Dear Friends of Freewheel — we hope you’re safe, well, and happy during this holiday season, and excited for the new year!
Madison Freewheel Bicycle Co has had the same strange year as everybody else. 2020 has forced us to make major changes to how we operate. Some of these changes have been positive, but some have challenged our organization in new ways.
Through it all, we’ve continued to serve people in need with free bikes and mechanical education — even if it’s looked a little different this year.
A quick look back at 2020:
Covid created an acute need for bikes in our community, and we rose to the challenge. We encountered a lot of essential workers who needed to commute, but didn’t feel comfortable taking public transportation. People under quarantine came to us looking for a safe way to get outside and exercise. Demand at our 1804 S Park St location was almost constant.
We stepped up to the challenge and provided countless free bikes to people in need this year, as we’ve done throughout our history. No income-check or means-testing required, ever.
We’ve had to reimagine how we teach classes, due to the pandemic. Mechanical classes like Build-A-Bike, Basic Maintenance, and Women/Trans/Femme nights are a key part of our mission. Traditionally, we’ve held these as crowded classes in busy, vibrant shop spaces.
Unfortunately, this class model just isn’t safe in an era of physical distancing. Public health orders are critical to control the spread of covid, but they’ve impeded our ability to get a class series off the ground. We’ve had several times this year when we’ve had to shutter our classes completely, with little warning.
We’ve responded by running smaller physically-distanced classes, with a focus on one-on-one instruction and small open-shops and workshops. For instance, we’re currently running Tuesday fix-a-flat workshops and Wednesday open shops, both at the Madison Bike Center (please drop by!). We’re also looking into streaming free bike education online, with the help of our volunteers.
As the vaccine continues to roll out, we’re hopeful about re-implementing our larger classes in 2021. But unfortunately, we need to follow all official public health mandates, so we can’t give a date for when we’ll get back to normal.
We opened the Madison Bike Center! When we worked with the city to figure out the plan for the MBC, we envisioned a facility that offered memberships to the public. These memberships include amenities like discounts on repairs and retail, 24/7 access to bike and item storage, showers, a bike wash station, and more. Proceeds from memberships – as well as the services and retail we provide out of MBC – fund our charitable mission of providing free transportation to all humans.
Memberships are still available to purchase, but in the pandemic, we have to limit facility access. All memberships are currently on hold while things get back to normal – so if you bought a year’s membership, please don’t worry, the year hasn’t been ticking down! We’re looking forward to rolling out all of the MBC’s amenities once it’s safe for us to do so – and we’ll keep you updated in the meantime.
But you may be wondering …
How can I support Freewheel?
Like a lot of charities, covid has challenged us. Decreased foot traffic and fewer classes has led to fewer donations. And we’re obligated to keep the MBC operational during the pandemic, but without memberships we’re not making much money off the space.
Thankfully, there are a lot of easy ways to support Freewheel while we keep on handing out bikes, teaching small classes, and working through the pandemic!
Make a financial donation. This is by far the easiest and most direct way to support Freewheel and its charitable work. All your gifts to Madison Freewheel Bicycle Co are tax-deductible. Drop by the MBC at 202 S Pinckney St (we’ll be happy to show you around!), or give online via PayPal.
Donate a bike or its parts. We recycle bikes and parts directly into the community, and we sell high-quality donations to fund our work. Whether your donation helps us fundraise, or directly helps someone get the free transportation they need, we are very grateful for your assistance! We accept ALL bikes and parts in ALL conditions, at 1804 S Park St and 202 S Pinckney St. As always, your donation is tax-deductible.
Purchase goods, repair services, a gift certificate, or a membership at the Madison Bike Center. All purchases at the Madison Bike Center help fund our charitable work. We’ve got a range of upcycled bikes, and the fastest repair turnaround times in town. And although your membership will be on hold if you buy it during the pandemic, we WILL let you know when we’re ready for you!
Reach out to us about volunteering. Right now, we have limited volunteer opportunities, due to the pandemic. However, we always welcome new volunteers, and we’re excited to work with you when we can. If you’re interested in getting involved, reach out to our volunteer coordinator with your ability level and interests, and we’ll find a great fit for you.
Follow us on social media. We have two Facebook pages, one for Freewheel generally and one for the Madison Bike Center. We post regular information about our classes and other offerings there – so if you’re interested in coming to a class as life returns to normal, follow us for updates.
Let people know about the services we offer. Having a full-time presence downtown means we’re reaching out to people who may not have heard of Freewheel before – and outreach has been particularly tricky during the pandemic. If you know someone who needs a bike, a part, a tune-up, a mechanical class, or anything else, send them our way — we’re happy to help however we can.
We request money if we do the mechanical work for you, or in return for high-end bikes and parts. And we always welcome donations! But we provide our recycled bikes and parts, and our classes, to everyone – free of charge, no proof of income required.
Keep yourself – and the people around you – safe. We’re bound by Dane County’s public health orders, which authorities issue in response to covid spikes. It can be hard to believe, but that means that the everyday steps you take to stop covid’s spread can go a long way toward supporting Freewheel and other local organizations. This includes minimizing trips outside of your house, wearing a mask that covers your nose and mouth, covering coughs and sneezes, washing your hands, cooperating with contact tracing, and getting both doses of the vaccine as soon as you’re able.
Happy new year, and here’s to a great 2021! Please stay safe!
Lang Schmitt
Executive Director
Madison Freewheel Bicycle Co
