Youth country clubs such as the Boy’s and Girl’s Club of Mercer County are renown for their STEAM, college enrichment, and after-school programs. Another amenity of this club you might not have known about is their Bike Exchange. Located at 1500 North Olden Ave, this bike club has been going strong for almost nine years and has touched the lives of thousands of Trentonians, over 17,000 to be exact.
The Boy’s and Girl’s Club Bike Exchange started almost nine years ago as a program to help youth learn about the mechanics of building and using bicycles and has expanded ever since. The exchange operates kind of like a business as individuals can donate old bikes and receive a tax write-off. The bikes are then refurbished and sold by Trenton youth involved with the club. The youth gain hands-on job experience by working at the exchange and learn mechanical skills as well which are taught by Trentonian and bike connoisseur Wills Kinsley. Proceeds from the shop back to the Boy’s and Girl’s Club to support programming and scholarships, raising over $860,000 to date.
The Bike Exchange is operated with the support of 75 volunteers as well, with Ira Saltiel serving as the volunteer coordinator and shop director. He has been involved with the shop for seven years and been leading the shop for the past three.
The Bike Exchange’s mission is to provide quality bikes at a low cost to Trentonians and Mercer County residents. In their nine years of operations the exchange has sold over 17,000 bikes. This is the go to shop for a quality bike at an affordable cost, all while supporting a great cause.
When looking for your next bike, consider visiting the Boy’ and Girl’s Club Bike Exchange at 1500 North Olden Ave
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The shop is open Tuesdays and Thursday nights from 5-8pm and Saturdays from 10am-4pm. You can also visit their website at https://www.bgcmercer.org/portal/bike-exchange or email them at info@bikexchangenj.org.
