An all-volunteer, non-profit community cycling cooperative.
The Raleigh Community Kickstand is an all-volunteer, non-profit community bicycle cooperative project located in Raleigh, NC and established in 2017. We are currently partnering with homeless resource centers in the Raleigh area to repair bicycles and teach maintenance skills. We work with the city, local cycling shops, cycling non-profits, and other organizations and individuals to collect resources and skills to address a need in our community for safe, reliable, self-sufficient transportation. Our motto is simple: fix, teach, give.
We are volunteers who repair bicycles, teach bicycle maintenance, and connect community resources in order to enable access to safe, reliable, self-sufficient transportation to those in need.
We are supported and fiscally sponsored by Oaks & Spokes, a registered 501(c)(3) charitable non-profit organization which fosters the community of people who ride bikes in Raleigh. For more information about Oaks & Spokes, you can visit their website here.
At our pop-up repair events, we not only offer mechanical repairs but also the opportunity for people to learn general bicycle maintenance. We provide all of the necessary tools and work with riders to teach them how to diagnose and repair common issues. We strive to put our riders on a path towards self-sufficiency.
On average, we spend just over $5 in parts to get a donated bicycle repaired and back out on the road. If possible, please consider a $5 donation to give the gift of transportation to a member of your community in need. |
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Many of the riders we support work along busy road ways. We like to provide lights when possible to keep them safe and in compliance with local bike light laws. If possible, please consider making a $15 donation to ensure the safety of cyclists in our community. |
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Many of our riders stay in homeless shelters or camp in wooded areas around town. Without a safe storage place, bike theft is unfortunately a common occurrence. If possible, please consider making a $20 donation to provide a lock to our riders to ensure they are able to secure their mode of transportation. |
The Raleigh Community Kickstand could not serve the community without donations of bicycles and other parts. We rebuild your old bicycles and collect spare parts for repairs to make sure everyone in the community has the ability to get where they need to go. We accept fully intact, repairable adult bicycles (24" tires or larger). Our riders traverse a variety of terrains and prefer hybrid bikes or mountain bikes. We also accept components, tools, lights, locks, and pretty much anything else that is bike related.
The Raleigh Community Kickstand is entirely volunteer operated. Without people like you, we would not be able to make these services available. We are always looking for additional volunteers to help repair bikes and manage administrative tasks. There are no prior skills required; we will teach you everything you need to know! Volunteering with RCK is a great way to give back to the community and learn more about bicycle maintenance.
If you work for an organization or company that has grant funding opportunities or discount programs for charity-based non-profits, please let us know. We are always in need of funding for consumable parts such as tires, tubes, brake pads, etc.
Since we do not presently have a brick and mortar establishment, we are in need of public locations to host pop-up repair events or maintenance workshops. If you operate a space and are interested in hosting a pop-up event for the community, please contact us. Spaces can be indoor or outdoor and should be easily accessible via foot, bicycle, or public transportation. We will provide stands and tools.
If you are interested in volunteering, donating, or getting involved in any capacity, please email us at raleighcommunitykickstand@gmail.com.