Worcester Earn-A-Bike
Worcester Earn-A-Bike is a 501(c)(3) community bicycle shop in Worcester, Massachusetts, where participants earn donated bicycles by completing volunteer hours while learning hands-on bike repair, supplemented by drop-in Open Shop access and inclusive programs for youth and underserved riders.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersWorcester, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Worcester Earn-A-Bike does
Worcester Earn-A-Bike (WEAB) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community bicycle shop founded in 2001 and incorporated in 2005, operating from a single location in the back of The Village Afrocentric Cultural Center at 4 King St, Worcester, Massachusetts. Its core offering is the Earn-A-Bike program, in which participants rebuild donated bicycles under staff guidance to earn a free bike — youth completing 5 volunteer hours and adults 10. The shop also runs Open Shop (a pay-what-you-can drop-in repair workspace with specialty bicycle tools), WTF Nights (dedicated hours for women, trans, and femme riders), Learn-A-Bike maintenance workshops, a Wrench volunteer mechanic training track, youth mentorship, community rides, and annual kids ($5) and adult ($10) bike sales. Technology is limited to standard and specialty bicycle hand tools; there are no digital platforms, apps, or proprietary systems.
Revenue mechanics are heavily donation-driven: monetary contributions flow through PayPal and annual fundraising events, supplemented by bike and parts sales at nominal prices and pay-what-you-can Open Shop donations. The organization serves a long tail of Worcester community members — primarily youth and underserved populations, plus adults seeking affordable transportation — with all participants earned rather than purchased. WEAB is governed by a volunteer board and run by a 5-person staff led by Executive Director Nathan Lewis, with no parent company or institutional ownership. Its go-to-market is community-led: grassroots outreach via social media, a quarterly newsletter, community event tabling, and referrals through partner organizations including The Village Worcester, MassBike, and WalkBike Worcester.
Worcester Earn-A-Bike firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Worcester Earn-A-Bike
- Legal name
- Worcester Earn-A-Bike
- Website
- https://worcesterearnabike.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Worcester Earn-A-Bike is a 501(c)(3) community bicycle shop in Worcester, Massachusetts, where participants earn donated bicycles by completing volunteer hours while learning hands-on bike repair, supplemented by drop-in Open Shop access and inclusive programs for youth and underserved riders.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Worcester Earn-A-Bike industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Bicycle Education and Repair Services
- NAICS
- Personal and Household Goods Repair and Maintenance (8114)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Bike Service, Repair & Maintenance Shops (CRAMAHAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Cycling & Bike Retail (Sales, Service & Accessories) (CRAMABAH), Bicycle Programs & Bike Share (Parking, Repair, Rentals) (EDALAKAE)
Keywords
Where Worcester Earn-A-Bike is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Worcester
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Worcester Earn-A-Bike business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Fundraising: The organization relies heavily on monetary donations and fundraising events to sustain operations, purchase parts, tools, equipment, and keep the shop running. Donations come through PayPal and annual fundraising events.
- Bicycle and Parts Sales: Revenue generated from selling donated bicycles, new and spare parts for purchase, and used parts on a pay-what-you-can basis. Bike sales include annual kids bike sales ($5 per bike) and adult bike sales ($10 as-is).
- Open Shop Donations: Suggested donations from community members who use the workshop space and tools during Open Shop hours, helping sustain the community shop.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Earn-A-Bike Program - Free bicycle earned through volunteer service |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Open Shop - Community workshop access |
| Unit Pricing | One-time | Kids Bike Sale |
| Unit Pricing | One-time | Adult Bike Sale |
| One time/ perpetual license | One-time | Annual Fundraiser Ticket |
| Other | One-time | Cranksgiving Event |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels5 records
Worcester Earn-A-Bike product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Worcester Earn-A-Bike is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community bicycle shop that teaches bicycle repair and enables community members to earn a free bicycle by completing volunteer hours. It operates a drop-in Open Shop repair workspace, signature Earn-A-Bike volunteer program, WTF Nights for women/trans/femme riders, Learn-A-Bike workshops, and supporting programs including Youth Mentorship, Community Rides, and the Wrench mechanic training program. Bicycles and parts are sold at low or pay-what-you-can prices, with operations funded primarily through donations and fundraising.
