As a member of the Rockhurst University community you have most likely noticed the quaint bike shop located on the corner of 51st and Troost that comes alive as the weather starts to warm up. 

The Bike Shop by RevolveKC is a small not-for-profit bike store. While the idea for the shop was generated in 2009, doors opened in 2011. A second shop is located on Central Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas.

Elizabeth Bejan, the owner of RevolveKC, said she wants to “resource and refurbish bikes as a solution for a healthy lifestyle that is affordable.”

The shop even offers ways for students and the public to get a bike for free. How does one get a free bike? Well the answer is simple: take a test or help out.

The Bike Shop offers two ways to earn the coveted no-charge bicycle:

1. Aspiring cyclists can go online to http://revolvekc.org/earn-a-bike/ where they can complete a safety course that takes about two and a half hours. After scoring at least 70 percent on the test, they can then schedule an appointment with Began to complete a riding test.
2. The other option is to complete 10 hours of service at her shop to get the hands on experience of bike safety.

Both options teach bike safety, which is Bejan’s goal. Between Rockhurst University and University of Missouri Kansas City, more than 1,200 bikes have been donated to students in the last six years. The shop also sells parts and clothing, when available.

The company gets the bikes as donations and then the RevolveKC employees will fix and tune-up the bikes to be sold or given away.

Although RevolveKC is a nonprofit, the shop competes with the for-profit shops in Kansas City.

The Bike Shop also does outreach programs for various groups, including veterans, Latinos, and the LGBTQ community through a Gears 4 Queers program. Bejan has also begun to work with refugees and other area nonprofits.

Nonprofit bike shops are popping up in more cities and rural areas than ever — hoping to get more people the opportunity to use bikes. It’s a solution that not only benefits the environment, but also personal and public health because more people getting out and biking.

As a nonprofit, RevolveKC enjoys the help of volunteers and many of them are Rockhurst students. While some students volunteer to gain hours towards earning a bike, they come back to help out because they enjoy the work and environment at the shop.

“It is great experience and community,” Ryan Sparks, a Rockhurst freshman, said while volunteering.

Through volunteer opportunities, the earn-a-bike program and outreach efforts, The Bike Shop by RevolveKC aims to be a great asset to the Kansas City community. With a clear goal of not only bettering their business, but also bettering the Kansas City community, RevolveKC is in business for more than the bikes.