{"id":2623,"date":"2026-03-07T16:30:52","date_gmt":"2026-03-07T16:30:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastandardnewspaper.com\/staging\/news\/career\/los-angeles-bicycle-academy\/"},"modified":"2026-03-07T16:30:52","modified_gmt":"2026-03-07T16:30:52","slug":"los-angeles-bicycle-academy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastandardnewspaper.com\/staging\/news\/career\/los-angeles-bicycle-academy\/","title":{"rendered":"Los Angeles Bicycle Academy"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"p1\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>The youth earn-a-bike program teaches youth how to repair and refurbish bicycles, and prepares them for careers in the cycling industry.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><span class=\"Apple-converted-space\"><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<figure><a href=\"GoFundMe%20https:\/www.gofundme.com\/f\/support-blackowned-los-angeles-standard-newspaper\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lastandardnewspaper.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Support_Standard_web.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"296\" \/><\/a><figcaption>The L.A. Standard Newspaper needs your support so that we can continue to create positive stories about Black communities. $20, $50, $100, $500, $1,000. Any amount would be greatly appreciated. -Jason Douglas Lewis, Owner\/Publisher. Donations can be made through Cash App&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/cash.app\/$LAStandard\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/cash.app\/$LAStandard<\/a>, Venmo https:\/\/venmo.com @LA-Standard-Newspaper, PayPal&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/paypalme\/lastandardnewspaper\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/paypalme\/lastandardnewspaper<\/a>, and <a href=\"GoFundMe%20https:\/www.gofundme.com\/f\/support-blackowned-los-angeles-standard-newspaper\" target=\"_blank\">GoFundMe&nbsp;https:\/\/www.gofundme.com\/f\/support-blackowned-los-angeles-standard-newspaper<\/a>. Checks can be mailed to 2415 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90008<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure>\n<figure><a href=\"index.php\/shop-black-los-angeles.html\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lastandardnewspaper.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Black_LA_FB_ad_2_web.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a><figcaption>Shop Black Los Angeles! T-shirts and sweatshirts.&nbsp;<a href=\"index.php\/shop-black-los-angeles.html\">https:\/\/lastandardnewspaper.com\/index.php\/shop-black-los-angeles.html<\/a><a href=\"index.php\/shop-black-los-angeles.html\" target=\"_blank\"><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure>&nbsp;<\/figure>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/hsBmknEDur8?si=Ef0u5EPYq-j9VLkq\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/figure>\n<figure>&nbsp;<\/figure>\n<p class=\"p1\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">By Jason Lewis<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">The global bicycle market size was estimated at $84 billion in 2025, with $15 billion of that coming from the U.S.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp; <\/span>The market is gaining momentum driven by an increasing adoption of cycling for daily mobility, fitness, and short-distance community riding.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp; <\/span>Like many lucrative industries, Black communities tend to be priced out or left out.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp; <\/span>Los Angeles native and Dorsey High School alum Damon Turner has stepped up to ensure that younger people in the greater Crenshaw district are aware and have access to this industry. <span class=\"Apple-converted-space\"><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Through the Los Angeles Bicycle Academy, a nonprofit organization, youths ages eight to 18 attend a bicycle education and youth earn-a-bike program.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp; <\/span>The eight-week curriculum teaches the students how to repair and refurbish bicycles.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\"><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">&ldquo;They&rsquo;re taking a bike completely apart and reassembling it,&rdquo; Turner said.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp; <\/span>&ldquo;They&rsquo;re also making adjustments to the bike.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp; <\/span>The curriculum relates to every aspect of the bicycle.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp; <\/span>They go from brake adjustment, to gear adjustment, to flap repair, to disassembling a chain.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp; <\/span>It&rsquo;s broken up into several parts and they learn it all.&rdquo;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-2620\" src=\"https:\/\/lastandardnewspaper.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_0403_web.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastandardnewspaper.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_0403_web.jpg 600w, https:\/\/lastandardnewspaper.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_0403_web-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption><em><strong>Students learn brake adjustment, gear adjustment, flap repair, disassembling a chain, and every aspect of repairing and refurbishing bicycles. Shop photos courtesy of the Los Angeles Bicycle Academy<\/strong><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">At the end of the program the students get to keep the bicycles that they worked on.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp; <\/span>The bicycles that are used in the program are donated, and this program can always use more bicycles.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\"><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">&ldquo;Everybody has a bicycle laying around in their garage,&rdquo; Turner said.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp; <\/span>&ldquo;And that&rsquo;s primarily where most of the bikes that were earned by young people, were donated bicycles.&rdquo;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">This program also gives the students information about careers in the bicycle industry.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">&ldquo;Everything related to where you can go in the bicycle industry in a career,&rdquo; Turner said.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp; <\/span>&ldquo;We connect the careers that exist in the bicycle industry and show young people the possibilities that are around their interests.&rdquo;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Careers in racing can be lucrative and can come with perks. <span class=\"Apple-converted-space\"><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">&ldquo;Mechanics for a pro tour team that races in let&rsquo;s say the Tour de France, they&rsquo;re making $80,000 a year on top of traveling all around the world,&rdquo; Turner said.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp; <\/span>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s just one position and within a team.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp; <\/span>There&rsquo;s also career opportunities in the bicycle industry.&rdquo;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-2621\" src=\"https:\/\/lastandardnewspaper.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_1188_web.