Bikes Not Bombs

What Bikes Not Bombs does

Bikes Not Bombs is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit social enterprise founded in 1984 and headquartered at 284 Amory Street, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, with additional facilities in Dorchester (warehouse for container loadings) and Roxbury (Bike School site in partnership with Children's Services of Roxbury). The organization uses the bicycle as a vehicle for economic mobility, operating a three-pillar model of RECLAIM (refurbishing discarded bikes), EMPOWER (youth mechanic training and paid apprenticeships), and TRANSFORM (transportation equity advocacy). Its core products include a full-service Bike Shop and Training Center selling refurbished and new bikes (including Troxus e-bikes starting at $1,399 and Yuba cargo bikes) plus parts, accessories, and repairs; Bike School (Earn-A-Bike and Bike Institute) for youth aged 12–18; a three-year Youth Pathways model that progresses participants from Bike School to paid Youth Apprenticeships to alumni support; BOCA (Bicyclists Organizing for Community Action), a community organizing and advocacy program; and an international shipping operation that has delivered more than 83,000 bicycles to 13 countries in Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean since founding.

Name

Bikes Not Bombs

Legal name

Bikes Not Bombs

Website

https://bikesnotbombs.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bikes Not Bombs is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit social enterprise founded in 1984 that uses bicycle refurbishment, paid youth apprenticeships, and international shipping to advance economic mobility for Black and marginalized youth in Boston and communities in the Global South.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Youth Workforce Development

NAICS

Personal and Household Goods Repair and Maintenance (8114)

akta.pro primary industry

Cycling & Bike Retail (Sales, Service & Accessories) (CRAMABAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Used & Refurbished Bike Retail (CRAMAHAK), Bike Service, Repair & Maintenance Shops (CRAMAHAH), Bicycle Programs & Bike Share (Parking, Repair, Rentals) (EDALAKAE)

Keywords

• Nonprofit youth programs
• Bike refurbishment services
• Community bicycle shop
• Youth workforce development
• International bike donation

Headquarters

HQ city

East Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Bike Shop Sales: Full-service retail bike shop selling refurbished donated bikes, new bikes (cargo, road, hybrid, kid's, e-bikes), and parts/accessories. Profits fund youth and international programs.
2. Repair Services: Bike repair and maintenance services at the Bike Shop & Training Center.
3. Donations and Grants: Tax-deductible donations from individuals and grants from foundations support operations and programs.
4. Event Fundraising: Annual Bike-A-Thon and Century Challenge rides generate fundraising revenue. Bike-A-Thon has raised over $200,000 per year.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Bikes Not Bombs is a 501(c)(3) social enterprise that collects, refurbishes, and resells donated bicycles through its Jamaica Plain Bike Shop, while running paid Youth Apprenticeships and free Earn-A-Bike programs that train Boston youth in bicycle mechanics. It also ships thousands of refurbished bikes annually to economic development partners in Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and operates community organizing (BOCA) and signature fundraising rides.

Product overview

Bikes Not Bombs operates a multi-component social enterprise centered on bicycle reuse, youth development, and international solidarity. The core offerings include: (1) a Bike Shop & Training Center (retail shop selling refurbished and new bikes, parts, and repair services); (2) Bike School education programs (Earn-A-Bike and Bike Institute for youth ages 12-18); (3) a three-year Youth Pathways model combining Bike School → Youth Apprenticeships (paid employment) → alumni support; (4) BOCA (Bicyclists Organizing for Community Action) for transportation equity advocacy; (5) Bike Recycling & International Partnerships shipping thousands of bikes annually to Global South partners; and (6) signature fundraising events (Bike-A-Thon, Century Challenge Ride). An e-commerce online shop sells refurbished bikes, new bikes (Troxus, Yuba brands), parts, and accessories. The organization targets Black and other marginalized youth and communities in Boston (Jamaica Plain, Roxbury, Dorchester, Mattapan) and international partners in Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bike Shop & Training Center Full-service retail bike shop in Jamaica Plain, MA selling refurbished donated bikes, new bikes (Troxus e-bikes, Yuba cargo, road, hybrid, kids), parts, accessories, and offering repair services and tune-ups. Functions as a social enterprise where profits fund youth and international programs.
• Bike School (Earn-A-Bike)

