An e-bike library program is turning things around for a Black-owned bicycle shop in LA

Adé Neff is the founder of Ride On! Bike Co-Op in South Central Los Angeles. He says business is tight right now: “Money is going out more than it’s coming in.”

Tariffs and the fluctuation in the supply of bicycles from the COVID era have not helped. However, Neff said that a grant for an e-bike loan program has made a big difference in getting people in the door and on bicycles.

“Participants, they get a bike, they get a helmet, they get a lock, and they get training on how to ride safely in the streets,” Neff said. “That's helped sustain the shop.”

To hear how the program — and the bike shop itself — have impacted the community, use the play button at the top of the page.