Bike Recycle Vermont

Bike Recycle Vermont is a social service and educational bike shop that focuses on serving members of our community in need. We provide affordable bikes and repairs to low-income Vermonters, job training opportunities to youth and adults, sorties VTT, and engaging youth programs. We use the bicycle as a tool to break down social barriers and build connections in our community. We rely on bike donations, monetary donations, volunteers, and Old Spokes Home’s sales to keep doing our work.

Bike Recycle Vermont
664 Riverside Avenue
Burlington, VT 05401
Tel: (802) 264-9687

HOURS
Tuesday: 1pm - 8pm
Wednesday: 1pm - 5pm
Friday: 1pm - 5pm

what we do

Bike Recycle Vermont & Old Spokes Home are two bike shops working together to serve our community.

MISSION

Bike Recycle Vermont & Old Spokes Home create access to bikes and the opportunities they provide for our whole community.

VISION

We work towards a future when every person can achieve health, mobility, and economic stability, and when every

person benefits from and contributes to a vital and livable community.

HISTORY

Ron Manganiello started Bike Recycle Vermont in his backyard in 2005. A friend working for the Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program asked Ron, an avid biker, if he knew where to get a bike for a Somali man who recently settled in Burlington and needed to get to work. Ron found a bike in a dumpster, fixed it up, and delivered it to the man. Soon after, dozens of requests for bikes started pouring in and Ron recognized that bicycles have a tremendous effect of people’s lives; bikes expanded people’s mobility, healthfulness, and freedom. Ron wanted to provide bikes and these opportunities for people who needed them the most. In 2006 Ron moved the operation to the basement of Good News Garage in the Old North End of Burlington where it remains today. In 2007, Vermont’s non-profit bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organization, Local Motion, adopted Bike Recycle Vermont as one of its programs. Between 2005 and 2015, Bike Recycle Vermont provided over 5,000 bikes and 10,000 repairs to low-income Vermonters.

In October 2014, Bike Recycle Vermont broke off from Local Motion and formed it’s own independent non-profit organization: Burlington Bike Project. The goal in becoming a new non-profit was to purchase Old Spokes Home, a well-known retail bike shop across the street, and operate the profitable shop as a social enterprise that would sustain and expand Bike Recycle Vermont’s social programs. The two bike shops have so much in common: they are both committed to refurbishing used bikes, they both specialize in serving people who bike everyday for transportation, they both see the bicycle as a solution to many societal issues, and they are both part of the fabric of the Old North End.

In January 2015, Burlington Bike Project successfully purchased Old Spokes Home. Now the two shops are jointly operated by Burlington Bike Project and work together to use the bicycle as a vehicle for social change in Vermont.

Visit our Media Kit + Press page to get more background about Burlington Bike Project and the shops.

VALUES

Neither People Nor Bikes Should Ever Go To Waste

We believe that every individual possesses enormous potential and has something valuable to contribute to our community. We are dedicated to discerning and developing untapped skills and capacities.

Relationships are the First Step

We believe that change begins with the interactions we have with people each day. We believe in taking the time to develop relationships with our clients built on reciprocal trust and respect; we are patient and take the long view when it comes to assessing the success of an individual or our work.

The Empowering Nature of Hands-On Work

We believe that hands-on work can be transformative and empowering. Fixing or building a bike provides a sense of completion and pride; working bike mechanics are a tactile and way to learn basic principles of physics, mechanics, and math; a bike shop is an engaging atmosphere for people who struggle in classrooms.

Bicycles as a Gateway

We believe bicycles are a gateway to personal, professional, and societal change. Choosing to ride bikes can lead to other healthy lifestyle changes; learning bicycle mechanics can open opportunities to explore other mechanical professions; more bike riders can change cityscapes and encourage more vibrant and livable neighborhoods.

Strength in Partnership

We believe that our work will have the most impact when we act in partnership with other organizations and individuals. We seek out partnerships that will leverage our impact and resources and improve our community.

WHO WE ARE

Dan Hock started volunteering at Bike Recycle Vermont as a freshman at Saint Michael’s College. He went on to work at Old Spokes Home on-and-off for 5 years and made his way back to Bike Recycle Vermont in 2009 to serve as an Americorps*VISTA. He became Bike Recycle Vermont’s manager in 2013. Dan is an avid mountain biker, commuter, and bike tourer, having spent 6 months touring in South America. His favorite thing about his job is getting build bomb-proof commuter bikes for customers who ride their bikes every single day. In his free time, Dan can be found taking inappropriate bikes down inappropriate roads, cooking empanadas, and riding his backyard pump track.

Christine Hill, Outreach Director

Christine started volunteering at Bike Recycle Vermont in 2010, served as the shop’s Americorps member from 2010-2012, and became fulltime staff in November 2014. She loves Bike Recycle Vermont and is dedicated to using the shop as a way to connect people, build community, and improve individuals’ quality of life. Christine works on marketing, program development, volunteer recruitment, and outreach to local business, schools, and organizations. In her free time she can be found hiking, gardening, or riding her motorcycle.

