A garage on Lipscombe Way in South Dallas lies full of bikes in different stages of life. An orange electric bike in perfect condition sits in the back, while in the far corner, a bike lies belly up, and a wrench clicks and grinds as a volunteer changes its tire. A rubbery smell fills the room. One volunteer reads aloud from a bullet point on the back wall whiteboard, “Share a fun or sad story about a bike,” the three other volunteers in the room chimed in with laughs and stories about riding bikes.
Rocky Jones comes to sit on a bench in the front of the room, sporting a black Dallas Mavericks hat and gym shorts, facing the two glass doors.
Looking out onto the street, Jones recalls when he began volunteering at the Salvation Army in Arlington in 2014 while facing homelessness. Then, AARP led Jones to Bike-Friendly South Dallas. Transportation can be challenging in his community, he said, and, at times, exhausting.
Next to Jones is a tall man straddling his bike and leaning on his handlebars. His name is Filipe Morales, and despite being at Bike Friendly for just a few days after leaving prison, he agrees with Jones.
“Sometimes, a bike is more than just a ride. It is a necessity,” Morales said.
With little shade on the sidewalks and the hot summer sun beaming down on the streets of South Dallas, having a bike can change someone’s opportunities.
Bike-Friendly recognized these challenges in South Dallas in 2017 as a pop-up in parks and public spaces. In 2018, Cornerstone Church offered them free rent in a building formerly used for a liquor store, gas station, and soup kitchen. After the first year, Cornerstone extended the contract for three years, and the Real Estate Council awarded Bike-Friendly a $100,000 community service grant.
Bike-Friendly fosters a sense of pride and responsibility among community members, especially with the Earn-A-Bike program, allowing limited-income individuals to earn bicycles through volunteer work. Working on a bike takes patience and perseverance, showing community members that perseverance pays off. Someone with a broken bike quits riding, but one who knows how to fix a bike can ride forever. Bike-Friendly offers freedom beyond the streets and a way to ride again.
Researchgate.net says bikers in non-bikeable cities tend to rally together to build community. Additionally, in a 2023 study published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology, bicyclists are more engaged with their surroundings than drivers confined to their cars. This regular interaction fosters a sense of community and responsibility.
Bike riding allows you to experience what others on foot or in cars cannot, Jones said.
“You get to meet so many people on that bike ride. You get to ride to the store,” Jones said. “If you are too tired to get something, hop on that bike and run to the corner store or your girlfriend's house. And you gotta remember to lock it up, or you might end up back at the jailhouse. You know, it teaches you a little responsibility.”
While riding her bike through South Dallas, Yolanda Williams noticed the Bike-Friendly logo lining the front of their building. Williams has served on the Dallas Parks and Recreation Board as a police department advisor and has volunteered with Bike-Friendly Dallas for over two years.
The foundation's owner has become a close friend of Williams. Since she made time to connect with them, she has been taking in her vintage bicycles to repair and teach her grandchildren to ride. In her perspective, the organization's hands-on aspect makes it stand out and truly helps the community.
“This is hands-on hands; come on in, pick out a bike, make sure your parents have signed your permission, and get to work,” Williams said.
Those trying to get back on their feet must have access to beneficial and transformative hands-on work. While focusing primarily on children, Bikes for Kids in America is another non-profit group providing bikes to low-income communities, hoping to give individuals the proper resources. They accept new or slightly used bikes and monetary donations. The organization's founder was inspired after receiving a bike from a kind stranger as a child and wanted to do that in return for others.
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic presented significant challenges to Bike Friendly’s hands-on programs. Ridership and attendance dropped for individuals and kids in the Earn-A-Bike program. Since then, Williams has stressed that they have had difficulty getting kids and community members back into their programs.
“During the pandemic, we had to shut down, so we need to be a community where we get the word out,” Williams said.
Cornerstone Church's website provides its sponsor's logos and links to its websites on its “get involved” home page but does not provide any other personal information regarding Bike-Friendly. Anyone looking for further details on the organization must visit its site directly.
As the volunteers gather their things for the day, Jones is still sitting, looking out into the street. He recalls his emotions since volunteering at Bike-Friendly in March.
“I’ve enjoyed every minute of being here he said. You know, from getting up, opening the door, and asking people to leave the premises to return later to shaking hands with the pastor and people in the congregation at Cornerstone church.” Jones said.
Distracted by the sounds of the once belly-up getting flipped onto its wheels, a natural silence fills the room. Then, volunteer Benny Walker rolls the bike to the front of the room, pushing the bike out the door. At the same time, Filipe pushes his foot down on his petals and takes off down the street.
As the closing door hits the frame, Jones takes a deep breath and shares that he hopes the community will continue to evolve, but he can only focus on what they are doing here. South Dallas is about giving people another chance, no matter what stage of life, and Bike-Friendly has shown him that.