Bike co-op set to open this weekend

Published 9:26 am Thursday, May 1, 2025

By Jack Dobbs

Warren County Parks and Recreation, in partnership with the Warren County Public Library and BikeWalk BG, is set to open a “bicycle co-op” on Saturday at The Fringe in downtown Bowling Green.

Ryan Pattee, special projects coordinator for WCPR, said the Warren County Bicycle Co-Op will operate “not really for profit,” but some revenue will be taken in for services provided.

“It’s very community-based,” said Pattee. “Our services will be anywhere from repairing a flat (tire) to full tune ups on bikes,” he said.

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By Pattee’s estimate, only a handful of bike co-ops exist in Kentucky, and this marks the first one available in Bowling Green and Warren County. The co-op is something Pattee said has been his “baby for a long time.”

“I’ve been wanting to get a bike co-op for the community forever,” he said. “Every time I hear about another cyclist (being) hit, every time I hear about somebody falling or somebody else getting a bike stolen in the community … we need to be doing something about this as a community.”

A grand opening for the co-op is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday. Once it gets going, it will be open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sundays 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. The co-op has around 40 bikes already but instead of having bikes for the taking, Pattee said those in need of a bike will be able to contact him and obtain one.

“Nobody’s just going to come by and grab a bike at any time,” he said.

Once summer rolls around, Pattee said the co-op will open up for classes and donations. He said kids and adults will be able to choose a bike from the donations that come in, fix them up during the classes and then either keep the bike or donate it to the community.

“We’ve partnered with the Bowling Green Neighbors Aid Network, so we can always give it to an unhoused person,” he said.

Further down the road, he is hoping to organize some adaptive events as well. Some details are still being worked out, but Pattee said there will be costs for bike servicing as well as classes.

The county is also reworking a portion of the blacktop at The Fringe into the Warren County Bicycle Safety Park, something the county is hoping will help residents young and old learn how to safely navigate roads while biking.

The safety park was painted onto the asphalt and will teach users how to bike safely in urban areas through hand gestures and teaching bikers how to interact with crosswalks, stop and yield signs, one-way streets and railroad crossings. The county will cut the ribbon on the park next Tuesday.

“We try to get everything they’ll experience when they get out into traffic, whether they’re on a bike or in a motor vehicle,” he said.

Pattee said even with the safety park, food trucks will still be able to park during the day at The Fringe.

Spaces for three trucks will be available next to the safety park against the parking garage and a portion of the curb on College Street will be removed, making it easier for trucks to leave without blocking off the safety park.

About Jack Dobbs

Jack covers city government for the Daily News. Originally from Simpson County, he attended Western Kentucky University and graduated in 2022 with a degree in journalism.

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