Improved Service to Atlanta Youth and the Entire Community
through Bearings Bike Works New Bridge to the Beltline and Retail & Repair Shop

ATLANTA – April 25 – Bearings Bike Works is proud to celebrate the opening of its new Retail & Repair Shop located on its campus in southwest Atlanta, adjacent the Atlanta Beltline Westside Trail. This 3,000-square-foot facility transformed an old storage shed on the Bearings campus into a welcoming, fully operational retail bike shop for Atlanta bike riders, while serving as a hub for Bearings’ youth workforce development and career accelerator programs.

The new shop nearly triples the size of Bearings’ former basement workshop and serves the community by offering refurbished bikes for sale and full service bike repair. The showroom holds up to 100 bikes available for purchase, along with parts, gear, and accessories. The expanded workshop offers a direct window into Bearings’ hands-on training model, where teens and young adults build technical skills by refurbishing bikes and servicing customer repairs. Every purchase and rental directly supports Bearings’ youth programs, turning customers into contributors and reinvesting in skills-building opportunities for Atlanta’s young people.

Investing in Youth and Community

The construction of the new shop represents a $1,000,000 investment from Bearings’ donors and supporters. The shop now serves as a hub for Bearings’ Frameworks Career Accelerator Program, which operates as both a summer internship and a gap year program. This program equips young people with technical skills, professional mentorship, and real-world work experience to prepare them for fulfilling careers.

“This space will is greatly enhancing our ability to serve current and future customers, and allows additional revenue to be re-invested into our programs for kids and young adults,” said Tim O’Mara, Executive Director. “It is particularly helping us with the continued growth of our Frameworks internship program, preparing young adults for future careers as they advance in their skills.”

Connecting Community Through the Beltline

In May 2025, Bearings also completed a new 200-foot bridge connecting the campus to the Atlanta BeltLine Westside Trail. This bridge, made possible through a $250,000 investment from community partners and donors, offers safer, easier access for youth, cyclists, and community members.

“This bridge reflects a huge connection point to one of the most bike-friendly amenities our city has to offer and further advances our ability to help enrich the lives of youth and others in our neighborhood and beyond,” says Becky O’Mara, co-founder and Director of Development. “We are so grateful for the community’s investment in the lives of youth in our city and grateful for the supporters who helped make these fantastic projects possible. The continued commitment and faith in our mission to support Atlanta youth is truly remarkable.”

Fueling the Future

“As we proudly open the doors to our new retail and repair shop on the Atlanta BeltLine, we celebrate the very best of what the marketplace can be. This vibrant social enterprise turns every bike sold, every repair completed, and every accessory purchased into powerful fuel for community impact and youth empowerment,” said
Becky O’Mara. “Since 2010, Bearings has used the bicycle as a vehicle for life change—building skills, confidence, and opportunity for Atlanta’s young people. Now, with this expanded space, we invite the community to join us: shop with purpose, ride with joy, and help us reinvest every dollar into hands-on workforce development that equips the next generation to thrive. Together, we’re proving that business done right can transform lives and neighborhoods for the better.”

The shop and bridge together provide a tangible connection to Bearings’ vision: empowering youth and strengthening the community through bikes. To support Bearings Bike Works and its programs, visit bearingsbikeworks.org or email hello@bearingsbikeworks.org.