press | Working Bikes

Working Bikes Cooperative rescues and restores bikes to give others a better life
By Margaret Sheridan, Special to Tribune Newspapers
March 24, 2013

In a ceiling-high, greasy tangle of wheels, fenders, handlebars and derailleurs, Amy Little sees hope.

From Mike Brunette, featuring our Carly Evans ...

An article "Vickroy: Bike co-op recycles hope, opportunity" by Donna Vickroy, with an accompanying photo gallery, in the Daily Southtown Star ...

Kenneth “Gunny” Gunn adjusts the brakes on an upside-down, elevated road bike.

“I’ll put the chain guard back on and be done with this one,” Gunny said.

An article by David Brazy, "Sustain Jefferson and the Watertown Police Department" printed in the Watertown Daily Times ...

Our David Grayson was there for a very successful bike drive!

Chicago News and Weather | FOX 32 News

Gifts that give back: Holiday deals for a good cause

CHICAGO (FOX 32 News) -

For a lot of people, Christmas shopping means big stress - not to mention big bucks. But there's another way to do it that you can feel good about.

We collected 106 bikes at the Buffalo Grove Farmers Market on July 22nd, 2012 during their Calling all bikes event - as reported in the Buffalo Grove Countryside in an article by Ronnie Watcher, which we have reproduced here ...

"So Raul Gonzales from Working Bikes was kind enough to help us out with a fleet of loaner bikes ... "

Check out the story & broadcast during Bike-to-work week with WBEZ' Jerome McDonnell, featuring our very own Raul Gonzales!

Working Bikes from Erin Hughes on Vimeo.

On this episode of The Down & Dirty with Frank Fontana, Frank lends a helping hand to the Working Bikes Cooperative in Chicago. Working Bikes is a non profit organization that specializes in rehabbing old bicycles and providing them to third world countries in need.

Frank takes an awkward space in Working Bikes' workshop and transforms it into a fully functional, efficient environment using Craftsman tools.

Also, Frank gets the low down from Jerod Walz on bike polo, the coolest sport you haven't heard of! Will Frank get on a bike and try it out himself? Watch and find out!

This is the video of the live show taped on the coldest day this winter
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6cslc_HRqg

This is the video of the online radio segment taped before the show
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlRiUH5nSbo

Working Bikes is featured amoungst several charities picked out by CBS channel 2's Dan Morgridge as one of Chicago's "excellent Chicagoland charitable organizations" ...

"One of the more unique charitable organizations in Chicago, Working Bikes, focuses on reclaiming and repairing bikes from disrepair (or even the trash) and returning them to the streets. Of course, only some of the bike-recycling benefits thrifty shoppers here in Chicago – bikes not sold here are shipped over to third-world countries in need of the transportation. Without any government or foundation support, the shop funds their actions solely through bike sales and individual donors. In addition to the nearly 5,000 bicycles distributed throughout the world, some 500 bicycles and wheelchairs are refurbished for donation to those in our own city – for city programs and refugees. If you’re tight on cash and still want to make a donation somewhere, check and see if you’ve got an old bike gathering dust somewhere – it can make just as much of a difference as your pocketbook.