About Us

The South Bend Bike Garages was started by an amazing and generous couple, Zach and Holly, from Bloomington, IN and were temporarily living in South Bend. They loved their community based bicycle cooperative down in Bloomington, and believed South Bend would benefit from something similar. The bike garage started out of a small building in the Near Northwest side, by the corner of Portage and California Ave, with a handful of passionate volunteers. The initial building had no heat or air conditioning, and during the winters, volunteers would huddle around a campfire while fixing bikes for the community. 

​

As Zach and Holly's time in South Bend came to an end, they passed the torch to another couple, Dustin and Colleen.  As the bike garage continued to grow, they knew they needed more space. Together with Holy Cross, they signed a deal to move in to the old St Joe HS building, located on 933 and Angela. The new building brought an expanded space, and an opportunity to build a fully stocked garage, complete with stands and tools from Park Tool, and a robust selection of inventory, parts, tubes, tires, wheels, and more. 

​

In addition to operating a community bicycle garage, the organization expanded with a truck and mobile trailer, where volunteers help support community events. You might see the South Bend Bike Garage trailer parked at local events, with volunteers eager to help with and educate on bicycle repairs.

​

The organization has also successfully applied for, funded, and implemented grants through Riding for Focus and Outride Foundation, programs focused on youth riding and education.​