what is wrench and ride?

Wrench and Ride is our bike education and donation program. 

Over the course of several weeks, our participants take part in a series of classes and workshops where they learn about bikes, bike safety, and maintenance. Each participant chooses a donated bike and repairs it with the guidance of our volunteer mechanics, learning about how the bike works in the process. At graduation, we go on a ride together, and each participant gets to keep their bike, along with a helmet, lock, and lights.

More than Bike Donations

Bikes are often donated to worthy individuals without additional education about how to ride safely or keep the bikes maintained. These donated bikes can end up abandoned when minor mechanical issues arise. Wrench and Ride is a program designed not just to provide a worthy recipient with a bike; we aim to help our recipients become knowledgeable lifetime bicyclists. When a person has put work into refurbishing a bike, they tend to take better care of it. The skills and knowledge our recipients gain in our Wrench and Ride program makes owning their new bikes a safer, more practical, and satisfying experience. Active use of bicycles benefits not only riders, but also yields community benefits and helps realize our vision of a more bike-friendly Orange County.