Brendan Merryman, instructor

Many of Brendan’s mentors growing up were bike mechanics, and when he wasn’t out riding with them he was hanging out at his local bike shop (Rhino Bike Works in Plymouth, NH) picking up skills and knowledge about the trade. Now Brendan is a mechanic at Old Spokes Home and instructor for our Bike Mechanics 101 class. Whether it’s road, mountain, or anything in between, Brendan loves bicycles and is thrilled to teach people how to ride and fix them confidently.

Veronica Wheeler, instructor

Veronica started teaching classes at Bike Recycle Vermont in the summer of 2014, not long after joining the Old Spokes Home crew. To her, Bike Recycle is a hub for people looking to learn, gain confidence in mechanics, and find transportation independence. Helping students have an ‘‘ah-ha’’ moment while working on bikes is her big motivator. When not riding bikes, Veronica is usually reading, cooking (eating), or playing with her dog, Winnie.

Old Spokes Home Staff

The Old Spokes Home staff is an integral part of Bike Recycle Vermont. While most of their time is spent at Old Spokes Home, many staff teach Bike Recycle Vermont classes, wrench on Bike Recycle Vermont bikes, and run bikes, parts, and materials back and forth between the two shops across N. Winooski Avenue.

Ted Berg, Tuesday Night Head Volunteer

Ted “Teddy” Berg is head-volunteer-honcho on Tuesday drop-in volunteer nights. Teddy commutes from Colchester daily, toured through South America for four months, and is a regular mountain biker and cyclocross racer. He also worked as a mechanic at Old Spokes Home. Teddy’s day job is at COTS where he connects homeless clients with important social services. Teddy enjoys sharing his love of bikes with customers, neighborhood youth, and new and old volunteers alike every Tuesday night.

Rich Pearce, board member

In high school, Rich rode his bike to and from work at a bike shop on the Ohio State campus. His commute was 10 miles each way… and this was before they even called it “bike commuting.” Rich raced bikes through college and developed a lifelong interest in all things bikes. He started volunteering as a mechanic at Bike Recycle Vermont in order to help other people who relied on their bikes to have safe and functional transportation. Professionally, Rich has been working in the investment banking word since 1981. He’s an enthusiastic Nordic, alpine, and AT skier.

Alana Shaw, board member

With thirty years of accounting experience and an interest in putting her mechanical abilities to use, Alana took a basic bike mechanics class at Bike Recycle Vermont. She became a weekly volunteer as a bike mechanic and was quickly impressed with all the good Bike Recycle Vermont is doing for the local community. After an elbow injury slowed her down from volunteering as a bike mechanic, she continued to give back to this nonprofit by joining the Board.

Yiota Ahladas, Advisor

Yiota is a life long bike commuter who spent 20 years leading Burlington’s nationally recognized community development efforts. She brings a practitioners perspective to community building with a focus on building the capacity of individuals and organizations to actualize their visions. Yiota’s first job was delivering the morning paper by bike and it was her gateway experience to the power of the bike. Yiota is an International Eisenhower Fellow and has served locally and abroad as trainer/consultant for the Interaction Institute for Social Change; the Global Communities Initiative, Associates in Rural Development, CHP International, and the National Service Leadership Institute.

Ron Manganiello, board president

Ron Manganiello founded Bike Recycle Vermont in his backyard in 2005. He is Bike Recycle Vermont’s number one fan and supporter. Ron can often be spotted around town in his day-glo Bike Recycle Vermont jersey, which is as bright as Ron is enthusiastic about bikes and the way they expand individual’s opportunities. Ron is a budding mountain biker, enjoying his new Surly ECR from Old Spokes Home and spending his winters exploring the mountains outside of Oaxaca, Mexico.

Don Miller, board treasurer

From Ben & Jerry’s to Rhino Foods to Local Motion, Don Miller has a long history of working in Vermont’s non-profit and for-profit worlds. Don worked as Local Motion’s finance director before joining Burlington Bike Project. Don focuses on the legal and financial work at Burlington Bike Project while building up his own carpentry business.

Glenn Eames, advisor

Glenn founded Old Spokes Home in 2000 and ran the shop for 15 years before selling it to Burlington Bike Project. Now Glenn advises the organization on how to leverage Old Spokes Home’s resources in order to expand Bike Recycle Vermont’s impact. He also swings a wrench as helps out customers at Old Spokes Home. When he’s not at one of the shops, Glenn can be found enjoying is semi-retirement by diving into antique bike projects, backcountry skiing, or traveling to Cape Cod.

Michael McDonald, board secretary

Michael McDonald managed Old Spokes Home from 2005 to 2009 and is currently a lecturer at the University of Vermont. He is a bicycle enthusiast interested in environmental conservation, natural resource management, and race, privilege, and power as it applies to natural resources and transportation.

