Advocacy is really what sets Bikes on the Drive apart from most bike shops. Many groups seek out Bikes on the Drive’s collective knowledge, skills, hard work, and funding to help with their projects. We have done everything from offer free mechanics stations during bike to work week, to aid cyclists raising thousands of dollars for microcredit loans to developing nations.

In keeping with our commitment to be as environmentally friendly as possible, Bikes on the Drive also funds its own recycling program. We recycle tires, tubes, plastic, metal, cardboard/paper, and batteries. We also donate any used but still usable parts to Our Community Bikes. Our involvement in projects like the ones listed below largely stems from a belief that people will not care about the environment until their basic needs are met.

Ancient Forest Alliance

Darcy, our service manager, participated in the Big Trees Pedal-Powered Tour, a fundraising bike tour from June 3-6 that helped raise over $4000 to support the Ancient Forest Alliance. The trip started in Victoria and travelled to Port Renfrew via Duncan and Lake Cowichan, then back to Victoria along the coast.  The purpose of the trip was to visit old growth forests in the Port Renfrew area that are under threat from logging, and also to raise awareness of the need to protect Canada’s remaining (and limited!) stands of old-growth forests.  Thanks to everyone who contributed!

To learn more, visit:  http://www.ancientforestalliance.org/ and http://bigtreetour.tumblr.com/

To see some of Darcy’s photos from the trip, visit: http://picasaweb.google.ca/darcymccord/BigTreeTour?feat=directlink

Local community groups, Schools and Universities: Bikes on the Drive makes small donations of products and time to various community organizations active in East Van. We have been invited to speak at sustainability related events and courses at Universities and Colleges in the Lower Mainland. If it involves helping the community, or promoting environmentally or socially responsible ideas, Bikes on the Drive is there!

These include:
• Neil Falkner Outward Bound Memorial Scholarship
• Eastside Family Place

The community at large: Schools, Vancouver Museum, Universities. If all that wasn’t enough, Bikes on the Drive gives small donations to several school and community projects designed to help East Van residents. Many Universities and Colleges ask us to speak at sustainability related events and courses.

East Van Bike Polo

Your bike can never be TOO incorporated into your life! Check out the link below to learn more about East Van Bike Polo. Bikes on the Drive supports the East Van Bike Polo players with donations for tournaments, camaraderie, and by occasionally hiring a player. Learn more about bike polo at their website:  www.evbp.ca

The Tree

Learn about the commuter bike that Bikes on the Drive designed and had made in Canada, The bike was also featured in the Vancouver Museum Velocity exhibit as the quintessential west coast commuter bike. Read more about The Tree on it’s own blog: www.bikesonthedrive.com/tree/

Canopy

The mandate of this organisation is to get print media off virgin fiber and on to recycled paper, thereby protecting Canada’s amazing old growth forests. Bikes on the Drive donated 1% of all sales of our Tree bike to Canopy. The staff love what Canopy does so much that they donated a month’s worth of their personal tips to Canopy: over $200! Read more about Canopy on their website.

PEDAL

Pedal Energy Development Alternatives (PEDAL) is out there doing gritty good work in Vancouver’s cycling community. They do ‘Build a Bike’ programs for youth, recycle old bike parts into usable, pedal-powered machines, and give bikes to those who otherwise would have no transport. Our Community Bikes (OCB) offers guidance and tools for those who want to learn how to fix their bikes, as well as a place to find used bike parts. Bikes on the Drive supports PEDAL and OCB with donations of new and used parts, and in any other way we can manage.
  Spare bike parts? Wondering where you could donate to a worthy cyclist organisation? Learn more about pedal at: www.pedalpower.org

Momentum Magazine

The ‘Fun’ part of our mandate comes through in our support of Momentum magazine. Raising awareness for commuter issues and keeping you informed about the latest gear and bike functional fashion, Momentum is the glossy for those of us who live on our bikes and would rather not wear spandex. ’nuff said. Bikes on the Drive gives gear suggestions, donations, and just general love to Momentum.
 Pick up Momentum for free at Bikes on the Drive or buy a subscription and support this fine publication: www.momentumplanet.com

BEST

Ever been to an event where they had a free bicycle valet? You have Better Environmentally Sound Transportation (BEST) to thank for that. BEST is all about making alternative forms of transportation more readily available. A big part of that is getting people excited about biking. Bikes on the Drive has supported BEST both with donations for raffles and donations of mechanics’ time for events.
 Visit BEST and make a donation (keep that valet available!): www.best.bc.ca

Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition

The Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition (VACC) is responsible for making Vancouver one of the most bike-friendly cities on the continent. Ever since Bikes on the Drive started, we have been staunch supporters of the VACC and their work. When the VACC runs their Bike to Work Week events you can see a Bikes on the Drive mechanic doing free adjustments and offering advice to a plethora of commuters. Bikes on the Drive has also made several sizable donations to the VACC. We do everything we can to ensure the VACC continues to thrive.
  Visit the VACC and sign up for a membership! Support this vital organisation and get great savings to boot: www.vacc.bc.ca

Bike to Work Week Raffle Winner

Partnering with Brodie Bikes, Bikes on the Drive donated a Brodie Energy Bicycle(MSRP $949.99) to the VACC for use as a participation prize. The Brodie Energy was the grand prize for the 2010 Bike to Work Week Bike-A-Day give away and was won by Sandra Nicol! Congratulations Sandra, we hope you love the bike!