Bike Barn happy for barrage of bicycles

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Cindy Alejandrez
  • 349th Air Mobility Wing public affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Airmen arriving to their first duty station are ready to work on expensive aircraft and protect valuable assets. However, many are not equipped with appropriate transportation to their work areas.

Hoping to change that, Victoria Byerly, the 60th Air Mobility Wing Airmen and Family Readiness Center relocation assistance coordinator, launched the Travis Bike Barn, a collection space on base to gather and repair abandoned or donated bicycles. Despite the name, there is still a need for a permanent barn for the bikes, according to Byerly.

Her goal is to donate the collected bicycles to Airmen or families with no other means of transportation. The Travis Bike Barn also would serve as a resource for bike programs, help with repair and storage and promote alternative commuting options.

Recently, the program was given a boost by a local bicycle import and distribution company, which donated 75 new bikes with two-year warranties. The company coordinated with Lt. Col. Sean Morgan, 70th Aerial Refueling Squadron assistant chief pilot. Morgan said he saw the need for transportation after talking with his active-duty counterparts. Many can't afford a vehicle when they arrive at their first duty station.

He was able to bring the bikes on base with the help of several other volunteers from his unit, including Capt. Dalston Spencer, 70th ARS assistant chief of training, Master Sgt. A.J. Baxter, 70th ARS boom operator, Maj. Travis Kroll, 60th Operations Support Squadron KC-10 Extender pilot and Staff Sgt. Tim Hiott, 70th ARS flight engineer.

"I was an Airman at one time and I showed up (on base) with just one bag of clothes. To get to work, I needed to hitch a ride or walk around base," Spencer said. "If I had a bike then, perhaps I wouldn't have had to buy a car. I would have made do with a bike for three years."

Baxter explained that he helped with the project because, although the work was minimal, the impact was great in comparison. Not only are the bicycles needed but they also serve as an effective way to travel on-base.

"For people who live on Travis, everything is within biking distance," Baxter said.

Biking may also be beneficial in reducing environmental impact on the surrounding Solano communities.

"That was one of the things on my mind," Morgan said. "When you take into account the size of the work force on Travis, if you equipped more of those people with bikes, it's a win - win for the environment."

When the bicycles arrived, Byerly was in awe with not only the number, but the quality. She began to spread the word about the donation and within two weeks, 20 adult-sized and a few children's bicycles had gone to happy new owners.

To continue to make the program possible, the Bike Barn needs more volunteers to help fix bikes. Additionally, volunteers also may help by applying for grants and programs that will pay for bike lanes and other safe transportation initiatives on Travis, according to Byerly.

"(Volunteering) was just a good feeling," Spencer said. "When you tell the other guys in the squadron about it, they want to help. Hopefully it spreads like wildfire."