THE POWER OF THE BIKE
Bikes Not Bombs (BNB) uses the bicycle as a vehicle for social change to achieve economic mobility for Black and other marginalized people in Boston and the Global South.
Bikes connect people to jobs, school, health care, food, nature, friends, family, opportunity, independence, and hope. BNB’s founders recognized that the act of repairing bikes can be more than a practical skill. To repair a bike is to harness creative problem-solving and people-power to transform lives.
“The strengths I’ve developed have been communication and collaboration with my peers; before, during, and after our time together.”
Apprentice Jesus V., age 15
The Art of Repair
To “repair” is to fix what is broken. It is to “renew,” to “restore to a sound and healthy state.” To repair is to “make good.”
Our mechanics, including staff, youth, and volunteers are master craftspeople, capable of giving new life to bikes of all varieties. They repair long-forgotten basement relics and optimize recently purchased eBikes – preserving valuable tools for mobility. We know that carefully adjusted brakes and trued wheels are inextricably linked to a sense of safety, security, and freedom.
BNB PROVIDES THE TOOLS, TOGETHER WE REPAIR
BNB provides tools to empower us all to build a more sustainable and equitable world.
Youth Empowerment
Through our Youth Pathways program, we serve as teachers and mentors to Boston youth and young adults. Benefiting from on-the-job training and structured career development, apprentices grow into confident leaders who take charge of their own futures.
“At BNB, I am not afraid to try my best.”
Apprentice Blisson A., age 14
Community Empowerment
BNB staff and apprentices bring people together to listen, learn, and act – ensuring that all people have access to bikes and infrastructure to move freely throughout their city.
In 2025, we will:
- Lead free bike repair events
- Organize community rides
- Refurbish bikes for sale and donation to people who need them
- Teach bike mechanics and safe riding classes
- Convene neighbors in Community Listening Sessions
- Co-host the National Youth Bike Summit with Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition
- Ship 1,500 bikes to partners in Rwanda, El Salvador, and Kenya
We cannot do this without you. Together, we can repair. Be the change you want to see, and help us boldly build a more kind, compassionate, healthy, just world — one bike at a time.