The 816 Bicycle Collective is a 501c3 non-profit advocacy organization umbrellaed under The Greater Kansas City Bicycle Federation. 

We are a collective of individuals from diverse backgrounds working on a volunteer basis to rescue & repair bicycles.

We believe in empowerment through education and support the use of bicycles as a healthy & ecological means of transportation.

Our Mission

• To gather and repair bicycles that would otherwise be disposed of, disregarded or destroyed.

•  To distribute these bicycles to those who need them in exchange for donated time, resources or revenue – dependent on each individuals’ circumstance and means.

• To increase the amount of people who ride bikes and time spent riding.

• To educate the various communities in Kansas City about bicycles: including mechanics, maintenance, safety, and potential solutions to related social and environmental issues.

• To empower individuals by providing the education, materials and skills that facilitate self-reliant transportation.

• To foster a sense of respect and community among participants that will extend to the greater Kansas City communities.

• As a collective, we will never exclude or deny any individual or group based on race, class, gender, sexuality, age, religion, ability, or any other aspect of their identity in word or deed.
  

Our Impact

Who we Serve

Everyone is welcome at the Collective, and we see visitors from all walks of life. However, many (if not most) of our patrons are lower income or houseless individuals who rely on bikes as their primary form of transportation. Since we have a donation based funding structure, we make parts and repairs that would be outside of the reach of many truly accessible. In such a car-centric city, having a bike can dramatically expand the employment and housing options for someone without a car.

A Community Bike Shop

From 2018-23, over 4,000 people came into our shop. Some came looking to get a rehabbed bike, some came to dig through our boxes and boxes of parts, and many came seeking our tools and expertise to help repair their bikes.

Keeping Bikes out of Dumpsters

Since we started keeping records on this in 2014, we have helped get 1,300 bikes back into the community. These are mostly bikes donated to us by people who would have tossed them in the garbage or left them sitting idly in garages and basements. Instead, we're able to make sure they're safe and functional, and get them in the hands of people who will use them.