WHY WE’RE HERE

"We focus on bicycling because bicycles are the canaries of healthy communities… wherever you see lots of bikes you’ll always find healthier, happier people and thriving economies. But many people, even in communities with lots of bicycling, still do not benefit from bicycling.”
Sue Knapp, author of “Defying Poverty with Bicycles”

In recent years, the city of Burlington, Vermont has earned remarkable recognition in the national press. From being named the Healthiest City in the United States by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to earning kudos as one of the best cities for outdoor recreation (Outdoor Magazine), to being named one of the best cities for New Jobs (Forbes), this city of just over 42,000 appears to be a utopia of health, happiness and financial security.

Yet these awards and accolades mask a less rosy reality:

Burlington’s Old North End has the highest concentration of poverty in Vermont. According to Census data, over 31.4% of Old North End residents live in poverty (many are among the working poor), and 100% of the children qualify for free or reduced price lunch.

The homeless population doubled between 2008 and 2010. According to the 2010 Point in Time survey, the homeless population in Chittenden County grew from 424 in 2008, to 916 in 2010. A significant proportion of these individuals are concentrated in the Burlington area, where the number of agencies devoted to assisting them is high.

Over 6000 refugees have resettled to the area since 1987. Census data reveals that Vermont’s most diverse communities are located the Old North End of Burlington, as well as in its “sister” neighborhoods in adjoining Winooski. Many of these refugees and their children enter the country with limited English skills, which challenges their ability to find work, navigate the educational system, access crucial resources such as transportation and social services, and make meaningful community connections.

Among children living in Winooski, one in four has an incarcerated parent. And, when that parent is a father, says Dr. Mary Ann Donnelly-DeBay—a clinical and school psychologist for the Winooski School District—his child is four times more likely to be poor, to commit juvenile offenses, to run away from home, among other challenges.

It is precisely for these reasons that Bike Recycle Vermont—located in the heart of Burlington’s Old North End, and on the edge of Winooski—exists.

We use the bike as a vehicle for social change.
Transportation Access & Poverty
The average cost of owning a car is over $7,000 annually. Public transportation in Chittenden county is limited. These facts hurt low-income people the most. Bikes are an affordable, reliable, and sustainable transportation option. Bike Recycle Vermont creates access to over 400 affordable refurbished bikes each year and provides 1,000 repairs for income-eligible Vermonters through its Get A Bike program.

Youth Empowerment & Employment Opportunities
Many youth in the Old North End and Winooski are first generation U.S. citizens and/or the first fluent English speakers in their households. They are often tasked with navigating social services, housing issues, and translating for their parents and olders family members, all while stradling two different cultures at home and at school and handling the pressures and stresses that come with being teenager. Through our Youth Shop and Transition programs, Bike Recycle Vermont provides a supportive environment where youth learn mechanical, leadership, and job skills, and find empowerment through learning how to repair and maintain their own transportation.

Building Social Capital
Low-income individuals, minorty groups, and people with metal health issues tend to live in the margins of society. We believe that everyone should enjoy the benefits of living in a beautiful, vibrant place like Vermont. Bike Recycle Vermont acts as a community center that connects customers, volunteers, donors, and class participants from different backgrounds who might not interact otherwise. People first bond over shared appreciation for bikes and go on to discover that they have more in common than they thought. Bike Recycle Vermont’s programs have faciliated friendly, mentor-like friendships that have led to people with little social capital finding work, connecting with helpful community resources, and feeling like they are part of a supportive community where they are respected and valued.

Recycling, Resuse, & Resource Management
We believe in building a closed loop waste system. Bike Recycle Vermont provides a place for people to bring used and broken bikes and parts so that we can keep them out of the waste stream. Donated bikes are generally refurbished and put back onto the road. When a bike cannot be refurbished, it is stripped down into parts. The usable parts are saved and used the refurbish and repair other bikes. Bike Recyce Vermont goes the extra mile to reuse as many materials as possible (why buy bungee cords when you have a pile of punctured inner tubes?) and to properly sort and recycle its metals and rubber.

PROGRAMS

Everybody Bikes

Our transportation access program.
The goal of the Everybody Bikes program is to remove financial barriers to bicycling. We provide affordable bikes and repair services that allow people to rely on their bicycles and therefore save money, get active, and gain freedom and flexibility in their everyday lives

Apprenticeship Program

Our youth job training program.
Our Apprenitceship Program offers high school students an opportunity to learn bike mechanics, job skills, and life skills, and could result in a summer job at Bike Recycle Vermont or Old Spokes Home.

Youth Shop

Teaching mechanics in a fun, safe environment.
Every Thursday from 3:30pm - 6:00pm.

Classes & Scholarships

Making bicycle education accessible.
We offer partial and full scholarships for our bicycle mechanics classes for income-eligible individuals.

VOLUNTEER POSITIONS

Regular commitment required

Street Team

Help us spread the word about events, rides, sales, classes, programs, and more at Old Spokes Home & Bike Recycle Vermont.

Volunteer Storyteller

We are seeking Volunteer Storytellers to create interesting media pieces that tell the story of our shop and the people who connect there over a shared appreciation for bikes.

