Back Alley Bikes brings in 2021 with the 9th annual Bike the Blizzard fundraising event. This year, riders can join organized rides throughout daylight hours on Saturday, January 16th and Sunday, January 17th. Some riders will also stick to the 24 hour tradition of years past and ride throughout the night. While it takes special people to get excited about riding bikes in freezing, snowy conditions, it takes an equally special organization to put this type of event on year after year! And this year, we are counting on our community to come out like never before to help us continue to support Detroit’s cycling community. 

Riding bikes in January in Michigan may not be for everyone, but supporting Back Alley Bikes, an important resource for Detroit’s cycling community, feels great and is easy to do!  You can help by donating money to a registered rider, register yourself, your family and friends and fundraise among your circles, or donate on our website https://thehubofdetroit.org/donate-now/. Minimum fundraising totals for each individual is $50.  

The event, as always, will be based out of the Cass Corridor Neighborhood Development Corp (CCNDC) Community Center adjacent to Back Alley Bikes and the Hub of Detroit. Most organized rides will leave from this centralized location. Sign up to learn more about the routes and ride leaders. 

Riders will have access to bike sag support during organized rides, and there will be an on-call vehicle to support as well. The Community Center will be open during daylight hours, while organized rides are out, for basic bike repairs, wrapped snacks, hot drinks and water. Masks will be mandatory while inside for everyone’s safety. 

  These funds help Back Alley Bikes keep the doors open throughout the winter months and beyond, so we can continue offering support to Detroit’s cycling community in the form of getting free bikes to youth in the city, offering a safe space with resources and knowledge for DIY Open Shop, holding educational classes, and volunteer time, when community members help to build bikes for Detroit youth and Garage Sales.   

Want to be a sponsor? Lead a ride? Volunteer? Have questions? Send us an email. [email protected]. 

The mission of Back Alley Bikes (BAB) is to provide cycling education and services with a focus on youth development, sustainable practices, and community access. 

Our vision is a Detroit where all people who want or need bicycles can access the resources to build, maintain and repair them. We provide a safe space for folks to work on bikes, with tools, resources and guidance to help the community to stay safe on the road.

During DIY Open Shop time at BAB we offer stands, tools, parts, resources, guidance and a safe space for all people to work on their bikes. 

Wrench, Learn and Give is a series of 6 classes for adults, each focusing on a different part of the bike.  At the end of the class series, the bikes are looked over for safety and given to Detroit youth. 

Volunteer time at Back Alley Bikes is when kids bikes and Garage Sale bikes are refurbished, among other activities.

Thanks to volunteers (and bike donations!), Back Alley Bikes has been able to provide many great opportunities for community members to get on bikes for low to zero cost. And all bikes for kids are free to Detroit homes!

Your donations are integral to making all this happen. Thank you for your support!