a free weekly program for people under 18
Every Monday from 5-8pm at 1415 Knowlton St in Northside!
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Kids Day is a first-come, first-serve, hands-on open shop space open to all people under 18 who want to learn about reliable, sustainable transportation.
Kids Day is not a free bike giveaway, nor is it a place to drop-off repairs or have someone else do the work for you! We work together and learn slowly.
Youth can:
- sign up for a free co-op membership annually
- choose and repair 1 donated, as-is bike/year
- learn mechanical skills to help teach friends and neighbors
- have access to co-op tools and parts to do repairs every week
Are You Coming to Kids Day for the First Time?
New members are encouraged to arrive as close to 5pm as possible to sign in outside of 1415 Knowlton St in Northside. No new bikes will be pulled after 7pm. Unless they are returning volunteers, youth will enter the shop in the order that they signed in. The number of youth inside will be based on how many volunteer mechanics are available.
Youth will work 1:1 with volunteer mechanics who may be teenagers or adults. The shop currently has 6 benches: 6 is the maximum amount of new youth who can comfortably fit in the shop space at one time.
Once paired with a volunteer mechanic, youth will either assess their current bike or identify an appropriate bike to refurbish. “Appropriate” means the bike is both serviceable within the time available and fits their height and riding needs.
How Long Will it Take to Fix My Bike? (Or, We’re Not a Free Bike Giveaway)
The short answer: it depends.
The long answer: ask your bike!
Once the bike is assessed, youth will learn to repair it with support from the volunteer mechanic. As all of our bikes are donated, repair times vary based on:
- the bike’s identified problems,
- replacement parts required,
- and the ability for youth to focus.
We believe passionately in hands-off teaching: while it takes longer for a new mechanic of any age to learn to fix their bike themselves, they will leave more likely to diagnose, maintain, and repair their bike in the world, rather than dispose of it when things break.
At minimum, all bikes will need every bolt or nut tightened, pedals installed, stem and handlebars straightened, and air, brakes, and chains adjusted.
Some bikes may also have derailleurs, shifters, wheels, bearings or seats that require attention in order to function. Even the most experienced volunteer mechanics are learning too: help them take the time to assess the bike at the start to avoid surprise problems later.
Once a youth member services their bike, they’ll take it on a test ride to double-check their work. MoBo has free helmets which any member can take home: we encourage you to wear these while riding. Youth should listen to their bikes, shift through their gears, and practice braking to ensure they like how it feels. After the test ride, youth will either revise their work or sign an adoption form and ride away.
Each youth member can choose one free bike a year. Replacement bikes may be granted on a case-by-case basis. While youth are encouraged to attend Kids Day year-round to maintain current bikes, replacement bikes may only be chosen at the end of the day’s queue (after all other youth have serviced their bikes).
How Can Grown-Ups Support Kids Day?
In 2025, new MoBo youth members earned over 300 bikes, and used them to get to school, first jobs, and to play all over the city.
Just under 100 youth members were able to receive locks, and only 50 youth who frequently rode home from the co-op received lights.
The leading cause of bike replacements at MoBo is bike theft, which effects youth who use their bikes for transportation most. With the support of sponsors like Greater Cincinnati Foundation and the Office of Sustainability, we aim to double our redistribution of locks in 2026.
If you would like to sponsor lock or light donations, please reach out to [email protected].
If you would like to volunteer for Kids Day, become a MoBo Bicycle Co-op member and then visit our volunteer page. We are always in need of:
- Monday night mechanics who can come before 5:30pm
- summer teaching artists who can engage kids while they wait
- end-of-summer Block Party Planners
- people to help source and distribute snacks
Have another skill you’d like to share? We’d love to hear about it: you can contact us here.
