Bikes for Batavia collects donated bikes, fits them for new owners

When 8-year-old Joshua Perez got his bike stolen a few weeks ago, he never imagined he'd soon be riding a snazzy Schwinn mountain bike - with a new helmet and bike lock, at that.

"I think it's cool. I like the green," Joshua, who lives in Batavia, said Saturday morning right after trying out his bike for the first time. "It's cool they are selling free bikes for kids."

"They" is Bikes for Batavia, a collaboration between the Batavia Bicycle Commission and Chip In Batavia, an initiative that helps families in need within Batavia Community Unit School District 101.

The bikes, locks and helmets - all donated by the community - are inspected and fitted for their new owners by employees of All Spoked Up, a bike shop in downtown Batavia.

"We started wanting to help the homeless, but then we expanded it to low-income families," said Joanne Spitz, co-founder of Chip In Batavia. "A lot of these kids could really use a bike."

On Saturday morning, about 20 families showed up to pick up the donated bikes at All Spoked Up.

The program overall has distributed 60 or so bikes to children and adults, All Spoked Up co-owner Matt Knowles said. He and Spitz are members of the Batavia Bicycle Commission.

"We'd like the kids to learn to take care of the bikes, to teach them responsibility," he said. "Just because they are free and donated, it doesn't mean they shouldn't take care of them."

Julie Alholm, instructional coach at H.C. Storm Elementary School in Batavia, said she contacted Knowles, and encouraged students and parents to sign up for the program.

"I think it's awesome," she said."They couldn't wait for Saturday to come. A lot of them woke up earlier and were ready to leave the house at 8 a.m."

Six-year-old Donnisha McKinley was at first tentative while trying out her new purple-and-white bike with training wheels. After pedalling up and down the parking lot a couple of times, she visibly relaxed.

"I like to ride because it's fun," she said.

Donnisha's mother Robin Clemons said she is happy her three children - including 12-year-old Daeshawn Clemons and 5-year-old Daequan Clemons - all got bikes.

The family found out about the donation program through the Batavia Apartments housing complex's resident service coordinator, Clemons said.

"The ones they had were really raggedy," she said. "I think it's really nice they are doing this."

Knowles said he plans to start a similar program in Aurora, where he's opening a second All Spoked Up shop thanks to a grant from the city, he said.

"I think every bike shop should do something like this," he said. "There are a lot of who do it, but there are a lot of shops in the Fox Valley that have forgotten that it's their job to promote cycling, not income."

To find out more about Bikes for Batavia or the Chip In Batavia program, visit chipinbatavia.org or email chipinbatavia@gmail.com.