Recycle Ithaca's Bicycles (RIBS) is a program of the Southside Community Center which
repairs old bikes and puts them back into use. Since 1990 they have distributed over 1200
bikes to the community. They have also distributed helmets, helped people of all ages to
repair their bikes, given people parts for bikes. Sent bikes to the Carribean, and taught
hundreds of people, both young and old how to repair bikes.
	RIBS does not sell the bikes they repair, but they donšt just give away bikes either, people
earn credit towards a new bike by volunteering in the shop. There are currently two staff
members, but, a majority of ther work is done by volunteers. Volunteers have an incentive to
work because they can recieve rebuilt bikes in exchange for their contribution of time.
	There are also bike classes at least two days a week, and people can count time attending
class as hours towards earning a bike, provided that they also help out in the shop.
	In 1990 Greg Rolle, a volunteer at the Southside Community Center suggested to members of
Ithaca's Green Party that abandoned bikes needing repairs could be given away to kids. He
said, "I would see three kids riding on bikes, kids stealing bikes and then arguing over who
gets to use it. Why not just take the bikes around town that are thrown in ditches and fix
them up and give them away."
	A subgroup of the Greens led by Paul Sayvetz started working on bikes with the help of a few
mechanics in town. Within a year the Southside Community Center had brought it under their
organizational umbrella. 
	Currentlly RIBS is located near the corner of Corn and Clinton Streets. The shop is well set
up, not just with cannibalized parts, but also with 6 toolboards. The tools can be used for
either repairing donated bikes or by members of the community who want to maintain their
own bicycles. There are also many knowledgeable volunteers and a paid staff member on hand
who can answer questions for people working on bikes.
	Ed Castro, who volunteers at RIBS for about 20 hours a week, thinks that the program is
about more than just fixing bikes. He sees it as a recreational activity for youth. "We get 7
and 8 year old kids working here. You can show them how something works and they'll do it.
They're great workers. Here they can get encouragement from adults. They each get some
skills too, which empowers them."	BobWölfé Jung, a RIBS staff member, says 
"Typically we set up the adults up with kids to
teach them bike repair. It's really cool when the kids wind up teaching the adults bike repair."
	 Brett Gill is a teenager who's been volunteering at RIBS since 1993. He says that RIBS is
very helpful to the community because without it there's no way some people would have
bikes."