New Partner on the North Shore! Salem Cycle

Roll it Forward is proud to welcome our newest shop partner, Salem Cycle!    If you live north of Boston and have a bike to donate, take your bike to their shop and take advantage of a great discount currently offered through December only.  Call the shop at (978) 741-2222 for details.

And even if you don't live nearby, we can all appreciate this shop's commitment to their community.  Salem Cycle has long been a supporter of the North Shore cycling community. They are the promoter of the Salem Witches Cup bicycle race, which has raises money annually for Salem Parks and Recreation.  Each year they also sponsor the Salem Jazz and Soul Festival and contribute to countless charity auctions. In 2009 Salem Cycle decided to donate all their kids trade-in bikes to local charities on the North Shore including The Salem Boys and Girls Club, the Plummer Home for Boys, and the YMCA. Salem Cycle supports many local charity rides as well.  They're now supporting Roll it Forward as well.

Salem Cycle was North Shore Magazine's 2009 and 2010 Readers Choice Award for Best Bike Shop on the North Shore and Dan Shuman, Owner, was named the 2009 Salem Chamber of Commerce Business Man of the Year. Dan is also the Chairman of the Salem Bike Path Committee, which has put in over 30 bike racks in Downtown Salem, with plans for more in the spring, as well as the opening of a new bike route that will connect most of the Salem Parks, Beaches, and Schools.  Check out their site!

Stirring photos from latest bike giveaways

These photos come from an album posted by our friends at the Boston Housing Authority.  Their photographer, Rachel Boillot, did a wonderful job of capturing the essence of the program.  See the whole gallery here.

IBC Preps over 200 bikes!

 Thom Parsons at IBC has been such a dedicated part of the Roll it Forward effort. And now we know from this blog post that it isn't just sweat he's put into it.  He completes the trifecta with blood and tears.  Thom, don't you know to always wear your helmet, especially in your storage warehouse?  Check out the link to discover what Thom goes through to prep over 200 bikes (and counting) for our distributions.

Thom also composed a great report about our bike distribution in Dorchester for residents of Franklin Field, hosted at Sportsmen's Tennis Club. 

Who would win in your Super Bowl of bikes?  And can you believe we somehow prevented 50 kids from skidding their bikes?

Boston Metro Press, Fall 2010

Press highlights from larger publications:

Localized feature articles from the Boston Globe via boston.com:  Belmont, Hingham

 David's Bicycle Blog from About.com bicycle columnist.

Local Press, Fall 2010/Winter 2011

Grassroots coverage:

• Green Streets Initiative
• Fixed Gear forums: bostonfixed.us
• Livable Streets' Steve Miller's article Overcoming Discouragements to Walking & Bicycling , under "Equipment/Affordability"
• Watertown Bicycle and Pedestrian committee
• East Arlington Livable Streets Coalition mention
• Boston University Bike Safety days blog mention
• Boston Architectural College student development blog
• Haitian Community Information Network

Local coverage from across the Boston metro area,  November 2010:

• Shop Highlight: Eastern Mountain Sports, Hingham
• Shop Highlight: Eastern Mountain Sports, Newton
• Shop Highlight: Ace Wheelworks, Somerville
• Cambridge: Cantabrigia blog
• Local Spur, Belmont
• Sudbury Patch, Newton Patch
• Wicked Local: Somerville, Hingham, Newton
• Even more local:  Oak Hill PTO announcement

Article from the Epoch Times

Fall bike donation campaign!

Now is a great time to donate your bike to Roll it Forward.  We're collecting bikes in the fall so that there's enough time during bike shops' "off season" to make sure they get repaired in time for distribution this coming Spring.  So even if your summer riding season is over, we're still collecting donated bikes through December!

-All you need to do is take your bike to any of the donation locations that we've partnered with:  Eastern Mountain Sports, Wheelworks Cycling Centers, or Giant Cycling World.  These shops are offering a valuable coupon with your usable donation.  After checking over your bike and performing some basic repairs, they'll get the bikes back to our program.  We'll match your bike with someone who can use it.  Bike education and a helmet are a part of the deal.

-We need all kinds of bikes in all sizes, for adults and kids.  But please, no junker bikes or bikes that are beyond repair.

-Keep your bike out of a landfill and ROLL it FORWARD!

Residents of Wellesley and Sudbury: Recycle your bike locally!

* Update: As of Nov. 1, 2010 Wellesley's participation with Roll it Forward is pending official approval.*  In the meantime, bikes can still be dropped off at the Take and Leave area of the Wellesley RDF, we are just waiting for the details on how the bikes can be recycled.

If you live in Wellesley or Sudbury, your local recycling center is participating in this project!  If you are a resident, you can take your bike directly to the recycling center and they are setting aside bicycles for our program to pick up.  While you're there, be sure to thank the people who helped make it happen!  Their participation is really helping our program.

Wellesley Recycling and Disposal Facility (Wellesley residents only):169 Great Plain Avenue, Wellesley MA 02482, (781) 235-7600 x3340
-thanks to Gordon Martin at the RDF, Joany Sasso and the Wellesley Friends of Recycling, and Wellesley resident Herb Nolan for helping our project!

 Sudbury Recycling and Refuse Center (Sudbury residents only):20 Boston Post Road, Sudbury MA 01776, (978) 443-2209 x 1221
-thanks to Dan Stevens at the Sudbury Recycling facility for coming on board!

Donate your bike this weekend!

This is our first big weekend at Roll it Forward, and there are two great opportunities to donate your bike to the program!

In Boston, bring your bike to the Hub on Wheels bike celebration at City Hall Plaza this Sunday, September 26th.  We'll have a tent in the middle of the party, and if you donate your bike, you'll receive a free bike jersey!  From 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., we'll be located in the Community Partners tent closest to the Government Center MBTA station.

If you're heading up to the Nor'easter festival instead, our shop partner EMS (Eastern Mountain Sports) will be hosting a bike donation station there as well!  Bring your bike up to Nor'easter and when you donate to the EMS tent, you'll get a great coupon for 20% off any full price item (including bikes) at any store or 20% off service at any of their 4 full-service bicycle shops in the Boston area.

Alice Taylor donation with Mayor Menino, September 2010

Thom Parson's report from the Alice Taylor bike donation, where Mayor Thomas Menino spoke to 30 children receiving bicycles from Roll it Forward.

http://internationalbicycle.blogspot.com/2010/09/alice-taylor-kids-bike-donation.html

Holland School donation, June 2010

A report from mechanic partner Thom Parsons about the bike giveaway at the John P. Holland school in Dorchester, MA.

http://internationalbicycle.blogspot.com/2010/06/holland-school-kids-bike-donation-2010.html