July 1984

Boston bike mechanic Carl Kurz and Maryland transportation planner Michael Replogle start BNB as a response to United States military backing of the Contra attacks on Nicaragua.

Carl brings two rebuilt bikes with him and bikes around the countryside of Western Nicaragua with no specific contacts; his plan is simply to observe the potential for bicycles and speak with people and organizations who can receive shipments of bikes and distribute them effectively. During this trip, Carl and Michael establish connections with the Sandinista labor federation, the Sandinista Workers’ Centre (CST). Soon after, Michael reached an agreement with the CST to include the Health Workers Union (FETSALUD) and Teachers Union (ANDEN), whereby one third of the bikes are awarded to each of the Unions.

October 1984

Bikes Not Bombs ships 18 reconditioned bicycles to Nicaragua. The boxed bikes are driven from Boston to Philadelphia, PA in a VW bus by Carl Kurz, and then shipped from American Friends Service Committee aid warehouse in Philly.

In February 1985 Carl Kurz meets up with activist and friend Mira Brown in Managua, Nicaragua, to reassemble the bikes before they are distributed by the trade unions.

November 1984

Bikes Not Bombs chapters spring up around the country to collect used bikes for Nicaragua. Many of these chapters are started by individuals or groups inspired to act by Carl Kurz, who drives across the country in an old VW bus to raise aid and awareness about the Nicaraguan revolution and the US-backed contra war against Nicaragua. Eventually, BNB establishes its formal headquarters in Boston, as well as a west coast shipping coordinator.

May 1985

The US government bans all trade and shipments to Nicaragua. BNB defies the embargo, labeling its bikes "aid to relieve human suffering."

April 1986

In late April, BNB officially inaugurates its new bicycle assembly and mechanic training center in Managua, Nicaragua. The shop is staffed by an international workforce of Nicaraguans, Americans, Canadians and occasional European volunteers. The workshop is responsible for assembling the hundreds of bicycles that are sent by North Americans to Nicaraguan development workers.

The new workshop provides jobs to several Nicaraguan trainee mechanics.  Glenn Fiscella from Newport News, VA, accepts a long-term volunteer position with BNB and begins coordinating BNB's Nicaraguan-based efforts.

May 1988

The Bike-A-Thon idea comes to Carl when he is working at Broadway Bicycle School, a worker-owned and collectively run bicycle shop. A group of women approach Broadway to find a woman mechanic for their Bike-A-Thon to raise money for a women's organization in El Salvador, but because there is no female mechanic, Carl ends up helping this group of 21 women to bike. This Bike-A-Thon is very successful and inspires Carl to see the incredible potential to raise awareness and money in a positive way with support from friends and family.

The first BNB Bike-A-Thon in 1988 raises $7,000.

July 1984

Boston bike mechanic Carl Kurz and Maryland transportation planner Michael Replogle start BNB as a response to United States military backing of the Contra attacks on Nicaragua.

Carl brings two rebuilt bikes with him and bikes around the countryside of Western Nicaragua with no specific contacts; his plan is simply to observe the potential for bicycles and speak with people and organizations who can receive shipments of bikes and distribute them effectively. During this trip, Carl and Michael establish connections with the Sandinista labor federation, the Sandinista Workers’ Centre (CST). Soon after, Michael reached an agreement with the CST to include the Health Workers Union (FETSALUD) and Teachers Union (ANDEN), whereby one third of the bikes are awarded to each of the Unions.

July 1984

Boston bike mechanic Carl Kurz and Maryland transportation planner Michael Replogle start BNB as a response to United States military backing of the Contra attacks on Nicaragua.

Carl brings two rebuilt bikes with him and bikes around the countryside of Western Nicaragua with no specific contacts; his plan is simply to observe the potential for bicycles and speak with people and organizations who can receive shipments of bikes and distribute them effectively. During this trip, Carl and Michael establish connections with the Sandinista labor federation, the Sandinista Workers’ Centre (CST). Soon after, Michael reached an agreement with the CST to include the Health Workers Union (FETSALUD) and Teachers Union (ANDEN), whereby one third of the bikes are awarded to each of the Unions.

July 1984

Boston bike mechanic Carl Kurz and Maryland transportation planner Michael Replogle start BNB as a response to United States military backing of the Contra attacks on Nicaragua.

Carl brings two rebuilt bikes with him and bikes around the countryside of Western Nicaragua with no specific contacts; his plan is simply to observe the potential for bicycles and speak with people and organizations who can receive shipments of bikes and distribute them effectively. During this trip, Carl and Michael establish connections with the Sandinista labor federation, the Sandinista Workers’ Centre (CST). Soon after, Michael reached an agreement with the CST to include the Health Workers Union (FETSALUD) and Teachers Union (ANDEN), whereby one third of the bikes are awarded to each of the Unions.

July 1984

Boston bike mechanic Carl Kurz and Maryland transportation planner Michael Replogle start BNB as a response to United States military backing of the Contra attacks on Nicaragua.

Carl brings two rebuilt bikes with him and bikes around the countryside of Western Nicaragua with no specific contacts; his plan is simply to observe the potential for bicycles and speak with people and organizations who can receive shipments of bikes and distribute them effectively. During this trip, Carl and Michael establish connections with the Sandinista labor federation, the Sandinista Workers’ Centre (CST). Soon after, Michael reached an agreement with the CST to include the Health Workers Union (FETSALUD) and Teachers Union (ANDEN), whereby one third of the bikes are awarded to each of the Unions.

July 1984

Boston bike mechanic Carl Kurz and Maryland transportation planner Michael Replogle start BNB as a response to United States military backing of the Contra attacks on Nicaragua.

Carl brings two rebuilt bikes with him and bikes around the countryside of Western Nicaragua with no specific contacts; his plan is simply to observe the potential for bicycles and speak with people and organizations who can receive shipments of bikes and distribute them effectively. During this trip, Carl and Michael establish connections with the Sandinista labor federation, the Sandinista Workers’ Centre (CST). Soon after, Michael reached an agreement with the CST to include the Health Workers Union (FETSALUD) and Teachers Union (ANDEN), whereby one third of the bikes are awarded to each of the Unions.