Frederick-area bike drive brings community together to increase global transit access

Emmett Gartner, The Frederick News-Post, Md.
Updated ·2 min read

Mar. 25—Bikes of many colors and sizes trickled into the Brook Hill United Methodist Church's recreation room in Frederick on Saturday with one common purpose: to provide a reliable source of transportation to someone without one.

Each of the more than 50 bikes collected in partnership with the Rockville-based organization Bikes for the World was destined for Rwanda and Madagascar.

The benefits to the recipients, according to Bikes for the World Outreach Coordinater Yvette Hess, are twofold. The bikes help people get around and maintaining them would employ bike technicians and mechanics in the communities they reach.

"In addition to the bikes creating a way for people to do errands or get to school as transportation, it's also supporting a lot of other activities," Hess said. "Most of our partners either train people and mechanics or they help support local bike shops."

Then, there was the communal bonding that the drive itself generated among Saturday's participants.

Parents and children worked together inside the church to prepare the bikes for their intercontinental voyage, detaching pedals and adjusting handlebars with zip ties.

Lead Pastor Dana Werts said the event was "a nice combination for people that already have enthusiasm about bikes and to connect with other people" who share that enthusiasm.

The church's coordinator for the event, Pastor Kathy Altman, said she decided to pursue the bike drive due to her past collaborations with Bikes for the World and the interest in biking demonstrated by community members.

"We were able to team up with a women's mountain bike group to get the word out," Altman said. "I had no idea that the Frederick area was such a big one for bicycle riders."

With that biking community comes an excess of bicycles collecting dust in Frederick garages, Altman said. She thought that the path of donation would be a far better use.

"We're helping families to continue to function and bring their supplies," Altman said. "Especially during COVID ... when all public transportation around the world just kind of shut down."

Another bike drive will be hosted by the Rotary Club of Carroll Creek, Hess said, providing Frederick-area residents with another opportunity to donate.

It will be held at from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on April 22 at Triangle Motors, 1790 N. Market St., Frederick.