Bike Bakersfield

What Bike Bakersfield does

Bike Bakersfield is a California-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (legally Biking For Fun Inc., also doing business as Bakersfields Bike Kitchen) founded in 2005 and headquartered at 1708 Chester Ave in downtown Bakersfield. The organization promotes bicycling for everyday transportation in Bakersfield and Kern County through a portfolio of community programs anchored by the Bike Kitchen — Kern County's only nonprofit secondhand bike shop offering refurbished bicycle sales, professional repair services, tool lending, and a DIY workspace.

Its core products and programs include the Earn-A-Bike program (12 hours of volunteer work exchanged for a refurbished bicycle, with 1,000+ bikes distributed since January 2006), the annual Membership program ($25+ per year providing 10% off purchases, free tool access, and discounts at partner retailers), Bike Rodeos (youth bicycle safety education using League of American Bicyclists curriculum), Safe Routes to School programming, Valet Bike Parking at events, monthly Full Moon Rides, the Central Valley Bikeways Project (regional infrastructure advocacy in partnership with California Bicycle Coalition and Kern Council of Governments), and Street Stories (a UC Berkeley SafeTREC data-collection partnership).

The business model combines earned revenue from bike sales, repair services, and merchandise with recurring membership fees, tax-deductible donations via PayPal/Venmo/CashApp, event-based fundraising (e.g., Tacos and Movie Night, GIVEBIGKERN), and grants from government and healthcare partners including the California Transportation Commission, Kern Medical, and Kern Council of Governments. Go-to-market is community-led, relying on grassroots engagement, volunteer programs, social media (Facebook, Instagram), email newsletters, and partnerships with schools, youth groups, local bike shops, and municipal planning agencies.

Name

Bike Bakersfield

Legal name

Biking For Fun Inc.

Website

https://bikebakersfield.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Bike Bakersfield is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2005 operating Kern County's only nonprofit secondhand bike shop from downtown Bakersfield, serving local residents through bicycle refurbishment, repair services, an Earn-A-Bike volunteer exchange, youth safety education, and active transportation advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bakersfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Bike Sales: Sale of new and refurbished bicycles, used bikes, and parts to the public through the Bike Kitchen nonprofit secondhand bike shop.
2. Repair Services: Full-service bicycle repair shop with professional mechanics providing tune-ups and maintenance services.
3. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees that provide 10% off bike kitchen purchases, free tool access, bike repair stands, mechanic help, newsletter access, affiliate membership with California Bicycle Coalition, and discounts at participating retailers.
4. Donations and Grants: Tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations, plus grant funding from government agencies like California Transportation Commission and Kern Medical for safety programs including helmets and lights distribution.
5. Merchandise Sales: Sale of Bike Bakersfield branded merchandise including t-shirts at $25 plus shipping.
6. Event Fundraisers: Community fundraising events such as Tacos and Movie Night that raised $1,000 in raffle tickets and food sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Bike Bakersfield operates a nonprofit Bike Kitchen in downtown Bakersfield that sells refurbished bicycles, parts, and accessories, and provides professional bicycle repair and tune-up services. The organization also runs the Earn-a-Bike volunteer-exchange program, an annual membership with tool access and retailer discounts, and delivers bike safety education through Bike Rodeos, Safe Routes programs, and community rides.

Product overview

Bike Bakersfield is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) membership organization operating as Bakersfield and Kern County's primary bicycle coalition. Its product portfolio is centered on the Bike Kitchen — a full-service nonprofit bike shop and community repair hub — supplemented by the Earn-A-Bike program (12 hours of volunteer service in exchange for a refurbished bike), an annual membership with retail discounts, and a suite of education programs including Bike Rodeos for children and Safe Routes to School services. The organization also provides Valet Bike Parking at events, runs monthly Full Moon Rides, conducts active transportation advocacy, participates in the Central Valley Bikeways Project for regional infrastructure planning, and partners with UC Berkeley's Street Stories platform for community safety reporting.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bike Kitchen A full-service community bike repair shop staffed by professional mechanics offering bicycle refurbishing, tune-ups, parts, accessories, and a do-it-yourself workspace with tool lending for members.
• Earn-A-Bike Program Recipients complete 12 hours of volunteer work at the Bike Kitchen and receive a refurbished bicycle of their own, along with hands-on bike assembly experience.
• Membership Program Annual membership program offering 10% off Bike Kitchen purchases, free tool and stand access, newsletter, California Bicycle Coalition affiliate membership, and discounts at local partner retailers.
• Bike Rodeos Hands-on bicycle safety education events for children and youth held at schools and community groups, covering helmet fitting, ABC quick checks, basic bike handling, hazard navigation, and road rules.
• Safe Routes Program A Kern County-wide education, encouragement, and evaluation program for active transportation, offering bike rodeos, adult workshops, group rides, maintenance training, community audits, and safest-route mapping for schools.
• Valet Bike Parking Free attended bike parking service provided at Bike Bakersfield events, where patrons receive claim checks and staff guard bikes in a secure corral.
• Full Moon Rides
• Advocacy Services
• Central Valley Bikeways Project
• Street Stories