Quantifiable outcome

• Shipped over 83,000 bicycles to 13 countries since 1984
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Mattapan Food and Fitness (MFFC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 July 2024Co-hosting the 2025 Youth Bike Summit in Boston, bringing workshops, group rides, and networking opportunities for youth involved in biking and bike advocacy.
• Learn Work Develop (LWD)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1984Annual partnership with bicycle-based social enterprise in Rwanda committed to creating employment for youth and women. BNB ships hundreds of bicycles annually to support their mission. Partnership involves youth fieldworker fellowship program development.
• Children's Services of RoxburycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Healthy Living program at Roxbury Hub, implementing Bike School curriculum with emotional intelligence components for BIPOC youth.
• Massachusetts Department of Youth Services (DYS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSkill Up program at Metro Region DYS facility in Roslindale providing Bike School curriculum and rehabilitative services to youth involved in the juvenile justice system.
• Commonwealth KitchenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with City of Boston's Office of Economic Opportunity and Commonwealth Kitchen for Saturday Morning Small Business Rides during National Small Business Month.
• Boston After School and BeyondminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing enrichment programs. Awarded $2 million to sixty-eight after-school programs.
• TroxusminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBike-A-Thon sponsor providing e-bike giveaway prize. Authorized dealer relationship for Troxus e-bikes at BNB Bike Shop.
• Yuba BikesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGreater Boston's newest Yuba Bikes authorized dealer. Offering cargo bikes with 10% discount through end of 2024.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Hub Cycling: Vancouver-based nonprofit cycling advocacy and education organization offering bike repair services and training programs with a comparable community-focused mission in a different geography.
• The Bike Project: UK-based refugee-focused nonprofit refurbishing donated bikes and distributing them to asylum seekers and refugees. Comparable mission of using bikes for social integration and economic mobility, though geographically separate.

Direct peers

• Yellow Bike Project: Austin-based nonprofit running a community bike shop with bike refurbishment, repair services, and educational programming — comparable in combining retail/service with community engagement.
• 88bikes: Nonprofit that provides bicycles to children in developing countries, with comparable international shipping and youth empowerment mission components to BNB's Global South program.
• Working Bikes: Chicago-based nonprofit social enterprise refurbishing donated bikes for local distribution and international shipment, with a volunteer-driven model and international partnerships similar to BNB.
• Bikes for the World: A 501(c)(3) nonprofit that collects donated bicycles and ships them to international partners for development and economic empowerment. Most directly comparable mission and operating model to Bikes Not Bombs.
• Free Bikes 4 Kidz: National nonprofit that refurbishes donated bikes and gives them away to children in need. Overlaps with BNB on bike reuse mission, though focused more on domestic distribution and less on youth training.
• Community Cycles: Boulder-based nonprofit community bike shop offering refurbished bike sales, repair services, and education, operating a similar social enterprise model for cycling access.
• Revolutions Bicycle Cooperative: Community-focused bicycle cooperative offering repair services, refurbishment, and education programs, with a volunteer-driven model parallel to BNB's Bike School and Earn-A-Bike.

Broad incumbents

• Bikes Belong Foundation: National nonprofit advocacy organization supporting cycling infrastructure, youth programs, and community riding initiatives across the U.S., operating as a broader umbrella than BNB's localized model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/BikesNotBombs1984
• Facebookfacebook.com/bikesnotbombs
• Instagraminstagram.com/bikesnotbombs
• TikToktiktok.com/@bikesnotbombs
• Xx.com/bikesnotbombs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bikes-not-bombs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Bikes Not Bombs