Shop Helper

Shop Helpers organize parts, move bikes around, paint, build things, clean, strip bikes and do other projects that keep Bike Recycle Vermont running smoothly.

Volunteer Mechanic

The Everybody Bikes program removes finanical barriers to bicycling by providing affordable bikes and repairs services to income-eligible Vermonters in need of transportation.

Front End Volunteer

Our Everybody Bikes program removes finanical barriers to bicycling by providing affordable bikes and repairs services to income-eligible Vermonters in need of transportation.

Youth Shop Assist

Youth Shop is a weekly drop-in time when young people can volunteer at Bike Recycle Vermont in exchange for parts and repair help with their own bikes.

Partners

VRRP is part of a nationwide network that breaks through social, cultural, and economic barriers so previously interrupted lives can flourish. In the neighborhoods surrounding Burlington, Vermont, VRRP opens doors for uprooted people, helping the world’s most vulnerable rebuild their lives. VRRP refers people to our Everybody Bikes program so they may access affordable transportation.

AALV helps new Americans from all parts of the world gain independence in their new communities through a range of integration services, including bridging case management, workforce development, behavioral health awareness, and interpreter services programming. AALV refers people to our Everybody Bikes program so they can access affordable transportation.

Burlington Police Department holds recovered bicycles for 6 weeks before donationing them to the Everybody Bikes program where volunteers refurbish them for low-income Vermonters in need of transportation.

Howard Center’s mission is to improve the well-being of children, adults, families, and communities. Howard Center provides extensive programming that serves people experiencing mental health challenges, the negative impacts of substance abuse, and other barriers to well-being. By providing Everybody Bikes vouchers, Howard Center makes it possible for their clients to access bicycle to improve health, finances, and access to employment.

Edmunds Middle School is located in downtown Burlington. In 2016, Bike Recycle Vermont worked with teachers at Edmunds to set up a fleet of bicycles for students to use. The bicycles were used to as a hands-on way of teaching math and science concepts, as well as a means of transportation for students to access nearby natural areas to study the environment.

Sustainability Academy is an elementary magnet school located in the Old North End of Burlington, Vermont. The Big Ideas of Sustainability are integrated into curriculum and campus practices by interpreting state and district curriculum through the lenses of economics, the environment, and social justice. In 2015, Bike Recycle Vermont set up the school with a fleet of bicycles for students to use in physical education class. Bike Recycle Vermont has also been involved with the after-school bike club.

VPIRG is the largest nonprofit consumer and environmental advocacy organization in Vermont, with over 30,000 members and supporters. We maintain and repair VPIRG’s fleet of 40+ bikes that canvasers ride around the state promoting and protecting the health of Vermont’s people, environment and locally-based economy by informing and mobilizing citizens statewide.

At Vermont Adult Learning, students work at their own pace and teachers employ strategies that work uniquely for each student. Through the High School Completion Program, Bike Recycle Vermont’s Apprentices earned credits towards their high school diplomas while learning bicycle mechanics in the shop. Click here to learn more about Vermont Adult Learning.

ReSOURCE’s mission is to meet community and individual needs through (1) education and job skills training, (2) environmental stewardship, and (3) economic opportunities. ReSOURCE’s YouthBuild program served as inspiration, a feeder, and a supporter of our pilot Apprenticeship Program in fall 2016. Click here to learn more about ReSOURCE.

We partnered with King Street Center in summer 2015 to enroll some of the center’s youth in our Bicycle Mechanics 101 class. King Street Center helps connect youth living in the South End with opportunities at Bike Recycle Vermont. King Street Center youth also attend Youth Shop.

We partner with SPECTRUM’s Multicultural Youth Program to run their summer bike club for teengage youth. Youth go on weekly bike rides to community gardens, scenic outlooks, local colleges to go on tours, and other local landmarks – all while learning about healthy lifestyles and alternative fun via the bicycle. Learn more about the summer bike club in #4 of our blog entry, Summer 2015: 10 Magical Moments in the shop.

Diversity Rocks is a group for youth led by youth from different cultures. Diversity Rocks has partnered with Bike Recycle Vermont to bring opportunities for riding bikes and learning how to work on bikes to members of the youth group.

Boys & Girls Club brings youth to Bike Recycle Vermont to participate in Youth Shop and mechanics classes. Visit bandgclub.org to learn more.

Joint Urban Ministries Project’s (JUMP) mission is to promote the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of people by providing spiritual care, direct assistance to meet basic needs, and advocacy. By providing Everybody Bikes vouchers to their clients, JUMP makes it possible for low-income clients to meet their everyday transportation needs. Learn more at jumpvt.org.

Local Motion is Vermont’s bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organization. Local Motion was Bike Recycle Vermont’s parent organization from 2005 to 2014 and is currently acting at our fiscal sponsor. We partner with Local Motion to promote bike adovacy, run classes & workshops, and to promote cargo bikes via Local Motion’s free Xtracycle rental, #MarigoldVT. Visit localmotion.org to learn more.

