Tag Archives: Charity bike event

Free Bikes 4 Kidz moves back to Bloomington for the 2019 season

It has been a few years since Free Bikes 4 Kidz (FB4K) set up shop in Bloomington, MN at the Mall of America (MOA). Now they are back, a few miles west of the MOA, ready to start wrenching, cleaning, and polishing slightly used bikes to put smiles on more kids’ faces. For the 2019 season, the old Toys R Us building at 7839 Southtown Center is a fitting location and easy for volunteers to get to.

Volunteer and you can help put these kind of priceless smiles on more children's faces.

Volunteer and you can help put priceless smiles on more children’s faces.

Free Bikes 4 Kidz collection day is the first Saturday in October

Bring your friends, co-workers, etc., and volunteer at the Warehouse on Collection Day, October 5th. As the trucks start coming in from all the Allina collection points, they need your help filling up the warehouse and rolling the bike in. Sign up here today. If you have any questions, contact there Volunteer Coordinator, Laurie Toll, [email protected].

Free Bike 4 Kidz collection points for October 5th

On Saturday, Oct. 5, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., you can drop off bikes you no-long need at these participating Allina Health locations (also listed below).

Hospitals

Abbott Northwestern Hospital, Minneapolis

Abbott Northwestern – WestHealth, Plymouth
Buffalo Hospital
Cambridge Medical Center
District One Hospital / Allina Health Faribault Clinic
Mercy Hospital – Mercy Campus, Coon Rapids
Mercy Hospital – Unity Campus, Fridley
New Ulm Medical Center
Owatonna Hospital
Regina Hospital / Allina Health Hastings Nininger Road Clinic
River Falls Area Hospital / Allina Health River Falls Clinic, Wisconsin
St. Francis Regional Medical Center, Shakopee
United Hospital, St. Paul

Clinics

Additional locations

Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute – Golden Valley
Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute – St. Croix

Help clean and wrench some bicycles for Free Bikes 4 Kidz

Put a smile on many kids’ faces by signing up early and often as a volunteer to help clean and wrench on some bicycles. Head to fb4k.org and register for your shift today!

freeBy volunteering today to help clean some bikes for FB4K's will help create some fond memories for you and future memories for children who receive them. bikes4kids-4

Create some fond memories for yourself and for the children who receive them.

Volunteering and putting a wrench to a few bikes will create more smiles.

By volunteering and cleaning or wrenching some bikes will create a smile on your face and the kid’s who get them.

About Free Bikes 4 Kidz (FB4K’s)

Free Bikes 4 Kidz is a non-profit organization geared toward helping all kids ride into a happier, healthier childhood by providing free bikes to those most in need. When the public donates gently used bikes, FB4K’s organizes thousands of volunteers to clean and refurbish bikes to give away to kids in need. They started in 2008, fixing and giving away 300 bikes, and in 2014 they reached the goal of 5,000 bikes. In the last seven years, over 25,000 bikes have rolled through the FB4B’s giveaways and their sights in the future are set on other locations throughout the U.S. and the world. See more at: http://fb4k.com/about/

Tips for planning a great bike adventure for lasting memories

by John Brown, HaveFunBiking.com

Congratulations are in order, if you have decided to take the leap and plan a great bike adventure. Your adventure could be a charity ride, a triathlon, a bike tour, or even a trip for the whole family to the library. Whatever the bike adventure, there are a few things you should know before leaving your front door.

Don’t pack heavy for that next bike adventure

No need to pack everything, but it’s good to be prepared.

I’m not encouraging you to bring everything you own, but consider packing for all kinds of situations. Be sure to bring extra tubes, chain lube, hex keys, a rag and an air pump. If you are traveling with the family, be sure to bring things for the kids to do during down time. A magnifying glass, a bug book and bags to carry home newly found “treasures” can be just the thing to encourage kids to explore while off the bike.

Don’t pack the rider to heavy

Again, packing the kitchen sink is too much, but being prepared is important for having a great bike adventure. At the very least, pack a clean change of clothes for everyone. Leave them in the car if multi-modal commuting. Being able to change into clean clothes makes the drive home more comfortable and might be necessary if your kids explored a little too hard. Plus, a jacket, arm warmers, knee warmers and rain gear for changing weather conditions keep all parties comfortable – and don’t forget food (for pre, during, and post ride), and water. Beyond those things, pack a towel (even if you don’t plan to get wet). A towel make a great changing mat and can be rolled to act as a pillow or offer some privacy when changing in public.

Know your route

Most events will share a map of the route in advance. Print a paper version of it just in case your digital solution fails. If you are making your own route, create and print a cue sheet and map. On a cue sheet, each turn of the ride is listed by street and distance for quick reference. Also look the Minnesota Bike/Hike guide for great routes around the upper Midwest,

Plan “surprise” rewards

When riding with the family, it’s a great idea to plan rest stops in advance. Stopping at a convenience store for a treat or a Ice cream parlor for a cone are all the reward your kids could want after a warm summer trip. Same concept applies for adults. Stopping for a good meal or great micro brew can do a lot to keep morale high.