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,000+ bicycles refurbished and provided to Kern County residents since January 2006
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• California Bicycle Coalition (Cal Bike)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on the Central Valley Bikeways Project to bring transportation planning experts and residents together to improve biking and walking connections to the future high-speed rail station in Bakersfield. Bike Bakersfield provides local community input and advocacy.
• Kern Council of GovernmentscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the Central Valley Bikeways Project and Active Transportation Program Grant funding. Kern COG awarded funding for active transportation improvements in Kern County.
• California Transportation CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSource of Active Transportation Program Grant awarded through Kern Council of Governments for Safe Routes programs promoting walking and biking in Kern County.
• UC Berkeley Safe Transportation Research and Education Center (SafeTREC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Street Stories platform allowing residents to report crashes, near-misses, hazards and safe locations for bicycling and walking data collection.
• Kern MedicalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGrant provider for Bike Month 2019 safety equipment including 87 properly-fit helmets, 451 pedestrian/bicycle light sets, and 688 reflectors for distribution to community members.
• Golden Empire Transit DistrictminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial sponsor of Bike Month 2019, supporting events and commuter stand activities.
• Finish Line BicyclesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal bike shop partner offering 10% discount to Bike Bakersfield members and providing raffle prizes including a 2021 Giant Escape 3 bike for fundraiser events.
• Commute KernminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner providing support during early morning commuter support stations for Bike Month events and active transportation promotion.
• Snider's CycleryminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal bike shop offering 10% discount to Bike Bakersfield members with valid membership card.
• Grizzly CyclesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal bike shop offering 15% discount to members on parts and labor (excludes complete bikes).
• Cafe SmittenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal coffee shop venue partner providing outdoor space for events including Tacos and Movie Night fundraiser.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bici Centro: Santa Barbara-based nonprofit community bike shop offering refurbished bike sales, repair services, and education programs — directly comparable nonprofit Bike Kitchen model serving a California community.
• Rich City Rides: Richmond, CA nonprofit operating a bike kitchen, Earn-a-Bike-style programs, and youth education — same volunteer-driven community bike shop and education model as Bike Bakersfield.
• Working Bikes: Chicago nonprofit that sells refurbished bikes, accepts donations, and runs volunteer mechanics programs — same secondhand/refurbished retail and volunteer-driven operations.
• Freewheelin' Community Bikes: Asheville, NC community bike shop offering repair services, bike education, and Earn-a-Bike-style programs — comparable mission and operational structure.
• Bikes Not Bombs: Boston-area nonprofit refurbishing and distributing bicycles, running youth mechanics programs, and advocating for active transportation — analogous community bike kitchen model.
• The Bicycle Project: Washington DC-area nonprofit that refurbishes donated bikes and distributes them to underserved community members; closely mirrors Earn-a-Bike and advocacy programming.
• Spoke Folk Community Bicycles: Volunteer-run community bike shop in Riverside, CA offering refurbished bike sales, repair services, and youth education — California-based nonprofit operating the same model.

Broad incumbents

• California Bicycle Coalition: Statewide bicycling advocacy organization that Bike Bakersfield is an affiliate member of; broader policy and lobbying mission spans all of California and overlaps on advocacy and Safe Routes work.
• League of American Bicyclists: National bicycling advocacy and education organization whose ABC Quick Check curriculum is used in Bike Bakersfield's Bike Rodeo programs; broader but adjacent advocacy and education focus.

Regional players

• Snider's Cyclery: Long-running family-owned bike shop in Bakersfield offering repair services and bikes; local peer that provides 10% member discounts to Bike Bakersfield and serves overlapping Kern County customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BikeBakersfield
• Instagraminstagram.com/bikebakersfield
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bike-bakersfield

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bike Bakersfield