It’s been a minute, Madison! We spaced on giving you a shop update last month, because the holidays hit us hard. Every year during the winter season we see a major uptick in orders via our eBay store.
That’s good news for us, but it means some balls get dropped while we scramble to get everything packed! Staff member Eric is still working to get us exact numbers on how many bikes Freewheel sold online during 2019, but it’s a lot, and it spikes during December and January. Thankfully, our staff is back after a happy holiday — and we hope you got everything you asked for, too.
We’re still catching our breath, but here’s the latest on the last two months at Freewheel, and what you can look forward to out of us in the days and months to come:
Brazen Dropouts Bike Swap!
This week we’re hustling to get ready for the Brazen Dropouts Bike Swap — this Saturday, January the 11th, at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison.
The event runs from 9 AM to 2 PM and features a slew of vendors. Buy or trade for a bike, or stock up on accessories like cycling attire, helmets, cranks, pedals, forks, frames, and more.
Even if you don’t need anything bike-like, please drop by anyway! Plenty of bike advocacy groups stop by the Brazen Dropouts Bike Swap to give out free information to the public, and help people get involved. And our friendly staff and volunteers are always ready to welcome you at our booth!
(Few) Classes and (Many) Donations
Our classes are mostly shuttered through Spring — but we had a one-off. Eric taught a Winter Biking class that covered the basics of how to stay safe and cozy on your bike, even when the weather’s frosty and the roads are slick.
Our bike donations are moving apace, and before the holidays we sent 350 bikes to the Gambia. If you want to donate a bike to Freewheel, we’ll always accept it — reach out to us at (608) 251-2453 or drop us an email at info@freewheelbikes.org.
Giving Tuesday Update
Giving Tuesday went great for us this year, and we pulled in $5,393 in donations! We feel fairly sure Facebook will double some amount of that, but we’re still waiting for updates.
Our sincerest thanks to everyone who donated! Your generous gift helps give away bikes and fund educational programs into the new year. If you missed your chance but are still looking to donate, you’re in luck…
Madison Bike Center Slated to Open in March — Get Your Membership Now!
Right now we expect the Madison Bike Center to open in March 2020. That’s a soft open date and could still change, but we feel optimistic.
In the meantime, there’s still time to become a bike center member! Commuter members (as we lovingly call them) receive access to premium bike center perks, including (but not limited t0) secure bike parking, a 20% discount on all service, and 24/7 facility access.
If you’re interested in getting in on the ground floor of this exciting work (as a member or just as a donor), please give to our GoFundMe. Thank you in advance!