Bike Works Seattle

Mission

Bike Works promotes the bicycle as a vehicle for change to empower youth and build resilient communities. 

Vision: 

Mobilized people. Thriving communities. Healthy planet. 

Description

We were founded in 1996 by activists committed to increasing access to alternative transportation, investing in young people, and pushing for environmental justice in Southeast Seattle. Our region is the most racially and ethnically diverse in Seattle, and has also been underserved by public investment in transportation, education, and healthcare. We believe the bicycle is a vehicle for population and environmental health, community-building, and equity.

We focus on increasing access for those not traditionally represented in cycling, including Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), women, trans, and nonbinary (WTNB) people, and people with limited resources. We also are investing in adaptive cycling gear and offering more accessible cycling opportunities for people with disabilities.

Bike Works operates the only bike shop in Southeast Seattle, and offers free bikes and bike repair for hundreds of people every year with financial need. Through our programs, we spark life-long passion for cycling and the outdoors; provide a supportive community ; and offer hands-on training to prepare alumni for jobs both in and out of the cycling industry. Program graduates gain skills related to mechanics and engineering, customer service, warehousing, environmental stewardship, and race and social justice.