MERCER COUNTY, NJ — A volunteer-run bike shop in Ewing has raised more than $2.1 million for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Mercer County by giving old bicycles a second life.
Now it's asking residents to check their garages and sheds for bikes they no longer ride.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Mercer County Bike Exchange, known as BEX, sells refurbished bikes to fund programs for more than 1,800 local youth each year. The money supports after-school programs, summer camp, STEM education, healthy meals, and college and career readiness.
"For nearly two decades, that sustained support has meant real, tangible things for our kids: a spot in summer camp, a hot meal after school, access to STEM programming that opens doors," said Reginald J. Coleman, the Clubs' president and CEO.
Since it started in 2009, the shop has refurbished more than 32,000 bicycles. About 50 volunteers repair, sell, collect and transport them. The shop usually has about 500 bikes in stock, all donated by the community.
"Every bike we sell helps support Club kids, and we're also able to get low-cost bikes to many people who would not have been able to afford bikes sold at other retail outlets," said Ira Saltiel, the shop's volunteer director.
About 400 bikes a year are also given to youth and adults in need around New Jersey. In 2025, BEX received the Outstanding Achievement in Recycling Award from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection for keeping more than 30,000 bikes out of landfills.
The Bike Exchange is at the Capitol Plaza Shopping Center, 1500 North Olden Ave., Ewing. It's open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5 to 7:45 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. To donate, shop or volunteer, visit bgcmercer.org/bgc-bike-exchange or email bikeexchange@bgcmercer.org.
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