Parallel Justice offers support, validation and resources to victims of all crimes in Burlington, including property crimes like vandalism or theft. Parallel Justice provides Everybody Bikes vouchers to low-income victims of bike theft so that they may get a new bike.

VocRehab offers free, flexible services to any Vermonter or employer dealing with a disability that affects employment. We’ve worked with VocRhab to place individuals in work experiences via volunteering as mechanics or front end helpers for Bike Recycle Vermont’s Everbody Bikes program. VocRehab also provides their clients Everybody Bikes vouchers so that they can obtain a bike and/or repair services in order to access jobs.

Make a donation.

ImageYou can help provide hundreds of low-income Vermonters affordable, sustainable transportation.

You can make it possible for disadvantaged youth and adults to access educational and empowering job training opportunities.

You can create access to bikes and the many opportunities bikes provide for our whole community.
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DONATE A BIKE
Old Spokes Home & Bike Recycle Vermont accept donations of bicycles for use in our social programming and shops.

Due to the overwhelming generosity of our community and the limitations of our storage capacity, we have slightly changed our donation policy and procedure:

Bike donations are tax-deductible. Let us know if you would like a receipt when you drop off your donation.

We now accept donations of bicycles and parts that we can readily use in our programming. This means bikes that are in rideable or very nearly rideable condition and/or higher quality bikes and parts* (we also do trade-ins at Old Spokes Home). If you aren’t sure, please call us!

Donations should be brought to Old Spokes Home during open hours. Old Spokes Home is located at 322 N Winooski Ave. in Burlington. See Old Spokes Home’s current hours on the bottom of the shop’s website here.

Donations are accepted based on staff discretion.

We really appreciate your bike donations, and we also really appreciate a suggested $10 donation to help us provide bicycles and repair services to all Vermonters through our Everybody Bikes program.

If you are donating 5 or more bicycles, please call Old Spokes Home ahead of time. Storage is a never-ending challenge for us, and we need to plan ahead for large bike donations. Reach us at (802) 863-4475.

*We are particularly interested in bikes and parts that were originally sold in a bicycle shop. If you are unsure if your bicycle would make for a good donation, call Old Spokes Home at (802) 863-4475 with the make and model of the bike. You can also email a photo of the bike to info@oldspokeshome.com with the subject like “Bike Donation.”

BIKE DONATION LOCATIONS & HOURS
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Old Spokes Home
322 N. Winooski Ave., Burlington
(click here for map)

Monday - Saturday 10am - 6pm

Sunday 12pm - 6pm

WISH LIST
We’re looking for the following stuff:
plastic folding tables (the lighter ones that fold in half like this)
bike tools – email dan@bikerecyclevt.org for a list of specific tools
a large pair of bolt cutters
a digital projector (for presentations, movies)
floorpaint – in off-white or light grey
wooden benches for outside the shop to create a waiting area for customers
an electrician and materials to wire additional lighting in our showroom
A regular food donation on Tuesday evenings for our drop-in volunteer night

Old Spokes Home

Old Spokes Home is a full service bike shop selling new and used bikes, new and used parts, and the best quality gear and accessories for everyday transportation and adventure. We offer complete repair and restoration services, wheel building, custom build services, specialty bikes, consultation, and more. Our mechanics are passionate everyday riders and their knowledge runs deep. When you choose to shop with us, you’re choosing to support and grow the biking community; Revenue at our shop supports Bike Recycle Vermont’s programs making bikes - and the opportunities they provide - accessible to our whole community.

Old Spokes Home
322 North Winooski Ave.
Burlington, Vermont 05401
Tel: (802) 863-4475

HOURS
Mon. - Sat.: 10am - 6pm
Sunday: Close

WHAT WE DO
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WHAT WE DO
Since 2000, Old Spokes Home has been selling new and used bikes for everyday transportation and adventure, offering full repair services, custom builds, wheel building, and more. We’ve never pushed technology for technology’s sake; we’ve offered high-quality, durable products in an effort to set you up with exactly what you need for your next ride or adventure.

In 2015 we merged with Bike Recycle Vermont and became a 501©(3) organization. This means that you get the same quality bikes, service, and assitance at Old Spokes Home, with the added value of directly supporting social and educational programs creating access to bikes and the opportunities they provide for our whole community. Learn more about what we do at Bike Recycle Vermont here.

WHY WE DO IT
We believe bikes are a simple solution to complex environmental, social, and economic issues. We believe there is a bike for every person and every purpose. We believe bikes aid in positive personal and cultural transformation. We believe bikes provide opportunities – everyday adventure, affordable transportation, mechanical job-training, youth engagement, increased health and well-being… we could go on. We are here to make sure everyone in our community has access to these invaluable tools.

Specialties
ImageEveryday Riding
Whether you’re doing a grocery run, riding to campus, commuting through the winter, or taking two toddlers to school, we can help you get set up with a utilitarian ride that fits your unique lifestyle. We carry new and used bikes as well as studded tires, racks, fenders, lights, and all of the necessities.