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastandardnewspaper.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_1188_web.jpg 400w, https:\/\/lastandardnewspaper.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_1188_web-225x300.jpg 225w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Turner is a Los Angeles native who is from Leimert Park.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp; <\/span>Like many people, he started riding bicycles as a child around his neighborhood, and he held a job as a bicycle messenger in downtown Los Angeles. <span class=\"Apple-converted-space\"><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">&ldquo;I was getting paid to ride a bike to deliver legal documents,&rdquo; he said.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp; <\/span>&ldquo;I continued to ride bicycles.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp; <\/span>I competed a little bit, and that evolved into me starting a successful team with a partner, and that evolved into me starting my own team.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp; <\/span>That led me to starting the youth bike program.&rdquo;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-2622\" src=\"https:\/\/lastandardnewspaper.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/6S8R1965_web.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastandardnewspaper.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/6S8R1965_web.jpg 600w, https:\/\/lastandardnewspaper.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/6S8R1965_web-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption><em><strong>Turner coaching a youth cycling team. Photo by Jason Lewis<\/strong><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-2610\" src=\"https:\/\/lastandardnewspaper.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Rooter_ad.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"631\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastandardnewspaper.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Rooter_ad.png 782w, https:\/\/lastandardnewspaper.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Rooter_ad-190x300.png 190w, https:\/\/lastandardnewspaper.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Rooter_ad-649x1024.png 649w, https:\/\/lastandardnewspaper.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Rooter_ad-768x1212.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Turner leads the students on community bike rides where they learn traffic laws and how to ride safely on cycling routes. <span class=\"Apple-converted-space\"><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">A program like this is important because cycling has heath and fitness benefits, and it is a means of transportation.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp; <\/span>Creating spaces for bicycling are not as prevalent in Black communities as it is in other communities.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\"><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">&ldquo;This is a normal thing that exists outside of Black communities,&rdquo; Turner said.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp; <\/span>&ldquo;Bike lanes that are as wide as a car lane.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp; <\/span>That&rsquo;s what we&rsquo;re fighting for.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp; <\/span>To create those spaces in our community and normalize it.&rdquo;<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Career wise, Turner points out that there is not a lot of Black representation in the bicycle industry, but he also points out that there are so many Black people who ride bicycles that they should be a larger portion of the industry.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Setting children on a career path can be life changing and after-school and weekend programs in Black communities can function as gang prevention programs because it occupies their time with something positive.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\"><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">&ldquo;Doing this after school is a critical time,&rdquo; Turner said.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp; <\/span>&ldquo;During the spring and summer months when you have longer days, you can go out and do an hour ride easily.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp; <\/span>The impact of that is unbelievable.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp; <\/span>There&rsquo;s been a lot of stories of transformation around a kid who learned how to ride a bicycle and it changed everything about them.&rdquo;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Turner continues to ride his bicycle multiple times a week, heading up to Griffith Park or along the beach to Malibu or Palos Verdes.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp; <\/span>He partners with local cycling groups such as We Major LA for community rides that his students participate in. <span class=\"Apple-converted-space\"><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">For more information, visit <a href=\"http:\/\/www.labikeacademy.org\" target=\"_blank\">www.labikeacademy.org<\/a> and follow them on social media.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\"><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p class=\"p1\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>The youth earn-a-bike program teaches youth how to repair and refurbish bicycles, and prepares them for careers in the cycling industry.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":466,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[47],"tags":[169,170,93,544,1795,168,428,167,161,936,2893,2895,218,156,157,75,2892,135,163,162,2894,550,102,158,160,159],"class_list":["post-2623","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-career","tag-african-american","tag-african-american-newspaper","tag-baldwin-hills","tag-bicycle","tag-bikes","tag-black-newspaper","tag-career","tag-community-newspaper","tag-crenshaw","tag-cycling","tag-cycling-team","tag-damon-turner","tag-inglewood","tag-ladera-heights","tag-leimert-park","tag-los-angeles","tag-los-angeles-bicycle-academy","tag-los-angeles-standard-newspaper","tag-mid-city","tag-park-mesa-heights","tag-refurbish","tag-repair","tag-south-los-angeles","tag-view-park","tag-west-adams","tag-windsor-hills"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastandardnewspaper.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2623","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastandardnewspaper.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastandardnewspaper.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastandardnewspaper.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastandardnewspaper.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2623"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastandardnewspaper.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2623\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastandardnewspaper.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/466"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastandardnewspaper.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2623"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastandardnewspaper.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2623"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastandardnewspaper.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2623"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}