ELYRIA, OH – More than 100 bicycles were donated to the City of Elyria through a community-wide “Bike Drive” event in partnership with the Elyria Bicycle Education Center on Saturday, June 20th. The goal is to fix up the bikes and distribute them to Elyria residents this summer.
“I’d love to see every Elyrian with a bicycle if I could,” shared Mayor Frank Whitfield. “Our City is so beautiful, with scenic parks, trails and waterways right here for us to explore. Especially right now, during our current need for physical distancing, bicycling is a great way to get out of the house, get some fresh air, and appreciate our City’s natural resources. Our City was founded in bicycling – with some of the original bicycle seats manufactured right here for years. Recent efforts such as the addition of biking lanes, rails to trails, and of course all that is offered through the Elyria Bicycle Education Center, make this such an easy initiative to further define our City’s assets as a great place to live, learn, work and play.”
The “Bike Drive” event is one of many ways to donate bicycles to the City of Elyria. Individuals still interested in donating new and gently used bikes are able to do so by calling the Office of the Mayor at (440) 326-1402, or the Elyria Bicycle Center at (440) 323-2453 to schedule dropoff/pickup arrangements.
For community members looking to help refurbish and repair the bikes, the Office of the Mayor and Elyria Bicycle Center are hosting Build-A-Bike, a volunteer opportunity for people to safely come together and work on the donated bikes to get them ready for distribution to those in need as well as traditional sales to support parts and repair costs.
Build-A-Bike is on Saturday, June 27th from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM at the West Park Garage, 1200 Foster Avenue. Volunteers are encouraged to bring tools if they have them. Masks will be available upon arrival. For more information, visit: www.cityofelyria.org
Distribution of free bicycles to City residents will be announced once the current batch of bikes is fully sorted, cleaned, repaired and deemed safe for use. Bicycles may also be purchased at discounted rates from the Elyria Bicycle Education Center, located 408 Middle Avenue. Learn more and check out their hours of operation during COVID-19 restrictions on their website at www.elyriabikecenter.org.