ImageUsed & Vintage
We have the largest selection of professionally refurbished bikes in Burlington. From mixtes, to road bikes, to single speeds, to classic 80’s mountain bikes, to English 3-speeds… the list goes on. Exploring our attic filled with used bikes can feel like exploring a used book store – you never know what beautiful, nostalgic treasure you’re going to stumble upon and fall in love with.

ImageBike packing & Touring
There’s nothing like hitting the open road or trail with a loaded bicycle, and we can help you get equipped for your adventure. We carry new and used touring bikes and an assortment of panniers and frame bags. We carry amazing omniterra bikes from Surly and Salsa that will get you deep into the woods for a great escape. We are bike tourers and bike packers, and we’re eager to share our tips and tricks with you.

ImageFat Biking
We got the Pugsley frameset as soon as it was available back in 2005 and have been singing fat bikes’ praises ever since. Surly and Salsa are the trailblazers of the fat bike category and we’re proud to carry their bikes, as well as gear from 45NRTH – all of which makes fat biking the best thing to happen to winter since maple on snow.

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Gravel, CX, & Singlespeed
Vermont is a gravel-grinder’s paradise and we’ve got the right bikes to get you where you want to go. We understand that single speed bikes provide a different and awesome experience. Our staff is includes avid CX racers who might even teach you how to dismount.

ImageService & Custom Builds
We love keeping bikes on the road and maintaining them for an optimal riding experience. Our mechanics’ service backgrounds are incredibly diverse and our shop is equipped to work on just about any kind of bike. While some shops will turn away from something unfamiliar or severely damaged, we’ll get creative and go the extra mile to give a bike a new lease on life.

Ready for your dream bike? Custom builds are our favorite.

WHO WE ARE
Brendan Meryman

Many of Brendan’s mentors growing up were bike mechanics, and when he wasn’t out riding with them he was hanging out at his local bike shop (Rhino Bike Works in Plymouth, NH) picking up skills and knowledge about the trade. Whether it’s road, mountain, or anything in between, Brendan loves bicycles and is thrilled to teach people how to ride and fix them confidently. He is an avid fat biker, CX racer, mountain biker, everyday commuter, and chocolate milk aficionado.

Tom Anderson-Monterosso

After an all-terrain adolescence, Tom drank the Simple Green at Oberlin Bike Co-op in Ohio before turning wrenches for love and money in Connecticut, Tucson, the Berkshires, Pittsburgh, and the San Francisco Bay Area. He has toured the continent, managed a distributor warehouse, supported a charity ride from Seattle to DC, and co-founded a community bike shop in New London, CT. He spends his evenings with his rocking chair, wood stove, bookcase, and boombox.

Dan Hock

Dan worked at Old Spokes Home on-and-off for 5 years before becoming manager at Bike Recycle Vermont in 2013. Now he splits his time between both shops, managing the flow of bike donations and making sure that customers at both shops have access to high quality refrubished used bikes. Dan commutes from Winooski daily, spent 6 months touring in South America, races CX and mountain bikes, organizes an annual klunk ride, and can often be seen flying out of Burlington on his Kawasaki KLR 250 with his mountain bike strapped to the back.

Christine Hill

Everyday rider, novice fat/MTBer, living for spontaneous bike camping overnights. If she’s not in the shop shop she’s likely on top of a mountain, intentionally getting lost on her motorcycle, being a terrible cross county skiier, or at a potluck.

Jeremy Kehoe

Navy veteran. Voted Best Bartender in Missoula, Montana… twice. Lover of dirt roads and fat tires. Total clown.

Laura Jacoby, Executive Director

Laura joined Old Spokes Home & Bike Recycle Vermont as Executive Director in November 2016. Laura grew up in Underhill, Vermont and currently lives in South Hero with three generations of family. She has most recently led and supported non-governmental organizations (NGOs) founded by Syrians and Iraqis to respond to the crises in their countries, in part by stimulating private sector growth and creating employment opportunities. Having seen the impact of humanitarian crises fueled by conflicts over finite resources, she is grateful for the opportunity to be part of a local effort to distribute a valuable resource – bikes – in an equitable way as a means of increasing the health of our community, economy, and environment. She’s also excited to revist Vermont’s amazing mountain bike trails.

Sam Wooster

Recent UVM grad, semester-at-sea-er, and cross-country bike tourer. Often refered to as “the tall one with the amazing hair.”

Wil Blanchard

Lover of fat bikes, and more specifically his 2017 Salsa Beargrease. Cofounder of Vermont Mountain Bike Assosiciation’s Bikepacking Chapter. User of the word “dooryard” to describe driveways. The nicest guy you’ll ever meet.

Jim Brenigan
Bio coming soon…

Rich Pearce, board member

In high school, Rich rode his bike to and from work at a bike shop on the Ohio State campus. His commute was 10 miles each way… and this was before they even called it “bike commuting.” Rich raced bikes through college and developed a lifelong interest in all things bikes. He started volunteering as a mechanic at Bike Recycle Vermont in order to help other people who relied on their bikes to have safe and functional transportation. Professionally, Rich has been working in the investment banking word since 1981. He’s an enthusiastic Nordic, alpine, and AT skier.