Product overview
Worcester Earn-A-Bike is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community bicycle shop offering a portfolio of educational and access programs. The core offerings include the Earn-A-Bike Program (where participants volunteer to earn free bicycles), Open Shop (drop-in repair workspace), WTF Nights (inclusive shop hours), Learn-A-Bike (workshops), and Youth Mentorship. Additional programs include Community Rides, the Wrench volunteer mechanic training program, Outreach and Education initiatives, annual Kids Bike Sales, and Bike Donation Services. All programs operate from a physical shop location at The Village Afrocentric Cultural Center in Worcester, MA.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Earn-A-Bike Program
- Open Shop
- WTF Nights
- Learn-A-Bike
- Kids Bike Sale
- Youth Mentorship
- Community Rides
- Wrench Program
- Outreach and Education
- Bike Donation Services
Quantifiable outcome
- 350 bikes distributed to community members during COVID-19 pandemic (2020)
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Worcester Earn-A-Bike
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Worcester Earn-A-Bike technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Worcester Earn-A-Bike partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- The Village WorcestercoreThe Village Worcester is an Afrocentric cultural, learning, and healing center that builds grassroots power by connecting BIPOC groups, healers, and individuals whose work is rooted in racial justice, learning, creativity, community, and healing. WEAB is located in the back of The Village Afrocentric Cultural Center at 4 King St. The partnership provides WEAB with physical space and connects them to a broader network of community organizations focused on BIPOC communities. Previously known as Stone Soup Community Center.
- WalkBike WorcestercoreWalkBike Worcester works to make walking and biking in the city of Worcester, Massachusetts more safe, pleasant and convenient for all bike riders using this as not only a hobby but also as their main form of transportation. WEAB collaborates with WalkBike Worcester on advocacy efforts for improved cycling infrastructure and safe riding promotion in Worcester.
- #508BikeLife MovementminorWEAB got involved in the #508BikeLife movement in 2018, an initiative to advocate for youth on bikes in the Worcester area. Frankie Franco, WEAB Vice President, is involved with 508 Bike Life as a mentor and role model for youth.
- Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition (MassBike)coreThe Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition (MassBike) is the statewide advocacy and education group for bicycling in Massachusetts. WEAB originally opened in 2001 under MassBike's fiscal sponsorship before incorporating as its own 501(c)(3) in 2005. MassBike serves as the statewide umbrella organization for bicycle advocacy and education.
- Bikes Not BombsminorInspired by the success of Bikes Not Bombs' earn-a-bike program in Roxbury, Worcester community members started WEAB in 2001 with the idea of having a similar program in Worcester. Bikes Not Bombs served as the inspirational model for the organization.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Worcester Earn-A-Bike competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Boise Bike Project: Boise Bike Project is an Idaho-based nonprofit community bicycle shop running Earn-A-Bike, Open Shop, and youth education programs. Its volunteer-driven, donation-funded structure and educational mission directly parallel Worcester Earn-A-Bike.
- Yellow Bike Project: Yellow Bike Project is an Austin, Texas nonprofit running a community bike shop with volunteer hours for free bikes, an open repair workspace, and youth education programming. Its mission, model, and customer segments closely mirror Worcester Earn-A-Bike.
- Bikes Not Bombs: Bikes Not Bombs is a Boston-area nonprofit community bicycle shop that pioneered the Earn-A-Bike model on which Worcester Earn-A-Bike was directly founded in 2001. It runs comparable youth programs, refurbished-bike sales, and international bike-shipment initiatives, making it the closest conceptual and operational peer.
