No Kid Without A Bike

By Alexis Bohlinger

On the quiet corner of Beverly and Jefferson Ave. in St. Clair Shores, nestled among the tree-lined streets, lies a modest bike shop with an extraordinary mission. Tim’s Bike Shop is a full-service bike, skateboard, scooter and accessory store that has been owned and operated by Macomb native Tim Focht for the last 23 years. Although the building is a historical landmark in St. Clair Shores and many know exactly where it is, they may not realize that Tim’s Bike Shop has been a charitable contributor of time and resources to the greater community for many years. Through heartfelt collaborations with charitable organizations like the Kiwanis Club, Tim’s Bike Shop has embarked on numerous initiatives to donate and refurbish bicycles for families in need.

“The President of Lac Ste Clair Kiwanis, Bryan Mazey, approached me about 20 years ago asking if I could donate some bikes, and we have been supporting organizations like that to help provide for families in need ever since,” said Focht. “We accept bike donations at the shop and we refurbish these bikes to look and ride like new. For our most recent project we got involved with Bryan Mazey and we were able to refurbish and donate 20 decent bikes to kids who needed them. This project took a lot of help and support from several people, including the Mount Clemens Kiwanis, who provided helmets for the kids.”

For Focht, owning a bike store isn’t just about providing the latest and greatest to bike enthusiasts. It’s about providing an opportunity for all children to explore their neighborhoods and enjoy a sense of freedom and camaraderie with their friends. “I believe Tim’s motto is ‘No child without a bike’, and he has dedicated himself to that cause for the past two decades,” said Mazey.

With the partnership of Tim’s Bike Shop and Lac Ste Claire Kiwanis, these two groups have been able to help countless organizations across Macomb County, including Grandparents Raising Grandchildren, Big Families in Michigan, Kids on the Go and many more. “We have donated hundreds of bikes over the years, having refurbished and donated 50 bikes just this past year,” said Mazey.

Tim’s Bike Shop is always accepting donations of old bikes that are in a condition to be rebuilt or refurbished. You can drop them directly at the shop or reach out to your local police department to see if they are accepting donations. “Harper Woods collected 125 bikes and dropped them off for Tim to fix up,” said Mazey, “We appreciate any community willing to help out.”