The Freewheel Project is an exciting new addition to the blooming S. Main area. They will host an open house on Saturday, May 9, and volunteer days are Sundays and Mondays from 11am to 10 pm.
The Freewheel Project is our way of giving back to the cycling community. We believe that Gainesville has the potential to be the cycling epicenter in the South and it needs The Freewheel Project as one of the key leaders to help it reach that potential. We plan on doing that by advocating and facilitating for cycling education, accessibility, and infrastructure.
Our goal is to expose as many people as possible to cycling and help empower the culture that already exists. We’ve seen firsthand the incredible impact it has on people’s lives and we want to share that with everyone. That’s why we’re going to put bicycles in the hands of the people and provide the means to maintain them.
We hope that through our programs, we can inspire the next generation of cyclists and shift the paradigm so bicycles aren’t looked down upon as a product of circumstance but rather a choice made from experience.
We’re going to create a space for cyclists to feel at home. If you’re interested in using a bike for commuting, we want to support you; if you’re interested in using a bike as a form of recreation or exercise, or for competitive racing, we want to support you; if you’re interested in a car-free lifestyle, we want to support you.
There’s already a strong cycling scene in Gainesville, but cyclists still struggle to be a valid voice on the road, in the sporting world or perceived as a legitimate form of tourism.
We want to create a hub for cyclists. A space where they can sit down and engage with each other or just be in the company of other like-minded individuals. This can be a place where people not only come to learn about bikes, but also share their stories.
Our headquarters is located at 618 S. Main St. in over 12,000 square feet of space, and nearly three acres of beautiful land to build our vision. This beautiful old building is the perfect space for this project to take form.
For us, it’s about breathing new life into bikes, and communities, and people.
If you’re interested in getting involved, or want to learn more, visit us on facebook, or at www.thefreewheelproject.org.