Bearings Bike Works: A Community-Focused Bike Shop

If you’ve been out and about on the BeltLine recently, you may have noticed an inordinate amount of kids biking around the Westside part of the trail, near Adair Park. Why? This part of the BeltLine happens to be home to Bearings Bike Works, the brainchild of Tim and Becky O’Mara.

Now over a decade old, the O’Maras initially created Bearings Bike Works in response to a need for not just bike repair, but also positive opportunities for local youth to engage with their community.

In the early stages of the shop, Tim would fix bikes for kids willing to perform some type of community service, such as cleaning up litter at a local park. Sometimes he’d even switch out their old bike and surprise them with a new one. These small acts of neighbors helping neighbors ballooned into something more than even the O’Mara’s expected – a career. 

It didn’t take long for word to spread about the O’Mara’s unique approach to bike repair, and soon the couple was inundated with requests from hoards of Adair Park youth. It was then Bearings Bike Works became real – moving into an old mechanic shop just steps from the Westside BeltLine trail.

Bearings Bike Works Today

Today, Bearings Bike Works is a fully functioning non-profit organization that provides a full roster of programming for local youth. The organization is part of a community lift initiative – where Adair Park was once a haven for drug use and crime, it is now enjoying a renaissance thanks in no small part to the community-driven spirit of Bearings.

Bike repair is just one aspect of Bearings. Volunteerism is a key ingredient to the organization. Local youth can now attend a lively after-school program and work their way up to becoming part of the Bearings Mountain Bike team, which gives kids the opportunity to travel and also show off their skills.

The programs offered by Bearings have allowed hundreds of local youth over the years to acquire hands-on mechanical skills that they otherwise would never have had the opportunity to learn. When kids learn a new skill, they feel empowered. The O’Mara’s have personally witnessed Bearings alums graduate from high school, go to college, and obtain jobs. 

Many of the kids are quick to credit Bearings for helping them gain a sense of purpose. Bearings is also a safe haven for many Southwest Atlanta kids in the area who don’t typically have a safe place to go after school or the summer.

With national recognition from corporate entities like Mercedes Benz, and with ever-increasing community programming, Bearings is poised to continue providing bicycles and youth mentorship for a long time.

Adair Park – and BeltLandia as a whole – continues to benefit from the efforts of Bearings Bike Works and we are proud to support this non-profit in its efforts. See how you can contribute to their mission here.

Doesn’t Adair Park sound like a great neighborhood to live in? Find homes for sale here.