You might consider a bike ride just a way to get some exercise and enjoy the outdoors. But at nonprofit Two Bikes, a bike is good for a lot more.
There, a bike is a means of transportation for someone who might not have convenient access to other modes of travel, whether that’s students at the University of Tennessee or people experiencing homelessness.
A bike is a way to introduce high schoolers to the workforce (and teach them how to answer the phone). It’s a strategy for improving mental health as well as physical health.
But a bike can also be intimidating, especially for those of us who left our bicycle days in grade school. Two Bikes’ philosophy has an answer for that, too, with “zero intimidation” community rides and an inviting store on Central Street that aims to be a chill hangout as much as it is a retail space.
How did Two Bikes begin?
Wisconsin-based nonprofit DreamBikes opened a Knoxville location in 2017. Mitchell Connell and Matthew Zingg worked at the community-based bike shop recycling bicycles, offering hands-on training to teens and fostering local engagement through biking.
The nonprofit’s Wisconsin leadership decided to close the Knoxville branch in 2020, but Connell and Zingg continued to believe in the vision. After seeing the impact made by DreamBikes, the pair decided to open their own locally-based version, and Two Bikes was born.
Two Bikes sells refurbished bicycles, each one donated by the community and then restored by Two Bikes staff. Not every bike that comes in is put out on the floor, though. The name “Two Bikes” refers to the nonprofit’s commitment to giving away one bike for every bike sold, part of its larger mission to “foster opportunity, sustainability and community through bicycles.”
Store patrons can shop for parts, receive a free bike safety check, use the free community stands (including basic tools and air pumps) to work on their bike themselves, or have bike repairs done by the shop’s mechanics.
A bar in front of the workstation gives visitors a spot to sit and chat while they wait.
The free community stands bring people in, contributing to the social feel of the shop. Having access to these resources − tools that can be expensive − is important, especially for casual cyclists, and lowers potential barriers to getting behind the handlebars, said executive director Annmarie Groves.
Two Bikes’ programs
Two Bikes has three programs that help bring people together over bicycles, including its get-a-bike-give-a-bike program, called Pedal It Forward. That program has partnered with nonprofits such as Positively Living & Choice Health Network, Bridge Refugee Services and Big Brothers Big Sisters of East Tennessee to give refurbished bikes back to the community, with 230 bicycles donated in 2024.
Bicycle Outreach is the nonprofit’s approach to bringing more people into the cycling fold. The program hosts community bike rides, advertised on Two Bikes’ website as “open to all ages, races, ethnicities, gender expressions and sexual expressions.” They’re led by a staff member and intended to be as unintimidating as possible.
Riders can view the route online beforehand, and once the ride begins, the group travels at a “social pace,” one at which participants can get to know each other, Groves said. The community rides also create a safety in numbers effect that eases potential anxiety about riding on the road.
Like its predecessor DreamBikes, Two Bikes has a commitment to youth workforce development. The Bike School hosts Knox County high schoolers for 12-week paid internships in which teens learn skills working in the shop, from bike maintenance to customer service.
“It’s a lot of times their first job. So that’s kind of what we focus in on, … getting them ready to get to the next job, right?” Groves said. At first, they might be intimidated by answering the phone or greeting customers, but eventually, it becomes easy. “It’s really just exposure,” Groves said.
To view the calendar for community rides and other events, apply for an internship or sign up to host a bike drive, visit twobikes.org.
Hayden Dunbar is the storyteller reporter. Email [email protected].
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: How an Old City nonprofit is using bikes to build a better Knoxville
