Every year, thousands of bikes are thrown away in landfills. Some of these bikes are in repairable and reusable condition and can be recovered for community benefit. Others can be stripped for usable parts and repair materials. Despite their remaining utility, these bikes typically end up as scrap metal.
Since 2023, Markham Cycles is partnering with York Region Solid Waste to collect truckloads of unwanted bikes, teach the community how to fix them, and get them back on the road where they belong.
Throughout each month, we will be hosting a series of bike rescue clinics to teach basic bike maintenance to volunteer bike mechanics. Bicycles fixed in this program will then be given away to the community at no cost.
This year’s bike giveaway events will be on:
June 27 @ 3:00 – 6:00PM
August 29 @ 3:00 – 6:00PM October 29 @ 4:00 – 6:00PM EVENT FULL
Registration is mandatory to join the giveaway. Click here to register or fill out the form below.
We will be accepting walk-ins for the Oct 29th giveaway starting at 5pm. Walk-ins will have to register in person and bike availability is not guaranteed. Click here to register for walk-ins.
- Availability is limited, please register early. Those who have not registered will not be allowed to participate.
- You will be contacted by email only if you are chosen for the program and you will receive event info by email closer to the date. Registration does not guarantee you will receive a bike.
- Child and youth bicycles are typically available. The availability of sizes and styles of bicycle will depend on what we receive as donations.
Recycle to Ride is partly funded by the Regional Municipality of York. York Region’s waste management master plan, also known as the SM4RT Living Plan, has a visionary goal of “a world in which nothing goes to waste” and includes an objective to “inspire people across the Region to embrace SM4RT Living and advance the circular economy”. A circular economy eliminates waste and pollution, and conserves resources; it is a shift away from a throw-away to a circular mindset to extend the lifecycle of goods, food, and resources through better design and continuous re-use, so nothing goes to waste.