1304 Bikes to rise again?

Astute MT.Net readers might have noticed that I referred to the now-defunct bike charity 1304 Bikes in the present tense as one of the great things about Raleigh. That’s because I have been in contact with the co-founder in the hopes of reviving this important charity.

For years I wondered why my kids were the only students at their school to ride their bikes there. This year their bikes were joined in the school bike rack by a brother’s and sister’s in the neighborhood. After a a few trips riding from school with these kids, I took a look at their bikes and felt sorry for them. One had a wheel with a broken axle and the other has no brakes. They’re absolutely fantastic kids, they’re in a loving family, but for one reason or another this is what they have to ride.

That got me looking up bike charities in Raleigh, and I was reminded that one such charity existed that would give a donated bike to anyone willing to learn to fix it (or fix others). 1304 Bikes was that charity; they folded up shop in 2009 after getting kicked out of their rented space due to a zoning snafu.

Thinking about it, I decided it was a crying shame that such a good charity could go under from something as simple as a zoning issue. With all of the commercial space available it should be easy to find a place for them, right? That’s why I met with Doug Czajka to see if I could get him whatever he needed.

I remember the freedom I felt as a kid when I got my first bike. Why shouldn’t every kid have a chance to feel that feeling? There are plenty of donated bikes out there. If a group like 1304 Bikes were around to get those bikes fixed up and into the hands of kids, think of the happiness that would result! Think of how healthy those kids could become when they could pedal places where they usually drive!

I’m waiting to hear back from Doug to see if the 1304 Bikes board also agrees it’s time to resume operation. If that happens, I’ll be on the phone to landlords around East Raleigh and downtown to help get these folks back to spreading happiness on two wheels.