Georgia Teen's Free Bike Clinics Reach 350 Kids
A high school student in Alpharetta, Georgia, is helping hundreds of children learn to ride a bike for free. Jonathan Thai, 17, founded the nonprofit Pedal Forward in early 2025. It has since raised more than $30,000 and handed out 400 bicycles, according to a Times of India report published on September 4, 2026.
Thai, a competitive triathlete, stepped in after outdoor retailer REI ended its Experience program in January 2025, which had offered affordable bike classes. He saw that a bike can be much more than a toy for some families. "It can have such a big impact for a family that doesn't have access to transportation," he told Points of Light, which named him its 8,351st Daily Point of Light for outstanding volunteer service.
Pedal Forward held its first official clinic on the local Greenway Trail in June 2025. Each camp hosts 35 to 40 children, with one volunteer instructor for every child. Beginners start with the pedals taken off so they can master balance first, while stronger riders join guided rides on community trails. Volunteer groups such as the National Charity League and the Young Men's Service League helped fund the work, which has also supplied 500 helmets.
So far the group has run 12 free clinics for more than 350 children and opened chapters in Tennessee and New York. Next, Thai plans a trip to bring more than 300 bicycles to children in rural Vietnam. He believes that teaching one child to ride can start a ripple effect.
Sometimes the best way forward is one wobbly pedal stroke at a time.