Random goods you should consider carrying

Even if you plan and pack well, unexpected things happen. Be sure to ride with a zip lock bag (preferably big enough to house you phone to keep it dry), a small bit of Duct tape, travel tissues, 4 quarters, and a ten-dollar bill. With those items, you can protect things from the elements, repair the un-repairable, buy ice cream, and do a host of other things.

Take care of your baby

A mechanical problem on a bike adventure is the worst. Avoid any issues by first cleaning your bike thoroughly, then taking it in for service. Having your bike running in tip top shape makes the ride that much more enjoyable. If you are traveling as a group, periodically inspect the bikes position on the car rack. Poorly positioned bikes banging together have ruined lots of adventures before they began. Car exhaust will easily melt bicycle tires, inspect that your bike is not positioned in line with the car’s tail pipe.

Think of it as a bike adventure

Of all the “things” you can bring with you, be sure to leave your stress at home. No ride has ever gone according to plan. In fact, some of my most enjoyable rides were the ones where everything went wrong! Lasting memories can be built at any time, so enjoy the journey, stay positive and smell the roses along the way on your next bike adventure.

Bike Pic March 26, riding with angels

Here a bike rider on a Red Ribbon Bike Ride, in the Twin Cities, is flanked by angels on cycles. The Ride, July 21st – 24th, is a fully supported 4-day, 300-mile bike ride to raise vital funds for HIV/AIDS services, treatment, prevention and awareness. – Help make a difference!

See more events, places to ride and explore in the new Minnesota Bike/Hike Guide.

Thanks for viewing the Bike Pic of the Day here at HaveFunBiking (HFB).

Now, rolling into our 10th year as a bicycle tourism media our goal is to continue to encourage more people to bike, while showcasing unforgettable places to ride. As HFB searches and presents more fun cycling related photos, worth a grin, scroll through the information and stories we have posted that may help you find your next adventure. Then, while out there if you see us along a paved or mountain bike trail, next to the route you regularly commute on, or at an event you plan to attend, be prepared to smile. You never know where our camera’s will be and what we will post next!

Do you have a fun bicycle related photo of yourself or someone you know that you would like to see us post? If so, please send it our way and we may use it. Send your picture(s) to: [email protected] with a brief caption (of each), including who is in the photo (if you know?) and where it was taken. Photo(s) should be a minimum of 800 pixels wide or larger for us to consider using them. If we do use your photo, you will receive photo credit and an acknowledgment on Facebook and Instagram.

As HaveFunBiking continues to encourage more people to ride, please reference our blog and the annual print and quarterly digital Minnesota Bike/Hike Guide to find your next adventure. We are proud of the updated – At-a-Glance information and maps we are known for at the HFB Destination section on our website and in the guide. Now, as the Guide goes into its seventh year of production, we are adding a whole new dimension of information, now available for mobile devices.

So bookmark HaveFunBiking.com and find your next adventure – we may capture you in one of the next photos we post.

Have a great day!

Local Bike Shops and Greg LeMond Sling Wrenches this Tuesday

Twin City bike shops and race teams sling wrenches with Greg LeMond this coming Tuesday, November 11th, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. If you have time come to Free Bikes 4 Kidz (FB4K’s) charity event for an evening of fun while volunteering to clean or wrench on some of the thousands of bikes donated, come check out the action.

Battling for the coveted trophy, that has been passed around the last couple years; the award is made from bicycle parts

Cheer on 3-time Tour de France champion, Greg LeMond, who is coming out of retirement for one more race on a 20″ Barbie bike –showing his blinding speed, jam-packed sprints and tassels. Throughout the evening Greg will challenge wrench-slinger-shootout bike mechanics and techies from United Healthcare Pro Cycling, Tonka Cycle & Ski, Freewheel Bike, Maple Grove Cycling and Penn Cycle. So get there early, help clean or repair some bikes for a while and watch the fun!

Enjoy food available from the taco truck, while sipping some local craft brews as you help, visit and watch the wrenching competition. For those that enter the evening’s raffle, you will have a chance to win three great prizes: a new Fat Tire Bike or your choice of any one of the 5,000 bikes in the FB4K’s warehouse.

If you can’t attend this Event, please donate here at: https://fb4k.com/donate/financial-donation/

Free Bikes 4 Kidz is a passionate group of cyclists who love giving as much as riding. It’s their goal to help every child feel the joys and freedom of riding his or her first bike. Through our bike philanthropy method, we aim to help our communities grow stronger and closer through the power of cycling. On October 11th, with help from Allina Health, they collected 5,000 bikes and have until December 5th to clean and refurbish all of them. To date, 1,500 are completed which means that there are approximately 3,500 to complete in a little over three weeks!

Help to make sure each kid has a bike before Christmas

Warehouse location is at: 5736 Main St. NE, Minneapolis, 55432 (right off of University Ave. and 694)

Warehouse/volunteer hours: M-Th 9-9, Fri/Sat 9-6 and Sun 12-6. Shifts are scheduled in 3-hour blocks but they can be flexible to accommodate schedules. Registration at: www.fb4k.org/volunteer. Please note- once you enter your information, you’ll be brought to the calendar screen where you can see available volunteer slots for each shifts.