Many of you know Max Hofman – one of our most fun, supportive and popular guides. In his spare time (when not guiding!), Max teaches and also runs ReCycle. This amazing project he started 5 years ago and is going from strength to strength, bringing bikes to kids across the Riverina, NSW, Australia. These are kids who have never ridden a bike and/or can’t afford one – Max and his team not only teach these kids to ride, they also give them a bike! Part of the process is fixing up old bikes so they learn the mechanics along the way too – it is a fantastic holistic project.
3 years ago, we called on you – our Bike Odyssey riders – and we had an amazing response with donations of bikes, tools, money, labour, and so much more to this wonderful cause – these bikes are now being ridden every day by kids in need.
We are back again for the same call out – please bring out your bikes! In any state – wheels, bikes, parts, etc! Max and his team will build just about anything for these kids. Bike Odyssey will be donating our old tour van – one which has not just circumnavigated Tasmania on our UnderDowunder Odyssey many times (10?) but also Australia when it was the support vehicle for a bunch of Sydney legends! It now will go to Max to support his team as they travel the Riverina building bikes for kids who dont have the opportunity to ride or own a bike otherwise. Where better for a tour support vehicle to retire!!
Have you got an old bike you don’t want? Donate it here! Our aim is to fill our van and send it off to Young, NSW in 10 days time! We can collect from Sydney or Canberra, or of course can be dropped at head office in Berry anytime.
From Max…
To escape the grip of COVID-19, we launched a five-year plan to bring bicycles to our school-age students in their suddenly restricted world. With social connection and physical activity limited, student engagement grew rapidly, and five years after its humble beginnings, our town’s ReCycle program recorded the largest sign-up ever seen for any school sport.
As word spread of our mission to provide every student with a bike, support from the cycling community was overwhelming — from the local cycling club to regular riders from Bike Odyssey and many generous enthusiasts in between.
By 2025, with strong outcomes in our high school, it became clear we needed to extend ReCycle to younger students. Last year, we built and donated a dozen bikes to a nearby satellite school. This year, we’ve taken the next step — bringing ReCycle to our primary schools.
Just 10 weeks into 2026, 20 students who had never ridden before can now cycle safely and confidently, while many others continue to build their skills through weekly sessions.
Our goal is to make this program available to every child in our region, and we’re well on the way. If you have a bike gathering dust in the garage or shed, we’d love to help pass it on to a new ReCycle rider.
