Welcome to re-Cycles KidBikes!
We get bikes to Kids.
We believe that every kid should have access to a bike – for fun, to get around, for whatever. So we refurbish donated bikes and work with our partners to provide them to kids in need.
Who we are – the KidBikes crew
We are part of re-Cycles, a volunteer-run, non-profit collective that:
- Accepts donated bikes and bike parts in any condition
- Repairs viable donated bikes and resells them for a fair (low) price
- Provides a supported DIY service so people can repair their own bikes
The KidBikes crew specializes in refurbishing children’s bikes. Rather than selling them, we provide them to Ottawa Community Housing Foundation for distribution to children who live in Ottawa Community Housing locations.
We do this because we believe that every kid should have access to a bike – for fun, for transport, for whatever.
We work from the re-Cycles location at 445 Catherine Street in Ottawa, Ontario.
What we do
We take in donated bikes and bike parts, repair the viable ones and harvest parts from the terminal cases to put as many safe, usable bikes back on the road as we can manage. Leftovers, especially scrap metal, are recycled where practical.
Anyone who wants to volunteer and help out is welcome. We provide a warm social environment and continual training and mentoring in bike repair.
At the moment, we meet two mornings a week. Check the calendar for details.
Our Impact
Since starting in 2020, we have refurbished and delivered more than 1000 bikes to kids in Ottawa. That’s a lot more fun and a little less landfill. Lately we place more than a bike a day – more than 365 a year – with residents in community housing.
2020: 15 Bikes
A small start – will this work?
2021: 60 Bikes
Launching the Hop on Bikes program with OCHF
2022: 164 Bikes
A Trillium “Healthy Communities” grant helps us grow and plan! re-Cycles and OCHF work together to help even more kids.
2023: 317 Bikes
A big year. More volunteers, more grant funding. re-Cycles receives the Bruce Timmermans award.
2024: 365 Bikes
A bike a day!
2025: 361 Bikes
More than 100 bikes we delivered were to adults in community housing.
Thanks to Orleans United Church for a big cash donation and to Bushtukah for bikes and for onsite mechanics at a delivery event.
Care to help?
To volunteer with us, please send an email to volunteers@re-cycles.ca expressing your interest and telling us a little about yourself.
You can donate a children’s bike, in reparable condition. We will try to make it safe and functional, and hand it to someone who can benefit.
For now, we are not set up to receive monetary donations.
Our Partners
Partners in the community who we work with to run the program.
Ottawa Community Housing Foundation
The great people at OCHF link the bikes we build to residents in Ottawa Community Housing. OCHF knows the sites and the people, and runs the events where bikes are handed out. For more detail, check our the “Hop On Bikes” program on the OCHF website.
re-Cycles
KidBikes is only one small part of the overall re-Cycles Community Bicycle Organization. We share the same shop, volunteers, and management team. What sets KidBikes apart is that most refurbished bikes are children’s size, and are distributed by Ottawa Community Housing Foundation to families who live in Ottawa Community Housing.
For more details on re-Cycles overall, please follow the link below.
