Social Bike Business Program

One Street’s international Social Bike Business program supports local leaders who are committed to providing disadvantaged people with affordable, quality transportation bicycles; job training; and jobs. The programs we support follow a sustainable business model, charging full retail for their products and services with microloans and subsidies going only to people who truly need them. They provide their services at a bicycle community center that’s open during normal business hours in a location convenient and welcoming to the most disadvantaged residents of their community.

Why Do We Need Social Bike Businesses?

• The lack of affordable, quality, transportation bicycles;
• Disadvantaged people and their neighborhoods are very poorly served by bike shops;
• The trend by the bicycle industry to move all production into environmentally and socially abusive Asian factories, thus escalating social problems;  
• Very few of the factories making bicycles serve their local disadvantaged people;
• Disadvantaged people can benefit most from affordable, quality, transportation bicycles.

What is a Social Bike Business?

• A place that welcomes and prioritizes disadvantaged people, open at least five days a week during normal business hours;
• Taps local non-profit, for-profit and government partners to build a local team;
• Provides refurbished (and even locally manufactured) affordable transportation bicycles to disadvantaged people;
• Provides cycling guidance to disadvantaged people;
• Provides jobs and job training in bicycle repair, bicycle manufacture, cyclist education, customer service, management and bike shop ownership to disadvantaged people;
• Supports financially self-sufficient certified social bike shops owned and operated by disadvantaged people trained through the program;
• All program employees and owners of social bike shops are paid a market salary;
• All profits increase service to disadvantaged people. 

What is not a Social Bike Business?

• Volunteer-run programs
• Bicycle racing and high-end bicycles
• Imported bicycles
• Profits above people
• Programs that don’t welcome the most disadvantaged people

One Street Can Help Your Program By:

• Offering guidance for planning and design of your local program;
• Providing proven models for the program; 
• Helping you organize your local team; 
• Helping you and your team raise initial capital to launch your program; 
• Offering train-the-trainer workshops in management, bicycle repair and manufacture;
• Connecting you to our growing network of Social Bike Businesses around the world.

Defying Poverty with Bicycles

Our how-to manual for the program, Defying Poverty with Bicycles,,, is available through your local book shop and online booksellers. This 206 page manual details all the various steps for succeeding with your own Social Bike Business program. 

Sue Knaup, One Street’s Executive Director, oversees the program. Sue brings her experience as the owner of a local bike shop for 13 years and her continued international bike industry connections.

This program offers a fresh look at solving the serious lack of access to bike shops and affordable, sturdy transportation bicycles for the majority of the world’s population. It offers a more efficient, global solution that keeps bikes close to where they are made as it lifts people from poverty forever. Through running their own bike business, or simply buying their own bike, people can save on transportation costs, increase their quality of life and create additional business opportunities.

This PowerPoint presents an overview of the program and some models around the world

Our Social Bike Business program brochure is a handy handout on the Social Bike Business program to help your efforts gain support for your program. Give us a call: +1-928-541-9841 or email sue{at}onestreet.org if you're ready to move ahead with your program.

This video reminds us of the pride of local manufacturing, sadly uncommon now. It even ends with American kids riding the bikes. And don't miss the pinstripers!:

This report outlines one community bike program's efforts to reach their most disadvantaged neighbors.