Our Story
Words from Ken Martin, Founder and CEO of Mike’s Bikes
We wanted to build a better bike program for developing countries. The typical bike donation programs give their bikes away for free, which is great, but for us the key was to create true sustainability through a system that lived past our donations by assigning value to the bike.
Instead of handing out the bikes for free, our distribution partners in Africa sell them for their cost of shipping and import duty to local shops and businesspeople who then supply to their communities at affordable prices, using the capital to keep their shops running, hire and train local workers, and promote cycling. This helps with the long-term value and impact of the bicycles.
When we began the program, we were helping to set up “Sister Shops” that would keep the bikes running after they were delivered to Africa. We quickly noticed that this was key in keeping the program sustainable. They were using the tools we gave them to operate their own small business which then helped them provide for their family and give back to the community.
We decided to broaden our model and distribute to more shops and business people who could spread the value of the bike across Africa. We support them in developing their own individual business models in order to best service the area in which they live.
Our Sister Shops
Our Community Impact
In Maseru, Lesotho they built a pump track and rent their bikes out to kids who want to ride. If a kid can’t afford to rent a bike, they can earn free rentals by working in the community garden, which then provides fresh produce for people in the area.o rent a bike, they can earn free rentals by working in the community garden, which then provides fresh produce for people in the area.