The Lincoln Bike Kitchen began with a simple idea: a bicycle can change a life. Founded in 2006 by Pepe Fierro, the organization grew from one person's desire to help others gain reliable transportation. After moving to Lincoln for work, Fierro experienced housing insecurity and relied on a bicycle as his primary means of getting around. That experience helped him recognize how many people in the community lacked dependable transportation and inspired him to begin collecting used bicycles, repairing them, and giving them away free to anyone who needed one.
What started as a personal effort quickly attracted friends, volunteers, and supporters who shared the vision of making cycling accessible to everyone. The earliest Bike Kitchen operated out of a small camper in Lincoln's Everett neighborhood with room for only a handful of bicycles. As interest grew, the organization moved into a house on South 15th Street, establishing itself as the Lincoln Bike Kitchen and building a dedicated team of volunteer mechanics committed to repairing and redistributing bicycles throughout the community.
The years that followed brought both challenges and growth. At times the organization operated without a permanent home, relying on temporary and mobile workspaces while continuing to serve Lincoln residents. Even with limited resources, volunteers remained committed to providing affordable transportation, teaching bicycle repair skills, and creating a welcoming place where people from all backgrounds could gather around a shared love of cycling.
As Lincoln's cycling culture expanded, so did the impact of the Lincoln Bike Kitchen. What began by distributing only a few hundred bicycles each year steadily grew into one of the community's most recognized bicycle reuse organizations. The Bike Kitchen became an important resource for children, families, refugees, students, and adults experiencing financial hardship, providing refurbished bicycles, safety equipment, basic repairs, and education that helped thousands of people travel to work, school, medical appointments, and other essential destinations.
A major milestone came in 2024 when the Lincoln Bike Kitchen moved into its permanent home in the historic City Muny Building, more than doubling its operational space and creating room for expanded programming, volunteer training, bicycle repair, and community partnerships. Today, the organization distributes more than 2,200 bicycles annually, works alongside more than 100 community partners, and is powered by thousands of volunteer hours each year. Every donated bicycle represents an opportunity to improve someone's quality of life while keeping usable materials out of the landfill.
Although the organization has grown dramatically since its humble beginnings in a camper nearly two decades ago, its mission remains unchanged: to transform lives by making cycling accessible for people in need in our community. Thanks to the generosity of donors, volunteers, and community partners, the Lincoln Bike Kitchen continues to demonstrate that a simple bicycle can provide transportation, independence, better health, and new opportunities for thousands of Lincoln residents.