Alana Shaw, board treasurer

With thirty years of accounting experience and an interest in putting her mechanical abilities to use, Alana took a basic bike mechanics class at Bike Recycle Vermont. She became a weekly volunteer as a bike mechanic and was quickly impressed with all the good Bike Recycle Vermont is doing for the local community. After an elbow injury slowed her down from volunteering as a bike mechanic, she continued to give back to this nonprofit by joining the Board.

Yiota Ahladas, board member

Yiota is a life long bike commuter who spent 20 years leading Burlington’s nationally recognized community development efforts. She brings a practitioners perspective to community building with a focus on building the capacity of individuals and organizations to actualize their visions. Yiota’s first job was delivering the morning paper by bike and it was her gateway experience to the power of the bike. Yiota is an International Eisenhower Fellow and has served locally and abroad as trainer/consultant for the Interaction Institute for Social Change; the Global Communities Initiative, Associates in Rural Development, CHP International, and the National Service Leadership Institute.

Don Miller, board president

From Ben & Jerry’s to Rhino Foods to Local Motion, Don Miller has a long history of working in Vermont’s non-profit and for-profit worlds. Don worked as Local Motion’s finance director before joining Burlington Bike Project. Don focuses on the legal and financial work at Burlington Bike Project while building up his own carpentry business.

Ron Manganiello, board member & Bike Recycle Vermont founder

Ron Manganiello founded Bike Recycle Vermont in his backyard in 2005. He is Bike Recycle Vermont’s number one fan and supporter. Ron can often be spotted around town in his day-glo Bike Recycle Vermont jersey, which is as bright as Ron is enthusiastic about bikes and the way they expand individual’s opportunities. Ron is a budding mountain biker, enjoying his new Surly ECR from Old Spokes Home and spending his winters exploring the mountains outside of Oaxaca, Mexico.

Michael McDonald, board secretary

Michael McDonald managed Old Spokes Home from 2005 to 2009 and is currently a lecturer at the University of Vermont. He is a bicycle enthusiast interested in environmental conservation, natural resource management, and race, privilege, and power as it applies to natural resources and transportation.

Glenn Eames, advisor & Old Spokes Home founder

Glenn founded Old Spokes Home in 2000 and ran the shop for 15 years before selling it to Bike Recycle Vermont. Now Glenn advises the organization on how to leverage Old Spokes Home’s resources in order to expand Bike Recycle Vermont’s impact. He also swings a wrench as helps out customers at Old Spokes Home. When he’s not at one of the shops, Glenn can be found enjoying his semi-retirement by diving into antique bike projects, backcountry skiing, or traveling to Cape Cod.

WHY WE’RE HERE

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"Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of the human race.”

HISTORY

Glenn Eames (above on the left) founded Old Spokes Home at the turn of the century – the year 2000. Glenn is an avid bicycle tourist (he toured around the world), antique bicycle collector (he has a museum), and has over 30 years of experience in the bike industry. Glenn opened Old Spokes Home to offer a unique, alternative bike shop experience. He wanted to encourage people to see the bicycle as a utilitarian tool for everyday transportation, a gateway to wonderours adventures in the outdoors, and a cultural object with a colorful history deserving of study and celebration. His world-class bicycle shop and museum has attracted bicycle enthusiasts from all over the world and earned a local reputation for being the absolute best resource for bicycle knowledge, sales, repairs, and products.

In January 2015, Glenn sold his shop to Bike Recycle Vermont. Glenn was ready to relieve himself of the daily responsibilities of shop operations, but he wasn’t ready to retire, making Bike Recycle Vermont the perfect successor. Now, Glenn is involved as a strategic advisor for the organization and focuses on antique bicycle projects in his free time. Glenn is thrilled that Old Spokes Home is continuing to provide a unique, world-class bike shop experience while expanding the ways in which it serves its community and promotes bike culture.

The Bicycle Museum

Glenn Eames, founder of Old Spokes Home and shop owner for 15 years, has been collecting bicycles nearly as long as he’s been riding them.

His bicycles date back to the advent of cycling itself and are displayed in every nook and cranie of our shop. The majority of the bikes on display in our attic date from the 1900’s and are organized in a way that guides viewers through the history and evolution of bicycles.

Read more to learn more about Glenn and his bicycle museum:

Shop Owner Believes Bikes Change Lives, Burlington Free Press, September 2014
Magic in Vermont: The Old Spokes Home, Lovely Bicycle, October 2012
Glenn Eames’ Old Spokes Home in Burlington, Vermont, Bici AK, June 2014

Old Spokes Home Museum Old Spokes Home Museum

Old Spokes Home Museum

This is the full listing of all bikes in the museum. Click on any image to see more on a bike you’re interested in. Have fun! For a historical perspective on the collection continue reading here.

