What is Pedal It Forward

Two Bikes believes that bikes are more than just a great way to exercise, explore and socialize, they’re also a tool for change. As part of our mission to make bicycles more accessible to our community – across all demographics – Two Bikes is dedicated to donating half of our refurbished bikes back into our community. 

How Pedal It Forward Works
To ensure that individuals across all demographics have access to the benefits of cycling, Two Bikes has developed an extensive network of local partners to identify those individuals whose lives would be meaningfully impacted by owning a bike. 

Each year Two Bikes works with organizations like Knox County CAC, Helen Ross McNabb Center and CareCuts to donate over 200 fully refurbished bicycles to our neighbors who need them the most, promoting sustainability and providing pathways toward social and economic mobility. 

Real Community Impact
Through our partnership with Choice Healthcare Network, we were able to donate a bike to an unhoused person with medical issues who was having difficulty getting to the doctor's office. The bicycle provided reliable transportation to her appointments so she could get the treatment she needed. 

Another recipient was a student at Fulton High who lived in an area where public transportation was non-existent and needed a reliable way to get to school. According to his school councilor the bike has “truly impacted his education and well-being in a meaningful way.”

Why Bikes Matter
Roughly a quarter of the adults in the U.S. experience transportation insecurity, meaning they have no adequate way to reach critical destinations: work, the doctor, the grocery store, friends and family. Studies have shown that transportation insecurity is directly related to economic mobility, poverty, as well as physical and mental health 1. 

Although a bicycle isn’t a cure-all, it is an inexpensive, efficient alternative to a car, and in some cases costs less than a monthly bus-pass. In addition to encouraging employment stability and access to vital services, a bicycle can also strengthen social capital, self esteem and independence 2 .

Your Help Keeps Knoxville Pedaling Forward
Each bike we refurbish and donate costs us on average $125. This includes materials and new parts like tires, brake pads and chains, enough to ensure that each recycled bike is safe and ready to ride. It also covers the expense of professional labor and the time it takes to coordinate with our partners to get bikes to those in need.

Pedal It Forward is powered by community support. To-date we’ve distributed over 150 bikes back into the community, but we need your help to raise the funds to reach our year-end goal of 230 donated bikes. Your generous gift will go towards the parts, tools and labor needed to refurbish a bike, as well as create real change in our neighbors’ lives and promote transportation-equity throughout Knoxville. 

1 Murphy, A.K., Pilkauskas, N.V., Kovski, N. et al. How Does Transportation Insecurity Compare and Relate to Other Indicators of Material Hardship in the U.S.?. Soc Indic Res 178, 435–463 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-025-03585-y

2 Grimes, A & Smirnova, M (2020) Perspectives on an earn-a-bike intervention on transportation, health
and self- esteem among men experiencing homelessness. Journal of Transport and Health, 18, Article
100904. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2214140520301080