- Recycle-A-Bicycle: Recycle-A-Bicycle is a NYC-based 501(c)(3) community bike shop providing Earn-A-Bike, Open Shop-style repair workspace access, and youth mechanics training. It shares Worcester Earn-A-Bike's nonprofit, education-plus-repair, donated-bike-refurbishment model.
- Free Bike Mission: Free Bike Mission is a community bicycle nonprofit focused on refurbishing donated bikes and distributing them to those in need of transportation, paired with repair education. It shares Worcester Earn-A-Bike's donated-bike pipeline and equity-focused mission.
- Bici Centro (SBBIKE): Bici Centro is a Santa Barbara-based community bicycle education center offering Open Shop, Earn-A-Bike-style programs, and youth cycling training. Comparable nonprofit community-bike-shop model serving an underserved local population.
- The Bike Project (DC): The Bike Project of Washington, D.C. is a community bicycle nonprofit offering Earn-A-Bike, Open Shop, and youth education programs serving a similar low-income and BIPOC community. Comparable mission, programmatic mix, and donation-driven operating model.
Broad incumbents
- REI Co-op: REI is a national outdoor retail co-op that sells bicycles, parts, and accessories and runs bicycle-repair classes and community-grant programs. It is a broad incumbent in cycling retail and education, comparable as an industry player rather than as a direct nonprofit peer.
Others
- WalkBike Worcester: WalkBike Worcester is the local advocacy organization collaborating with WEAB on cycling infrastructure and safe-riding promotion. Comparable as a thematic/advocacy peer, not as a direct operational competitor.
- MassBike (Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition): MassBike is the statewide bicycle advocacy organization that provided Worcester Earn-A-Bike's original fiscal sponsorship in 2001 and remains a partner. It is comparable as an ecosystem/advocacy partner rather than a direct operational peer.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Worcester Earn-A-Bike social profiles
Digital presenceWorcester Earn-A-Bike financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Worcester Earn-A-Bike leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Worcester Earn-A-Bike funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Worcester Earn-A-Bike M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Worcester Earn-A-Bike
What does Worcester Earn-A-Bike do?
Worcester Earn-A-Bike is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community bicycle shop that teaches bicycle repair and enables community members to earn a free bicycle by completing volunteer hours. It operates a drop-in Open Shop repair workspace, signature Earn-A-Bike volunteer program, WTF Nights for women/trans/femme riders, Learn-A-Bike workshops, and supporting programs including Youth Mentorship, Community Rides, and the Wrench mechanic training program. Bicycles and parts are sold at low or pay-what-you-can prices, with operations funded primarily through donations and fundraising.
Is Worcester Earn-A-Bike a public or private company?
Worcester Earn-A-Bike is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Worcester Earn-A-Bike founded?
Worcester Earn-A-Bike was founded in 2001. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Worcester Earn-A-Bike based?
Worcester Earn-A-Bike is headquartered in Worcester, United States, in the North America region.
How does Worcester Earn-A-Bike make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations and Fundraising is the primary driver. The others are bicycle and Parts Sales and open Shop Donations.
Who are Worcester Earn-A-Bike's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Boise Bike Project, Yellow Bike Project, Bikes Not Bombs, Recycle-A-Bicycle, Free Bike Mission, Bici Centro (SBBIKE) and The Bike Project (DC). REI Co-op is listed as a broad incumbent. Others are WalkBike Worcester and MassBike (Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition).
Does Worcester Earn-A-Bike have an API?
No public API is recorded for Worcester Earn-A-Bike.
What industry is Worcester Earn-A-Bike in?
Worcester Earn-A-Bike's product category is Community Bicycle Education and Repair Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAMAHAH, Bike Service, Repair & Maintenance Shops, with a secondary code of CRAMABAH, Cycling & Bike Retail (Sales, Service & Accessories). Its NAICS code is 8114.