Youth After School Kids Activities & Weekend Bicycle Classes

Since the Youth Program began in 2005, it has served nearly 6,000 youth through kids activities, fieldtrips, classes, workshops, Bike Fix-A-Thons, and community collaborations. As a part of our community based workshop we offer bicycle Fix-A-Thons for the youth of West Oakland eight times a year and two Earn-A-Bike classes per session, and have served over 1200 West Oakland youth in the bike program. Nearly 100 youth have been trained in bike mechanics and earned bikes through our program.

Learn more about Bicycles for Sale & Bicycle Donations...

Bike Fix-A-Thons

We create our bike repair studio by opening the roll-up doors to the sidewalk facing the homes of many of the local children. Within this space, mechanics work from six work stations customized to examine and repair bicycles. The repairs include tube patching and replacement, wheel and tire work, cable and gear repairs, chain repair and replacement, seat and handlebar work. Throughout the repair process the mechanics explain their work to the youth in order to deepen their understanding of bike repair and maintenance. The workshops also give us an opportunity to give studio tours of the Crucible facility demonstrating the various facets of the fine and industrial arts.

The Fix-A-Thons are a direct way to serve the needs of the West Oakland youth, providing them functioning bicycles and a greater knowledge of bike repair. The bike workshops are also a great way to build ties within the community, connecting with both the youth and their families.

Earn-A-Bike Program

This workshop is designed to give West Oakland youth hands on experience to learn about bike mechanics. In a six-week workshop, the youth work with volunteer bike mechanics to fix donated bikes. Each participant fixes two bikes and keeps one. The other bike is sold to raise money to support the bike program.

Frame Alteration

In 2006, thanks to private funding, The Crucible gave several students who had previously learned basic bike mechanic skills the opportunity to design and fabricate their own unique bicycle. The small group debuted their remarkable rides at the 2007 Fall Open House to wild applause and amazement, as well as requests for more advanced bike classes.

Now, by popular demand, any youth 12 or over who wants to get down with torch and grinder to customize their own bicycle can enroll in a new workshop: Youth Frame Alteration – Hyphy Bike. Students learn basic fabrication skills in MIG welding, Oxy/Acetylene torch, grinding and finishing, along with general and specific safety training necessary to reconstruct their bicycles. They will strip their bicycle frames and learn to redesign and alter handlebars, rims, seat posts, and frames to create a unique, hip, one-of-a-kind look that will make them the talk of the neighborhood. Students are required to bring their own bicycle to transform.

Over the last few years, The Crucible’s Bike Program has become the organization’s most popular community outreach program. “The Bike Frame Alteration class is the next progression for youth who have moved beyond beginning bike mechanic skills towards intermediate skills,” says Kristy Alfieri, Crucible’s youth and community program manager. “We’re so pleased to now be able to offer these advanced bike classes to a wider group of youth.”