Short nearly 200 bikes, NoCo nonprofit calls for last-minute Bikes for Tykes donations

Erin Udell, Fort Collins Coloradoan
·2 min read

As Christmas nears, a Northern Colorado nonprofit is once again pushing to get hundreds of bikes off area children's holiday wish lists.

Realities for Children, which hosts an annual end-of-year Bikes for Tykes bike drive, is asking the community for nearly 200 more donated bikes to fulfill its holiday campaign. There are 468 children aged 2-17 registered to receive a bike this year, according to the organization.

The drive accepts new and gently used bikes of all sizes, from tricycles to adult bikes. The largest demand this year is for 14-inch, 24-inch and 26-inch child-size bikes as well as 15- to 17-inch adult-sized bikes.

New bikes can be dropped off at Realities for Children's Fort Collins distribution center, 308 E. County Road 30, as late as Dec. 8. The best time to do so is from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Gently used bikes must be donated by Dec. 5. and, since they must undergo safety checks, will not be accepted at the nonprofit's distribution center. Instead, used bikes can be dropped off at Realities for Children's bike partners, which include:

  • Breakaway Cycles, 2237 W. Eisenhower Blvd., Loveland

  • Fort Collins Bike Co-Op, 1501 N. College Ave., Fort Collins

  • The Phoenix Cyclery, 1532 E. Mulberry St., Suite D, Fort Collins

  • Recycled Cycles, 4031 S. Mason St., Fort Collins

  • Scheels, 4755 Ronald Reagan Blvd., Johnstown

  • Trek Bicycle North, 202 W. Laurel St., Fort Collins

  • Trek Bicycle South, 931 E. Harmony Road, Fort Collins

  • Trek Bicycle Johnstown, 4880 Thompson Pkwy., Unit 110, Johnstown

New bike helmets, which are given out with each donated bicycle, can also be donated to Realities for Children's bike partners.

For more information on Bikes for Tykes, or to make a financial donation to the program, visit realitiesforchildren.com.

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Erin Udell reports on news, culture, history and more for the Coloradoan. Contact her at ErinUdell@coloradoan.com. The only way she can keep doing what she does is with your support. If you subscribe, thank you. If not, sign up for a digital subscription to the Coloradoan today.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Holiday bike drive nearly 200 bikes short as deadline approaches