Greenzone Online

I am horrible at softball. I cannot shoot a basket to save my life. And when it comes to bikes?

Yeah, I am not too handy with those either.

But when my fiancé and I heard about FreeRide, a Pittsburgh-based bicycle co-op program, we had to check it out because, quite honestly, we are desperately seeking bikes instead of cars to get us from A to B.

I had heard about the co-op from a girl I started talking to in a coffee shop after I commented on her totally rad bike. She told me about FreeRide, where she had built her bike, and I thought, “Woo, hoo! This is right up my alley.” I love the idea of recycling and reusing old bikes and their parts to make something new.

So, last night we high-tailed it to FreeRide and got started. Now, before I tell you about the fabulous bike I found, let me explain the FreeRide co-op process.

The program works like this: There is a $15 entry fee, or you can volunteer for three hours before you walk through the shop and pick out your bike or bike parts. Then, once you pick a bike, you take it to one of the volunteers and he or she appraises it for what they think it is worth. Now, you can either pay the price, and then take your bike into the shop and fix it up, or you can “earn a bike.” This means that for every $8 your bike is worth you must volunteer for one hour in the shop.

Make sense?

My fiancé and I paid the $15 entry fee because we wanted to get started on our bikes as soon as possible. And, after much looking and deciding, I found the bike of my bicycling dreams. Look how cute she is! I love that there is a rack already attached, so that I can add a basket for transporting groceries and things of the sort. She is definitely going to require some work — I need a higher seat, the wheels need a tune up, etc. — but I am psyched!

Goldie Jr. – I used to have a car named Goldie – was priced at $30, so that means I can pay the fee or volunteer for about four hours. Dan and I decided that we are going to volunteer to pay for our bikes, and that means we may be recruited to do a number of things, including help other people fix their bikes (I better brush up on my bike knowledge!), make phone calls or sort bike parts.

Now, my bike was fairly put together, but you can also start from scratch, choosing a bike frame, handlebars, seat, tires — the works. It just depends on how much work you are willing to put into the project.

We recently traded in our two cars for one new one in an effort to save gas and cut back on emissions, but I am looking forward to this next step in becoming more eco-friendly. After all, about 20 percent of the Unites States’ greenhouse gas emissions come from cars and light trucks, like SUVs, according to TreeHugger. The worst part is that these emissions affect climate change, cause air pollution, and lead to disease.

Want to check out a bicycle co-op in your community? Here are several I found through a quick search on the Internet:

The Durham Bike Co-op in Durham, NC

Third Hand Bicycle Co-op in Columbus, OH

Mt. Ranier Bike Co-op in Mt. Ranier, MD

The Hub Bicycle Co-op in Minneapolis, MN

Mobo Bicycle Cooperative in Cincinnati, OH

Fort Collins Bicycle Co-op in Fort Collins, CO

Charleston Bike Co-op in Charleston, SC

Sopo Bicycle Co-op in Atlanta, GA

All of the groups listed above offer different programs, but each one looked like it had something great to offer. If you don’t see your community here, try looking for “bicycle co-op” on Google or a similar search engine, or on a green Web site.