Last Words

You've decided to take on a project that works with children. Not only that, the success of the project depends on them. If you haven't done it before, you're going to find that the kids are going to constantly irritate, embarrass, disappoint, and infuriate you. At the same time, they will also charm, amuse, surprise, and impress you.

You, on the other hand, are going to set standards they can't possibly keep, demand their attention constantly, set a thousand niggling rules, and scold them regularly. You will also give them the most valuable commodity a child can have: a guiding hand. They'll keep coming back for it. We've found recycling bicycles with kids to be intensely rewarding. We hope you will, too.

This manual has touched on a lot of areas. If it seems a little daunting by this point, don't be discouraged. As we said in the beginning, start small. The elements we've discussed don't necessarily all have to be in place on day one. The basic ingredients are kids and bikes. If you've got those two, you're halfway there.

Good luck!