurbished for a community member in need, or shipped to our partners in the Global South.
Bike Match
We recognize that reliable transportation is critical to economic and social mobility. Through Bike Match, we aim to ‘match’ bikes to community members experiencing economic hardship, at no cost to them. Applicants must meet eligibility requirements that ensure we meet the needs of those most affected by inequities in transportation access.
Bike Maintenance Resources
Bicycle maintenance makes cycling more sustainable for the environment and for riders. Maintaining your bike reduces waste, lowers your carbon footprint and conserves resources. And, by keeping your bicycle in good working order, you extend the life of your bike and reduces your transportation costs.
Tool Time
Every second and fourth Friday, we open our doors to anyone interested in working on their bike, guided by trained Youth Mechanics, using our tools! Bring your bike and supplies, and explore bike maintenance with us.
Mechanic Resources
We offer resources like the Earn-A-Bike Instructor's Manual and instructional videos for mechanics training, supporting skill development in bicycle maintenance, accessible to all.
Local & International Partnerships
Teaming up with organizations in Greater Boston allows us to expand our reach by offering our programs in more locations across the city, employing bike school graduates or providing career development opportunities to our students, and supporting bike collection and distribution for local and international programs.
Shipping thousands of bikes, parts, and tools each year to our international partners in Rwanda, Kenya, El Salvador and other countries in the Global South means that bikes can help village health workers travel to more patients than they could on foot, empower girls and young women while reducing childhood marriage and teen pregnancy, and provide rural farmers with pedal-powered tools and machines such as water pumps.
Local Partnerships
Collaborating with local partners enhances our impact, allowing us to utilize bicycles as agents of social change effectively. Partnerships expand our capacity and service range, benefiting our communities.
International Partnerships
We collaborate globally with organizations using bicycles for social change, addressing various issues from health services to climate activism, unified by the transformative power of bikes.
Bike Shop
Our bike shop is more than just a retail space – it's a hub for community engagement and empowerment. The bike shop offers a wide range of new and refurbished bikes, along with repair services. Staff and Youth Apprentices refurbish donated bikes, providing employment opportunities and supporting our mission.
Buy a Bike
Support our community services and youth programs when you shop for new and refurbished bikes, tools, accessories, and apparel in our bike shop.
Bike Repairs
Our Bike Shop offers full-service repairs, from basic tune-ups to complete overhauls. The shop can diagnose problems and provide a free cost estimate.