Velocipede - Calvin Whitty 1868

Velocipede - Unknown Manufacturer 1869

Velocipede - N. Rocquemont Ave. Grand Army Paris 1869

Velocipede - Monod and Mercer 1869

Velocipede - La Compagnie Parisienne 1870

All Metal Velocipede By: A. Dubois, Avenue de Paris # 104, St. Denis, France Circa 1870

Transitional Velocipede Maker Unknown 1871-1872

J.I. Stassen “Nonpareil” 1873

Haynes and Jeffries “Swifsure” 1876

Surray Machinists co. “Invincible” 1879

Singer and Co. England Xtraordinary Challenge 1884

Ellis and Co. 40" “Facile” 1884

Dan Rudge & Co. Rudge racing Ordinary 1885

Hillman Herbert Cooper 38" “Kangaroo” 1886

Pope Manufacturing Co. Veloce Columbia 1888

Springfield Roadster 1888

HB Smith Co. 42" Pony Star Smithville N.J. 1889

Lovell Diamond Model 1 Safety 1890

Victor Model “C” Cushion Tire 1891

New Mail Light Roadster, WM. Reed and Co. Boston, Ma. 1892

Gormully and Jeffrey Diamond Rambler No. 1 1892

Crypto Geared Ordinary Crypto Cycle Co. England 1892

Geared Front Driver - Unknown Manufacturer circa 1893

Columbia Model “32" 1893

Chilion M.D.Stebbins Co. W. Springfield Mass. 1895

“Old Hickory” Tonk Manufacturing Co. Chicago Ill. 1897

Iver Johnson Tandem Iver Johnson Arms Co. Mass. 1898

The King Chainless circa 1898

Crypto Alpha Bantam Crypto Cycle Co. England 1898

Model M. Chainless E.C. Stearns Syracuse, New York 1899

Orient Chainless Waltham Manufacturing Co. Waltham Mass. 1899

Tribune “Blue Streak” 1899

Ladies Gormully & Jeffery Model 28 Roadster 1899

Stayer Maker Unknown 1900s

Gormully & Jeffery Men’s Rambler 1902

Pierce Cushion Frame Chainless 1902

Ellswick Roadster circa. 1914

Peugeot “Special Course” Late 1930’s

Streamline Trike 1936

Peugeot Cyrus Sport 1936

Paris Sport by Gauchon of Montreal Canada 1937

Hetchins “Brilliant” 1937

Raleigh Record Ace 1939

1949 Rene Herse

Raleigh Record Ace 1951

O.T.B 1952

Ruche Mixte 1953

Hetchins Magnum Opus 2 1956

Flying Scott “Continental” 1957

Flying Scott “Queen of Scotts” Mixtie 1958

Raleigh Lenton Gran Prix 1958

Speedwell Titanium 1975

Eisentraut Model “A” 1976

Pinarello Treviso Track 1980’s

Masi Gran Criterium 58cm 1980

Serotta Club Special 57cm 1982

Hetchins Magnum Baunum 1984

Fat Chance “Kicker” 1984

Rhygin 1992

Service

Service and repairs are the heart and soul of Old Spokes Home.
Got a bike that’s been sitting in the garage for years, maybe decades, that you’d like to get back into tip-top shape? Dreaming of one of a kind custom build on your randonneur or track frame? Need a quick tune-up or a flat fix? We are a fully equipped repair shop with the tools and capabilities to handle just about any repair, build or resurrection.

Estimate // Free
We’re happy to talk to you about your bike and take a look at it for free. Often a tune-up is not necessary and you simply need a few adjustments. We’ll diagnose your bike’s issues, talk about your needs and wants, and share our recommendations from “this needs to happen for your bike to be safe and functional,” to “this is how to take your bike to the next level,” and everything in between.

Basic Tune-up // $49 $60
Our basic full bike service. Covers key points of regular & preventative maintenance. Includes brake and shifting adjustments, wheel truing, bearing adjustments, light cleaning and lubrication.

Basic Tune-up + Drivetrain Cleaning // $79 $90
Our Basic Tune-up described above paired with a full drivetrain cleaning.

Deluxe Tune-up // $99 $120
All of the above, plus a full housing and cable replacement (includes labor to rewrap road handlebars).

Flat Fix // $8
Done while you wait! Price does not include a new tube.

Brake, shift, or other adjustments // $10+
Wheel Build // $60 for single, $100 for a set
Assemble from Box // $60
Box to Ship // $60
Guided Repair
Tackle your bicycle projects with access to a bike stand, a complete tool set, and a friendly, helpful, professional mechanic. One of our mechanics will be available to work with a small group of participants and their individual projects. Learn more here.

Fleet Maintenance
We offer discounts for service work on fleets of 6 or more bikes, especially during the off-season (November through February).

Contact Service Manager Brendan Meryman for an estimate on fleet maintenance for your bikes. Reach him at brendan@oldspokeshome.com, or 836-4475.

Is cost a barrier for you?
You might qualify for our Everybody Bikes program. Learn more here

Are you interested in learning how to repair and maintain your own bike?
We offer free and paid-for classes and workshops. See current offerings here