Noah Hicks, Sip & Spoke Bike Kitchen

We came across this Kickstarter for Sip & Spoke while browsing Twitter and had to share it with you. Sip & Spoke Bike Kitchen is the brain child of Dorchester Massachusetts cyclist Noah Hicks and his plan for his business is to integrate a full‐service bicycle shop and a cafe. It’s a great idea because all of us cyclist know that our local bike shops are not only a place to get your bike serviced or to buy new parts of bikes, it’s also the hang out spot 😉

Noah’s story is just as interesting as the the idea for his new venture. And please make sure you watch his Kickstarter video.

About Noah Hicks:
“Noah Hicks was born and raised in Boston’s Bowdoin-Geneva neighborhood and began cycling at the tender age of three. As a teenager, Hicks started tinkering with bicycles in his family’s basement in inner-city Boston, a neighborhood underserved by traditional bicycle shops. His hobby became a lifestyle, providing plenty of spending money and exposure to culture, green spaces, and social activities outside of his neighborhood.”

“In 2013, Hicks turned an 8’ x 10’ shed in a local park into a pop-up, seasonal bicycle school offering low-cost bicycles and repair lessons to the community. With a dedicated crew of teenage volunteers, Bowdoin Bike School saved countless bicycles from the trash heaps, safely led group bicycle rides through the neighborhood, and outfitted new riders with free locks, lights, and helmets. In partnership with Victory Programs, Hicks launched an earn-a-bike initiative for formerly homeless individuals in the community, connecting them with an affordable means of transportation and the opportunity to share their newly-minted mechanical skills with other burgeoning cyclists. Hicks then spearheaded a successful online fundraising campaign to support the expansion of Bowdoin Bike School into a brick-and-mortar location and hire his volunteer corps. The corps converted a long-vacant automotive repair garage into a bicycle retail shop and education center, planning classes for women, queer youth of color, and working parents.”

About Sip & Spoke:
The Sip & Spoke Bike Kitchen will be a mission‐driven retail business that integrates a full‐service bicycle shop and cafe. Based in the Upham’s Corner neighborhood of Dorchester in the City of Boston, The Sip & Spoke Bike Kitchen will offer retail sales of new and refurbished bicycles and parts, new accessories, as well as maintenance and repair services to a heretofore underserved local biking community in a key transportation artery that is increasingly used by local and regional cyclists. The Sip & Spoke Bike Kitchen will serve high quality coffee and a range of food items sourced from local and respected vendors, providing the neighborhood amenities identified by local residents.