Easy Rider

The Yellow Bike Project Turns Trash into Transportation

Published in the December 2005 issue of Austin Monthly magazine

Have you ever seen an unchained yellow bike parked in front of your favorite funky café? Go ahead and take it for a ride. Since 1997, the Yellow Bike Project (YBP) members have refurbished and released more than 800 cycles into the Austin community. But there are two rules: You can't lock the bike up, and you have to leave it out for the next rider. Originally conceived to fill cities with free two-wheelers and reduce reliance on gas guzzlers, the YBP collective deploys a dozen bikes a month into the community. Unfortunately, they all vanish within a few weeks.

Long-time volunteers Pete Wall and John Thoms believe that some bikes leave town, others get destroyed and all probably wind up in a landfill. "At first that was really disheartening, and we lost a lot of volunteers," he admits. Other members believe the project is working, but in different ways. As Wall says, "When the yellow bikes are out on the streets, people learn about us, and when they are in the shop, people fix them up and learn about bike mechanics. When you look at all those factors, I can call it a success."

Every year, thousands of people donate old bicycles to the Yellow Bike Project. The worst get converted into yellow bikes by novices. Because these donations are the lowest quality, if they mess up, nobody is upset. The best bikes get fixed up for sale, because even though the city generously provides a rent-free building and utilities, novices break tools, and repairs require the ongoing purchase of parts. Wall says that the free building is critical to the success of the project, which teaches 3,000 people how to fix their own bikes every year.

If people are willing to spend the time to rebuild a bicycle, they can take part in the Earn-A-Bike program and have it for a donation of around $30, or if someone volunteers 24 hours to the program, they can pick any two-wheeler they want, build it up and keep it for free.

The newest YBP program is repairing and donating bikes to elementary schools near the old Robert Mueller Airport. So far, they've provided bicycles to Blanton and Winn elementaries, with three more schools on the waiting list. They are also starting Tuesday night kid's nights, during which children from nearby neighborhoods can come build a bike from parts and take it home for keeps. Says Wall, "We are literally turning trash into transportation."

If you would like to make a donation or help fix up a bike, visit www.austinyellowbike.org.