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Calgary’s Earn-A-Bike program teaches kids how to fix bikes–and get one for free

The popular course is taught in schools across the city

Photo by: Two Wheel View @twowheelview
December 8, 2022
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Since 2006, Two Wheel View has been running Earn-A-Bike, teaching students all about bikes, with a special completion bonus: their own ride. Laura Istead, the executive director, says the program is more important than ever.

“Lots of people can remember the first bike that they’ve ever had and the memories and the freedom that gave them. In our program, which we do all over the city, it’s a first bike for a lot of young people and that’s really freeing and allows them to ride to the places that they want to go and sometimes ride away from the things they need to get away from, too,” she told CTV News.

Every year, around 250 kids graduate from the program, which is held as an extracurricular program at participating schools, and the number continues to grow.

“We know that youth are getting more days at school, we know that youth are getting more physical recreation, we know that they have the ability to get to jobs,” Istead said. “We know that they have the ability to explore the city and are gaining lots of things like confidence, employment skills, lots of other kinds of things that you can’t even measure.”

When the students finish the course, they get a refurbished bike and a helmet, plus a few tools so they can repair their new pride and joy with their new skills.

Devin Whidden wasn’t much of a bike mechanic when he signed up for the program but he said he’s learned so much. Not just about how to fix bikes, but how to operate as a team.

“I feel like it’s just like a basic skill that you need,” Whidden said. “I didn’t really know anything about bikes or how they worked. I kind of just gave it to my dad and hoped he’d make it better.”