Bikes for Schools
Garage Cycles is turning a familiar business expense into a source of opportunity. Instead of paying advertising platforms to find every next customer, we commit 5% of eligible bike sales to schools and, as the program grows, to full-ride college scholarships for young athletes. Word of mouth is meant to replace much of that advertising - and that means this mission needs your help.
What is an eligible bike sale? A completed purchase of a new bike designated by GarageCycles as Bikes for Schools eligible at the time of purchase, provided it is not later canceled, returned or refunded. The 5% is calculated on the net bike price paid after discounts, excluding taxes, shipping, assembly, service, accessories and fees. Educator-discount purchases, closeouts, used or demo bikes, warranty replacements, specially priced fleet or wholesale orders, and any other transaction specifically marked ineligible because its margin is already committed to a special discount, commission or contribution are excluded unless expressly identified as eligible.
Help us replace advertising with advocacy
Every recommendation lets us rely less on paid media and put more of the value created by a sale toward students. If you believe a bike purchase can do more, please tell a friend, connect us with an educator or nonprofit, or introduce us to someone who can help carry the story into another community.
Phase 1 · Direct school support
During 2026, the program directs 5% of eligible e-bike sales to a scool of your choice. The purpose is straightforward: let a purchase someone already plans to make create a measurable benefit in that customer's community.
Phase 2 · Scholarship endowment
Beginning in 2027, we'll invest the same percentage in a professionally governed Non-profit scholarship endowment supporting scholarships for students emerging from the high school road racing program we are working to build.
Bright · Access to the sport
Our Bright membership model is being designed to lower the cost of entering cycling, allow growing athletes to change sizes from season to season, and give them a path to owning a bike after a three-year program.
Five-year growth plan
The projection below is our growth-plan scenario. It begins with demonstrated sales performance and expands through manufacturer relationships, direct online sales, institutional orders and a nationwide affiliate network.
| Year | Bike sales | 5% scholarship capital | Full rides represented* |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $8M | $400K | 3 |
| 2 | $20M | $1M | 8 |
| 3 | $60M | $3M | 24 |
| 4 | $120M | $6M | 48 |
| 5 | $200M | $10M | 81 |
| Five-year total | $408M | $20.4M | 165 |
Investing for perpetual impact
The responsible way to maximize annual giving is to build the principal before distributing it. Under the modeled investment and spending policy, the fund could reach the following annual scholarship capacity after the five-year build period.
Growth plan
8From an estimated $21.6M endowment after five years.
National media case
19From an estimated $53.7M endowment after five years.
National media + 1:1 match
39From an estimated $107.4M endowment - supporting approximately 156 scholarship students at a time once four cohorts are enrolled.
If distributed directly instead of preserved in an endowment, the same five-year capital represents approximately 165 full rides under the growth plan, 409 under the national media case, or 819 with a 1:1 match.
The affiliate engine
One productive affiliate selling four $2,000 bikes per month produces $96,000 in annual sales and $4,800 in scholarship capital. Parents, coaches, club leaders, educators, alumni, nonprofits and community partners can each connect the national mission to people they already know. We need their introductions, recommendations and local relationships to make word of mouth our primary acquisition engine.
The media opportunity
A national feature - supported by coordinated local coverage - can do more than create a temporary sales spike. It can recruit affiliates, open manufacturer relationships, connect us to schools and give every community a clear story: the bike someone already intends to buy can help fund a student's education. National attention starts the conversation; friends and local advocates keep it moving.
* Illustrative management scenarios, not guarantees. Assumes a $2,000 average bike sale and a $124,000 four-year full ride, based on four years of the College Board's 2025-26 average $30,990 annual budget for an in-state student at a public four-year institution. Endowment estimates assume a 7% net annual planning return during the five-year build, no interim distributions and a 4.5% annual payout thereafter. Investment returns, tuition costs and scholarship counts will vary. Direct full-ride equivalents and perpetual annual awards are alternative uses of the same capital, not additive. The eligibility definition above applies to all program calculations.
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