OUR HISTORY
OUR HISTORY
From a front porch in Adair Park to a permanent home for youth development in Southwest Atlanta — this is the story of Bearings Bike Works.
Where It All Began
Bearings Bike Works began in 2008 on a front porch in Adair Park.
Tim and Becky O’Mara had recently moved into the neighborhood when they met an 8-year-old girl named Britney whose bike needed repairs. Instead of fixing it for her, they invited her to help — earning money for parts by doing small jobs and learning along the way. When she rode off on her repaired bike, something clicked.
Not long after, Britney returned with friends. They wanted bikes too.
What started as a simple act of generosity quickly became something more — bikes became a way to build relationships, create trust, and open the door to something bigger.
Earning Bikes, Building Community
As word spread, neighborhood kids began earning bikes by helping clean up trash, learning basic repairs, and spending time together. Bikes weren’t just given — they were earned.
Weekends turned into driveway workdays. Kids learned how to fix flat tires, adjust brakes, and take pride in something they built themselves. Relationships formed naturally through shared work, laughter, and time spent together.
Before long, dozens of bikes filled the backyard — and kids filled the driveway.
It became clear that this wasn’t just about bikes. It was about belonging, confidence, and showing kids they were capable of more than they’d been told.
A Basement Shop Becomes A Hub
In 2010, Bearings received its first major support — a $6,000 grant to keep the experiment going. With that, a basement space was rented beneath an automotive shop on Murphy Avenue.
What was meant to be bike storage quickly turned into something much bigger.
Kids showed up, in lines out the door, eager to learn, work, and earn. An “earn-a-bike”
system emerged, where kids built bikes piece by piece, earning stars for each hour of work. Saturdays became community gatherings, with volunteers and kids working side by side.
The basement shop became a place where kids were known by name, encouraged, and challenged — a safe place to fail, learn, and try again.
Putting Down Roots in Adair Park
In 2016, the building that housed the basement shop was set to be sold. With the Atlanta Beltline under construction nearby, it was clear the neighborhood, and the future of Bearings, was changing.
Rather than relocate, Bearings took a bold step: purchasing property at 982 Murphy Avenue to ensure this corner of Adair Park would always belong to kids.
It was a commitment not just to a program, but to a place — planting permanent roots in the community that had shaped Bearings from the very beginning.
Growing Into A Campus
With the support of the community, Bearings entered a new season of growth.
In 2018, $2.3 million was raised to renovate the first of three buildings on the property — creating The Garage, a dedicated youth learning and training space. In 2020, Bearings opened a retail bike shop, selling refurbished bikes and offering full-service repairs.
What began as a neighborhood project evolved into a full ecosystem, combining youth development, workforce training, and community engagement under one roof.
Bikes as a Pathway
Over time, it became clear that bike repair wasn’t just a skill — it was a gateway.
Kids discovered talents they didn’t know they had. Teens found confidence and direction. Young adults began to see skilled trades and hands-on careers as real, meaningful options.
Bearings intentionally embraced this path, rejecting the stigma around manual labor and celebrating work ethic, craftsmanship, and problem-solving as valuable, dignified skills.
Expanding What’s Possible
In recent years, Bearings has continued to grow — expanding youth cycling programs, launching mountain bike teams, developing youth-focused trail systems, and building workforce pathways through the Frameworks Career Accelerator.
A new trail-adjacent retail shop now serves as the hub for sales, service, and advanced job training — increasing capacity to serve more youth and young adults than ever before.
Each step forward has been guided by the same core belief:
When young people are given tools, trust, and community, they rise.
15+ Years of Showing Up
For more than 15 years, Bearings has shown up — consistently, intentionally, and rooted in relationship.
Thousands of bikes donated.
Thousands of volunteer hours.
Generations of kids who walked through the door and found a place to belong.
What started with one bike has become a long-term commitment to Southwest Atlanta, and to the belief that investing in kids changes everything.
Built by Community
Bearings exists because people showed up.
Neighbors, donors, volunteers, churches, businesses, parents, and kids themselves have shaped this place year after year.
Together, we continue to send one clear message:
You matter. You belong here. We believe in you. And we’re not going anywhere.