Bicycle Angels was started by three Team in Training cycle team leaders in December 2009. We were coaching/training people to cycle 100 miles and raise money for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society. Many of our trainees were first-time endurance event participants.  We found that some first timers didn’t have an adequate road bike to train for and complete a cycling event. Imagine riding 100 miles and climbing big hills on a heavy beach cruiser or city bike!

Many of these first-timers couldn’t afford a road bike or were just not ready to make the investment in a road bike of their own.  So they would quit…and we didn’t like that! We wanted people to raise more funds for charity, and join in the healthy fun doing it! So we got a few bikes together (just four to start!), formed a corporation, got a logo and a web site, and off we went with the first loans! Once the idea took hold, we decided to branch out to support other charities as well.  The more the merrier!

We finally obtained our IRS non-profit status in late 2012. Seeing how our mission was a resounding success, in 2013, we set the vision of becoming a National organization, with offices across the United States.  In 2024, due to a slowdown in charity fundraising cycling events, we made the difficult decision to scale back operations to Southern California alone.

From those humble beginnings, and on a relatively small budget, we built a volunteer organization that has raised millions for charities by over 3000 loan recipients.

Our program was a winner for everyone: Bike borrowers (who got to help reach a fundraising and physical fitness goal, and make friends); Important charitable causes (who got more participants and funds raised through their events); and, the bicycle industry (through recruitment and engagement of new cyclists).

In January 2025, we made the difficult decision to close Bicycle Angels, as we felt going forward the organization would not continue to have the level of accomplishments and support we had seen in the past. This was due to a decrease in the number charity bike rides, the amount of participation in rides, lowered donations to Bicycle Angels, and the challenge of continuing to run a non-profit organization with unpaid volunteer staff.  Subsequently, all our field offices were closed, and the bicycles were either donated to other organizations or sold off. The resulting funds from the sale of our fleet allowed us to pay off a loan we had from the Small Business Administration, pay remaining expenses, and make cash donations to other non-profits, including the Los Angeles Children’s Hospital, South Bay Music Association, and Flying Tigers Historical Society.